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Americans far more likely to view politics as greatest threat to safety, study finds
David Smith
Americans are 10 times more likely than people in other parts of the world to see politics as the biggest threat to their personal safety, according to a global survey that indicates the nation’s intense partisan divides are affecting daily life.
The latest Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll found that one in 10 Americans identified politics as the most significant risk they face in their everyday lives when asked an open-ended question. This figure is up from 6% in both 2021 and 2023 and significantly higher than the global average of 1% across 140 countries.
While Americans still tend to cite road accidents and crime as their main threats, this survey revealed that the US is the only country where more people mentioned politics than health issues as the top risk to their safety.
“The US figure of 10% is unprecedented,” said Benedict Vigers, a senior global news writer at Gallup, which collaborated on the research. “No other country ranked higher. It’s 10 times the global average.”
“It reflects how charged the political environment has been for many years in America, with individuals now perceiving political conditions not just as a national concern but also as a tangible daily risk while going about their regular lives.”
The US has consistently ranked among countries most likely to regard politics as a personal safety threat throughout all three phases of the World Risk Poll, but for the first time in 2025, it has topped the global ranking.
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Trump ally pledges to ‘work with people’ he disagrees with after Arizona primary win
Hello and welcome to our live blog covering US politics.
Andy Biggs – a far-right congressman backed by Donald Trump – secured the Republican nomination for governor of Arizona and stated he will “work with people that don’t necessarily agree with me.”
He is set to challenge incumbent Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs in what promises to be one of this fall’s most fiercely contested races nationwide.
Biggs, who previously chaired the House Freedom Caucus and was instrumental in attempts to overturn Trump’s election loss, decisively defeated fellow Congressman David Schweikert by appealing directly to his party’s conservative base.
“Let’s make this the year that we turn Arizona red again,” Biggs declared.
Schweikert contended during his campaign that Biggs would perpetuate a decade of Republican decline. However, he had trouble raising funds and didn’t even return to Arizona on Election Day; instead remaining in Washington while Congress passed a government funding bill.
Biggs dismissed Schweikert’s claim that voters would find him another extreme Republican.
“I am a conservative – and a principled conservative – but I work with people that don’t necessarily agree with me on every issue,” Biggs told reporters following his victory speech.
Throughout their campaigns, Biggs and Schweikert presented contrasting visions for reclaiming governorship. Schweikert decided not to seek reelection for his competitive congressional seat after eight terms in favor of running for governor; he argued that Biggs’ hard-right approach had allowed Democrats to gain ground in what was once solidly Republican Arizona.
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