Sep 28, 2022 - Politics & Policy
U.S. mood ticks up with lower gas prices
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Americans' satisfaction with the way things are going is back to where it was in April, before gas prices pushed the measure to near-record lows this summer, Gallup reports.
Why it matters: That helps President Biden and Democrats ahead of midterms, 41 days away. A Washington Post headline on Sept. 11, noting easing inflation, said: 'Economic despair starts to fade."
Reality check: Even with the recent brightening, satisfaction has averaged 18% so far this year, putting it on pace to rank among the lowest yearly averages along with 1979 (19%), 2008 (15%) and 2011 (17%).
- The historical average since Gallup first asked the question in 1979 is 36%. But it has been significantly less than that — 25% — since 2006.
Go deeper: Graph of U.S. satisfaction, 1980 to 2022 (Gallup)
