… The coronavirus hit at a time when the world was already turning inward, largely in reaction to the global financial crisis of 2008. Nations have been erecting barriers to the free flow of people, money and goods, even as the flow of internet data has continued to rise rapidly. […] Read more »
Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index: Another steep drop in ratings of the economy
Consumer sentiment extended its longest losing streak in 34 years this week, with another steep drop in ratings of the economy pushing the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index to its lowest since November 2014. But the CCI’s two other gauges stabilized, a hopeful sign as states seek to reopen their shuttered […] Read more »
Divergent Views by Partisanship on Whether Worst is Over
This edition of our daily tracking release features findings from a national online survey of 1,004 registered voters conducted April 24-April 29, 2020 and a national online survey of 1,022 registered voters conducted April 28-May 1, 2020. • A majority continue to disapprove of how Trump is handling the pandemic […] Read more »
Big Government? For Now, Most Americans Say Bring It On
The White House and some Republican governors are angling toward a cautious reopening of the economy, while G.O.P. leaders in Congress have tried to pump the brakes on future federal stimulus spending. But polling suggests the political winds may be flying against them. The American public remains broadly wary of […] Read more »
Jobs Supplant Health as Americans’ Top Concern
It is the eighth week of self-isolation and quarantine for me and many of you. … But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The data suggest that the virus has peaked in many places—the number of new cases of COVID-19 are steady or decreasing. In response, there […] Read more »
The Return of Big Government
The Great Depression, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis dealt serious shocks to the nation and resulted in the expansion of government. When a crisis happens, leaders in Washington try to mitigate financial ruin and to boost morale which often results in the creation of programs that have a lasting […] Read more »