Key takeaways from the survey
- Americans are mixed on the state of their personal finances, but most say the economy overall is “not so good” or “poor.”
- Republicans in Congress are seen as favoring the wealthy and corporations, while Biden and his administration are seen as favoring the working and middle class.
- A majority credits Biden with recent job growth rather than former President Trump.
Americans Split On Their Personal Financial Situation, But More Pessimistic About State of Economy Overall
A majority (57%) of independents feel uneasy about their personal financial situation, and 69% say the economy is “not so good” or “poor.”
Biden Viewed as Favoring the Working and Middle Class; Republicans, the Wealthy and Big Corporations
Republicans are driving the share who say their party stands for the working class (63%): among independents, 37% say Biden stands for the middle and working class, while only 20% say the same of Republicans.
President Biden Holds Slight Edge on Job Creation Over Former President Trump
While the majority (54%) say Biden deserves credit for job growth this year, Americans are largely divided by party: 91% of Democrats give Biden the credit for the monthly job growth, while 87% of Republicans credit Trump.
Progressive Language Describing Expanded Unemployment For Those Jobless By “No Fault Of Their Own” More Compelling
Against criticisms that continuing to provide expanded unemployment insurance will discourage working and hurt small businesses, messaging focused on those who “lost their job through no fault of their own” performs better than focusing on expanded unemployment insurance as “helping the people who need it most.”
About The Study
This release features findings from a national online survey of 1,204 registered voters conducted May 20-24, 2021. Additional interviews were conducted among 149 Hispanic voters, 100 African American voters, 100 independents without a partisan lean, and 194 Asian American and Pacific Islander voters.