Poll: Belief nation, state on ‘wrong track’ rising
The Bay State is feeling blue over the economy.
A once-hopeful outlook has taken a sharp downturn, according to a new University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB poll released Monday, with economic concerns overwhelming the state sentiment.
“What a difference a year makes,” said UMass political science associate professor Tatishe Nteta, who directed the statewide poll of 1,000 residents conducted June 15-21.
In November 2021, the previous UMass poll reported the majority of respondents believed the state was on the right track and the state economy was “good” or “excellent,” marking the most optimistic economic sentiment since the pandemic hit the U.S.
But the optimism proved a momentary lapse by June, with 38% saying Massachusetts was on the wrong track and only 40% saying it was headed in the right direction.
“As we go into election season, people are feeling uncertain and unsettled,” said Jesse Rhodes, professor of political science at UMass Amherst. “The current economic turmoil is shaking Massachusetts residents’ confidence in the direction of the state, but their view of national politics is even more bearish, with two-thirds believing that the nation is headed in the wrong direction.”
Concerns also pivoted from COVID-19-related fears to the economic outlook, with 57% of respondents viewing the state economy as “fair” or “poor.” 78% of respondents rated the national economy and 58% rated their personal economic situation as “fair” or “poor.”
“Today, with inflation reaching a 30-year high, gas prices hovering at a record $5 a gallon and the nation on the brink of a recession,” Nteta said, “citizens of the commonwealth now have the economy on their minds as the top five most pressing problems identified in our poll were inflation, housing, prices, the economy and gas.”
In June, the Fed raised interest rates by the largest margin in nearly 30 years to combat inflation, and the S&P 500 fell into a bear market.
Despite the pessimistic turn in the state, the poll also reported Gov. Charlie Baker’s highest approval rating in nearly two years.
The Republican governor, who is not running for re-election in 2022, received a 60% approval rating, remaining “one of — if not the — most popular figures in the state,” Rhodes said.
“His popularity extends across political and demographic groups, and even a majority of his most vocal critics, Republicans and Trump voters, express approval of the job the governor is doing,” Nteta said.
Among Baker’s highest ratings is his handling of the pandemic, at 68% approval.
The poll also reported:
• Strong support (71%) for temporary suspension of the state gas tax.
• Majority support (56%) for legislation allowing victims of gun violence to bring lawsuits against firearm manufacturers and distributors.
• Split (40% oppose, 37% support) over the return of a state public mask mandate.
• Narrow opposition (46% oppose, 40% approve) of a new law allowing immigrants without legal status to apply for driver’s licenses.