Poll: Many Vermonters feeling worse off economically with large partisan divide

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Four out of 10 Vermonters say they are struggling to afford basic necessities according to a new poll out this week from the University of New Hampshire.

The UNH Survey Center poll gauges Vermonters' perception of the state of the economy and their personal finances. Just 17 percent of people think their personal finances are better off than a year ago and 38 percent say they're worse off.

When breaking down the results by party affiliation, the divide is even starker. Almost 60 percent of Republicans say they are worse off and about 20 percent of Democrats think their personal finances are worse off. Those who say they are better off say it's because of increased earnings. But those who have a contrasting view say taxes, inflation, and the cost of living are to blame

UNH political science professor Andy Smith says as the country becomes more polarized, people's perception of the economy is polarized as well. "As the president switches from a Republican to a Democrat, perception of the economy flips. If you have a Democratic president, Democrats think the economy is great, republicans think it's terrible. As soon as you have a Republican president, the Republicans think everything is great and the Democrats think everything is terrible," he said.

With the poll responses driven by partisan perceptions, Smith says it's hard to parse out what it means for the November election. He says where Vermonters get their information about politics and the economy also reinforces their views.

The poll surveyed 841 Vermonters earlier this month and has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.