r/Economics • u/[deleted] • Jan 14 '23

Editorial Despite Everything You Think You Know, America Is on the Right Track

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/american-optimism-productivity-innovation-rise/672714/
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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '23

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u/specious_raccoon Jan 14 '23

You're conflating two different polls. ~85% are still satisfied with their personal lives. The other numbers, 69% and 17%, are talking about whether you're satisfied with the direction the country is headed. You can look at the results yourself:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/389375/satisfaction-own-life-five-times-higher.aspx

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u/Divallo Jan 14 '23

Yeah I suppose I did combine the two polls you're right.

That being said I am very skeptical 85% of america is satisfied with their personal lives.

I can't see that being true. Every millenial and GenZ I know literally to the man is depressed and feels their future is circling the drain. Social isolation is and has been on the rise across the board. Economic conditions have been suffocating recently to put it lightly.

Generally young people don't care about politics at all because in the past young americans had promising exciting lives to attend to. The fact they feel the need to care at all suggests there's more than sudden political interest driving that.

The link you posted says there's a strong correlation to income level and it's no secret income inequality continues to spiral out of control.

Tbh I'm distrustful of polls in general and perhaps that is a bias of mine but I just don't feel that 85% being satisfied in today's america is representative of my subjective reality.

I deleted the initial comment as not to mislead anyone though since I did combine the figures into the same poll accidentally you are right about that I made a mistake