Americans are unusually down on a solid economy. So far, they aren’t spending — or voting — like it.
While the American economy is performing relatively well, many Americans feel pessimistic about their economic futures. This is likely due to the lingering effects of the 2008 recession and wage stagnation that has persisted since then. The lack of confidence is reflected in consumer spending, which is sluggish and hasn’t been able to reach pre-recession highs. It’s also seen in the results of recent elections, where Americans are expressing dissatisfaction with the state of the economy.