More Than a Third of Americans Say Idea of Talking Politics at Thanksgiving Stresses Them Out

Americans say they're thankful for "family," "health," and "life."

ByABC News
November 20, 2016, 9:37 AM

— -- The holiday season is upon us! With Thanksgiving around the corner and a divisive election in the rearview mirror, millions of Americans expect to talk politics with friends and family members over the holiday, and more than a third say the idea of those conversations stresses them out.

According to an online survey conducted by ABC News and its partner SSRS, 45 percent of Americans foresee a side of political conversation with their turkey and cranberry sauce, and 38 percent said the idea of such talk is at least somewhat stressful, with 14 percent saying it is very stressful.

When asked to share one word to describe what they are most thankful for, the vast majority of respondents said “family,” followed by “life” and “health.” Also among the top 10 responses were “friends,” “Trump” and “Jesus.”

The ABC News/SSRS Poll was conducted using the SSRS probability panel. Interviews were conducted online Nov. 17 and 18, 2016, among a nationally representative sample of 250 respondents age 18 or older. The margin of error for all respondents is +/-7.9 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. Design effect is 1.64. The SSRS probability panel is a probability-based, online panel of adults recruited from random-digit-dialed landline and cellphone numbers. For more information, visit http://ssrs.com/abc-news-ssrs-opinion-poll-week-fourteen-topline/.

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