Poll for The Guardian and Harris finds Americans reporting affordability strain, with doubts about federal help

A new poll conducted for The Guardian by Harris Poll found that 95% of Americans believe the United States is facing an affordability crisis, with majorities saying they are struggling to pay for everyday needs such as groceries and gas. The survey also found widespread pessimism about the direction of the economy, with 57% of respondents saying the economy is getting worse.

The poll’s findings are based on Americans’ reported experiences with rising prices and their views of the broader economy, according to The Guardian’s account of the Harris survey. It reported that about half of Democrats, Republicans, and independents said they have trouble affording necessities like gas and groceries, indicating the affordability concerns cut across party lines.

The survey also measured changes over time, comparing responses from February to July. The share of respondents saying the economy is getting worse rose to 57% from 46% in February, while the share saying the economy is getting better fell to 16% from 28%. The Guardian attributed the worsening perception to shifting conditions and reported that the survey period overlapped with high gas prices after the war in Iran.

The Guardian further reported that Americans expressed low confidence in federal action. Two-thirds of respondents said they had little faith that the federal government would improve the cost-of-living crisis they face, including 49% of Republicans. The poll also found that the shift in economic perceptions was evident within President Donald Trump’s base, as described by The Guardian, with 38% of Republicans saying the economy is now getting worse compared with 22% who said the same in February.

The affordability concerns in the Harris survey were accompanied by a broader backdrop of public concern about household finances in other polling. In late April, Gallup reported that 55% of Americans said their financial situation was worsening, framing a wider pattern of stress as households contend with day-to-day expenses.

Taken together, the poll results underline a continuing political and policy challenge for federal and state officials: meeting public expectations about the cost of living while balancing competing demands on budgets, regulation, energy policy, and enforcement of consumer and economic protections. The Guardian’s reporting placed the findings in the context of heightened sensitivity to inflation and the war in Iran, alongside the approach of fall midterm elections.

The Harris survey results are perception-based and do not by themselves establish the causes of price changes, but they provide a snapshot of where Americans say they feel squeezed and how those views have shifted since February. The next steps for policymakers and candidates are likely to include hearings and legislation aimed at household affordability, consumer protections, and energy and transportation costs, though specific proposals were not detailed in the poll reporting.