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More Americans Say Trump’s Policies Have Made the Economy Better Than Worse

(Pew Research) The public’s views of the nation’s economy remain more positive than at any point in the past two decades. In addition, more Americans say President Trump’s policies have made the economy better (44%) than worse (29%), while 26% say they have not had much effect.

The public’s ratings of economic conditions turned much more favorable shortly after Trump took office in 2017, as a result of a surge in positive views among Republicans. These attitudes have shown little change more recently.

Today, 57% of Americans rate the national economy as excellent (16%) or good (42%). This is virtually unchanged from last September, when 56% of the public held positive views of the economy. A third of the public views economic conditions as only fair; just 9% say the nation’s economy is in poor shape.

The national survey by Pew Research Center, conducted Jan. 6-19 among 12,638 adults, finds that views of the economy – and the impact of Trump’s policies – continue to be deeply divided along partisan lines.

Currently, 81% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say the economy is excellent or good.

By contrast, Democrats’ assessments of economic conditions have changed only modestly since before Trump took office. Currently, 39% of Democrats and Democratic leaners say conditions are excellent or good. In November 2016, 46% had a positive impression of the economy.

Americans ages 65 and over are the most positive in their evaluations of the economy, with 70% saying it is in excellent or good shape. By comparison, about half of 18-29 year olds (47%) say the same.

And while more than six-in-ten white people (64%) offer positive evaluations of the economy, that compares with roughly half of Hispanic people (49%) and just a third of black Americans (33%).

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