Topline
Voters are largely unaware—and unimpressed—with President Joe Biden’s four major economic legislative achievements, according to a new poll, underscoring the uphill battle Biden faces in convincing voters he is the best candidate to handle their top concerns: the economy and inflation.
U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on May ... [+]
Key Facts
The majority of registered voters polled by Politico-Morning Consult last month said they haven’t seen, read or heard anything or much at all about the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or the CHIPs and Science Act, while nearly half (48%) said the same about the Inflation Reduction Act.
Among voters who have heard something about the four laws, only about 25% said they have positively impacted them personally, the poll found.
Despite Trump’s repeated attempts and failure to negotiate a large-scale infrastructure package, almost the same share of voters say Trump (37%) has done about as much as Biden (40%) to promote infrastructure improvements and job creation, according to the survey.
The results coincide with other surveys that show the economy and inflation are voters’ top concerns when deciding who they will cast their ballots for in the 2024 presidential election, including an April ABC News/Ipsos poll that found 88% of respondents said the economy and 85% of respondents said inflation are the single most important issues affecting their voting decisions.
The same survey also found more voters (46%) trust Trump versus Biden (32%) to handle the economy, while 44% trust Trump to handle inflation, compared to 30% who trust Biden.
Key Background
Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022, after inflation reached a 40-year high in June that year. While the inflation rate dropped over the year following the law’s passage, the legislation wasn’t a contributing factor, something Biden has admitted. “I wish I hadn’t called it that, because it has less to do with reducing inflation than it has to do with providing alternatives that generate economic growth,” Biden said in August. Instead, the president has touted the legislation’s massive investment in combating climate change, lowering healthcare prices and creating new jobs. The CHIPS and Science Act, also signed in August 2022, is designed to boost domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors. Congress passed the bipartisan infrastructure deal in November 2021 to rebuild roads, bridges and rail systems and enhance access to clean drinking water and high-speed internet. The American Rescue Plan, the first major legislative achievement of Biden’s administration that was approved in March 2021, was aimed at COVID-19 recovery and provided direct payments to Americans earning under $75,000, along with billions of dollars in aid for state and local governments, vaccine distribution and schools to assist with reopening costs.
Big Number
37%. That’s the share of Democrats who said the Inflation Reduction Act has had a positive impact on them personally, compared to 12% of Republicans and 15% of Independents, according to the Politico-Morning Consult poll.
Further Reading
Biden Vs. Trump 2024 Election Polls: Trump Leads Biden By 1 Point In Latest Survey (Forbes)
‘Bidenomics’ Messaging May Be Working Against The President’s Re-Election Campaign—Here’s Why (Forbes)
