Poll: Voters Split on Significance of Economy and Democracy in 2024

A new poll from CBS and YouGov shows that likely voters are split evenly on whether they consider the economy or the concept of “democracy” to be the biggest issue of the coming 2024 election.

As The Hill reports, the poll shows that 50% of respondents said they consider it a bigger concern to have a strong economy, with the other 50% saying that they prefer having a “functioning democracy.”

The splits along party lines were almost exactly the same: 64% of Democrats said they prefer to focus on democracy, compared to just 36% who care about the economy. On the Republican side, 65% said they consider the economy to be more important, with just 35% saying they consider democracy more important.

The split among independent voters leaned narrowly towards democracy, with 52% saying that they prefer to focus on a “functioning democracy,” and 48% preferring to vote based on a “strong economy.”

Along age demographics, voters below the age of 64 overwhelmingly say the economy is more important to them; among voters younger than 30, 56% choose the economy, while 54% of voters between the ages of 30 and 64 say the same. Voters above the age of 65 lean towards democracy at 61%, with 39% choosing the economy.

The poll’s options reflect the two primary campaign messages being spread by the two political parties, with Republicans largely focusing on the disastrous economic situation under Biden, while Democrats continue falsely claiming that “democracy” would be at risk if President Donald Trump were to win a second term.

The poll was released ahead of the highly-anticipated Republican caucuses in Iowa on Monday, which marks the official start of the 2024 primary campaign season. President Trump has maintained an overwhelming lead in all polls leading up to the caucuses, with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley narrowly surpassing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for a distant second place.

The poll featured a sample size of 2,870 American adults, and was conducted between January 10th and January 12th. The margin of error is ±2.5% points.