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Forget France, it’s Congress Americans fear

Political developments at home trump the angst investors feel about politics outside U.S. borders, a new survey has found.

Forget the two-round French election and fears about how the political outcome there will impact the future of the single-market eurozone. It’s the political environment in Washington that “poses the biggest risk to the U.S. economy over the next six months,” according to a new Bankrate.com survey.

More than four out of 10 (38%) Americans said the dysfunction in the nation’s capital worries them most. In contrast, only 19% cited “political and economic stability overseas” as the main threat to the economy. The first round of France’s presidential election made headlines Monday when Wall Street cheered pro-euro, market-friendly centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron moving into the final round of voting, which he is seen winning.

Other risks to the economy cited in Bankrate’s survey: terrorism (14%), rising interest rates (10%), stock market decline (9%).

In September, 61% of survey respondents said the outcome of the U.S. presidential election was the biggest economic risk. Today, with another U.S. government shutdown looming, fears remain about how U.S. politics will impact jobs and business in the U.S.

“Many Americans feel they have a lot riding on what elected leaders do — or don’t do — in Washington,” said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.com.