Will it be a happy new year? Sure, in our own lives. For the country? Poll says that’s tougher.

Americans feel sunny about the new year, at least when it comes to their own lives. What about the nation as a whole? There are more clouds in the sky on that.

A USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll this month asked Americans if they thought things would get better or worse in their own lives in 2020. By an overwhelming 80% to 11%, they predicted their lives would be better. …

In follow-up interviews, those surveyed often mentioned the strong economy when asked what’s ahead for them personally. CONT.

Susan Page, William Cummings & Nicholas Wu, USA Today