How do you feel about the economy? Increasingly, that’s a political question. Consumer sentiment has been hit hard over the last few months, but to many observers, it looks like sentiment has become a measure of political happiness. Take a look at my chart of the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index below. You’ll see the main index values in purple, but in blue and red, you’ll see the feelings of Democrats and Republicans, respectively. In green, you’ll see those of independent voters.
You can see the drastic changes from administration to administration, in which voters are much more satisfied when their party holds the president’s office.
Action Line: You know there’s unhappiness among consumers, but that is increasingly a symptom of politics. Click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
