Majority of Americans say they are satisfied with the economy at levels not seen since dotcom boom, NBC/WSJ poll finds
- Americans are feeling good about the economy, a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds.
- The unpopular tax bill may be growing on some Americans.
- While President Trump gets high marks on the economy, his approval rating remains remarkably low.
Americans are now as satisfied with the U.S. economy as they were during the dotcom boom, a new poll from NBC News and The Wall Street Journal found.
Sixty-nine percent of Americans said they were satisfied or somewhat satisfied with economic conditions in the country. That figure is up sharply from the mere 37 percent who said they were satisfied in June 2015.
That economic satisfaction was found across the political spectrum. While 86 percent of Republicans said they felt good about the economy, 65 percent of independents and 57 percent of Democrats said they were satisfied.
One in five respondents cited the low unemployment rate and recent stock market records as Trump administration accomplishments.
While President Donald Trump was often praised for his impact on the economy, his approval rating remains remarkably low. The president scored a 39 percent approval rating in this poll, the lowest in the survey's history for any modern president one year into his term.
Below are some other takeaways from this poll:
- The tax bill remains unpopular, but Americans may be warming up to it. Thirty percent of respondents said the bill is a good idea, up from the 24 percent last month.
- The Democratic advantage for the general midterm ballot narrowed to 6 points, down from the 11 points last month.
- But the GOP can't breathe easy just yet. About 38 percent of respondents said they will head to the ballot box in 2018 hoping to send a message to the president. That's the highest level since October 2006, just before Republicans lost 30 House seats during the George W. Bush administration.
- Sixty percent of Americans now say they actively support or favor a state law that would legalize marijuana. That's up from 55 percent in 2014.
The NBC/WSJ poll of 900 adults was conducted Jan. 13-17. It carries a margin for error of 3.3 percentage points.
— NBC News contributed to this report.