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<\/p>\nThe Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 4 (2017) provides an in-depth examination into the fears of average Americans. In May of 2017, a random sample of 1,207 adults from across the United States were asked their level of fear about eighty different fears across a huge variety of topics ranging from crime, the government, the environment, disasters, personal anxieties, technology and many others.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/strong>Below is a list of the 10 fears for which the highest percentage of Americans reported being “Afraid,” or “Very Afraid.”<\/p>\n The 2017 list of fears clearly reflects political unrest and uncertainty in the wake of Donald Trump’s election as president. Increased tensions with North Korea, concerns about sweeping changes proposed to health care and discussion (at the time the survey was administered) of the United States leaving the Paris Climate Accords produced a much different list from 2016:<\/p>\n What is, perhaps, most striking about American fear in 2017 is that environmental fears, including water pollution and drinking water quality, figure more prominently than ever before. Environmental issues never cracked the top ten fears in our previous surveys.<\/p>\n In 2017, there was a sharp increase in environmental fears, likely due to fears about policy changes in Washington. The Trump Administration has charted a drastically different path; ordering the US Environmental Protection Agency not to enforce major pollution laws, and firing the EPA\u2019s entire Science Advisory Board.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Water Pollution<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n One of Donald Trump\u2019s first actions as president was to withdraw the EPA\u2019s \u201cWaters of the United States\u201d rule. This action drastically reduced the number of rivers and streams that could be protected from agricultural runoff under the Clean Water Act. Another of the administration\u2019s first actions was to withdraw the \u201cStream Buffer\u201d rule, which had been enacted to protect Appalachian rivers and streams from strip mining.<\/p>\n Drinking Water Quality<\/strong><\/p>\n The prominence of these fears is consistent with years of public opinion polling which shows that water pollution typically outranks other environmental problems in the mind of the public. Water pollution ranks third overall, followed closely by Drinking Water Quality.<\/p>\n Climate Change and Air Pollution <\/strong><\/p>\n Public opinion polls show that climate change ranks lower than most other environmental issues as a source of public concern. This is likely due to the perception that the effects of the warming oceans and atmosphere are remote, far in the future, and more likely to affect \u201cother people.\u201d<\/p>\n The following is a complete, list of all eighty of the fears addressed by the Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 4 (2017), including the percent of Americans who reported being afraid or very afraid.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Sorted by Percent Afraid\/Very Afraid<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Sorted Alphabetically<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
\n Top Ten Fears of 2017<\/strong><\/td>\n % Afraid or Very Afraid<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Corrupt Government Officials<\/td>\n 74.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n American Healthcare Act\/Trumpcare<\/td>\n 55.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Pollution of Oceans, Rivers and Lakes<\/td>\n 53.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Pollution of Drinking Water<\/td>\n 50.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Not having enough money for the future<\/td>\n 50.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n High Medical Bills<\/td>\n 48.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n The US will be involved in another World War<\/td>\n 48.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Global Warming & Climate Change<\/td>\n 48<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n North Korea using weapons<\/td>\n 47.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Air Pollution<\/td>\n 44.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\n
\n Top Ten Fears of 2016<\/strong><\/td>\n % Afraid or Very Afraid<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\n \n Corrupt government officials<\/td>\n 60.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Terrorist Attack<\/td>\n 41<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Not having enough money for the future<\/td>\n 39.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Terrorism<\/td>\n 38.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition<\/td>\n 38.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n People I love dying<\/td>\n 38.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Economic\/financial collapse<\/td>\n 37.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Identity theft<\/td>\n 37.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n People I love becoming seriously ill<\/td>\n 35.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n The Affordable Care Act\/Obamacare<\/td>\n 35.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Environmental Quality Ranks among Americans\u2019 Top Fears<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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The Complete List of Fears, 2017<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\n Complete List of Fears (2017)<\/strong><\/td>\n % Afraid or Very Afraid<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Corrupt Government Officials<\/td>\n 74.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 American Healthcare Act\/Trumpcare<\/td>\n 55.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pollution of Oceans, Rivers and Lakes<\/td>\n 53.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pollution of Drinking Water<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Not having enough money for the future<\/td>\n 50.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 High Medical Bills<\/td>\n 48.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The US will be involved in another World War<\/td>\n 48.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Global Warming & Climate Change<\/td>\n 48<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 North Korea using weapons<\/td>\n 47.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 10.\u00a0 Air Pollution<\/td>\n 44.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 11.\u00a0 Economic\/Financial collapse<\/td>\n 44.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 12.\u00a0 Extinction of plant and animal species<\/td>\n 43.