Why Do Americans Think the Economy Is So Bad

Three in four adults believe it is harder to get ahead today than it was for previous generations

The poll found huge support for the idea that our economic system is biased, with 78% agreeing that “there are bailouts for the top and handouts for the bottom but nothing for those in the middle.”

By a 20-point margin Hispanic people are more confident than the general public that their family’s financial situation will improve in a year, a recent Pew Research Center poll found.

“Black Americans are doing the worst economically, but they’re the most positive about the economy and public institutions,” says Steve Glickman, a former White House economic adviser

For many of the pessimists, years of bad news have curdled their longer-term outlook—even if the bad news has been mostly about other people. They now see a grimmer life for their kids than their own.