Most Americans think the media is downplaying the strength of the economy, poll finds

A new Quinnipiac University poll shows that most Americans — regardless of age, gender, race, or political affiliation — tend to have similar views on their future financial situations. And they actually tend to feel pretty good about them.

75 percent of all Americans responded that they are optimistic about their financial futures, though there were certainly gaps between groups. For example, 79 percent of men said they were confident, compared to 71 percent of women. The biggest gap, however, was between Republicans and Democrats, who registered at 87 percent and 67 percent optimistic, respectively.

That separation is also reflected in responses to the poll's question about whether economic news is reported accurately. In general, 60 percent feel that financial reporting does not reflect their own realities. But 38 percent of Republicans said that they do think the news is accurate, while only 23 percent of Democrats felt the same way.

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The gaps are, perhaps, a result of the White House's frequent trumpeting about the United States' economic growth and low unemployment levels under the Trump administration. Though even if that were the case, the dichotomy might amount to splitting hairs. Most Democrats, after all, still satisfied enough with their financial futures. Despite the optimism, only half of those polled think they'll have enough saved to retire comfortably, and nearly one third said they couldn't currently afford a $500 emergency.

"This high level of optimism reflects the constant economic growth and decreasing levels of unemployment over the last decade," said Osman Kilic, the chair of of the Department of Finance at the School of Business at Qunnipiac University.

Quinnipiac polled 1,590 adults via phone call between the period of March 21-25. The margin of error is 3 percentage points. Read the full poll at Quinnipiac.