As the November midterm elections approach, many people in the US are feeling rather pessimistic about their futures. An Economist/YouGov survey in the US completed on October 12 asked how respondents felt about about their futures compared with ten years ago. Altogether, 23% said they were more optimistic, with 48% saying they were more pessimistic.
Another question in the survey, conducted from October 10-12, just over three weeks out from the November 3 election, asked: “Do you feel that things in this country these days are under control or out of control?” Only 19% thought they were under control, while 70% thought the opposite. A third asked about the direction the country is taking. Altogether 27% thought that it is “generally heading in the right direction” while 66% thought it is “off on the wrong track”.
