# Most American Voters Say They Are Worse Off, Financial Times Poll Finds

Democrats now lead Republicans on economic management months before the midterm elections, and separate surveys show 77 percent of Americans rating the economy poorly.

- Published: 2026-08-16T05:05:21.347Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-08-16/most-american-voters-say-they-are-worse-off-financial-times
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: world
- Sources: [Financial Times](https://www.ft.com/content/fd40a98d-2a7f-4246-a296-73e956bf03c0?syn-25a6b1a6=1), [Financial Times](https://www.ft.com/content/b56a910a-c2b4-41e5-9f8f-18e6fe7b2efd?syn-25a6b1a6=1), [Business Recorder](https://www.brecorder.com/news/40420540/trumps-economic-handling-ft-poll-shows-rising-voter-discontent)

A majority of United States voters say they are worse off under President Donald Trump, [according to a Financial Times poll](https://www.ft.com/content/fd40a98d-2a7f-4246-a296-73e956bf03c0?syn-25a6b1a6=1) published on Sunday, which also found Democrats leading Republicans on the economy with the midterm elections a few months away. [Business Recorder's summary](https://www.brecorder.com/news/40420540/trumps-economic-handling-ft-poll-shows-rising-voter-discontent) places the result alongside a series of surveys pointing in the same direction.

Other pollsters report similar readings. CNN found 23 percent of Americans rating economic conditions as good and 77 percent rating them poorly. A Washington Post and Ipsos survey found 43 percent saying they were not as well off as when Trump returned to office, up 10 points since February. Housing and healthcare costs rank at the top of voter concerns.

The gap between the aggregate data and the household experience is the central fact. Inflation slowed to 3.4 percent in July and equity indices climbed this month, yet the price level remains far above where it stood four years ago and wage gains have not closed the difference for most households. Voters are assessing the accumulated cost of living rather than the current rate of change.

That gap is producing a political response. A second Financial Times piece [documents democratic socialist candidates winning primary contests](https://www.ft.com/content/b56a910a-c2b4-41e5-9f8f-18e6fe7b2efd?syn-25a6b1a6=1) as voters turn toward more interventionist economic policy. Price controls, rent regulation and expanded public provision have moved from minor positions in American economic debate to significant themes in competitive primaries, a shift that matters for corporate margins and fiscal projections regardless of the general election outcome.

## What this means

Persistent inflation converts into political risk after a delay, and that delay has now passed. If the current polling holds through November, the composition of Congress changes, and with it the outlook for tariffs, taxation and federal spending, which are the three channels through which Washington most directly affects corporate earnings and Treasury issuance. Sectors with exposure to price regulation, particularly housing, healthcare and consumer staples, face the clearest policy risk. The alternative outcome is that a further decline in headline inflation between now and the vote narrows the gap, in which case the policy shift stalls.

## What to watch

- Whether Democratic leads on economic management persist into the autumn campaign, which would indicate the price level rather than the inflation rate is driving voter behaviour.
- The performance of candidates running on price controls and rent regulation in remaining primaries, the clearest measure of how far interventionist policy has moved into the mainstream.
- Any pre-election fiscal measures aimed at living costs, since they would add to federal borrowing at a time when the Federal Reserve is not cutting rates.