c-span.org/history. discover the heartbeat of democracy with his fans voices 2024, as we engage voters nationwide asking, what issue is most important to you in this election, and why? >> the two issues at need to be addressed during this election is the economy. we need to make sure the american people can afford a good american dream life. additionally, we need to address abortion laws because our life is precious. >> immigration is the number one issue. with the borders being open and my tax dollars continuing to feed people who are americans, they are not citizens. they have come here illegally and it is crushing my pockets and other fellow americans'. >> the most important for me is health care. it has to be free for everybody. announcer: c-span's "voices 2024 be a part of the conversation. ♪

announcer: a healthy democracy doesn't just look like this, it looks like this. where americans can see democracy at work. when citizens are truly informed, our republic thrives. get informed straight from the source on c-span. unfiltered, unbiased, word for wor from the nation's capitol, to wherever you are. because opinio most is your own. this is what democracy looks like. c-span, powereby cable. ♪ language] -- and x, @cspanwj. this article says americans are feeling optimistic abouthe economy again with some exceptions. in a survey released friday, democrats and publicans express their most favorable reading since the summer of 2021 . it says "american consumers have

not felt this good about the direction of the economy in years. that may signal the end of what some had come to call a vibecession, where despite low unemployment and falling inflation, something felt off about the economy. the university of michigan survey of consumer sentiment jumped 13% to region highest level since 2021, with a cumulative two-month month gain of 29%, figuring is the largest consecive increase since 1991, when the recession was ending and the new york fedal reserve 's survey of consumer finances this month showed perceptions of householdsurrent financial situations improved with fewer responders reporting being worse off in a year ago. well, we will talk to joann,

director of surveys of consumers at the university of michigan consumer reseah center, which conducted that survey. joanne, welcome to the program. guest: thanks for having me. host: first, explain to us how do you define consumer sentiment? what does that mean? guest: so we have been measuring consumer sentiment since 1946, so we have a long history of measures to look at, and the index is based on five questions, the same five questions throughout the entire period about personal finances, their outlook for the economy and buying conditions. host: how do you do that? tell us about the mechanics. guest: we call people every month and it's a random sample of americans with cell phones so

it ends up being a nationally representative sample. we are at the leading edge of methodology on surveys so we are able to take a scientific sample every month to take the pulse of americans in their views of the economy. host: tell us about what you found in january and the trends from december as well. guest: as you had introductionn enormous improvement in consumer views of the economy over the last two months, a two month consecutive game we have not seen in decades and this is off of low sentiment considering the strength of some econoc indicators. we had a historic low in june 2022. sentiment has been climbing slowly since then. it stalled in the fall of last year and in december and january, it improved quite substantially. that being said, views still are not all that sunny.

we are still 7% below the historical average and they're still quite a bit a disagreement over whether we willave good or bad times ahead, but disagreement is an improvement over what we werseeing last year, which was a consensus that we were headed for bad times. host: whato you think is behind these numbers? guest: first a foremost, the continued slowdown and flation. consumers noticeyear, but partis fall, they were reserving dgment over whether that would stick. historically speaking, this makes sense. when we look back to the 1960's and 1970'period's of high inflation, sometimes it came roaring back again, sot makes sense consumers were reserving judgnt, and aer so many months of sustained declines in inflation, csumers were feeling more confident by

deceer and january that inflation would not come back. host: i will put some numbers up on the screen for viewers. there is consumer sentiment index, current economic conditns, and thethere's consumer expectations index. n you explain those a little bit? guest: sure. the current conditions index and expectatns index are components of the overall consumer sentiment index and the two of them measure different thingscurrent conditions is howe assess t present situation in their personal finances as well as general biness and buying conditions for durables. the expectations index, the one were closely followed by economic forecasters and policymakers, includes questions on where pple think the -- their personal finances are going the ahead, business conditions in the short run and long-run, and that's

more forward-looking and is often seen as a leading indicator for the economy. host: andhat do those numbers show? guest: and both of them, we have seen substantial improvements over the last few months. this is one of the really interesting things about this large increase. it is not just large but across-the-board both for how people see their current situation as well as how they are viewing theutlook. also saw increases across demographic groups, income, age, educion and political entification and this is unusua it's typically the case that in a particular mon you might see increases for so parts of the index and decreases for others, increases for some decreases for others, but over the last few months there's broad agreement things have proved.

