Polling on American perceptions of internal conflict in the United States

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With the US presidential election this year, public opinion polling has been prolific particularly since the annoucnement of US president, Joe Biden that he would not be seeking a second term and nominating Vice President, Kamala Harris to be the Democratic Party candidate.

Other polls on general sentiment have been conducted and underscore the level of unease that is found in the United States at the moment.  The Marist Poll is one such survey that identified that around 50 per cent of people polled had a pessimistic outlook on the current situation of possible internal conflict n the US. The poll was conducted prior to the announcement of President Biden's withdrawal from the election on 21 July 2024.

How was the survey done ?

The survey of 1,192 adults was conducted April 16th through April 18th, 2024 by the Marist Poll. Adults 18 years of age and older residing in the United States were contacted through a multi-mode design: By phone using live interviewers or online. 

Results

More than 160 years after the Civil War began, nearly half of Americans think that it is either very likely or likely that they will see a second civil war. Perceptions about the possibility of another domestic conflict break along partisan, generational, racial and gender lines.

Link to the poll: Marist Poll: a nation divided