CBS News Poll – Americans’ Views on 2023: Things are getting better, but still not good

2023 begins with slightly better – if not good – assessments of the nation than last year, tempered by pessimism on many issues.

More say things are going well in the country than were said at the start of 2022.

Valuations of today’s economy are not good, but they are higher than before the autumn mid-term campaign. The labor market is a ray of hope, even if inflation concerns persist. Fewer voters believe the economy will deteriorate in October than expected.

Americans are very positive and optimistic about the fight against COVID – despite concerns from some scientists about winter outbreaks – quite a change from early 2022.

This year has many concerns for Americans as they look ahead. With regard to price and stock market developments, they are still largely pessimistic; on peace and stability in the world; and about the climate and the prospect of extreme weather events. (And very pessimistic about US politics.)

It all adds up to this: Americans say they’re about as hopeful as they are fearful.

The economy took center stage in the midterms and their valuations are now higher than before the campaign started in earnest. Notably among voters, their views on the economy have also increased compared to October during the heat of the campaign.

Things that stand out for optimism: the labor market and the fight against COVID.

Compared to last summer, valuations of the economy among middle- and working-class Americans earning less than $50,000 a year have risen slightly, although overall they are still negative. There is also a political tinge, with Democrats assessing the economy better than last year.

Today’s poor assessment of the economy is related to the fact that so many people still say they are worse off than they were a year ago, and so few people feel better off.

In summary, it’s about an even mix of emotions – hopeful and fearful.

As for President Biden, his overall approval rating is 44%, about where it was last year.

This CBS News/YouGov poll was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,144 adult US citizens who were interviewed between January 4 and 6, 2,023. The sample was weighted for gender, age, race, and education based on the US Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey and the 2020 Presidential Election. The margin of error is ±2.9 points.

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Anthony Salvanto, Ph.D., is director of elections and polls at CBS News. He oversees all nationwide, state, and congressional polls and heads the CBS News Decision Desk, which estimates results on election nights. He is the author of Simon & Schuster (a division of ViacomCBS) “Where Did You Get This Number: A Pollster’s Guide to Making Sense of the World” and appears regularly on all CBS news platforms. His scientific research and writings deal with topics of survey methodology, voting behavior and sampling procedures.