Polling News

Americans Down on Their Standard of Living

December 14, 2023

The Biden Administration has worked for months to praise the positive achievements of Bidenomics. However, most Americans do not feel the economic gains the Administration CLAIMS, according to a new CBS/YouGov poll. More Americans today say their standard of living is worse than that of their parents–a direct hit with the ideal of the American Dream.

By The Numbers:

  • Forty-six percent of all Americans believe their standard of living is worse than their parents’ standard of living. Twenty-one percent believe it’s about the same, and just 33% say it’s better. 
  • Thirty-nine percent of Americans 18-29 years old believe their standard of living is worse than their parents’ standard of living was. More Americans in the prime working years feel this way. Over half of Americans ages 30-64 believe this to be the case (51%). Forty percent of Americans over 65 years old believe their standard of living is worse than their parents’ standard of living was.
  • How do Americans judge how the economy is doing? Eighty-five percent of Americans say their own experiences; 72% say people they know; 70% say businesses in their community, and only 66% say national data.  

The Bottom Line: The Biden Administration and national Democrats rely too much on numbers the White House pushes out to show the economy is bouncing back. They miss the actual real life experiences Americans are having as they experience higher grocery prices, out-of-reach mortgage rates, and closing businesses. Republicans need to pounce on this, not just with data and numbers, but by humanizing the damage the Biden economy has brought or tolerated. 

Related PollingNews

Placeholder polling news
October 22, 2026 |
Polling News
President Donald Trump’s job approval rating is near the lowest of any president before a midterm election, according to the latest New York Times/Siena University poll. While this has impacted the generic ballot (Democrats +11), it’s also making it diffi...
Placeholder polling news
October 15, 2026 |
Polling News
The Democrat Party holds an advantage on several key issues that matter the most to Americans, according to a new Gallup poll. But even though Americans prefer that Democrats handle more key issues today, it has not improved the Democrat Party’s image ove...
Placeholder polling news
October 08, 2026 |
Polling News
The Trump 2024 coalition was created in part with large gains with Latino voters, lifting Republicans across the country to victory. While Republicans have held on to some of those gains, this demographic has shifted over the last two years according to a...
Placeholder polling news
October 01, 2026 |
Polling News
Economic anxiety and cost-of-living pressures have voters in both major parties reevaluating policies that they previously would not have supported, a new Wall Street Journal poll found. Support for populist-leaning policies is growing and defying politic...
Button karlsbooks
Button readinglist
Button nextapperance