Voters Express Deep Frustration With Economy and Political Leaders While Demanding Major Change
A large number of voters are feeling unhappy with the current state of the country and are calling for major changes. This widespread discontent is creating a helpful environment for the Democratic Party. Donald Trump’s approval rating is holding near its lowest point, while Democratic voters are showing higher levels of motivation to participate in upcoming elections. At the same time, people across the political spectrum—including Republicans, Democrats, and independents—view the economy negatively, and a significant portion of the public is calling for dramatic or even revolutionary shifts in how things are run. Furthermore, more people view the Republican Party as being tied to wealthy elites than the Democratic Party.
Where Voters Stand on Key Issues
Voters currently trust Democrats more than Republicans on several major issues. The margins of trust show clear preferences:
- Income inequality: Democrats are trusted more by a 22-point margin.
- Healthcare: Democrats hold a 21-point advantage.
- Inflation: Democrats lead by 10 points.
- The economy: Democrats are favored by 9 points.
- Foreign policy: Democrats have a 7-point lead.
- Government spending: Democrats hold a slim 3-point advantage.
- Immigration: Democrats now hold a 1-point lead, which is a shift from earlier in the year when Republicans held an 8-point advantage.
On other issues, the public is more divided. Republicans are trusted more on crime by 7 points and hold a slight 2-point edge on national security.
Voter Motivation and Congressional Races
When it comes to showing up at the ballot box, Democratic voters are currently expressing more enthusiasm. About 68% of Democrats say they are highly motivated to vote, compared to 57% of Republicans. Within the Republican Party, there is a large gap: 66% of highly conservative "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) supporters are extremely motivated, while only 41% of other Republicans feel the same way.
If congressional elections were held today, 53% of voters would support the Democratic candidate in their local district, while 46% would back the Republican. This 7-point lead represents the highest percentage either party has received on this type of national ballot in nearly three decades. In competitive counties where the previous presidential vote was decided by 10 points or less between Trump and Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate leads by a wider margin of 59% to 41%.
However, this national lead does not guarantee control of the legislature. Because much of the Democratic support is concentrated in safely Democratic areas, it may not translate directly into winning more districts. Republicans could still keep control of the House of Representatives even if they lose the national popular vote by 2 to 3 points. But if the Democratic lead reaches 6 to 7 points nationally, they are highly likely to take control.
Pessimism Over the Economy and Leadership
Donald Trump's job approval rating stands at 39%, which is just one point above his all-time low of 38%. This rating is slightly lower than former President Barack Obama's approval rating at the same point in his second term, which stood at 42%.
Public disapproval of Trump's performance is evident across several key areas:
- Inflation: 73% disapprove (only 27% approve)
- The economy: 67% disapprove (33% approve)
- Iran policy: 66% disapprove (34% approve)
- Immigration: 57% disapprove (42% approve)
Economic worries remain high, with 75% of voters rating the current economy poorly. An equal number say that inflation has caused them financial difficulties, with 34% describing these struggles as serious, up from 26% last year.
Looking ahead, 54% of voters expect the economy to get worse over the coming year. This pessimism is shared by 75% of Democrats and 64% of independents, while 71% of Republicans remain optimistic that things will improve.
Growing Dislike for the Political System
Frustration is not limited to individual leaders; it extends to both major political parties. Many voters across the political spectrum share similar worries. They believe that elected officials focus too much on wealthy elites, feel that the political system is unfair, and support bringing new people into office.
About 70% of voters believe the Republican Party is too closely tied to elite interests, and 55% feel the same way about the Democratic Party. Furthermore, 48% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans feel let down by their own parties, mostly because they believe politicians have given in to special interests.
This frustration is also changing how people view wealth. Only 46% of voters now accept income inequality as a normal part of how the economy works, down from 62% a decade ago. Meanwhile, the share of people who want the government to step in and fix income inequality has more than doubled, rising from 13% to 30%. Today, 65% of people believe the economic system is rigged to favor the wealthy, which is up 9 points from several years ago.
A Strong Desire for New Leaders
By a two-to-one margin, voters prefer electing new, inexperienced representatives over keeping experienced politicians in office. Overall, 19% of voters want a complete revolution in how the government is run, 23% want dramatic changes, and 38% want substantial improvements. This desire for major change is much stronger among Democrats (52%) than Republicans (28%).
Congress as a whole receives very low marks, with nearly 70% of voters disapproving of lawmakers from both parties. Specifically, 32% of Republicans disapprove of their own party's representatives, 39% of Democrats disapprove of theirs, and more than 80% of independents disapprove of both sides.
One solution that has overwhelming support is setting a mandatory retirement age for members of Congress. This idea is backed by 85% of voters, which is a 20-point increase from over twenty years ago. Among those who support a limit, 80% believe it should be set before age 75, with 61% favoring a retirement age between 65 and 74.
Views on Economic Systems and Key Figures
Support for traditional economic systems is shifting. Half of all voters view capitalism favorably, which is down from 57% several years ago. Meanwhile, 30% view socialism positively, up from 27% last year but below the 32% who felt that way a few years ago. The Democratic Socialists of America are viewed favorably by 31% of voters.
There is a deep partisan divide on these systems. More Democrats view socialism favorably (52%) than capitalism (41%), while Republicans overwhelmingly favor capitalism (61%) over socialism (11%).
When looking at individual public figures, some interesting patterns emerge:
- Bernie Sanders is viewed favorably by 45% of voters, making him more popular than several other prominent politicians.
- JD Vance has a 41% favorability rating.
- Donald Trump sits at 38% favorability.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is viewed positively by 35% of voters.
All of these individuals are viewed more unfavorably than favorably overall. Interestingly, older voters over age 65 are more likely to view Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez favorably (41%) than voters under age 30 (33%), and 30% of younger voters have never even heard of her.
Finally, public support for Israel has declined over the last ten years, dropping from 58% favorability to 44% today. This drop is visible across all political groups, including Democrats (down 14 points), Republicans (down 12 points), and independents (down 21 points). Older voters remain much more supportive, with 56% of those aged 65 and older viewing Israel favorably, compared to just 27% of voters under the age of 30.
About the Data
This data comes from a national survey of 1,003 registered voters who were contacted by phone and online. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The survey also included an extra group of 200 younger voters aged 18 to 29 to ensure their views were well represented, bringing the total sample size for that group to 350. Standard statistical weighting was used to make sure the sample accurately matches the overall population of registered voters.