LEVER WEEKLY: Why Are Biden’s Economic Poll Numbers So Bad?

This is Lever Weekly, a recap of our work from the past week. If you only read one email from us all week, this should be it.

Along with a breakdown of our reporting, podcasts, and live events for all subscribers, we are providing paid subscribers with an original column analyzing the news of the week. In this week’s piece, David Sirota explains the real reason Biden’s economic policies are tanking in the polls.

👇 Following is an excerpt of our subscriber-only column, and below that is a recap of all of our other work from the week.

Why Are Biden’s Economic Poll Numbers So Bad?

By David Sirota

From antitrust enforcement, to labor policy, to financial oversight, to pharma regulation, to social safety net funding, to consumer protection, Joe Biden has enacted the strongest economic program since the 1960s. Admittedly, the bar is low considering the presidents we’ve had, and Biden’s record is hardly perfect (I’ve offered much criticism). But it is the best economic policy performance of any White House occupant of the last 50 years, and the macroeconomy is decent. 

So then why are the president’s poll numbers on the economy so bad? 

Popular theories attribute the persistent negative economic sentiment to everything from bias in news coverage to the growth of conspiracy-theory culture to anger over economic inequality. But why do the gloomy vibes redound specifically to Biden and not to Donald Trump, whose presidency ended with the macroeconomy in far worse shape than it is today?

My working theory is that there are two factors at play — one typical, the other…