Focus Group Report: Navigating the Economy Amidst Political Divisions

November 18, 2021
Bryan Bennett

Undecided voters express deep pessimism about the state of the economy and political division, but see some positive signs of recovery.

Key takeaways
  • Pessimism pervades, even as many see jobs, wages, and COVID improving.
  • Inflation and supply chain worries loom large.
  • There is little awareness of Build Back Better, the infrastructure bill, and other Biden accomplishments.
  • Critical Race Theory rarely comes up organically, nor is it just a Republican concern.
  • Voters feel disappointed by both parties and see the divide as cultural rather than economic.

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About The Study

This release features findings from three focus groups conducted on November 9, 2021 with voters in three states who voted for President in the 2020 election, but who are not extremely motivated about voting in 2022 and are undecided about how they would vote: Virginia (a mix of Trump voters and Biden voters), Ohio (Trump voters), and Arizona (Biden voters). Qualitative results are not statistically projectable.

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