In retrospect, it’s easy to see how market deregulation and the smoke-and-mirrors derivative market could only lead to financial ruin.

All of which is why right now, given the clear and present danger the country’s financial situation is in, we may be staring down the barrel of yet another recession.

Consider these significant signs:

• The debt ceiling deal was stalled until the 11th hour, at which point both parties agreed to a deal neither completely believed was beneficial for the country.
• The ever-widening divide between political parties has never been more apparent or substantial. Even minor bills wind up in limbo for months, as both sides of the aisle vote strictly based upon party lines. It feels more like the Jets and the Sharks than Washington politics.
• As a result of that divide, the country’s credit rating has dropped below AAA for the first time in history. Standard & Poor’s, the lone institution that downgraded the U.S., provided this explanation: “the gulf between the political parties has reduced our confidence in the government’s ability to manage its finances.”
• Like falling dominoes, now Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and all U.S. backed debt has been downgraded by Standard & Poor’s as well.
• Meanwhile, gas prices are rising to unprecedented rates, unemployment continues to linger around 9%, the housing market still hasn’t recovered from the first recession, and 82% of Americans now disapprove of the job the U.S. government is doing.

Could this crisis of leadership send us spiraling straight into a second recession? All of the elements for such a storm are in place.

The question is: Can the government learn from past mistakes and pick up the pieces before it’s too late?

The poll, released on July 22nd, asked Americans to rank how much confidence they had in 16 different areas. Here are the rankings in descending order (the % meaning the number of Americans who have strong confidence in each area/institution):

1. Military 76%
2. Small business 66%
3. The police 59%
4. The church or organized religion 48%
5. The medical system 40%
6. The U.S. Supreme Court 36%
7. The presidency 36%
8. Public schools 34%
9. The criminal justice system 27%
10. Newspapers 25%
11. Banks 23%
12. Television news 22%
13. Organized labor 20%
14. Big business 19%
15. HMOs 16%
16. Congress 11%

No surprise that the military ranks first. Since 1998, the U.S. military has never dropped past the third position in confidence surveys.

But the fact that U.S. Congress has dropped to 11% is a reflection of the ever-widening political divide in this country. The rift began in the 70s, but has never reached the point where it is right now. People seem to be drawn to either side of the political divide, and there’s almost no middle ground in between.

Meanwhile, almost every major issue comes down to a split based strictly upon party lines and allegiances, a situation which falls in direct contradiction to the way most Americans expect Congress to operate.

What do you think? Have you lost your faith in Congress? What needs to change in order for Congress to operate successfully again?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

To read the entire breakdown and analysis of this Gallup Poll, click here.

The projections, based largely on statistics from a national study conducted by the Monthly Labor Review in 2007, predict these 10 industries will offer the most potential in terms of jobs and salary over the next six years (also listed is the estimated annual rate of expansion):

1. Management and technical consulting services: 5.9%
2. Individual and family services: 5.7%
3. Home health care services: 4.5%
4. Securities, commodities & financial investments: 3.9%
5. Facility sevices: 3.8%
6. Residential care: 3.3%
7. Independent artists, writers, and performers: 3.3%
8. Computer systems design: 3.3%
9. Museum and historical sites: 3.1%
10. Day care services: 2.9%

It may be worth considering how you can tap into these markets or target prospects in related industries. Meanwhile, here are the 10 industries that are experiencing the most rapid decline:

1. Sewing manufacturing: -8.7%
2. Footwear manufacturing: -7.3%
3. Federal enterprises (except the USPS): -5.2%
4. Knitting apparel factories: -5.1%
5. Textile and fabrics mills: -5.0%
6. Leather and hide manufacturing: -4.9%
7. Apparel manufacturing : -4.1%
8. Tobacco manufacturing: -4.0%
9. Computer manufacturing: -4.0%
10. Iron and steel manufacturing: -3.9

The message is clear: As automated processes (and cheaper foreign labor) make it easier for companies to cut down on manpower, a lot of traditional American manufacturers are on the decline. Now may be the time to determine how your organization can adjust to those changes, and maintain (or increase) its market share.

Click here for the U.S. Department of Labor’s full list of “Industries with the fastest growing and most rapidly declining salary employment”