not great yet but iroved over the really dour viewe were seeing over the last year and a half. host: joanne u's surveys consumer director at the university of michigan research center. thanks for joining us. guest: thank you. host: we will go to your calls now starting with tony in phoenix,good morning, tony. caller: hi. great show. you do a fantastic job really do. i' theusiness of money. for decades.stocks, bonds gotten used to the inflationbe'. it's not disinflation. it is still going up. a'm old enough to remember --ou know, i live through the 197's as a teenager, and worked

on gas lines in new yorkand i people kind of got used to the idea and i think people have adjusted their spending habits of what is important in their lives. that is the case with me and my extended family and my friends. we are in a pattern our people are ok -- where peoplare like, ok. groceries are through the roof. host: you are calling on the falling behind line. do you feel like you are falling behind? you are not able to even hold steady? caller: i keep it simple even though i am pretty sophisticated in investing. i pull up a $100 bill out of my wallet. a $100ill -- i useto go to

the, you kno hipster coffee shops, not five years ago, and, you know, it used to be worth a heck of a lot more tn it is today. and i look at the house prices. i have owned a lot of real estate over the cades. so everybody is falling behind. just keep it simple. you know. it's not going to buy you nearly as much as it did pre-covid, because that changed everything. i don't have to reat what you know. host: all right. we got it, tony. let's go to dave in washington. go ahead, dave. caller: hello? host: hi. go right aad. caller: i think this are much better. it is like the roaring 20'

interest rates are up. you can get some intereson your money. and inflation is starting to go down and you canet a job any place. if you cannot find a job now, you do not want one. host: all right. talking to anne in kentucky. od morning, anne. caller: hi. good morning. i see that everying you go to buy is a lot more expensive. my place of emploent where i have workefor 30 plus years are cutting back on employees. my husband is facing theame thing. and my granddaughter cannot afrd rent. grandchildren cannot afford rent it has skyrocketed. what was $500 a months $800 to $1200 a month no. yogoing to the grocery store and ifou are n careful you can spend half your paycheck and the other half is spent on the

electricity. and if you have a car issue -- i have an older car because that is all i can afford. my husband has an older vehicle. and if you have a repair, it takes two paychecks to pay for it. host: do you feel like things are continuing to get worse for you? caller: i sure do. host: all right. let's talk to lily nex hope mills, north carolina. good morning. caller: go morning. things are going great. host: willie? are you still there? caller: hello? i'm here. things are going down for me, mainly my house insurance anmy rtgage. those are the things going apply -- going up high. gas has comeown in recent weeks. i' here. gas has beenoing down in recent weeks. i will admit that.

but there's so much of our economy and money being extracted for international stuff that has nothing to do with us. it's likely win a little bit on gas but lose on insurance and mortgage rates. we win on gas but lose on food and produce. anthere's all kin of reasons but when u are on the ground living every day on a fixed income, a middle to loweclass income, none of these things the president is talking about and touting about his economic policy resonate with us normal people. host: willie, let's take a listen to the president talking about his economic record. he received the endorsement of the united auto workers and talked about it. [video clip] >> during my presidency, we have opened 20 auto factories and more to come. [applause]

we have created more than 250,000 auto jobs across america. [applause] i stood in solidarity with you on the picket line. as the president says, i'm on the picket line. donald trump went to a nonunion shop. let me tell you something i learned a long time ago. i'm going to be in the fight. i want to be in the fight with you, the uaw. i mean it. we have a big fight in front of us. we are fundamentally changing the economy of this country and everybody's getting worried about it. some are seeing the light. change in the economy, taking it from an economy that takes -- changing the economy, taking it from an economy that gives to those of the top and giving people a fair shot.

