Election 2020 Poll: 61% Of Americans Say They're 'Better Off' Under Trump

America's strong economy created by policies of former president Barack Obama that rescued the U.S. from the Great Recession of 2008 continue to benefit president Donald Trump. A new Gallup poll shows six in 10 Americans perceiving they're better off now compared to three years ago -- but it's not mostly because the economy is doing well.

The poll by Gallup, Inc taken from Jan. 16 to 29 shows 61% of Americans saying they're better off now than they were three years ago. Gallup said this result is a higher percentage compared to prior election years when an incumbent president was running. It said in the 1992, 1996 and 2004 election cycles, 50% of its poll repondents said they were better off. Three separate polls during the 2012 election revealed an average of 45% saying they were better off at the time.

There is a caveat to all this positive perception in its newest poll, said Gallup. The survey shows Americans' perceptions as to whether they're personally better off appear to be influenced much more by their political party leanings rather than by their true economic situations. The differing perceptions among Republicans and Democrats prove this point.

The poll shows 89% of Republicans think they're better off under Trump compared to only 29% of Democrats. In contrast 60% of Independents say they're better off now than three years ago. This huge 60 percentage point gap is the main reason why the overall poll shows Americans saying they're better off today.

The poll also shows 52% of respondents saying it's easier for them to "go and buy things in the stores" than it was three years ago. This percentage was higher than in the 1992, 1996 and 2004 election cycles. The figure at these years were closer to 40%.

Again, the perception it's now easier to "go and buy things in the stores" also depended on a respondent's political affiliation. The poll says 76% of Republicans believe this as against 32% of Democrats. Forty-nine percent of Independents affirm this statement.

The poll shows Americans giving Trump more credit than Obama for the improved economy. It shows 62% give Trump a great deal or fair amount of credit for improvement in the state of the economy. This compares to the 51% giving Obama the same level of credit.

The new result is a marked departure from a similar question asked in a poll taken January 2018. Fifty-six percent of Americans in January 2018 gave Obama a "great deal" or "moderate amount" of credit for the strong economy under Trump compared to Trump's 49%.

But more Americans believe former president Bill Clinton did more for the economy than Trump. In 2000, 68% of Americans gave Clinton a great deal or a fair amount of credit compared to Trump's 62% today.