As the November midterm elections approach, many people in the US are feeling rather pessimistic about their futures. An Economist/YouGov survey in the US completed on October 12 asked how respondents felt about about their futures compared with ten years ago. Altogether, 23% said they were more optimistic, with 48% saying they were more pessimistic.

Another question in the survey, conducted from October 10-12, just over three weeks out from the November 3 election, asked: “Do you feel that things in this country these days are under control or out of control?” Only 19% thought they were under control, while 70% thought the opposite. A third asked about the direction the country is taking. Altogether 27% thought that it is “generally heading in the right direction” while 66% thought it is “off on the wrong track”.

Explaining the pessimism

There are numerous factors which can explain the pessimism but two stand out: attitudes to the US president, Donald Trump, and the state of the economy under his administration. Respondents were asked if they agreed or disagreed with various of descriptors of the president. The chart below shows the percentages who agreed with each of them.

Percentage of Americans agreeing with descriptors of Donald Trump

It is readily apparent that large numbers of Americans really dislike the president – corruption being the most prominent descriptor followed by perceptions that he is dangerous. Only 28% thought he is effective and 23% that he is honest.

A second........

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