As the results of the 2024 election were finalized, many Americans felt as though the nation they called home was at a point of unprecedented division. Political polarization reached higher rates than ever before, with over 54% of voters, both Democratic and Republican, reporting that they hold a deeply unfavorable view of the opposite party. And now, in the almost 18 months since the 2024 election, at a time when hatred, division, and polarization have become defining tenets of America’s political culture, finding areas of consensus has become increasingly rare. Yet, as the Harvard Public Opinion Project’s (HPOP) 2026 Spring Poll has revealed, Americans from across the political spectrum have begun to agree on one thing: The nation’s economy is struggling.
Rising Costs and Inflation
One of the key platforms that President Trump campaigned on, and continues to champion, is an “America First” economic strategy that aims to restore national prosperity through lowered consumer costs. These policies, however, have seemingly failed to produce the economic results that Americans are looking for. In fact, recent HPOP data reveals that 46% of Americans think rising prices and inflation are an “urgent crisis requiring immediate action,” with another 33% believing that while it may not necessarily be an emergency, it’s nonetheless a “serious issue.”
While this data varied slightly by party — with Democrats more likely to classify it as an “urgent crisis” — it nonetheless reveals an important trend of bipartisan consensus. Regardless of party identification, Americans across the nation are feeling the effects of a struggling national economy. Furthermore, this financial crisis has only worsened as America’s war with Iran has corresponded with a 0.9% increase in the Consumer Price Index in the month of March alone. With much of this increase being driven by rising oil and energy costs, its adverse effects on the American economy have made no distinctions across party lines. On both the left and right, Americans are realizing that the economy under the second Trump administration is not nearly as prosperous as they had been promised.
Access to Affordable Healthcare
The HPOP 2026 Spring Poll also revealed that economic dissatisfaction has manifested itself in concerns over rising healthcare costs. According to the poll, 38% of respondents believe that access to affordable healthcare is an “urgent crisis requiring immediate action,” with another 33% believing it to be a “serious issue.” While Democrats were, again, more likely to classify affordable healthcare as an “urgent crisis,” over 50% of respondents across party lines still believed it to be, at minimum, a “serious issue.” With the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits having expired at the end of last year, this data comes as no major surprise. The removal of those tax credits, which have drastically reduced insurance premiums for millions of Americans in the last decade, has led to dramatic spikes in healthcare costs, and, as a result, the Congressional Budget Office expects the number of uninsured Americans to rise by 33% in the next two years. With the well-being of over 35 million Americans hanging in the balance, it’s no wonder Americans see rising healthcare costs as a pressing issue. Already, a third of U.S. adults report making trade-offs on other important costs to afford healthcare — a number that can only be expected to rise as insurance becomes unaffordable for millions more.
Cost of Housing
Another pressing concern among young Americans, as outlined in the HPOP 2026 Spring Poll, is the rising cost of housing. In line with many of its other results, the survey found that 40% of respondents consider the rising cost of housing to be an “urgent crisis requiring immediate action,” with another 38% believing it to be a “serious issue, but not necessarily an emergency.” These bipartisan results reflect another much larger trend facing the nation: Continually rising rent prices and expanding shortages of housing are worsening financial conditions among young people. More than 12.1 million renters, often young adults, report spending over half of their income on rent and utilities alone. This has resulted in a national culture where renters have very little residual income remaining to invest in the economy, their education, and their family’s future.
Furthermore, the housing shortage in the United States has expanded to over 10 million homes in 2026, reinforcing those financial struggles as housing prices rise while their supply falls. The Trump administration, however, seems to believe that these rising prices are a net positive for the nation. In a January meeting with his cabinet, the president reportedly doubled down on these beliefs, stating, “I don’t want to drive housing prices down. I want to drive housing prices up for people that own their homes, and they can be assured that’s what’s going to happen.” This clear separation between national policy through the Trump administration and the lived experience of Americans helps to explain why many Republicans are hesitant to place their trust in the economy. The “solutions” they have seen the president propose are completely disconnected from the real financial troubles Americans are facing — and the administration seems to be making no efforts to reconcile those differences.
A Bipartisan Struggle
With nearly 73% of Americans across party lines reporting America’s economy as a significant source of stress in their lives, HPOP’s data is as salient as ever. Undoubtedly, the poll’s discovery that nearly 44.3% of young Americans self-identify as “struggling to make ends meet” or “getting by, but with limited financial security” reveals an important trend: The American people are struggling. Despite the Trump administration’s recent reports that the economy is thriving due to job growth and rising wages, HPOP’s data reveals that young Americans are simply not feeling this growth. Instead, more than ever before, they are reporting heightened financial stress and uncertainty around inflation, access to affordable healthcare, and rising housing costs, regardless of their party affiliation or voting history.
The impact of this public dissatisfaction in the months ahead is yet to be seen. As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East escalate, leading to increased energy prices and disruptions in the global supply chain, it is quite possible that Americans will feel even greater economic pressures in the coming months. However, political pushback against Trump’s economic policies from Republicans and Democrats alike may allow voters to unite under their shared economic struggle. While the outcomes of this political struggle are yet to be seen, it has become evident that Americans are increasingly united in their economic hardships. But the question remains: Will this shared economic reality become a foundation for collective action, or will it simply deepen political division over how to address it?
Associate U.S. Editor
