I would say it has 3 of those 4 bullet points.
> Likewise, when a nation weakens and its standard of living declines, it introduces the possibility of total governmental collapse.
Standard of living
https://usafacts.org/state-of-the-union/standard-living/
So yeah, I personally don't call it a failed state, but I don't blame others that do if they're in those categories.
People also argued in January 2020 that it would be ridiculous to worry about this coronavirus it's just as deadly as the flu. Literally told to me by a democratic doctor that works at an extremely prestigious medical institution. (Different take now).
I'm not saying the US is on the precipice of failure in 1 year and 7 months, but people don't realize the stilts things are on sometimes.
Again, do words even have meaning anymore? Just because someone feels like America is a "failed state" doesn't make it so.
And finally, "failed state" is using the past tense. I can acknowledge that something is on stilts without claiming that it already fell down.
FATCA is annoying. I don’t mind taxes. I want the process to be fair, predictable, and not exceptional. It’s a travesty the United States has been most of my adult life a failed state, which makes the tax treatment insult to injury.
- American Abroad (on the pathway to naturalization in a new home)