Americans have become more pessimistic about the economic future of the United States than they were at the start of the Obama administration. Most Americans also believe the U.S. is on the wrong track, according to a New York Times and CBS News poll.
In just one month, the percent of Americans who think the economy is getting worse jumped 39 percent from 26 percent. Seventy percent of respondents said the county was heading in the wrong direction, and the poll also showed that most think President Obama does not share their priorities for the county.
“I think what he’s done has worked to a certain extent because of the lowered unemployment rate, but the economy is still not in good shape and I think he could definitely be doing more,” said sophomore public relations major Melissa Epstein.
Over half of those polled said they disapprove of Obama’s handling of the economy, and 45 percent of people said they disapprove of the way he’s performed since taking office.
“It’s hard to hear that the impact he has had on the economy as president hasn’t been strong enough to keep the public’s opinion as high as before,” said Epstein.
The poll did, however, show a lot of support for Obama’s proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy; seventy-two percent of respondents think it’s a good way to help deal with the deficit.
Fifty-six percent of poll respondents said they did not have a favorable view of Republicans in Congress. The Democrats in Congress were viewed unfavorably by 44 percent of those polled.
“I mean historically people have never really trusted the government. Going from a President like Bush who most people thought did a terrible job and now to Obama who’s showing barely any results, people are going to be upset and automatically think that no one can get the job done right,” said freshman biology major Jenn Rottenberg.