Americans overwhelmingly see small businesses as having a positive effect on the way things are going in the country. By contrast, their views of large corporations are broadly negative. And most people – including identical shares in both parties – are critical of the impact of banks and financial institutions.
28% of Americans rate economic conditions as excellent or good, a 9 percentage point increase from last April. And the share who say economic conditions will be worse a year from now has fallen during this timespan, from 46% to 33%.
Untethered from partisan politics and uninterested in keeping up with political news, here is how some Americans view the current state of U.S. politics.
Donald Trump has a wide lead for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. His supporters stand out from Republicans who back Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley in their desire for a presidential candidate who will push hard for policies that Republican voters want.
Americans’ views of politics and elected officials are unrelentingly negative, with little hope of improvement on the horizon. 65% of Americans say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics. By contrast, just 10% say they always or often feel hopeful about politics.
Pew Research Center’s political typology provides a roadmap to today’s fractured political landscape. It organizes the public into nine distinct groups, based on an analysis of their attitudes and values. Even in a polarized era, the 2021 survey reveals deep divisions in both partisan coalitions.
Partisanship remains the strongest factor dividing the American public. Yet there are substantial divisions within both parties on fundamental political values, views of current issues and the severity of the problems facing the nation.