Americans see the economy looking up, but mostly for the wealthy. Many think government action could help improve the middle class, but few expect Obama’s proposals to pass. And data targeting grows more vital to winning elections. This is HuffPollster for Thursday, January 29, 2015.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY SEEN AS A BOON MOSTLY TO THE WEALTHY – Suffolk/USA Today: “Americans believe that improvements in the economy over the past year have benefited the rich over the poor and middle class, and most consider U.S. economic conditions to be fair (46 percent) or poor (27 percent), as opposed to good (25 percent), according to a Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll. Sixty-six percent of the adults surveyed said that the wealthy have benefited a great deal (43 percent) or a fair amount (23 percent) from recent economic advances. A similar proportion of respondents said that the poor have benefited only a little (39 percent) or not at all (27 percent); working-class people had benefited a little (40 percent) or not at all (25 percent); and the middle class had benefited a little (39 percent) or not at all (25 percent).” [Suffolk]
Skepticism that SOTU proposals will pass – Susan Page and Martha Moore: ” On this Americans agree with President Obama: The economy is getting better — for the rich. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll finds broad skepticism that the proposals the president outlined in his State of the Union Address last week will go anywhere in a Republican-controlled Congress, though. And that’s distressing to many, who believe government action could boost their families and narrow the gap between the rich and everybody else….In the poll, nearly half predict that ‘only a few’ of Obama’s proposals from the State of the Union Address will be enacted, and another one in five say none of them will. Most Americans do think the government could help. Just over half say the government could do a great deal or a fair amount to improve economic conditions for them personally. A similar number say the government could decrease the gap between the rich and everyone else.” [USA Today]
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-Scott Keeter explains how to access raw Pew Research survey data. [Pew]
-Data scientist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz talks to Brian Lehrer about what people say about their sex lives via Google. [WNYC via @JoshdelaRosa1]
