State of the Union: Why Are So Many Americans Unhappy? That’s what they said in CNN’s latest poll

(CNN) It’s one of the most frequently asked poll questions: How do Americans feel about the state of the nation? And lately the answer has mostly been negative.

But figuring out why people are unhappy is complicated. CNN’s latest poll asked Americans if things were going well or badly in the country – and then, in their own words, to explain why they felt that way.

Among the 69% who said things were going either well or very badly, gloomy views of the country’s economic health were a major factor. The smaller proportion, who were more positive, often cited their own, rosier views of the economy.

Other factors affecting Americans’ prospects, whether positive or negative, were their views of the current occupant of the White House, opinions on social issues, conclusions drawn from their daily lives, or a combination of different concerns. Her explanations help shed light on what respondents really mean when they answer the common state of the nation questions often asked in polls.

Here’s a look at some common themes that came up in our most recent poll, plus a selection of responses from people across the country. Some answers have been slightly edited for length, grammar and clarity.

The economy

Views of the nation and the economy often go hand in hand. When asked how they see things in the US today, both 35% of those who said things were going well and 52% who said things were going badly cited economic factors.

Just over half of the women, men, whites, blacks, those under 45 and those 45 and older who said things were bad all cited the economy when asked why they felt that way.

But there were differences within this pessimistic group, both along and within party lines.

A majority of 58% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents cited the economy as a reason for their dissatisfaction, while less than 42% of Democrats and Democrats said the same thing.

Democrats and pro-democracy independents under the age of 45 were 11 points more likely than their older peers to cite an economic reason. Among Republicans, there was no age difference in stock citing the economy.

Aside from general concerns about the economy, issues such as inflation and the cost of living hit many Americans, who said the country was doing badly.

• “The cost of living is way too high. It just seems like the economy isn’t doing very well, but it has been for years. The housing market is terrible, gas prices are terrible. Student loan debt is astronomical. Even though I agree students should pay their own loans, I don’t want it to be that expensive.” — Republican, 29, of Pennsylvania
• “A single mother cannot effectively support a one-income household. The price of everything is too high. Rent [is] outrageous, while people trying to get a loan to buy a home are also out of reach for most.” — Republican, 30, from Iowa
• “The economy is HORRIBLE. My cost of living is MUCH MUCH MUCH higher. Go to the grocery store and you’ll find out.” — Republican-leaning male, 71, from Illinois

In contrast, those in the positive camp focused primarily on job availability and perceptions that the economy is improving. In this group, Americans in households with annual incomes of $50,000 or more cited economic factors as a reason things were going well 19 percentage points more often than those in low-income households, 44% versus 25%.

• “The economy is doing well. I’m unhappy with the loss of women’s physical autonomy and the creeping fascism of the right, but I believe Biden is doing a great job on the economy, the environment and international relations.” — Democratic female, 65, of North Dakota
• “There are still changes that I hope will be made, but for the most part we are going in the right direction. There is food on the shelves of grocery stores. There are jobs that pay a little better than before the pandemic.” — Democratic female, 52, from Michigan
• “Unemployment is at an all-time low, the economy is not bad. Inflation is a sign that people have more money.” — Democratic male, 51, from Massachusetts

partisanship and political rifts

Public views of the economy are often highly polarized, with Americans far more likely to see conditions as good when their party holds the White House — either because their political beliefs drive them to different conclusions, or because they treat polling questions as a way to do so advertise their partisan loyalties.

Views on the overall state of the US were also highly polarized in CNN’s latest poll, with 91% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents almost unanimously saying things are going badly in the US, a view shared by 48% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents.

Among those who said things were going badly, 11% placed the blame primarily on President Joe Biden or the Democrats, with smaller proportions pointing to Congress or the administration as a whole. Among Republicans and pro-Republican supporters in this camp, the proportion was 17%.

