ZataPulse: American Optimism?

Zata3 Consulting conducts biweekly surveys to track opinions on the economy and other noteworthy issues. The survey question considered today is, “Are America’s best days ahead of us or behind us?” For an introduction to the survey results, click here. For an index of previous ZataPulse results, click here. It seems as if the answer is “No,” and that sentiment is growing stronger. The ups and downs of the economy, which grab headlines daily in newspapers and on TV stations around the country, are still very much on the minds of Americans. The most recent wave of the ZataNation survey shows a lowering of expectations of personal financial situations over the next year in every ethnicity except Latinos. While each ethnicity has fluctuated since the start of the survey in mid-March, all have shown a downward trend, particularly when asked about their optimism for the country’s future. Respondents of every ethnicity have become less optimistic since ZataNation’s initial survey. While Caucasians show an increase of 3 index points since wave 8, they have remained below African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Latinos, in their position on this issue. Brad Chism is president of Zata3 Communications, a one-to-one communications company based in Washington, DC, serving a national client base of Democratic candidates and progressive organizations and interest groups.