70% of Americans, regardless of their party affiliation, say they are following the current economic crisis very closely. This number has grown significantly since last week, when 56% of Americans said they were watching it closely.
To put this in perspective, in 1986 when the Challenger disaster occurred, 80% of Americans reported watching this closely. After September 11th, 78% followed the situation closely. Following the San Francisco earthquake, also in 1986, Hurricane Katrina and the price of gas prices, the current economic situation is, according to Pew Research, the 6th most followed historic event in recent history.
Pew goes on to highlight that the economic crisis of the 1990s garnered close monitoring from 49% of the public, a far cry from what it is today. On top of the strong number of people following the crisis, today, 60% of Americans are following the happenings in Washington- the bailout/ rescue efforts, the party infighting, partisan speeches and finger pointing. The timing of the crisis is a heavy influence on the number of people paying attention- with the presidential election, many US Senator and Representatives fighting to keep their seats and a strong unhappiness with the current administration. As poll numbers tighten and shift as Election Day looms closer, expect the economy to play a large role in voter’s decisions.
