All through this year, we have been tracking the mood and opinions of the general public and those who have registered or are likely to vote, and that has added up to this snapshot of the 2014 electorate, which we’ve boiled down to six facts. CONT. Bruce Drake, Pew Read more »
U.S. Economic Confidence Index is Highest in Over a Year
Gallup’s U.S. Economic Confidence Index jumped to a monthly reading of -12 in October. This is the most positive score since the -12 of July 2013, though it is still lower than the record high of -7 in May 2013. The three-point increase from September is the largest monthly improvement […] Read more »
Public Opinion Strategies: Key findings from a pre-election national survey
Public Opinion Strategies conducted a national telephone survey of 800 likely voters (560 landline; 240 cell phone), from October 30-November 2, 2014. … Economic issues will be a deciding factor in how people vote in this year’s elections. Nearly all voters (96%) say economic issues are important to their vote, […] Read more »
Consumer sentiment in October highest in seven years
Consumer confidence posted its third consecutive monthly gain in October, rising to its highest level since July 2007, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. … “Consumers have been gradually regaining their economic footing in the past several months, with confidence rising to the highest level since […] Read more »
The Economy, and Voters’ Perception of It, Are Two Very Different Things
We learned on Thursday that the United States economy expanded at a healthy rate this summer, growing 3.5 percent from July through September. This growth — as robust as it is — is unlikely, however, to influence how the president’s party fares this week at the polls. … To understand […] Read more »
In a Partisan Atmosphere, It Can Even Be Hard to Find Numbers That Agree
Since his second term began, President Obama has had a solid answer to Republicans’ “Where are the jobs?” complaint. The jobless rate has fallen two full percentage points. Yet Mr. Obama’s own ratings have fallen, too. So has public confidence that the economy is getting better, even as the economy […] Read more »