Most Americans think the country’s best years are behind us

Ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary in July, a Pew Research Center survey published on May 15 shows that 59 percent of Americans believe the best years of the United States are in the past. Only 40 percent think the best years are ahead. When 3,560 U.S. adults were asked about life 50 years from now, 44 percent felt pessimistic, while 28 percent felt optimistic. Majorities of black, Hispanic and white adults, as well as lower- and middle-income people, say the best days are gone, and Democrats are more likely than Republicans to hold this view. Bible prophecy shows this is correct in the short term, but that America’s long-term prognosis is bright.