The U.S. Is on the Wrong Track, Voters Say

For the past decade, the sentiment has remained that the country is in decline. While this view slightly improved since Kamala Harris entered the race, most people still believe the U.S. is on a downward trajectory. 

In the latest RealClearPolitics Average for the Direction of the Country, 61.3% of voters feel the country is on the wrong track, compared to 28.4% who think it’s on the right track – a gap of 32.9 points. Before Biden withdrew from the race in July, the situation was even worse, with 67.7% of voters believing the country was on the wrong track and just 22.2% feeling positive about its direction.

Throughout most of Biden’s presidency, public perception has been similarly negative. Although he began his term with a relatively small negative perception of -6 points in April 2021, that figure surged to over -30 points following the deadly Kabul airport attack during the Afghanistan withdrawal, where 13 American service members were killed. This drop in public confidence that the country is moving in the right direction has persisted throughout his term.

However, this phenomenon isn’t exclusive to Biden. Since RCP began tracking public sentiment at the beginning of the Obama administration, more people have consistently expressed a belief that the country is on the wrong track than the right one. Only once, in June 2009, did the percentage of respondents who believed the country was headed in the right direction equaled those who thought it was on the wrong track.

Biden’s approval ratings have also remained largely negative throughout his presidency, though not as dramatically as public sentiment regarding the country's direction. Currently, 41.1% of people have a favorable opinion of Biden, while 55% view him unfavorably. Of the two presidential candidates, Harris fares better in the polls, with only a -0.6 point net favorability compared to Trump’s -8 points.

The executive branch isn’t the most disapproved-of branch of government, though – that distinction goes to Congress. The current RCP Average for Congressional Job Approval shows just 23.8% of people approving of Congress, while a staggering 64.8% disapprove – a gap of 41 points. During debates over Ukraine and Israel funding earlier this year, Congress reached its lowest approval rating of the term, with only 18% approval and 75.3% disapproval. However, the lowest-ever congressional approval occurred during the Obama administration in November 2013, when approval dipped to just 8.5%, while disapproval soared to 85.1%.

Individual congressional leaders also face steep disapproval ratings. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has the least negative net approval at -0.6 points, while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has the worst rating at -39 points. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer aren’t far behind, with net approval ratings of -9.3 and -13.7 points, respectively.

The judicial branch, represented by the Supreme Court, fares slightly better in public opinion, though it still faces net disapproval. In the latest Economist/YouGov poll, 38% of respondents approved of how the Supreme Court is handling its job, while 44% disapproved.