Overview
- Conducted in 1998 via landlines, the Gallup/USA Today poll questioned 1,055 Americans about life in 2025, with results archived by the Roper Center.
- Major calls proved accurate: most expected a Black president, same‑sex marriage to be legal and commonplace, and the emergence of a deadly new disease.
- Respondents largely doubted that ordinary people would travel in space or that aliens would make contact, which aligns with 2025 reality.
- Many forecasts fell short, including expectations of a female president by now, cures for cancer, and people routinely living to 100.
- The poll foreshadowed gloom on privacy and personal freedom, and Gallup’s trend shows satisfaction with the country falling from about 60% in 1998 to 24% in 2025.