The situation had reached an even worse state in the waning days of former President George W. Bushâs White House tenure. In mid-October 2008, a Gallup poll found a mere 7 percent of Americans believing their nation â then dealing with a spiraling financial crisis as well as wars in Iraq and Afghanistan â was on the right track.
To some eyes, these upswings in unhappiness leave the country much more prone to volatile swings â and to populism of the left and right â than it was during more contented times.