Presidency affects American happiness, especially if they’re rich
With Washington politics becoming increasingly acrimonious, the effects of ‘who is president’ are being felt far beyond the Beltway bubble – and wealthier Americans feel it more.
Seven out of ten Americans say the person serving as president has "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of impact on their optimism about the future of the US, according to a new Gallup poll released Monday. Over half of Americans (52 percent) say their happiness is affected at least "a fair amount" by the person who is serving as president.
Some 35 percent say their confidence in maintaining or improving their standard of living is affected “a great deal” by the person occupying the White House.
Gallup polled 809 Americans on how the president affects seven aspects of their lives. Its findings are not based on Donald Trump specifically, because Gallup asked respondents to answer “regardless of who happens to be president.”
The poll further reveals differing responses when taking into account varying incomes. Of those with annual household incomes of $60,000 or more, 71 percent say at least one of their views of the nation is affected a great deal by the president, compared with 55 percent of those with incomes below $60,000.
Those with higher incomes are also more likely to be affected a great deal by the president when questioned about their optimism for the future of the country, satisfaction with the way things are going, and confidence in the economy.
Most Trump supporters feel personally affected by the presidency, compared to under half (47 percent) of Trump critics.
Gender, education and political party affiliation did not produce significant differences in the findings. The results are based on survey conducted among adults between January 23 and 28 2018.
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