that's all people want, a fair shot. an even shot to be able to make it. that's what my economic plan is all about. that is what the uaw is about. that is what your battle has been about. those days are over in this country. when are people going to get their fair share? you have earned it. you have fought for it and you deserve it. host: and we are asking about your family's financial situation and denise is holding steady in milwaukee. good morning. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. you know, i just have seral comments about the economy. first of all, i just think that our country has gotten to the point where a lot of us have

just become whiners about everything in terms of our economy. a lot of these people just really want to be -- want the government to just take care of everything for them. they don't want any accountability for their own finances and how they do their own budgets. i hear people talking about problems with insurance. maybe you only need one kind until you can afford to get two kinds again. shop around for some better auto insurance. do the things that you need to do in order to streamline your personal economy -- i know some

things in the grocery stores are high, but go to other, alternate grocery stores. we have all debts we have -- we have aldi. i don't know if that's a national chain but you can get lower prices at that store. you can find prices lower in your area. some things you might have to forgo or go somewhere where the prices are lower. if it's not anything that's a necessity, do without for a while until those prices come down. you can work around this

economy. some things are still high, but for the most part, you know, things are going well in.this country gas prices are low. and people just refuse, refuse, refuse to give our president credit for anying. god for bid gas prices go up. they are going to blame joe biden. and when the prices go down, i just heard one of your callers -- he did say gas prices had come dn. they have gone way down. so give him credit for the things he is doing right for crying out loud. i think a lot of these people are just plain crazy about it. they do not give this president credit. host: got it, denise. speaking of consumer spending, this is in the wall street journal today. itays "credit card spending and delinquencies rise. from fuel and groceries to

hotels and airline tickets, consumers are putting more purchases on credit cards and taking longer to pay them off. the four biggest banks rorted higher credit card spending in 2023 compared to the previous year. since 2020credit card spending has steadily increased at three of the four. the exception is citigrou where credit card spending hit a recent peak in 2021. delinquency rates have also been on a steady rise since 2021. customers are not paying off their charges as quickly as they used to. -- as they used to." we are askingbout your financial situation, your family's financial situation. we will talk to dave xt in cincinnati, ohio. good morning. caller: good morning. hope you give me enough time to go through a few things. groceries, i buy things that are on sale. perishables i have to eat the

next day but that is fin changes from week to week. something i ner talked about is we are at decade highs. i never heard that stated. it is a fact. my brother owns quite a bit of stock. he helps me out financily. they take vacation. my niece quit her job, got another job, quit that job, and is now working from home, making twice what she was getting paid at her first job my nephew works from homend he

does well also. so it is across-the-board. host: how are you doing, dave? caller: i have always been dependent on my family for help. i have social security, disability. my rent has been raised. my sister helped me and passed away last year and my brother took over and he's done a good job helping me with the groceries. i make about half enough on food stamps. for the last two weeks, my brother has to pay. but he's willing to do that, thank god. but my family overall is doing really well. i would like to get into a few of the facts. host: quickly, dave. caller: ok.

almost recordow as far as unployment. the rate of inflion is around 3%. we have now 4%. it's only 1% but it's been a long time since we have made re than inflation so we are beating inflation. host: darlene is next, minneapolis. good morning. caller: good morning there. i will use my constitutional free-speech to wake upmerica and say that both sides are to ble for ts nonsense and that it's not getting better. i am shoveling. i recently had a computer program problem with my pc i built and i had to get new pas of it -- parts for it and that costs money. to one of your callers who said that poor people should just starve and should not have any fun, everyone is deserving of fun.

it's the way it that it is the way to survive capitalism, have -- it is the way to survive capitalism, haveun. host: io not think anyone said poor people should starv caller: sometimes food is expensive and when you are on ssi d ssdi, you get only so much money to spend and sotimes i cannot afford food. so if i have to make choices between afrding and not affording food, then -- host: i want to ask you about that as far as not being able to afford food. are you getting support, food stamps? caller: they only givee $61 a month. so basally i can live off $51 a month. it is not fair and we suld be getting more. i got an increase om social security but joe bidens not doing enough for us poor people. he's not doing enough for trends people -- for trans people.

