How a Perception Gap Motivated American Voters, in Charts

Americans generally think their family is better off than the rest of the country. That’s based on a long-standing dissonance on factors such as crime, the economy, education and health care, according to Gallup polls. (It’s similar to how almost everyone thinks they’re a better-than-average driver.) Ahead of the 2024 election, though, the perception gap began to close on people’s opinions about the economy. That will color how people see President-elect Donald Trump’s performance in office.

Public opinion on the economy has been volatile, but during President Joe Biden’s term, Americans began to see their own financial hardships dovetailing with those of the US economy. At the beginning of 2024, 37% of Americans said they were better off than a year ago, and most weren’t seeing an improvement.