• “My country is having a really tough time under Biden’s presidency. It’s been downhill in the last few years.” — Republican, 80, from Pennsylvania
• “This country is going down the drain. He ruined it with everything he did. At least Trump made America great again.” — Republican, who didn’t give her exact age, from New York
• “Congress just isn’t focused on working together to solve our country’s problems.” — Republican, 65, from Colorado

Among those who said things were going well, 5% gave credit to Biden or the Democratic Party and 6% spoke out against former President Donald Trump, while others cited improvements in governance or a general sense of stability.

• “We have stepped out of the dishonest and corrupt shadow of the mismanagement dominated by Trump and ‘conservative’ fascists.” — Democratic male, 44, from Nebraska
• “I think it could be so much worse, and the President is doing the best he can with all the problems we’re having.” — Democratic female, 67, from New Jersey
• “Democrats are in office. Republicans will NEVER do anything to help the working class and the poor.” — Democratic male, 60, from Indiana

Others saw polarization itself as a problem. Of those who said things were bad in the US, 7% said it was because they were concerned about political or social divisions in the country. Democrats (13%) and college graduates (12%) were more likely than others to cite the issue as a top reason for their dissatisfaction.

• “We are more divided than ever. The GOP is trying to destroy diversity, deprive women and LGBTQ rights. It’s a disaster here.” — Democratic female, 37, from Connecticut
• “We’ve never been so divided as a nation on almost every issue, and Biden makes it worse.” — Republican, 60, from Kansas
• “The divisions among citizens continue to grow. Nobody cares about their neighbors and the community.” — independent male, 38, from Texas

Social problems and immigration

Among those dissatisfied with the state of the country, a significant proportion, 16%, cited crime or gun violence. But their precise focuses varied widely, ranging from concerns about rioting and lawlessness to dismay at school shootings. Women expressed these concerns slightly more often than men. A smaller proportion of Americans also mentioned a related constellation of issues, including policing, the criminal justice system, homelessness, and drugs.

Another 10% of those who said things were going badly mentioned immigration or the situation at the border, with concerns shared among Republicans (17% of whom cited the problem), those over 45 (15%) and whites Americans (12%).

• “The massive amount of senseless gun violence” – Democrat, 30, from California
• “The biggest thing is the violence in the big cities.” — Republican, 71, from Ohio
• “Too many people are killing children and adults. Too much aggression and violence.” — Independent woman, 40, from Oregon
• “I say things are going pretty bad because they don’t deal with the gun violence and the school shootings. Children do not feel safe when they go to school because they are afraid that someone in their school or someone in their school will shoot because it is easy to buy a gun now and because most parents have it and not watching them or keeping them away from their kids… As an African American, I fear for my life every time I step out of the house because I never know when something is going to happen or I’ll get into a situation with a cop and things are going badly.” — Independent woman, 18, from Texas
• “The country is headed for a depression with all these illegal immigrants costing us money, resources, etc. We are approaching World War III. Lawlessness pervades us.” — Republican woman, 66, from Kansas

personal concerns

In stark contrast to widespread dissatisfaction with the state of the nation, most Americans are relatively content with their own lives. This shaped the broader perspective of some respondents – among those who said things were going well in the country, 8% pointed to at least some positive aspects of their own lives.

• “For me, I have a job, a family and everything I need.” — Democratic male, 70, from Texas
• “I don’t live in a box or a tent.” — Republican, 63, from Pennsylvania
• “I’m in the military and my life hasn’t been impacted like others.” — Independent female, 26, from Oklahoma
• “I look in the mirror. You hear the news, but also your own world.” — Democratic male, 60, from Pennsylvania
• “It all depends on our individual personal situation, and mine is better than it has been for most of my life. … Our environmental issues for future generations do not apply to me as it is highly unlikely that there will be a future generation of my family. … Inflation worries me little as I’ve always waited to buy everything on sale and I know how to cook frugally. My health is excellent. My finances are healthy. ” — Republican, 78, from Nebraska

The CNN survey was conducted by SSRS March 1-31 among a random national sample of 1,595 adults originally reached by mail. The surveys were conducted either online or over the phone with a live interviewer. The results for the full sample have a sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points; it is larger for subgroups.