This op-ed by SPN Senior Messaging Strategist Erin Norman first published at the Washington Examiner.
Inflation, recession , and stagflation are on the minds of most people.
A recent Wall Street Journal-NORC poll showed that most people think the economy is in trouble. More than 4 in 5 people, 83% of respondents, said the nation’s economy is “poor or not so good.” What’s more, a New York Times poll released this week found that more than 75% of registered voters believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.
At the same time, distrust of institutions is reaching an all-time high. Polling from State Policy Network and Morning Consult shows that trust in the federal government is down to 15%, with state governments faring only slightly better at 22%. News organizations, the educational system, and labor unions are at or below 20%. And President Joe Biden’s approval rating is at a net minus 12%.
Pointing back to the Wall Street Journal-NORC poll, 3 in 5 people are generally pessimistic about the prospects of the “American dream.” Just 1 in 4 think they can improve their standard of living, and over half find major life milestones, such as buying a house, purchasing a car, or saving for retirement, out of reach.
The answer to this malaise can’t come exclusively from the government, which, for all intents and purposes, has made the problem worse. Rather, one way forward is through homegrown institutions of civil society or the institutions that help people in their communities but aren’t driven by government or profit — the charities, churches, associations, and nonprofit organizations.
Read the full op-ed here.
