A majority of voters say they have had to make financial sacrifices to meet their needs in the last year, according to a new survey From Decision Desk Headquarters and NewsNation.
In the survey released Sunday, 8 percent of likely voters say they have made sacrifices “to meet their needs” in the past year, with 40 percent saying they have made “some” sacrifices and 18 percent saying they have made “significant” sacrifices.
Equal shares of Democrats and independents say they have made sacrifices to make ends meet in the past year. Of Democrats surveyed, 67 percent say they have made sacrifices, including 22 percent who say they have made significant sacrifices; Among independents and “other” voters, 64 percent say they have made sacrifices, including 22 percent who said they have made significant sacrifices.
Fewer Republicans surveyed held this view, with 44 percent of Republican respondents saying they had made sacrifices, including 33 percent who made some sacrifices and 11 percent who made significant sacrifices.
Even greater party divisions arose when respondents were asked whether “you and your family are better off or worse off economically than you were a year ago.”
Overall, 39 percent of respondents say their situation is worse, 26 percent say their situation is better and 34 percent say nothing. Only 14 percent of Republican likely voters say they are worse off – while 46 percent say they are better off and 40 percent say they are neither better off nor worse off.
About 6 in 10 Democrats say they are worse off, while only 8 percent say they are better off. Half of the independents say their situation is worse, while 20 percent say their situation is better.
The gloomy economic mood comes as likely voters say the president’s handling of the economy is worse than they expected — 35 percent say it is “much worse than expected” while 16 percent say it is “somewhat worse than expected.”
Meanwhile, less than a third of likely voters say Trump’s handling of the economy is better than expected, including 19 percent who say it is “much better” and 13 percent who say it is “somewhat better.”
The survey puts the president’s overall approval at 43 percent, while 57 percent of respondents disapprove of his handling of the office.
The survey was conducted on October 27–29, covering 1,610 registered voters, including 1,159 likely voters. The margin of error for likely voters is 2.9 percentage points.
