Gallup Poll: Better Off This Year, but Not by Much

In an extremely close poll conducted by Gallup, Americans were asked about their opinion regarding their personal financial situation this year as compared with last;  are things better, worse, or the same?

38% of Americans described their financial situations as better than last year, jumping for the first time since 2008 over Americans who considered themselves worse off.  Considering the 4% points separating the two opinions, the finding is not abrupt, but signals questionably positive public opinion regarding the economy.

However, this sentiment splits down partisan lines.  62% of Democrats consider themselves better off this year, while only 16% of Republicans describe themselves similarly.  Conversely, 9% of Democrats find themselves worse off this year, while 55% of Republicans responded likewise.  Independents hover somewhere in the middle, with 40% sharing a worse off response and 34% self-describing as better off.  With opinions regarding present situations minimally optimistic, future predictions are quite high;  66% of respondents predict that next year will be better than this one, pulling in 57% of Republicans, 62% of Independents, and 80% of Democrats.