Poll: U.S. stimulus boosts economic outlook

WASHINGTON — Views of the nation’s economy are the rosiest they’ve been since the pandemic began more than a year ago, buoyed by Democrats feeling increasingly optimistic as President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief package is distributed across the country.

A new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs finds 46 percent of Americans overall now view the economy as good, up from 37 percent who felt that way last month. Views of the economy had tanked at the onset of the pandemic in April last year, when 29 percent said it was in good shape.

Of Democrats, 58 percent now describe economic conditions as good, compared with 35 percent of Republicans. Democratic sentiments about the economy improved after Biden replaced Donald Trump in the White House, with optimism increasing even further after he signed his landmark relief package into law.

Just 15 percent of Democrats felt positive about the economy in December, but 41 percent did in February. Among Republicans, positive views plummeted from 67 percent in December to 35 percent by February.

Americans might yearn for cooperation between Republicans and Democrats, but they also acknowledge the persistent divide as the economy has begun to heal from the coronavirus.

“I would like to see a lot more cooperation between the two parties,” said Leo Martin, 84, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and a former community college teacher. “But I’m afraid it’s going to be similar to the last four years with the two parties not working together. I blame this not just on Donald Trump, but on the press that supported Trump and egged him on. I think it was divided before and just got progressively worse.”

Americans’ improved outlook generally reflects the favorable impressions of Biden’s relief package and the mass vaccinations that have allowed more schools, offices and retailers to reopen. Based on economic forecasts, Biden suggested last week that growth this year could top 6 percent — the strongest performance in 37 years. That level of growth would likely come with enough hiring to boost national morale, potentially softening some of the polarization that has defined U.S. politics for more than a decade.

The poll shows 54 percent of Americans approve of the economic relief law, while 25 percent disapprove. An additional 21 percent say they hold neither opinion. Large majorities approve of many of the law’s components, including vaccination funding, direct payments of $1,400 and extended unemployment insurance, funding for schools to reopen, aid for families and housing payment assistance.

Views are more mixed about the price tag after $4 trillion was previously spent to support the economy as the pandemic caused mass layoffs and business closures. Forty-two percent say the debt-financed law spends about the right amount on relief, but an additional 31 percent say it spends too much, and 26 percent say it spends too little.

While Republicans are more likely to say they disapprove of the relief package, they are not significantly hostile to many of its elements despite the opposition by GOP lawmakers. At least two-thirds of Republicans approve of the law’s funding for grants and low-interest loans for small businesses, funding for vaccine distribution and funding for schools to reopen safely.

Overall, 70 percent of Americans approve of the $1,400 payments sent directly to eligible Americans.