Americans Feel Awful About the Economy

The Consumer Sentiment Index has tracked how Americans experience the U.S. economy through bouts of runaway inflation, a mortgage crisis, stock market bubbles, and six recessions. And yet the scores right now are lower than at any of those moments. After nearly 50 years of tracking by the University of Michigan, Consumer Sentiment has broken through the basement. Beneath the five index questions are some clues as to why: Since 2008, the number of people who say the government is doing a poor job has grown from about a third to about three-quarters. This dissatisfaction has been a slow burn — and it’s also evidence that Americans are ready for bold, non-incremental economic change. 0:00 — Opening 6:25 — Retcon: Vacation Days & Moral Hazard in Healthcare 11:18 — Terms & Conditions: Likert Scale 14:24 — The Big Pilcrow: What’s Consumer Sentiment Telling Us? 17:20 — Record Lows: Sentiment Breaks From the Other Economic Metrics 20:54 — The Five Index Questions: Take Consumer Sentiment Survey Yourself! 26:55 — How’s the Government Doing Managing the Economy? Survey says…Poor 29:39 — It's the Economy, Stupid 31:16 — Partisanship Cancels Itself Out 33:11 — Why This Isn't the Same as What Happened to Biden 35:25 — Who Does Feel Good? 36:07 — Low Sentiment Deserves Big Policy 38:07 — Executive Orders: Hold the reservation. Too many eggs.  41:52 — Spiritual Sponsors: So, so many 47:17 — Credits We’re making Thanksgiving plans. Got a dinner table debate we can help with? Send it to optimist.economy@gmail.com (and put Thanksgiving in the subject line).