Government corruption, the possibility of global war, and economic uncertainty are among the fears gripping the American psyche in 2024, according to new findings from Chapman University.

The fear of corrupt government officials tops the list this year as it has for the last nine years. Americans are also very fearful about loved ones becoming seriously ill or dying, nuclear war, terrorism, and running out of money.

“The Chapman University Survey of American Fears is unique in its scope and 10-year history, offering unprecedented insight into the fears of Americans from all walks of life, as well as the causes and consequences of those fears,” said Ann Gordon, Ph.D., associate professor of political science in Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and co-principal investigator of the survey. Gordon is also the director of the Henley Social Sciences Laboratory at Chapman University where she works on the survey closely with student researchers.

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