Welcome to NAVIGATOR – a project designed to better understand the American public’s views on issues of the day and help advocates, elected officials, and other interested parties understand the language, imagery, and messaging needed to make and win key policy arguments.
This release features findings from a national online survey of 1,005 registered voters conducted February 11-15, 2021. Additional interviews were conducted among 103 Hispanic voters, 100 African American voters, 100 independents without a partisan lean, and 77 Asian American and Pacific Islander voters.
Key takeaways
- There is vast and resilient support for Biden’s American Rescue Plan, but most are not hearing much about it in the news.
- Biden and Democrats in Congress are more trusted than Republicans to handle coronavirus relief.
- Three in five feel Biden’s pandemic response favors the middle and working class, while a majority say Republicans in Congress’s response favors the wealthy and big corporations.
Vast Majority Remain Supportive of “American Rescue Plan,” But Few Hearing About It
Bipartisan support for Biden’s plan remains unchanged since February 1st, as does the share of Americans who say they have heard “a lot” or “some” about the plan.
Biden and Democrats Far More Trusted to Expand Economic Relief Than Republicans
While Biden and Democrats are more trusted on several economic issues – from expanding coronavirus relief, to getting Americans back to work, to rebuilding the economy – their lead over Republicans is largest on relief.
Biden’s Policies Seen as Favoring Middle and Working Class, Republicans in Congress the Wealthy and Corporations
The majority feel Biden’s pandemic response policies favor the middle and working class.
Americans Say Prioritize “Low Income People,” “Working Class People,” and “Small Businesses” for Relief
While Democrats across income levels, independents, and lower-earning Republicans say “low income people” should be prioritized most for relief, Republicans making above $50,000 annually say “working class people.”
Stimulus Checks are Most Convincing Reason to Pass Plan
The majority of Americans – including 50% of Republicans – cite the stimulus payments for working families as the most convincing reason to pass the stimulus package.
Most Are Concerned About Government Doing Too Little on Relief – Except for Republicans Making More Than $50,000
While two in three Americans are more worried the government will not do enough to help regular people, two in three Republicans with household income above $100,000 are more worried about the national debt.
The Majority Approve of Biden’s Handling of the Economy
More than half of Americans approve of how Biden is handling the economy, including nearly a third who “strongly approve” (29%).
Four in Five Rate Economy Negatively
More than half of Americans approve of how Biden is handling the economy, including nearly a third who “strongly approve” (29%).
