New Study Reveals What Americans Fear The Most In 2017 And Clowns Should Be Way Higher On This List

Americans Top Fears Survey 2017

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Since 2014, Chapman University has been doing an annual study of what Americans fear the most. This year they asked a random sample of 1,207 Americans what their level of fear is about 80 different topics ranging from crime, the government, the environment, disasters, personal anxieties, technology and more.

Somehow, clowns wasn’t number one on the list, thus making me question the entire validity of this study. But I digress.

In 2016, the top 10 list of fears looked like this…

1. Corrupt Government Officials
2. Terrorist Attack
3. Not having enough money for the future
4. Terrorism
5. Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition
6. People I love dying
7. Economic/financial collapse
8. Identity theft
9. People I love becoming seriously ill
10. The Affordable Health Care Act/Obamacare

Again, clowns are nowhere to be found. Makes no sense.

Anyway, as we fast forward to 2017, some new items have made the top 10, but number one? It’s still the same.

1. Corrupt Government Officials
2. American Healthcare Act/Trumpcare
3. Pollution of Oceans, Rivers and Lakes
4. Pollution of Drinking Water
5. Not having enough money for the future
6. High Medical Bills
7. The US will be involved in another World War
8. Global Warming & Climate Change
9. North Korea using weapons
10. Air Pollution

Still no clowns. Hmmm…

Here’s what Chapman University had to say about this year’s top 10…

What is, perhaps, most striking about American fear in 2017 is that environmental fears, including water pollution and drinking water quality, figure more prominently than ever before. Environmental issues never cracked the top ten fears in our previous surveys.

In 2017, there was a sharp increase in environmental fears, likely due to fears about policy changes in Washington. The Trump Administration has charted a drastically different path; ordering the US Environmental Protection Agency not to enforce major pollution laws, and firing the EPA’s entire Science Advisory Board.

Okay, fine, but where are the clowns?

76th?! No way.

How about other common fears like say, heights? It came in at number 34. Also, sharks were ranked 41st, dying was just 48th, needles were 71st followed by flying at 72nd, while blood, zombies and ghosts clocked in at 77th, 78th and 79th respectively, right behind clowns.

Interesting.

Check out the complete rankings of all 80 fears for 2017 right here.

H/T Joe

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Before settling down at BroBible, Douglas Charles, a graduate of the University of Iowa (Go Hawks), owned and operated a wide assortment of websites. He is also one of the few White Sox fans out there and thinks Michael Jordan is, hands down, the GOAT.