Source: Fortune
Summary
A new poll from the Roosevelt Institute reveals that nearly a third of American voters, dubbed the “disillusioned,” feel that the system is rigged against them and that government policies favor corporations and the wealthy. These voters are distributed across urban, suburban, and rural areas, and are more likely to be working-class and lower-income. They have made financial sacrifices, such as cutting transportation and buying groceries on credit, and are pessimistic about their financial future. The poll also found that 52% of voters overall say they can’t retire comfortably, and that the federal government receives negative marks on nine policy areas, including housing affordability and healthcare access.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story.
The “disillusioned” voters are not just angry, they’re exhausted. They’ve made financial sacrifices, dipped into retirement savings, and are pessimistic about their future. The poll’s findings are not surprising, given the decades of stagnant wages and rising costs. The federal government’s negative marks on policy areas are a reflection of the disillusioned’s feelings of betrayal. The Roosevelt Institute’s Good Life Agenda, which includes healthcare affordability and living wages, receives support from 78% of disillusioned voters, but its implementation is uncertain. The stakes are high, with the disillusioned’s financial distress being structural, not cyclical.
The disillusioned are not going away, and their financial distress is not just a matter of personal failure, but a result of a system that is tilted against them.
