Press Release
New Midterm Election Research Indicates Democratic Voters Support Progressive Economic Agenda, Including Restoring the Child Tax Credit
11. 17. 2022
Exit polling from Data for Progress, Groundwork Action ESPA suggest costs of living concerns are motivating voters to support bolder economic action
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Washington, DC – Today, Economic Security Project Action – in coordination with Data for Progress and Groundwork Action – released new public opinion research conducted as an exit poll of 1,332 likely voters nationally following the U.S. midterm elections. The survey focused on the economy and assessed voters’ concerns about rising inflation and the increasing cost of living. Key findings from the poll include:
- Voters were highly concerned about inflation as well as their personal financial conditions and the overall economy.
- The majority of voters viewed corporate greed and price gouging as a top driver of inflation. “Large corporations have been unfairly raising their prices at the expense of consumers” was the message voters heard most from Democrats on inflation. This was also the most frequently heard Democratic message on inflation by Independents.
- Voters strongly supported Democratic priorities to address inflation, including addressing corporate profiteering, investing in American manufacturing, increasing taxes on corporations, and expanding the Child Tax Credit.
- Contrary to the predictions of many before the election, voters didn’t punish Democrats for taking bold action on the economy. In fact, these findings suggest that Democrats’ strong performance in the election was a result of their progressive economic agenda, not in spite of it.
“These survey results reinforce that voters are looking for bold solutions to fight inflation. Policymakers should heed that call and advance policies that hold corporations and the wealthy accountable together with policies like the Child Tax Credit that help working families struggling with rising costs,” said Adam Ruben, director of Economic Security Project Action.
Despite Republican attempts to blame inflation on too much pandemic aid by the Biden administration and Congress, only a bare majority of Republican voters backed this argument (54 percent), and fewer than a third of Independent voters (31 percent), along with only 14 percent of Democrats.
While few voters saw the Child Tax Credit as the top element of Democrats’ message on the economy and inflation, there is overwhelming interest in expanding the CTC as a solution to address inflation and reduce costs for families, as is expected to be considered in the upcoming lame duck session of Congress: 70% of voters back “Supporting working families by expanding the Child Tax Credit” to address inflation, including Democrats by a 74-point margin, Independents by a 51-point margin, and Republicans by a 27-point margin.
The full results of the exit poll can be found here. For more information about the Economic Security Project Action, visit: https://economicsecurity.us/