Focus Group Report: Soft Partisans and Independents on Inflation and the Economy

April 20, 2022
Bryan Bennett

Participants’ pervasive concerns about inflation overwhelm positive economic indicators, even as they are viewed as credible by most.

Key takeaways
  • Inflation fears dominate.
  • More have heard about negative economic news than positive.
  • Many see positive economic indicators at odds with their personal experiences.
  • Even after hearing economic facts, there are questions about how job growth is measured.
  • Participants express weariness about political messaging on inflation ahead of the midterms.

Methodology

With So Little Seeming To Be Going Well, Respondents Sidestep The Assignment

Inflation Fears Dominate

Corporate Greed Gets Some Blame For Inflation

Beyond Corporate Greed, Supply Chain Challenges, COVID, And Government Spending All Share Inflation Blame

Respondents Read Seven Economic Facts

Presenting Economic Facts Only Modestly Moves The Needle

Pervasive Inflation Concerns Outweigh Job Creation, Even When Given Facts

Some Are Not Sure They See Job Creation In Their Areas

Questions About How Job Growth Is Measured In A Volatile Time

Job Growth Numbers Lead Some Republicans And Independents To Wonder If Workers Aren’t Participating In The Labor Market

Participants Express Weariness Of Economic Political Messaging Ahead Of The Midterms

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About The Study

This release features findings from three focus groups conducted online on April 13, 2022 with lower-motivation (less than a 10 on a scale of 0-10) voters in three states: North Carolina (Republicans who are not strong in their party affiliation), Nevada (Democrats who are not strong in their party affiliation), and Wisconsin (pure independents without a partisan lean).