Americans see economic pain, higher taxes, political unrest in 2023: poll
Americans are in a gloomy mood as the country enters the new year.
Asked last month what they foresee in 2023, most predicted economic trouble, higher taxes, political conflict and ongoing instability overseas, according to a Gallup Poll released on Tuesday.
The largest majority — 90% — say they believe this year will be marred by political strife, while 81% expect a hike in their tax bills and 79% believe economic hardships will continue.
Coming off years of severe restrictions because of COVID-19 and faced with inflation rates at 40-year highs, Americans don’t see 2023 easing their burdens.
Nearly eight in 10 — 78% — predict an increase in the federal budget deficit, 65% see prices continuing to rise, and 63% see the stock market falling.
Nearly three in four Americans (72%) say crime rates will continue to climb.
”The government, the economy and inflation dominated as the most important problems facing the U.S. in 2022, and confidence in the economy remains among the worst readings measured since the Great Recession,” the poll said.
Advertisement
Americans are just as gloomy about internationa events — with 85% conflict abroad, 73% believing China will increase its power and 64% saying the US will see its global influence decline.
Meanwhile, 64% of respondents say Russia will also see its power decline, apparently because of the setbacks it is facing in its war with Ukraine,
”Americans are greeting 2023 with great skepticism and little expectation that the economic struggles that closed out 2022 will abate. Few U.S. adults also predict the partisan politics that plague the nation will improve, not an unreasonable expectation given that there will be divided government in 2023 after Republicans won control of the U.S. House of Representatives,” the poll summed up the results.
The poll surveyed 1,803 adults between Dec. 5-19 and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points.
Read the full article Here
