Chapman University started fielding a survey on Americans’ greatest fears around Halloween a decade ago, including everything from fears of biowarfare to ghosts, reptiles and blood. In the years since, the study’s authors have made several observations on the changing mindsets of U.S. adults.

For one, corruption of government officials has topped the list of fears every year since the survey began. Nearly two thirds of U.S. respondents said that they were either afraid or very afraid of the prospect when surveyed in 2024, although it has come down from the peak of 79.6 percent of respondents picking the option in 2020/2021. This fear ranks even higher than more personal fears of losing a loved one or a loved one falling seriously ill.

According to the researchers, the fear of corruption extends not only to the federal government but also to local and state politics. Reflecting on the impact of such a fear, the researchers suggest that the fact “citizens may be attracted to populist rhetoric decrying career politicians and the political establishment could have its roots in distrust driven by fear of corruption.”

🔗 statista.com