Almost every Republican feels that the country is headed in the wrong direction but three-fourths of Democrats agree with them.
In a recent poll by AP-NORC, it was found that three-quarters of Democrats are dissatisfied with the direction of the country and the economy.
“Democrats had been positive about how things were going, but now 78% say the country is headed in the wrong direction,” The Associated Press reported.
While the poll shows Republicans have been dissatisfied from the start, Democrats are becoming increasingly negative about the state of the country and the economy.
The AP reported that, “the national dissatisfaction is bipartisan. Most Americans, 85%, say the country is headed in the wrong direction.”
With the rise of inflation and interest rates, the people’s disapproval in President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy seems to be reflected in the polls as his 51% approval rating in 2021 has fallen to 28% this year.
The recent poll, conducted June 23-27, 2022, of 1,053 adults, had a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points, showed that while most Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of gun policy and the economy, they approve of how he handled the COVID-19 pandemic as he took office.
Utah Democratic Party Chairperson Diane Lewis says that the disapproval of the direction of the country may have more to do with partisan gridlock rather than the Biden administration itself.
“Republicans are using the filibuster to stand in the way of bills that would improve the lives of Americans and Utahns. Time and time again, we see Democrats in the House of Representatives pass these bills, and time and time again, we see Republicans block them,” Lewis said.
Lewis said that one of the most common frustrations among the Democratic Party has been the focus on partisan politics.
“People are still frustrated to see extremist politicians in the Republican Party fighting against progress at every turn and standing in the way of solutions to the challenges we face,” she said.
Despite partisan politics, Lewis believes that significant progress has still been made by the Biden administration and that thoughts of the country’s direction could improve.
“Under President Biden, we have seen some significant action on issues that have been stalled for a long time, such as gun safety, infrastructure and more,” Lewis said.
Contributing: Associated Press