Our Age of Uncertainty: A Less Trusting, Reactionary, More Tribalized America

Social media mentions of “angst” and related words is up four-fold since 2015. Americans are exhausted, and our exhaustion is something psychologically fundamental: it stems from the widespread spurning of convention and the undermining of long-held norms which are disruptive.

Many believe that this disruption is only temporary, that America may have lost its way, but with a course correction or a few “good” elections, it will return to “regular order” and improved governance. However, this is wishful thinking. Our world is being re-shaped by long-term cultural change and generational replacement, rather than the vagaries of the moment. Read this paper as we discuss the societal and business impact of three separate but interrelated trends we’ve identified: (1) the erosion of interpersonal and institutional trust; (2) increased tribalization; and (3) the end of the white majority.

For more on this topic please read:

• The Power of Modern Partisanship
• America's Trust Deficit