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 13.\u00a0 Terrorist Attack<\/td>\n 43.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 14.\u00a0 Identity Theft<\/td>\n 41.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 15.\u00a0 Biological Warfare<\/td>\n 41.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 16.\u00a0 Credit Card Fraud<\/td>\n 40.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 17.\u00a0 People I love dying<\/td>\n 39.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 18.\u00a0 People I love becoming seriously ill<\/td>\n 39.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 19.\u00a0 Cyber-Terrorism<\/td>\n 39.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 20.\u00a0 Widespread civil unrest<\/td>\n 39.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 21.\u00a0 Nuclear Weapons attack<\/td>\n 39<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 22.\u00a0 Terrorism<\/td>\n 38.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 23.\u00a0 Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition<\/td>\n 38.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 24.\u00a0 Government Tracking of personal data<\/td>\n 37.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 25.\u00a0 Corporate Tracking of personal data<\/td>\n 36.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 26.\u00a0 Oil Spills<\/td>\n 36.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 27.\u00a0 The collapse of the electrical grid<\/td>\n 35.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 28.\u00a0 Being hit by a drunk driver<\/td>\n 35.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 29.\u00a0 The Affordable Care Act\/ Obamacare<\/td>\n 33.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 30.\u00a0 Pandemic or a major epidemic<\/td>\n 32.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 31.\u00a0 Being unemployed<\/td>\n 30.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 32.\u00a0 Nuclear accident\/meltdown<\/td>\n 30.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 33.\u00a0 Losing my data, photos or other important documents in a disaster<\/td>\n 29.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 34.\u00a0 Heights<\/td>\n 28.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 35.\u00a0 Random Mass shooting<\/td>\n 28.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 36.\u00a0 Government use of drones within the US<\/td>\n 27.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 37.\u00a0 Devastating drought<\/td>\n 26.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 38.\u00a0 Break-ins<\/td>\n 26.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 39.\u00a0 Becoming Seriously ill<\/td>\n 25.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 40.\u00a0 Theft of property<\/td>\n 25.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 41.\u00a0 Sharks<\/td>\n 25.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 42.\u00a0 Computers replacing people in the workforce<\/td>\n 25.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 43.\u00a0 Devastating tornado<\/td>\n 24.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 44.\u00a0 Reptiles (snakes, lizards, etc.)<\/td>\n 23.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 45.\u00a0 Devastating earthquake<\/td>\n 22.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 46.\u00a0 Devastating Hurricane<\/td>\n 21.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 47.\u00a0 Racial\/Hate Crime<\/td>\n 20.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 48.\u00a0 Dying<\/td>\n 20.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 49.\u00a0 Illegal immigration<\/td>\n 20.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 50.\u00a0 Insects\/Arachnids<\/td>\n 20.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 51.\u00a0 Financial Fraud<\/td>\n 20.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 52.\u00a0 Public Speaking<\/td>\n 20.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 53.\u00a0 Devastating Flood<\/td>\n 19.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 54.\u00a0 Mugging<\/td>\n 19.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 55.\u00a0 Small enclosed spaces<\/td>\n 19.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 56.\u00a0 Walking alone at night<\/td>\n 19.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 57.\u00a0 Gang Violence<\/td>\n 19.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 58.\u00a0 Sexual Assault by a stranger<\/td>\n 19.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 59.\u00a0 Police Brutality<\/td>\n 18.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 60.\u00a0 Murder by a stranger<\/td>\n 18.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 61.\u00a0 Deep lakes and oceans<\/td>\n 18.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 62.\u00a0 Abduction\/kidnapping<\/td>\n 15.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 63.\u00a0 Devastating blizzard\/ winter storm<\/td>\n 15.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 64.\u00a0 Technology I don\u2019t understand<\/td>\n 14.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 65.\u00a0 Stalking<\/td>\n 14.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 66.\u00a0 Sexual assault by someone you know<\/td>\n 12.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 67.\u00a0 Murder by someone you know<\/td>\n 11.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 68.\u00a0 Germs<\/td>\n 11.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 69.\u00a0 Whites no longer being the majority in the US<\/td>\n 10.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 70.\u00a0 Large volcanic eruption<\/td>\n 10.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 71.\u00a0 Needles<\/td>\n 10.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 72.\u00a0 Flying<\/td>\n 9.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 73.\u00a0 Strangers<\/td>\n 8.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 74.\u00a0 Others talking about you behind your back<\/td>\n 7.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 75.\u00a0 Significant other cheating on you<\/td>\n 7.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 76.\u00a0 Clowns<\/td>\n 6.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 77.\u00a0 Blood<\/td>\n 5.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 78.\u00a0 Zombies<\/td>\n 5.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 79.\u00a0 Ghosts<\/td>\n 4.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 80.\u00a0 Animals (dogs, rats, etc.)<\/td>\n 3.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\n
