Wisconsinites are not feeling good about the economy.
Most of the nearly 600 Wisconsin residents surveyed in a recent UW Badger Poll are not happy about the way things are going in the U-S. Overall, 73% are dissatisfied with the state of our country – only 24% are satisfied. Political Science Professor Katherine Cramer Walsh says people feel a little bit better about Wisconsin's economy than they do about the nation as a whole.
"I think all the news about how difficult it's been to balance the state budget and all the cutbacks that have been required reminded people that the pain they're feeling in their own lives is widespread across the state."
Eight-six-percent of Wisconsin residents say the state is currently in bad times, that feeling has increased from the 78-percent last October. Walsh says folks polled aren't real optimistic about the future, either.
"Only a third, roughly, say they expect the state economy to improve in the next 12 months, so that's not very rosy of an outlook."
Specific to the Badger State, only 42% of Wisconsinites are satisfied with the way things are going, that's a continued decline from 45% satisfaction in October. Walsh says there's clearly a partisan divide when it comes to the president's job approval rating — almost unanimous approval among Democrats, while only about 1/3rd of Republicans approve of President Barack Obama's job performance. The UW Badger Poll was conducted by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center between April 12 and June 18.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:54 MP3)
