U.S. News & World Report’s Post

The 2024 U.S. #PresidentialElection is a mere 8 months away, and young people are thought to be particularly susceptible to mental health struggles related to the race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. With policies on the line surrounding #ClimateChange, #ReproductiveHealth and bodily autonomy, and a general preservation of democracy, it's understandable that the election might exacerbate the growing #MentalHealth crisis in America. However, polling data from Matthew Motta and colleagues shows that younger Gen Z and Millennial voters may not be paying attention as much this time around. Why are young voters tuning out, and what implications does this have for public health? Learn more in this Viewpoint piece by Matthew Motta here ➡ https://lnkd.in/ddiafqTR #PublicHealthPost #PublicHealth #PHP #USElection2024

🚨🇺🇸 Young Americans correctly recognize that the US is a "dying empire led by bad people" In the US, "Young voters overwhelmingly believe that almost all politicians are corrupt and that the country will end up worse off than when they were born" Young voters overwhelmingly believe that almost all politicians are corrupt and that the country will end up worse off than when they were born, according to new polling from Democratic firm Blueprint obtained exclusively by Semafor. The sour mood points to potential trouble for Joe Biden, who is struggling with Gen Z and younger Millennials in polls compared with 2020, and needs to convince them he can be relied on to improve their lives. As part of the online poll of 943 18-30-year-old registered voters, Blueprint asked participants to respond to a series of questions about the American political system: 49% agreed to some extent that elections in the country don’t represent people like them; 51% agreed to some extent that the political system in the US “doesn’t work for people like me;” and 64% backed the statement that “America is in decline.” A whopping 65% agreed either strongly or somewhat that “nearly all politicians are corrupt, and make money from their political power” — only 7% disagreed.

Many advertisers and consumer-focused companies are overlooking consumers with money to spend: #seniorcitizens. Nearly 18% of the U.S. population is 65 or older and that percentage is growing. And, Americans 70 and older now hold nearly 26% of of household wealth. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that #olderadults, or at least selected subsegments of older adults with money to spend, represent the U.S. economy's secret weapon. https://https://lnkd.in/eFUknwGt

More than half of Americans would prefer to have other candidates than either President Biden, 81, or Former President Trump, 78, according to polls. Some question, “Can’t you find other candidates who would be closer to what America looks like today?” Answer: Do not underestimate Political Elephants 🐘 in the room (and various groups who have long invested in them) Population and the numbers: - life expectancy for an American man = 78.5 years; - median age of U.S. population of 335 millions: 38.9 years - both candidates are twice as old as the median age, the point where one half of the population is younger than 38.9, the other half older - percentage of population younger than 65: 83.3% If President Biden withdraws his candidacy, this may be a problem for the Democrats, but some note that the attention to Biden’s age may revive similar concern for Trump.

The share of Americans identifying as Democrats hit its lowest level since Gallup started regular polling on the topic over 30 years ago, Axios' April Rubin writes. Why it matters: By a growing margin, voters say they don't identify with either party. 🧮 By the numbers: An average of 27% of adults identified as Democrats last year — down from a record 36% in 2008, according to Gallup. 43% identified as independent in 2023. 27% said they identify as Republicans. Between the lines: The share of people who say they're Republicans has traditionally been lower than those who identify as Democrats.

https://lnkd.in/gvQw8hKT. "The Republican Party is currently more trusted to do a better job of handling the economy, inflation, and crime, while Democrats hold an advantage in dealing with gun violence, education, and healthcare, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll of American adults age 18+. One year out from Election Day, the economy, inflation, healthcare, and education are the most important issues to the public. However, a sizable bloc – roughly three in ten to a third of Americans – do not trust either party to do a better job than the other on handling these issues. At the same time, the presumptive presidential nominees for each party, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, are both personally disliked by the public, with a majority feeling unfavorable toward them (with slightly more feeling unfavorable toward Trump). Yet, many Americans say if the Republicans or Democrats picked a nominee other than these two, it wouldn’t make a difference in their vote."

How Do Democrats and Republicans Feel About Certain U.S. Industries? . Much and more has been written, in the last decade particularly, about the U.S. political sphere becoming increasingly polarized. The two main parties—Democrats and Republicans—have clashed over how to run the economy, as well as on key social issues. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, Democrat and Republican voters are also divided on various U.S. industries, per a YouGov poll conducted in 2022. Between November 7-9th of that year, the market research firm polled 1,000 adult Americans, (sampled to represent prevailing demographic, racial, and political-party-affiliation trends in the country) on their opinions on 39 industries. They asked: “Generally speaking, do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the following industry?” — YOUGOV POLL. In this chart we visualize the percentage with a favorable view of an industry minus those with unfavorable view, categorized by current voter status.

Democrats are puzzled by Black and Hispanic voters’ growing shift to the right. I’d refer them to a recent Federal Reserve Board report for clues. Here’s the short answer: Bidenomics. But let’s dive deeper. Since 2019, there’s been a 37% increase in the typical American family’s net worth. Sounds good, right? Not so fast. While white family incomes rose 1.3%, Black and Hispanic families saw declines of 1.6% & 1.1%, respectively. Wage growth for minorities lagged behind inflation; white wages just kept pace. It’s true that households benefited from from pandemic-era relief – temporarily. Then the inflationary effects of those policies took hold. The brunt of inflation has fallen on the shoulders of those with stagnant earnings. It’s also true that there have been real gains in housing wealth across racial groups. But it’s a form of wealth that doesn’t help at the grocery checkout. And the disconnect between between rising asset values and everyday expenses is a serious source of frustration for those families. The Fed's data shows rising economic pessimism across all races – and it’s reaching record levels. But it’s most pronounced for Black and Hispanic families. Despite low unemployment, bills are still going up fast. Faster than paychecks. The president’s regulatory agenda – especially on climate and energy – is driving up both consumer and employer costs. That new reality is aggravating Americans’ financial fatigue. And it’s likely to play a role in the 2024 election. The question is whether our current political leadership will recognize that pain and reverse course before voters hit the polls. #publicpolicy #leadership #economy #elections