\n Complete List of Fears (2017)<\/strong><\/td>\n % Afraid or Very Afraid<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Abduction\/kidnapping<\/td>\n 15.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Air Pollution<\/td>\n 44.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n American Healthcare Act\/Trumpcare<\/td>\n 55.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Animals (dogs, rats, etc.)<\/td>\n 3.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Becoming Seriously ill<\/td>\n 25.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Being hit by a drunk driver<\/td>\n 35.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Being unemployed<\/td>\n 30.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Biological Warfare<\/td>\n 41.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Blood<\/td>\n 5.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Break-ins<\/td>\n 26.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Clowns<\/td>\n 6.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Computers replacing people in the workforce<\/td>\n 25.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Corporate Tracking of personal data<\/td>\n 36.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Corrupt Government Officials<\/td>\n 74.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Credit Card Fraud<\/td>\n 40.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Cyber-Terrorism<\/td>\n 39.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Deep lakes and oceans<\/td>\n 18.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Devastating blizzard\/ winter storm<\/td>\n 15.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Devastating drought<\/td>\n 26.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Devastating earthquake<\/td>\n 22.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n >Devastating Flood<\/td>\n 19.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Devastating Hurricane<\/td>\n 21.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Devastating tornado<\/td>\n 24.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Dying<\/td>\n 20.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Economic\/Financial collapse<\/td>\n 44.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Extinction of plant and animal species<\/td>\n 43.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Financial Fraud<\/td>\n 20.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Flying<\/td>\n 9.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Gang Violence<\/td>\n 19.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Germs<\/td>\n 11.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Ghosts<\/td>\n 4.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Global Warming & Climate Change<\/td>\n 48<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition<\/td>\n 38.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Government Tracking of personal data<\/td>\n 37.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Government use of drones within the US<\/td>\n 27.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Heights<\/td>\n 28.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n High Medical Bills<\/td>\n 48.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Identity Theft<\/td>\n 41.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Illegal immigration<\/td>\n 20.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Insects\/Arachnids<\/td>\n 20.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Large volcanic eruption<\/td>\n 10.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Losing my data, photos or other important documents in a disaster<\/td>\n 29.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Mugging<\/td>\n 19.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Murder by a stranger<\/td>\n 18.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Murder by someone you know<\/td>\n 11.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Needles<\/td>\n 10.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n North Korea using weapons<\/td>\n 47.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Not having enough money for the future<\/td>\n 50.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Nuclear accident\/meltdown<\/td>\n 30.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Nuclear Weapons attack<\/td>\n 39<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Oil Spills<\/td>\n 36.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Others talking about you behind your back<\/td>\n 7.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Pandemic or a major epidemic<\/td>\n 32.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n People I love becoming seriously ill<\/td>\n 39.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n People I love dying<\/td>\n 39.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Police Brutality<\/td>\n 18.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Pollution of Drinking Water<\/td>\n 50.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Pollution of Oceans, Rivers and Lakes<\/td>\n 53.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Public Speaking<\/td>\n 20.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Racial\/Hate Crime<\/td>\n 20.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Random Mass shooting<\/td>\n 28.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Reptiles (snakes, lizards, etc.)<\/td>\n 23.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sexual Assault by a stranger<\/td>\n 19.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sexual assault by someone you know<\/td>\n 12.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sharks<\/td>\n 25.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Significant other cheating on you<\/td>\n 7.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Small enclosed spaces<\/td>\n 19.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Stalking<\/td>\n 14.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Strangers<\/td>\n 8.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Technology I don\u2019t understand<\/td>\n 14.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Terrorism<\/td>\n 38.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Terrorist Attack<\/td>\n 43.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n The Affordable Care Act\/ Obamacare<\/td>\n 33.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n The collapse of the electrical grid<\/td>\n 35.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n The US will be involved in another World War<\/td>\n 48.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Theft of property<\/td>\n 25.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Walking alone at night<\/td>\n 19.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Whites no longer being the majority in the US<\/td>\n 10.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Widespread civil unrest<\/td>\n 39.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Zombies<\/td>\n 5.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n