Americans have a problem -- namely, the federal government.
A near-record number of Americans have named "the government" as our nation's top problem, according to a recent poll from Gallup.
According to the survey group, 34 percent of Americans believe government is our number-one issue, eclipsing the next-most-important issue (immigration) by a full 21 percent.
"Government" has only cracked the 30 percent mark three times since 2001 -- it reached 33 percent in 2013 during the government shutdown and 35 percent (the record) in February of this year.
The percentage of Americans who cited the government as our most pressing issue climbed 11 percentage points since last month.
Americans have been increasingly disappointed in their federal officials since 2001. According to Gallup, prior to 2001 the highest percentage of citizens who named government as our worst problem came during the Watergate Scandal.
At that time, the number was only 26 percent.
Since 2001, this metric has steadily risen, and there's no sign of slowing down.
It isn't a partisan question, either. Gallup notes that both Democrats and Republicans are "about as likely" to name government as our top problem.
Mentions of the government have become more frequent among all party groups in recent months -- especially Republicans, among whom there has been a 14-point increase in mentions of the government this past month.
While Democrats were more likely than Republicans to name government and leadership as the top problem facing the nation in the year leading up to the latest poll, both party groups are now about as likely to name government as the top U.S. problem.
Clearly, our country is in trouble. As the federal government increases its power, Americans become more concerned with what's happening in D.C. As we learn more about what happens inside the beltway, we become more disgusted with the state of national politics and feel more helpless that we can do anything to solve the problem.
We have to pull ourselves out of that spiral, and the only way to do it is with a Convention of States.
The Founders gave us an Article V Convention of States for exactly this situation. Washington can't solve our problems, which is why the people and the states must step in. A Convention of States gives them the power to do that by allowing the states -- rather than Congress -- to propose constitutional amendments.
These amendments can limit the power of D.C., get federal bureaucrats out of our daily lives, limit the terms of office for federal officials, and force Congress to be fiscally responsible.
With a smaller, more responsible federal government, the American people will be free to stop worrying about D.C. and focus instead on improving their communities, neighborhoods, and states.
Sign the Convention of States Petition below to voice your support!
