New poll shows nearly 80% of American parents say their kids’ lives won’t be better than theirs

The Wall Street Journal, along with the University of Chicago’s nonpartisan research organization NORC, tried to get their fingers on the pulses of about 1,000 Americans in a new survey, and the results were troubling regarding the state of our union. 

Just 1% of the more than 1,000 people polled described the nation’s economy as “excellent”; 19% called it “good”; 80% described it as “poor” or “not so good.”

Further, 47% predicted things will only get worse, while just 15% felt it would improve.

Forty-four percent said their financial situation in their current stage of life was worse than they would have predicted.

And getting a new job isn’t the answer: Despite rosy jobs headlines, just 11% believed it would be “very easy” to find another gig, even at their current salary level; 52% said doing so would not be easy at all. 

The poll also tapped into what parents think of the state of the country, and 78% were confident their children’s generation will have it worse than they did growing up. 

The new poll also revealed respondents’ thoughts on social issues, showing what many consider traditional American values have changed: Just 38% called patriotism “very important” — 70% said so in the same poll in 1998. Just 39% now say their religion is “very important” — their faith was key to 62% of Americans in that 1998 poll, as well. 

Survey questions, methodology and results have not been verified or endorsed by ABC News or The Walt Disney Company.