CNN poll: Public views on the economy are rising, but remain bleak

CNN
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A new CNN poll conducted by SSRS found that the public’s longstanding pessimism about the economy has shown signs of easing since last year. But even with the economy improving, many Americans’ view of the economy, and the country as a whole, remains bleak.

Only 35% of Americans say the current situation in the country is going well, an improvement from the 28% who felt positive about the current situation last fall. Also, only 26% of Americans say they feel the economy is starting to recover from the challenges faced in the past few years, up from 20% last summer and 17% in December 2022. .

Overall, 26% of Americans now say their economic situation is stable, and 48% say they think the economy remains weak.

Among those who believe the economy is improving, nearly three-quarters (73%) say President Joe Biden’s economic policies are helping improve the situation. An even broader 83% of those who say the economy continues to decline say his policies have actually made it worse.

Views about the nation’s economic trajectory are shaped by partisanship, with heightened sentiment primarily among Democrats (49% say the economy is improving, up 10 points from July) and independents (24%). , an increase of 7 points). Just 6% of Republicans say the economy is starting to recover, about the same as last summer.

But there is also a large age gap within the Democratic Party, and many younger Democrats are unlikely to see an upturn in the economy. About a third (35%) of Democrats under 45 say the economy is starting to recover, compared with 63% of Democrats over 45. And more broadly, a minority of Democratic adults under 45 (54%) say the situation in the country is getting worse, and about a quarter of older adults share this view. Only 1 (22%).

CNN reported in January that recent numbers from the Commerce Department show the U.S. economy remains strong, and the first jobs report of 2024 is expected to be strong.

When Americans who say the economy remains depressed are asked why they feel that way, most blame inflation and the cost of living in general (50%) or specific items such as food (9%) and housing. (7%). ), many of whom point to their own financial situation. Another 13% who feel the economy is still in decline cite Biden or Democratic policies, and 9% cite wages and incomes. Few people mention jobs, gas prices, or the stock market.

“No matter what the inflation numbers do, everything important in life continues to rise in price,” wrote a Republican from Georgia who responded to the poll.

“Everything is still expensive and a lot of people are struggling with that,” said the Republican-leaning independent from Louisiana. “Consumer debt is increasing significantly. Wall Street is doing well, but it’s not helping the average worker.”

Overall, 42% of all Americans say their financial situation is worse than it was a year ago, and in December 2022, when the country’s inflation rate was nearly twice what it is now. This is down from 49% who felt that way. In a new poll, 37% say he’s in about the same situation as he was a year ago, and 20% say things are better now.

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Fifty-five percent of Americans overall feel that Biden’s policies have worsened the nation’s economic situation, but only 26% believe his policies have improved the situation, and an additional 19% believe they have not been effective. This number is almost unchanged from last summer. . Nearly all Republicans, 91%, say Biden’s policies have made the economy worse, while a more modest majority of Democrats, 55%, say Biden’s policies have made things better. . Biden’s approval rating for his economic response has not exceeded the 40% mark since December 2021, but his approval rating among the general public currently stands at 37%.

immigration and foreign policy

Biden’s lowest approval rating in public opinion polls is his response to immigration, with just 30% of Americans supporting him. The numbers reflect growing concerns about the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. When asked whether the current situation at the border is critical, 79% of Americans, including a bipartisan majority, said it was, a level of concern last seen in April 2021. It coincides with the rise.

The poll also found that hard-line immigration sentiment is on the rise. Polls conducted during President Donald Trump’s term show that Americans overwhelmingly support creating a plan that would allow some of the undocumented immigrants living in the United States to become legal residents. Ta. In 2019, fewer than 15% said the government should prioritize deporting all people in the U.S. illegally. Support for mass deportations, although still a minority, has nearly doubled to 31%. A majority of Republicans, 54%, now think the U.S. should prioritize deportation, up from 32% who felt that way in 2019.

Among Americans, 41% approve of Biden’s handling of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and 34% approve of his handling of the war between Israel and Hamas. This disparity highlights a particular weakness of the president on issues related to Israel. While most Democrats give him a positive rating on Ukraine (72% approve), about half (51%) say they approve of his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Only. Among Democrats under 45, that percentage drops to just 35%.

Overall, a minority of Americans (37%) say the US is doing about the right thing to support Israel in its war against Hamas, while 33% say the US is doing too much. 29% say the US is doing too little. The public is sharply divided on whether they think the U.S. is helping Ukraine too much (35%) or the right amount (34%) in its war with Russia; Respondents say there is too little support. Partisan views on the two conflicts vary widely. Republicans are about twice as likely as Democrats (40% vs. 19%) to say the U.S. is doing little to help Israel. By contrast, Democrats are about twice as likely as Republicans to say the U.S. is not doing enough to help Ukraine (41% vs. 21%).

The CNN poll was conducted by SSRS between January 25 and 30 among a national random sample of 1,212 adults drawn from a probability-based panel. The survey was conducted online or over the phone with a live interviewer. Results across all samples have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

CNN’s Jennifer Asiesta contributed to this article.