Improvement in the Economic Outlook in the United States: A CBS News Poll

The economic outlook in the United States has shown signs of improvement, according to the latest CBS News poll. The number of Americans who anticipate economic growth or even a boom has risen for the second consecutive month. Concurrently, the number of those who fear a recession has decreased.

The ratings of the current economy have reached their highest level in over two years. Despite the fact that more people report seeing negative news stories about the economy than positive ones, the trend towards improvement is evident.

The improvement in the economic outlook has also led to a slight increase in President Joe Biden’s rating for handling the economy. Although still net-negative, it is now at its highest level since 2022. It is not uncommon for these measures to be related.

However, on a more personal level, voters continue to express concerns about Mr. Biden and age-related issues. Last week’s press conference and the special counsel’s statement did not change these views. One-third of voters believe that Biden would finish a second term if he wins one, and only a third believe he has the cognitive health to serve.

Despite the ongoing concerns about Biden, there is widespread bipartisan support for the U.S. promising to help defend NATO countries from Russia. The idea of the U.S. defending NATO from Russia draws wide support, with Democrats showing a big majority in favor and Republicans being more divided.

Sending military aid and weapons to Ukraine continues to enjoy majority support. However, there are some partisan differences beneath the overall numbers. Democrats show a big majority in favor, while Republicans are more divided, with a narrower majority against.

Mr. Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict is still negative. Most Americans, and notably, a large majority of members of his own Democratic Party, want Mr. Biden to encourage Israel to either stop or decrease its military actions in Gaza. Republicans, on the other hand, want him to encourage Israel to increase or continue its military actions.

Both Mr. Biden and congressional Republicans continue to receive negative marks for handling the U.S.-Mexico border. As a potential deal is reportedly stymied, a big majority of Republicans say that former President Donald Trump should have at least some say over what congressional Republicans do about the border now. This comes amid reports that congressional Republicans took cues from Trump to reject a deal, so it appears that most of their party’s rank-and-file would want it that way.

People would like to see more of Mr. Biden on balance, rather than less. Although many want more, what they’ve seen so far is not necessarily boosting their views. Americans tend to think Mr. Biden’s appearances worsen, rather than bolster, views of his job performance. This is heavily driven by Republicans. Democrats are net positive, but most don’t think those appearances change anything.

Biden’s overall approval has been closely tied to the economy during his term and has hovered in the low-40s range for years now. Today, it is at 42%, which is one point higher than last month.

The CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1,744 U.S. adult residents interviewed between February 13-14, 2024. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as past vote. The margin of error is ±3.0 points.

In conclusion, the CBS News poll indicates that the economic outlook in the United States has improved, and this improvement has led to a slight increase in President Joe Biden’s rating for handling the economy. However, voters continue to express concerns about Mr. Biden and age-related issues, and there are ongoing negative marks for handling the U.S.-Mexico border. People would like to see more of Mr. Biden, but his appearances do not seem to be boosting his views. The poll also reveals widespread bipartisan support for the U.S. promising to help defend NATO countries from Russia and divided opinions on Mr. Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.