What Americans think about the new tariffs
Welcome to YouGov's weekly newsletter The Surveyor, with new polling data, insights, and charts on politics, life, and other topical issues — from our U.S. News team.
This week, we're spotlighting surveys about tariffs, taxes, money, America's best days, conversation, the death penalty, and April Fools' Day.
Snap polls find negative views on tariff hikes
The big news this week is Wednesday's announcement by President Donald Trump of wide-ranging new tariffs on imports into the United States, followed by deep stock market declines Thursday and Friday. YouGov has surveys in the field right now asking Americans what they think about the new tariffs and the state of the economy, but we've already got some snap poll results on Americans' initial reactions.
More Americans strongly or somewhat disapprove (50%) than approve (34%) of the tariffs. Most Democrats disapprove of the tariffs (13% approve vs. 79% disapprove), as do about half of Independents (27% vs. 52%), while most Republicans support them (68% vs. 17%).
The intensity of opposition to the tariffs among Democrats is greater than the intensity of support for them among Republicans. 69% of Democrats say they strongly disapprove of the recent tariffs, compared to 35% of Republicans who strongly approve of them. Independents are nearly four times more likely to strongly disapprove (39%) than strongly approve (12%).
Most Americans (67%) expect the tariffs to raise prices of the goods they typically purchase, while 15% think prices will stay the same, 4% think they'll decrease, and 15% aren't sure. Most Democrats (84%) and Independents (67%) expect prices to rise, as do 47% of Republicans — and even among Republicans, more expect a price increase than think that prices will stay the same (26%) or fall (7%).
On many polling questions, Independents are more likely than Democrats or Republicans to say they don't know or aren't sure. But when it comes to the effect of the tariffs on prices, more Republicans (20%) say they're not sure than do Independents (18%).
Americans are three times as likely to expect raising tariffs to hurt the average American (57%) as to help them (19%). A vast majority of Democrats (85%) and most Independents (56%) expect tariffs to hurt the average American, while Republicans are more likely to expect tariffs to help (40%) than to hurt (29%).
Next week we'll see how Americans' views on the economy will be affected by the tariffs and the stock market crash. The most recent Economist / YouGov Poll, conducted before the tariff announcement, found that 47% of Americans said the economy is getting worse — up from a few months ago, but smaller than the share of Americans that said so for much of the past four years. 25% of Americans said the economy is getting better, and 22% said it's staying about the same.
Charting opinions
Majorities of Democrats and Republicans agree that the middle class pays too much in taxes
About two-thirds (65%) of Americans believe the wealthy pay too little in taxes. Very few say the same about the middle class (3%) or the poor (8%). Democrats (87%) are more likely than Independents (67%) and Republicans (43%) to say the wealthy pay too little in taxes. Majorities of Americans think the middle class (58%) and the poor (55%) pay too much in taxes. 8% think the wealthy do. (Jamie Ballard)
What do Americans think money can and can't buy?
Large shares of Americans believe that, at least to some extent, money can buy fun (86%), social status (85%), political influence (85%), career success (79%), good health (74%), physical attractiveness (72%), and legal immunity (71%). Smaller majorities also say this about personal fulfillment (66%), happiness (63%), longer life (62%), and athletic success (53%). (Taylor Orth)
Democrats are far more likely now than a year ago to believe the country's best days are behind it
One-third (34%) of Americans think their country's best days are in its past — down from 46% in April 2024. Just as many (34%) think the country’s best days are in its future, including 22% of Democrats and 50% of Republicans. Only 9% of Americans — including 3% of Democrats and 17% of Republicans — think their country's best days are happening right now. (Jamie Ballard)
Speaking their mind or listening well? How Americans prefer to make conversation
YouGov asked U.S. adult citizens a series of a dozen head-to-head choices between two of 12 priorities when interacting with other people. Would Americans prefer being funny or being likable? Sounding smart or avoiding conflict?
We then added up the results from more than 13,000 face-offs; think of it as a league with more than 13,000 games to decide the champion of conversational priorities. We found that Americans really like to think of themselves as good listeners — Americans picked that 75% of the time in matchups against the 11 other priorities. And people were likely to say they prefer just about anything else to sounding smart (25%) or being persuasive (23%). (David Montgomery)
Quick takes
Death penalty: 18% of Americans say the death penalty should always apply for murder, while 50% say it should apply sometimes, and 20% say the death penalty is wrong
Signalgate: On March 25, 74% of Americans, 89% of Democrats, and 60% of Republicans said it was a very or somewhat serious problem that members of the Trump administration discussed sensitive military plans in an unclassified chat application; one week later on April 1, this had changed to 69% of Americans, 92% of Democrats, and only 47% of Republicans
April Fools: 44% of Americans say April Fools' Day pranks are amusing, and 41% say they're annoying
Petitions: 65% of Americans, including majorities of Democrats and Republicans, say it should be illegal to pay people to sign a political petition; 16% say it should be legal
Third term: 68% of Americans say Donald Trump shouldn't be allowed to serve a third term as president, including 87% of Democrats and 42% of Republicans
Elsewhere
Polling partnerships
The Economist + YouGov on the state and issue positions of the parties, potential presidential candidates, and a leak of military plans
Yahoo + YouGov on U.S. politics, the economy, beauty, and measles
CBS + YouGov on flying
Polling abroad
What do Britons call their grandparents? (YouGov UK)
Polling in the press
Schooled by Trump, Americans are learning to dislike their allies (Economist)
Trump chaos is alienating Republicans (Financial Times)
Vance, Harris seen as top 2028 White House contenders (The Hill)
What are you spending on groceries these days? (Yahoo Life)
What People Are Getting Wrong This Week: The Most Influential Hoax in American History (Lifehacker)
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This newsletter is compiled by Carl Bialik