New Post-Inauguration Survey Suggests Despite Overall Feelings of Anxiety, Americans are Cautiously Hopeful for the Future

By: Liz Bagot (pollfish@prhacker.com)

According to a flash poll conducted by Pollfish—a real-time mobile survey platform for consumer insights—despite overall feelings of anxiety and nervousness, many Americans think that the economic situation won’t change much under Trump.

Interesting findings from the survey include:

1. The Predominating Mood is Cautious Hopefulness—Asked which adjectives best describe their post-Inauguration mood, 29% of Americans said nervous/anxious, 29% said hopeful, and 18% said indifferent. Other moods included confident (16%), sad (15%), angry (12%), and euphoric (4%).

2. Almost Half of Americans Think the Economy Will Improve Under Trump—According to the Pollfish survey, 48% of Americans think the U.S. economy will get better under President Trump, compared to 36% who think it will fare worse and 16% who believe it will remain unchanged from Obama’s presidency.

3. One in Three Americans Feels Less Comfortable Making a Major Purchase Under Trump—Only 14% of Americans feel more comfortable buying expensive items such as a house or car in the next year, while 56% of Americans feel neither more nor less comfortable. 30% of Americans feel less comfortable making a big purchase.

4. Most Americans Aren’t Convinced by Trump’s Anti-Big Pharma Stance—Despite Trump’s promises to reduce drug prices, 44% of Americans think prices will increase in the next few years. Only 26% of Americans think prices will decrease, while 30% believe they will remain unchanged from their current level.

5. The Future of the Press Doesn’t Look Bright—American opinions are divided over the future of the press under Trump. Some 42% of Americans think the press will become less free, compared to 37% who think it will not be affected and 21% who think it will become more free.

Pollfish’s mobile survey polled 1,016 Americans in real time immediately after the Inauguration on January 20. Thanks to Pollfish’s proprietary database of U.S. mobile users—the largest of its kind—it was conducted much faster than phone-based or online survey platforms.