Americans more optimistic about the future than any point since 2006, poll finds

Americans are the most optimistic they've been since 2006, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday found.

The survey revealed that 64 percent of Americans like the way things are heading in the country, and the last time an ABC News poll reported such a high figure in response to that question was in December of 2006, when 61 percent had a rosy outlook. In retrospect, that prediction was off — the financial crisis struck not long after — so public sentiment may not be the greatest indicator of where things are headed, but the poll does appear to capture some renewed positivity in the U.S. as the country emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

That optimism doesn't correlate with unity, however; only 23 percent of respondents think the country has become more united since President Bident entered the White House, compared to 28 percent who think division has actually grown. A plurality of Americans, at 48 percent, believe there's been no change in that regard.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The ABC News/Ipsos poll was conducted between April 30-May 1 among 513 adults. The margin of error is 4.7 percentage points. Read more at ABC News.