Pessimism about America’s future is growing. The latest Rasmussen Reports tracking poll finds that just 38% of Americans now believe the nation’s best days best days remain ahead of us. A Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 Likely Voters found that 46% disagree and say that our best days have already come and gone.

That is by far the most pessimistic assessment ever on this topic. A survey completed on Election Day found that 41% thought the nation’s best days were still to come while 42% held the opposite view. However, even that result was sharply more pessimistic than earlier research indicated. In January 2004, 48% thought the best was yet to come while 35% took the opposite view.

Still, while Americans are less hopeful about our nation’s future, 56% continue to believe that American society is generally fair and decent. That’s down slightly from 61% on the Election Day survey, but the results are generally similar to a survey conducted immediately following Election 2004.

Republicans, by a 71% to 20% margin, believe that American society is generally fair and decent. However, Democrats are evenly divided.

Among all voters, 78% believe that those who move to the United States should adopt our nation's culture, language, and heritage. That's up eleven points from 2004. Today, just 12% disagree.

In terms of America's role in the world, 43% think that our allies should do what the U.S. wants more often. Twenty-nine percent (29%) think that, in the interests of co-operation, the U.S. should do what its allies want more often. Those figures have shifted slightly since 2004.

While wanting more co-operation from our allies, Americans now support removing almost all combat troops from Iraq within two years.

Visit our Election 2006 scorecard to compare Rasmussen Reports final polls with actual election results in the Senate and Governor's races.

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