Thank You, Donald: America Excited Again About the Economy

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is skyrocketing, business leaders are bringing jobs back to the United States, and a new poll shows that Americans are finally optimistic again about their financial future. President Donald Trump has only been in the White House for a month, and he’s already well on his way to making America great again.

The poll in question was conducted by Harvard-Harris on behalf of The Hill, and it is the clearest evidence yet that this country is headed in the right economic direction. While surveys regarding Muslim bans and environmental issues and foreign policy tell us nothing about the real truth behind those issues, there is some correlation between economic optimism and economic reality. When people are excited about the economy, they spend more, they hire more, and they invest more. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The economy can’t tank when everyone is pumped about participating.

According to the survey, 61% of Americans think the economy is going strong while only 39% believe it’s weak. Meanwhile, 42% think the economy is on the right track while 39% think it’s headed in the wrong direction.

As always, the findings are split along party lines. 60% of Republicans are pleased with the current economic trends; only 33% of Democrats think the country’s economic future is a bright one. Of course, if you thought America’s economy rested on a stable base of welfare, tax increases, and environmental regulations, you would probably be pessimistic about the Trump era as well.

“It’s really a surprising turnaround given how negative voters have been about the economy since 2009,” said Mark Penn, the co-director of the poll. “But jobs remains the number one issue and a lot of the change in sentiment anticipates tax cuts and infrastructure programs.”

Why would it be surprising? We finally have someone in the White House who understands how to use the presidential bully pulpit to inspire economic optimism. It’s something this country hasn’t really had since the days of Ronald Reagan.

Trump knows that spurring growth has nearly as much to do with what you say as what you actually do. Policy is essential, of course, but cheerleading is not to be underestimated. Instead of moping around, telling Americans that they need to tighten their belts and get ready to make sacrifices, Trump is putting his fist in the air with a smile on his face. That makes a huge difference, as we’re already seeing.

Trump has his sights set on 4% GDP growth. If the early signs are any indication, we may blow right past that on the way to an unprecedented American boom.