In the global race for jobs and economic prosperity, the United States is No. 2. And it is likely to remain there for some time. That's the glum conclusion of most Americans surveyed in the latest Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor poll. Henry Luce famously labeled the 20th century the "American Century." This survey suggests that most Americans now doubt that this new century will bear that name.
Is There a Future for 'Made in America'?
In the poll, only one in five Americans said that the U.S. economy is the world's strongest--nearly half picked China instead. Looking forward, Americans are somewhat more optimistic about regaining primacy, but still only about one in three expect the U.S. economy to be the world's strongest in 20 years. Nearly three-fifths of those surveyed said that increasing competition from lower-paid workers around the world will keep living standards for average Americans from growing as fast as they did in the past. Ruben Owen, a retired Boeing engineer in Seattle who responded to the survey, spoke for many when he said, "We're still in a reasonably good place … but it's going to get harder because other places are growing stronger."