In evaluating the country’s economy, people consider various factors such as their personal financial situation, the price of goods, and economic indicators. However, one factor that might not immediately come to mind is political partisanship.
Public perceptions of the economy have become increasingly tied to political party affiliation, specifically, which party controls the White House. Historically, Republicans have viewed the economy more positively when a Republican president is in office, and Democrats have held more positive views when a Democrat is in office.
In the latest CBS News poll, 52% of Democrats said the economy is good, whereas only 15% of Republicans shared the same sentiment. This aligns with a trend that has emerged over the past two decades.
Looking at CBS News polls conducted throughout the 1990s, the gap in economy ratings between Democrats and Republicans averaged 11 points. However, this average has more than doubled to 30 points in recent years.
During the late 1990s, a period of economic prosperity, both Republicans and Democrats rated the economy as “good,” despite a Democrat, Bill Clinton, being in office. Similarly, during George H.W. Bush’s administration, when the economy was less robust, the partisan gap in economic ratings was narrower than it is today.
This divergence in partisan views of the economy started to become more pronounced during Republican George W. Bush’s administration, a time of deep political polarization. Since then, views of the economy have been seen through a political lens, and these views have become increasingly tied to the party of the sitting president.
In some cases, the gap narrows during crises and unexpected events, indicating that economic evaluations can be less influenced by politics. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2020, positive views of the economy declined among both Republicans and Democrats.
Overall, when assessing how Americans rate the economy, it’s important to recognize that political partisanship plays a significant role in shaping these views.
(Note: This analysis is based on CBS News polls conducted from 1990 to 2023 among U.S. adults nationwide. Polls from 2020 to 2023 were conducted online, while earlier polls were conducted by phone. The line chart was created by Tim Hunter.)
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
