With the 2024 presidential election just months away, more Americans than ever believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to a new report from Mehlman Consulting.
This report found that 73% of Americans believe the nation is off on the wrong track, compared to 22% who believe it is going in the right direction. That’s even higher than 70% who believed the U.S. was on the wrong track in 2008, when the Great Recession hit.
Prior to 2008, belief that the U.S. was on the wrong track went up to 65% in 1992. Just before, the U.S. was in another recession that coincided with the Gulf War. By 2001, the belief hit a low of 29% at the end of former President Bill Clinton’s tenure. Throughout former President George W. Bush and former President Barack Obama’s administrations, belief that the U.S. was going in the wrong direction steadily climbed to its 2008 level.
In recent years, the belief went from 65% in 2016 to 54% in 2017 and then began ticking up again. By 2022, it was already at a then-high of 72%. A poll from The Economist/YouGov also found that 70% of Americans believe the country is “out of control” and just 16% believe it is “under control” as we face issues such as war in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, climate change and economic pressure.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the U.S. and global economy, high inflation (and high interest rates intended to curb inflation) have created a challenging financial climate for Americans. According to a The Economist/YouGov poll conducted from May 25 through May 28, 96% of Americans view jobs and the economy as important national issues and a plurality said inflation was their top issue.
While many data points show that the U.S. economy is actually doing well, the pressure of inflation and interest rates has made it difficult for Americans to feel like it is doing well. Just last week, Audacy reported that 60% of Americans believe the country is in a recession, even though it isn’t.
Additionally, Audacy reported this month that people in the country are feeling “highly pessimistic” about the housing market going into the election. Home prices have hit record highs this year, per CNN.
The Economist/YouGov poll found that only 38% approved of how Biden has handled the economy. However, CNN also reported this week that Americans’ attitudes towards the economy improved this month for the first time since January.
Money matters are not the only thing worrying Americans. Per The Economist/YouGov poll, 41% of the more than 1,700 respondents said they agree that “our lives are threatened by terrorists, criminals, and illegal immigrants and our priority should be to protect ourselves.” Still, more (45%) believe “it’s a big, beautiful world, mostly full of good people, and we must find a way to embrace each other and not allow ourselves to become isolated.”
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Voters will have a chance to influence the direction of the country this November. Polling from last month found that voters didn’t appear too confident in the two likely 2024 candidates – current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The Mehlman Consulting report had similar results.
“If the 2024 U.S. Presidential election is a referendum on Joe Biden, he’ll lose. If it’s a referendum on Donald Trump, he’ll lose,” said the report. “Both need to make the race all about the other guy.”
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