Overview

• Fifty-four percent say the country’s best days are behind it, reversing last year’s outlook when a majority said the best days were ahead.
• Seventy-five percent say the U.S. political system needs major reforms or a complete overhaul, while only 4 percent say it is fine as is.
• Within the parties, 51 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents want major changes to their party, while 58 percent of Republicans and GOP leaners call for only minor changes.
• Americans are about twice as likely to report anger rather than enthusiasm about the Trump administration’s policies, and more than half of independents express dissatisfaction or indifference toward both parties.
• In an early test for next year’s midterms, respondents prefer Democratic control of Congress by five points; the CNN/SSRS poll surveyed 2,077 adults Aug. 21–Sept. 1 with a 2.7-point margin of error.