July 22, 2022
The Exhausted Majority & Inflation
More in Common US
Summary: Respondents in the Exhausted Majority were more likely than those in the Wings to spread blame for inflation across multiple actors.
Inflation in the US soared to a new 40-year high in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When we asked our representative online panel of 290 Americans about their experience of the price increases, 8 out of 10 reported moderate or severe hardship, citing gas and groceries as top financial strains. Panelists also predicted that inflation will continue to rise over the next six months and feelings of hope for the future will fall. With midterm elections approaching, who do Americans hold responsible?
Respondents in the Exhausted Majority think inflation is caused by a combination of factors, while members of the polarized Wings are more likely to blame a single source.
“It is difficult to assign blame. We are all to blame, but both parties in particular are to blame because they spent money we don’t have. I think most of the blame goes to the pandemic, and perhaps to our collective response to it.”
💬 Jim, Age 35-44, White male, Exhausted Majority: Traditional Liberal, Georgia
“I honestly think everyone plays a part in why our economy is the way it is today.”
💬 Jeanie, Age 25-34, White female, Exhausted Majority: Disengaged, Florida
When asked to choose a single source and explain, respondents in the Exhausted Majority expressed frustration towards Biden and Putin in roughly equal numbers. Others mentioned the “greediness” of corporations.
“I think Biden and the democrats affected inflation a lot because they have been flooding the economy with money and keep on printing it to give out to certain groups.”
💬 Priscilla, Age 55-64, Asian female, Exhausted Majority: Disengaged, New York
“Since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, many countries are trying to stop him with economic sanctions, which are causing inflation and instability.”
💬 May, Age 35-44, Hispanic female, Exhausted Majority: Moderate, Tennessee
“It’s hard not to talk about American Corporations. If executives did not continue to hoard money for themselves, money would start rolling down to the ‘common’ people. GREED is a major cause of why inflation is so high.”
💬 Mildred, Age 45-54, White female, Exhausted Majority: Disengaged, Illinois
However, members of the Exhausted Majority and the Wings think similarly about who benefits from and is harmed by inflation.
Why does this matter?
The 67% of Americans who fall into the Exhausted Majority are ideologically flexible. This was evident in our panel: members of the Exhausted Majority demonstrated less rigid thinking around the problem of inflation and were more likely to spread the blame to multiple actors.
However, in our time of tribal politics, the Exhausted Majority is still vulnerable to divisive “us versus them” narratives, which blame out-group actors for complex problems and provide one-step solutions to multifaceted issues. The fact that the Exhausted Majority aligned with the Wings on how harm from inflation is distributed across society suggests that the political moment is ripe for such tribal narratives to take hold.
To mitigate this, the Exhausted Majority needs to feel heard. We are living in a moment of widespread hardship and uncertainty. Reaching the Exhausted Majority requires acknowledging this hardship by talking about the reality of everyday expenses and growing financial strain. Making people feel heard and understood will help alleviate stress and lower feelings of defensiveness, which recent social psychology research shows may result in more open-minded thinking. Talking about day-to-day hardship will also help the Exhausted Majority feel like they are being included in the political conversation.