Marist Poll: American Pessimism Rises
The Marist Poll’s America Now: National Outlook Index shows that Americans have become slightly more pessimistic about the U.S. Source: Neil Moralee, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The Marist Poll’s America Now: National Outlook Index shows that Americans have become slightly more pessimistic about the U.S, with the index at 6.4 out of 10.
While Americans are concerned with the U.S. economy, they have also grown more pessimistic about their personal finances and the current consumer market. Despite the ongoing pandemic, Americans had a positive outlook on their personal health and the communities in which they are living.
“The index looks at four areas of American life: the economy, health, community, the society and our government,” Director of the Marist Poll Barbara Carvalho said in the Poll Hub podcast.
The largest sticking point for the American public was the economy, with the economic index at 5.4. President Joe Biden has been trying to reframe the messaging around the economy for months, but hasn’t been successful in swaying public opinion.
“Too many families are struggling to keep up with the bills,” Biden said during his State of the Union Address. “Inflation is robbing them of the gains they might otherwise feel. I get it. That’s why my top priority is getting prices under control.”
Despite low unemployment rates and an overall strong economy, Americans are reacting to the inflation they see every day. Whether they are at the gas pump or buying groceries, the rise in prices is affecting the economic outlook for the public.
“The economic index has had a drop from 5.7 to 5.5, but the area that was most pronounced was that, “this is a good time to make purchases and investments,”’ Director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion Lee Miringoff said in the Poll Hub podcast. “That fell from 5.0 to 4.3 most likely because of inflation and purchasing power.”
Another issue area where Americans felt uneasy was the society and government outlook. Americans were more pessimistic about people in leadership positions and do not believe that society is fair and just. However, Americans do feel that the opportunities afforded to them are equitable and the majority believe that future generations will have a better life than them. The overall society and government index was 5.6, with the lowest being 4.7 for the index of a fair and just society.
“I think it speaks to two things,” Marist Poll Director of Strategy & Innovation Jay DeDapper said in the Poll Hub podcast. “It underscores the sense that people have in other questions like the danger to our democracy and where America is failing in terms of government and society.”
While the national outlook index was more pessimistic than in years past, Americans still felt confident in their personal health and community. The majority of Americans feel satisfied with where they live as well as safe with where they live. Americans are less confident in their community’s values and ability to make an impact where they live.
When looking at Americans' attitudes toward health, the index was consistently positive. Americans consider themselves to be in excellent health with an index of 7.2 out of 10, and are also happy with the life they are living with an index of 7.6 out of 10. The lowest recorded index related to the health section had to do with the current risk to people's health, which came in at 6.6 out of 10.
The national outlook index is not isolated in this time of nationalized politics. The public opinion of Americans will impact the upcoming midterms and President Biden’s approval rating. According to the Quinnipiac University Poll published on April 13, Biden’s approval rating has dipped back down to 33%. Breaking down the data, 54% disapproved of the job Biden is doing and 13% did not offer an opinion.
“This may be a long haul on public opinion because the pandemic was so long and disruptive,” Miringoff said in the Poll Hub podcast. “Life has been hard and people are just beginning to feel that maybe we are turning a corner.”