June 3, 2020: Twenty-two percent (22%) of voters nationwide now believe the economy is getting better. A Ballotpedia survey also found that 50% believe it is getting worse and 23% believe it is staying about the same.[1]
The U.S. economy had been strong before the coronavirus pandemic and unemployment levels were reaching record lows. In response to the pandemic, however, government-ordered shutdowns of the economy have cost more than 40 million workers their jobs. As lockdown orders are easing, it is unclear how quickly the economy will rebound.
At this point in time, Republican voters are much more optimistic about a potential rebound than Democrats or Independents. In fact, a modest plurality of Republicans (41%) believe economic conditions are starting to improve. Still, 34% of the
GOP voters think things are still getting worse.[1]
Sixty-four percent (64%) of Democrats believe the economy is getting worse while 9% take a more optimistic view. Among independents, 50% say the economy is getting worse while 16% believe it is getting better.[1]
In one sense, these results are fairly typical. When a Republican is in the White House, Republicans are more optimistic about the economy. When a Democrat is in the White House, the reverse is true. However, the magnitude of the gap at this time is especially significant.
The survey also found that men are more optimistic than women. Older voters are more optimistic than younger.[1]
We will continue to monitor economic expectations as America recovers.
Ballotpedia is Documenting America's Path to Recovery by providing comprehensive coverage on how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting America's political and civic life. Click here to sign up for daily email updates.
Coverage includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and the effects those responses are having on campaigns and elections. We document the plans for recovery put forth by states, localities, and others in a way that allows citizens, policymakers, influencers, pundits, and the nation's reporters to engage in fruitful comparisons about moving forward. We will curate the ongoing debates, as well as the political impact of the conversations.
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