A poll released Monday suggests that most Americans are generally in agreement with President Biden’s upbeat assessment of how things are going in the U.S.
According to a CBS News/You Gov survey of 2,238 U.S. adult residents conducted from July 14 to July 17, 52% of Americans say they feel “hopeful” about the next year, with another 15% saying they are “excited.” Not everyone is on board though, with 40% saying they are “scared” and 23% saying they are “angry.” (Respondents could choose more than one answer.)
One major concern is Covid-19. While most say the effort to combat the virus is going well, 62% of respondents report that they are concerned about the delta variant that is rapidly spreading in the U.S. Those who are fully vaccinated are more concerned (72%) than those who are not (48%). Overall, Biden wins strong support for how the country is dealing with Covid.
With respect to the economy, opinions are close to evenly split, with 45% of respondents saying economic conditions are good and 47% saying they are bad. The partisan differences are pronounced, with 68% of Democrats responding positively on the economy, but only 24% of Republicans doing so.
On personal finances, 60% say their own financial situation is good, and 33% say it’s bad. Income levels matter, though, with more people earning over $50,000 reporting good conditions than those earning less.
The expanded child tax credit – a Biden initiative that provides payments of as much as $300 per child to millions of families starting this month – receives positive reviews, with a slim majority (51%) of parents with children under the age of 18 saying it will help their families. About 31% of such parents say it will not help their families, while 18% say they’re not sure.
Biden’s infrastructure proposal receives stronger support, with 59% of respondents saying they approve, versus 41% saying they do not. Spending on traditional infrastructure is particularly popular, with 87% approving more federal spending on building and repairing roads and bridges. Other less traditional elements of the president’s infrastructure plan appear to be popular as well, with 73% of respondents expressing support for spending more to expand rural broadband, and 71% saying they support more spending on child and elder care.
