Researchers at Chapman University conducted a survey to find out what Americans fear the most. If you guessed terrorist attacks, identity theft, or running out of money, you'd be wrong -- by a large margin.
Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed -- nearly 14% higher than the next highest category -- said they were "afraid" or "very afraid" of corrupt government officials.
Here's the full list:
1. Corruption of government officials (58.0%)
2. Cyber-terrorism (44.8%)
3. Corporate tracking of personal information (44.6%)
4. Terrorist attacks (44.4%)
5. Government tracking of personal information (41.4%)
6. Bio-warfare (40.9%)
7. Identity theft (39.6%)
8. Economic collapse (39.2%)
9. Running out of money in the future (37.4%)
10. Credit card fraud (36.9%)
When Americans are more afraid of corrupt government officials than terrorist attacks, there's something wrong. To make matters worse, sending different politicians to Washington doesn't seem to help. Lofty campaign promises are nearly always followed up by weakness, complacency, and, yes, corruption.
It's time to shake things up in Washington. An Article V Convention of States can send a message to our corrupt federal officials -- "The American people have had enough!"
By proposing and ratifying constitutional amendments that severely limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, the people -- acting through their states -- can remind their elected leaders who they work for.
