Public Pulse

Fifty-five percent of Americans interviewed in a May 30-June 1 Gallup Poll said they were worse off financially than they were a year ago. This is the first time in the 32 years that Gallup has tracked this question that a majority of Americans have declared themselves worse off financially. During the recessions of the early Reagan years and the early 1990s, the percentage of Americans who said they were worse off than the previous year peaked between 44 percent and 48 percent. It was at its lowest point, 19 percent, during the economic boom of the late 1990s.

Forty-eight percent of the people responding to an April 2008 Pew Research Center poll said that free trade agreements are a bad thing for the country, compared with 35 percent who call them a good thing. In that same poll, 61 percent of respondents said that free trade causes job losses, 56 percent said it lowers wages and 50 percent said it slows the economy.

The American public, by an overwhelming margin, believes that the cost of the Iraq war is worsening domestic economic problems. In a New York Times/CBS News poll completed on April 2, 67 percent of respondents said the war had contributed “a lot” to American economic problems, and 22 percent said it was contributing “some.” Only 10 percent said “not much” or “not at all.”

According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, 70 percent of parents surveyed were “very concerned” about how they would pay for college; only 6 percent were not concerned.

Fewer Americans now than at any time in the past half century believe they're moving forward in life.

A majority of respondents in an April 2008 Pew Survey say that in the past five years, they either "haven't moved forward in life" (25%) or have "fallen backwards" (31%). This is the most downbeat short-term assessment of personal progress in nearly half a century of polling by the Pew Research Center and the Gallup organization, though it correlates perfectly with gaps in income, also discussed in the report.

A poll released Monday by Rasmussen Reports found that 63% of Americans believe the U.S. government isn't doing enough to help out the economy, while 19% believe the government's response has been adequate this election year.

Mostly Democrats believe that the government's response has been inadequate, however. Seventy seven percent of Democrats say the government hasn't done enough, while 43% of Republicans gave that response. Meanwhile, 67% of independent voters said the government isn't doing enough.

The economy is a key issue this election season. A Rasmussen poll released Sunday found that 38% of likely voters believe the economy is the top voting issue of the 2008 election, compared to 19% who said it's the war in Iraq. That same poll found that 48% of voters said the best thing the government can do for the economy is reduce taxes and regulations. The poll found that 36% disagree with that approach while 16% aren't sure. April 7, 2008.

The new Gallup poll shows that 51% of U.S. consumers say food prices have increased “a lot” over the past year, up from 28% two years ago, while 24% say the same about healthcare and prescription drugs, down from 34% in 2006.

When asked "How much has the Iraq war contributed to U.S. economic problems?", only 10% of those surveyed said not much or not at all, while 67% said "a lot", and 22% answered "some".

In a survey of voters in September 2007, Peter Hart Research found these two frames scored highest out of eight:

- “Over the past five years the Bush administration has spent nearly half a
trillion dollars in Iraq, while saying that we cannot afford to meet our
priorities at here at home. In fact with just one week of Iraq war funding,
about two billion dollars, we could have provided eight hundred thousand
children with health care coverage for one year. The Democrats
understand that it is time we put first things first and invest in health care,
education, and infrastructure right here in America. “
- 60% convincing (47% very)

- “Meeting our country's most important needs in a fiscally responsibility way
is just a matter of setting priorities. For the past six years President Bush
and the Republican Congress have put the priority on passing tax breaks
for multimillionaires and big corporations. The Democrats understand that it
is more important to put our priority on the things that make a difference for
the middle class and working families––good schools, health care, a clean
environment, and twenty-first century infrastructure.”
- 56% convincing (41% very)

In January 2008, Greenberg, Quinlan and Rosner surveyed the “swingiest of swing” voters.17 They voters describe themselves as Independent, or they were Democrats and Republicans who did not support their party candidate in various polls. The survey geography was in swing congressional districts, presidential battleground states and swing Senate states. Even among this tough group, the survey found overwhelming support for an investment agenda, with a 69% to 25% margin. It’s important, however, also to stress accountability and to respond to voter concerns about deficits and incompetence.

- “Under this plan, the government will invest to guarantee high-quality
affordable health care for all, invest in child development and preschool
programs that help kids start school ready to learn, strengthen public
schools and expand college aid. This plan will also develop clean energy to
help end our dependence on oil. In order to pay for the plan, it would
eliminate recently passed tax breaks for millionaires and big corporations,
safely end our costly war with Iraq and include new measures to hold
government accountable and reduce corruption and waste.”
- 69% support; 25% oppose