New Poll: Politics Now a Safety Fear

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A striking new survey shows that Americans are more afraid of politics itself than nearly any other daily risk to their safety. The finding puts the United States at the top of a global ranking that no country wants to lead. For Christians watching the nation’s growing unrest, the numbers confirm what many have felt for years.

One in Ten Americans Name Politics as Top Risk

According to Gallup’s polling, one in ten U.S. adults now say politics is the single greatest risk to their personal safety, more than any other nation surveyed worldwide. The 2026 Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll asked an open-ended question about daily safety concerns across 140 countries. No other nation placed politics as high on the list as the United States did this year.

That number has grown sharply in a short period of time. Just a few years ago, only 6 percent of Americans gave that same answer. The jump reflects a nation that increasingly views its own political system, not crime or disease, as the thing most likely to hurt its people.

Coverage from the Washington Times notes something important about who is answering this way. Republicans, Democrats, and independents all cited politics as their top safety concern in roughly equal numbers. Polarization itself, rather than any single party or leader, appears to be the common thread tying these fears together.

Both Sides Point Fingers, But Agree on the Danger

A breakdown from Semafor shows how differently each side explains its fear. Republicans tend to point toward Democrats as the source of the threat, while Democrats tend to point toward the Trump administration. Yet across the political spectrum, most respondents ultimately blame the deeper problem of partisan division itself.

This pattern lines up with a wave of real violence the country has experienced in recent years. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a college event, and Trump himself survived multiple assassination attempts during his 2024 campaign. The Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol remains another vivid marker of how far political anger can escalate.

Data from Fingerlakes1.com helps put the finding in context. Road accidents remain the most commonly cited safety risk among Americans at 34 percent, and crime and violence follows at 19 percent. Politics still outranks health conditions, cited by only 5 percent, even though health problems cause the vast majority of American deaths every year.

A Nation Losing Trust in Itself

It is a sobering thing for a country to fear its own political system more than it fears disease or accidents. That fear did not appear overnight. It grew alongside years of rising rhetoric, deepening distrust, and a handful of horrifying attacks that made the danger feel personal rather than abstract.

This is not the first time American politics has grown violent, but experts note something different about the current moment. Polling data shows the shift is not confined to one party or ideology. Republicans, Democrats, and independents are all reporting the same underlying anxiety, even as they disagree sharply about its cause.

Million Voices has covered this unraveling before. After Kirk’s assassination, the Department of Homeland Security issued a stark warning that violent political rhetoric had fueled a dangerous climate, one that included a documented surge in attacks against ICE officers and new fears for the safety of churches and faith-based organizations. That warning, paired with this new polling data, paints a consistent picture. Something in the nation’s political culture has broken, and ordinary Americans feel it in their bones.

Scripture offers a warning that fits this moment well: “A house divided against itself will not stand” (Mark 3:25). A nation this fractured, where citizens fear their own neighbors and leaders more than accidents or illness, cannot function as God intended a society to function. Genuine peace requires more than policy fixes. It requires a return to truth, humility, and a shared moral foundation.

What Christians Should Do With This Moment

This poll is not a reason for believers to retreat from public life in fear. It is a reason to engage more intentionally, and with far more grace than the surrounding culture currently offers. Christians are called to be salt and light, even in a nation gripped by political anxiety, and that calling does not pause because the temperature has risen.

Prayer for the nation’s leaders and for calm within our communities should come first, as Scripture instructs believers to pray for those in authority so that all may live peaceful and quiet lives. Beyond prayer, Christians should model the kind of civil, truthful engagement that the rest of the country has largely abandoned. That means refusing to dehumanize political opponents, even while standing firm on biblical convictions about life, family, and religious liberty.

It also means staying engaged rather than checking out. Fear drives people away from town halls, school boards, and voting booths precisely when their voices are needed most. Million Voices exists to help believers stay informed and active despite that fear, equipping them with real information rather than reactionary panic.

The nation’s growing fear of its own politics is a warning sign that should not be ignored. But for Christians, it is also an invitation. When the culture around us grows more anxious and divided, believers have an opportunity to stand out as people of peace, conviction, and hope rooted in something far more stable than the next election cycle.

As believers, we are called to pray for our leaders and our nation. Pray for wisdom for those making these decisions, and for safety and dignity for all people affected by them.

That’s where we come in.

Prayer is at the heart of how Million Voices connects faith with civic life. Our Prayer Guide: Pray for Our Government Officials By Name is a free resource designed to help individuals, families, and small groups lift up the men and women who serve in public office—across every level of government and regardless of party.

Rooted in the scriptural call to pray “for kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1–2), the guide offers a thoughtful framework for interceding on behalf of our leaders: for wisdom in their decisions, integrity in their conduct, protection for them and their families, and a heart for serving the common good.

Whether you’re looking to deepen your personal prayer life or to gather others in praying for our nation, this guide is a meaningful place to start. Download it here: https://millionvoices.org/mv-prayer-guide-pray-for-government-officials/

We also offer an opportunity to connect faith with action. Through our Write Now Campaign, volunteers send letters to low-propensity voters in key areas, helping inspire them to engage and make their voices heard.

Ready to take the next step? Learn more or sign up to get involved: https://millionvoices.org/volunteer/

You can also be notified when Candidate Fact Sheets become available in areas you care about: https://millionvoices.org/cfs-notify/