OPINION: Americans More Hopeful on U.S. Direction After the Election

But much work is left to do

[A few] weeks after the election of President Donald J. Trump, which constituted the largest swell of popular support for a Republican candidate in 20 years — Americans are more hopeful about the future, but there is still work to be done to restore access to the American Dream. According to YouGov survey data [from about three weeks after the election], compared to a survey taken the week before the election, the share of Americans saying the country is off on the wrong track has declined 7 percentage points — from 64 percent of Americans to 57 percent. Well over half the nation believing the United States is on the wrong track is not exactly a win, but it does say something that that number is the lowest it has been in many months. Notable declines in the share of Americans saying the country is headed in the wrong direction include Hispanics, young people, and independents. The share of Hispanics saying the U.S. is off on the wrong track has declined 12 points over that period —from 62 percent to 50 percent. The share of independents saying the country is on the wrong track has declined 7 points — from 72 percent to 65 percent. Young people appear particularly optimistic post-election, with the share of young people who say the U.S. is on the wrong track — declining 16 percentage points in less than a month, from 49 percent to 33 percent. With Trump’s victory, his favorability has risen 4 points since before the election, and he now stands at a favorable rating of 48 percent and an unfavorable rating of 47 percent. Prior to the election, Trump’s favorable rating stood at 44 percent and his unfavorable rating stood at 54 percent. Trump’s unfavorable rating among voters under 30 has dropped almost 20 percentage points in under a month, going from 59 percent to 40 percent. He now sits at a net favorable rating among young people of 12 points — 52 percent [favorable] to 40 percent [unfavorable]. Two-thirds of Americans (64 percent) still believe in the American Dream, according to another YouGov survey released [recently], but there are wide barriers to achieving it according to most voters. When asked about barriers to attaining the American Dream, most Americans cited issues that have largely been brought about by government missteps, including a high cost of living (74 percent), corruption (55 percent), taxation (45 percent), and government itself (38 percent). Far fewer Americans said that capitalism was a barrier to achieving the American dream (21 percent). Americans, especially young people, are increasingly optimistic about the direction of the nation since we appear to have shifted off a catastrophic track that included a Kamala Harris presidency. That said, voters are incredibly clear about the issues that have put the American Dream in jeopardy, and they are calling out the issues big government has created. The U.S. was at the tail-end of a long, grueling decline, and the people’s choice on Nov. 5 has restored hope in many voters that the country can be restored before it is too late. That said, it will take dismantling corrupt government systems that limit potential, lowering taxes for the working-class, and focusing on America First economic policies like energy independence to lower the cost of basic necessities.        

---

Manzanita Miller is the senior political analyst at Americans for Limited Government Foundation, the research arm of Americans for Limited Government, a libertarian political advocacy group. The organization conducts policy research and publishes reports with the goal of reducing the size of the government.