The study, conducted by Chapman University, carried out a detailed survey of the attitudes of 1,500 adults from across the country in search of what it is that ordinary Americans fear most.
To anyone who has been listening to US state and military officials over the past couple of years, the results of the survey may be surprising, at least to many Russian observers.
While the Obama administration famously heaped Russia in along with Ebola and ISIL as the country's greatest international threats, with top Pentagon generals hysterically characterizing Russia as an "existential threat," it turns out that as far as ordinary Americans are concerned, Russia doesn't even appear to be on anyone's radar.
Moreover, 44.4% of Americans fear terrorist attacks, 41.4% fear the government tracking their personal information, and 40.9% are afraid of the danger of bio-warfare.
The top ten list is rounded out by economic fears, with 39.6% afraid of identity theft, 39.2% fearing economic collapse, 37.4% dreading running out of money, and 36.9% afraid of credit card fraud.
Professor Christopher Bader, the study's head, explained that the top three threats signified a "kind of hand-wringing trifecta" of "conniving, colluding and cheating" government and corporate leaders.
"The 2015 survey data shows us the top fears are heavily based on economic and 'big brother' type issues," the professor noted. "People often fear what they cannot control, and technology and the future of our economy are two aspects of life that Americans find very unpredictable at the moment."
In total, the comprehensive survey, which also collected extensive background information about respondents in order to examine how fears vary by different groups, examined 88 fears from categories ranging from government, crime, the environment, the future, technology, aging, sickness & health, natural & man-made disasters, and personal anxieties.
The comprehensive list of Americans' fears can be found here.
