More Americans are optimistic than pessimistic that we can get America back on track and build a better future for everyone, but they are divided by party, race, and age on which is more important.
WHY IT MATTERS
When challenging an incumbent, campaigns must walk a delicate balance between criticizing the record of their opponent and proposing solutions for the future.
HOW TO USE THIS DATA
Candidates and groups can use this information to tailor their message to different audiences.
Click on the image below to read the full report…or read the summary below.
Past vs. Future
- 50% of Americans say building a better future for every American is a more important goal than getting America back on track.
- 48% of Americans say it is more important to get America back on track than to build a better future for every American.
- There are significant differences between parties. 69% of Republicans prefer getting America back on track while 67% of Democrats prefer building a better future. 51% of swing voters prefer building a better future.
- There are also significant differences by age. 55% of Baby Boomers and 52% of Gen X voters prefer getting America back on track, while 54% of Millennial and 72% of Gen Z voters prefer building a better future.
- 57% of New Majority voters prefer getting America back on track and 74% of Left Minority voters prefer building a better future.
Can We Get America Back on Track?
- 52% of Americans are optimistic we can get America back on track, compared to 42% who are pessimistic. Opinions are not strong, with only 13% very optimistic and 16% very pessimistic.
- 68% of black voters and 60% of Democrats are optimistic we can get America back on track — the most optimistic of demographic groups tracked. Independents are the only group that are more pessimistic than optimistic.
Can We Build a Better Future?
- 56% of Americans are optimistic we can build a better future for everyone, compared to 40% who are pessimistic. Opinions are not strong, with only 14% very optimistic and 13% very pessimistic.
- Once again, black voters and Democrats were the most optimistic, with 72% of black voters and 66% of Democrats optimistic we can build a better future. All demographic groups had more optimism than pessimism.
- The higher optimism about building a better future compared to getting America back on track is driven by higher levels of optimism among men (+9%), Hispanics (+9%), and Gen Z (+11%).
Technological Optimism
- 76% of Americans express optimism about new science and technology.
- While both parties are more optimistic than pessimistic, Democrats are more optimistic than Republicans about new science and technology.
- The breakthroughs that make Americans most optimistic are better treatments for diseases and cleaner and more plentiful sources of energy. Optimism for cleaner energy is higher among Democrats and Gen Z than Republicans and older voters.
- Asian, black, and male voters are more optimistic about Artificial Intelligence than Hispanic, white voters and female voters.