i am scared. he should be doing more. host: what do you do when u run out of food? caller: i have to talk to my family and get support from them. i had to get my mom to help with her credit card because i'm on disability and i have to get her help. she told me i'm indebted to her. so sometimes you have to go back to people who treat you poorl just to get help. host: how old are you, darlene, if you don't mind me asking? caller: i'm 33. but it could be worse. host: are you able to work? caller: no. i'm not able to work, sadly. want to maybe eventually work if my art ever took off but i'm an artist on disability and i just do what i do to survive. host: got it. hn in lakewood, ohio. good morning.

caller: good morning. i'm 88 years old. i ha watched c-span since the 1980's. count your blessings because kids with no medicaiare the worst ones this year. they are not getting unrolled -- tting enrolled. number two, gas prices and the stock market is all we hear. the income tax will be permanent starting this year. e average arican does not have a permanent tax-cut. we shoulteach budgeting this is a cotry of capitalism. if you cannot teach budgeting, ere's a hole in the bottom. sandor water goes through the whole. i'm not saying everything is hunky-dory, but have some discipline. the politicians are looking after themselves.

th are polluting the air. i am not going to lecture you. if you cannot take care the budget -- they have an oxymoron called a continuing resolution. so i watched c-span all the time. i checked my bloodressure every morning after watching the c-span. [laughr] host: i hope we are not increasing your blood pressure. call: no. i have a sense of mor. i came here in 1959. minneapolis weather, buffalo weather or anything else. they don't teach capitalism in gh school. they don't teach anything that is american. host: all right. we appreciate you watching us.

let's take a look at recent ads released by the tricampaign talking about the biden administration in their economy. host: everywhere you look, trump beats biden -- [video clip] >> everywhere you look, trump beats biden on the economy. mortgage rates low under trump, punishing hunter biden. personal and retirement investments up 40% under trump. hunter biden, your investments fell, along with other things. trump will make america's economy great again. >> i'm donald j. trump ani approve this message. host: don in washington, d.c., your next. good morning. caller: i'm fortunate because i'm self-employed so i'm doing ok but i was homeless during covid because of the tourism business here in d.c., so things

can swing widely. i purchased a house near capitol hill after being homeless. host: that's a big difference. and that is because torahs have come back to d.c.? caller: one thing i like to talk about is no one is talking about why there is such a low supply of low income or low-rent housing. where do you tnk 10 million people that cross the border -- they take the lowest priced housing they can find and that pushes up the rent for everybody. in d.c., a one bedroom is -- just one bedroom in a house is $1500. i would bedroom -- a one-bedroom apartment would be about $2500. those are rare anyway. a o bedroom apartment in d.c. is about $3000 a month. that's what i was paying bere

i bought this house. but at the interest rates, my house is $5,000 a month. host: and, john -- and john mentioned the border and immigration. this is "theill" tt says senate conservatives turn up opposition to "stinking pile of crab border deal -- of crap border dea" it says "and republics are ratcheting up opposition to a bi tt would address border security, proclaiming it a stinking pile crap that would allow millions more migrants to enter the country without resistance." senator said crews argued at a press conference wednesday that former president trump was ae to drive the number of migrants crossing the border to more than 500 people a day without this bill. and speaking of that, kelly is in texas.

good morning. caller: good morning. how are you doing? host: good. how is it going outhere? caller: the weather is great. we had a harsh week but that is over. i'm from texas so i don't like the very, very cold winter. i have grown up here. host: i hear you. caller: i le the 40's and 50's. host: how are things financially out there, kelly? caller: well, i tell you what. when trump was in office -- i'm a single lady, not married, no kids, but i had never done better financially, economically, with my job, with my pay, with my 401(k). i don't own any real estate. i'm 55 years old, ok i consider myself middle class.

but the biden office is not the office of jfk. it's not the same democrats as jfk. host: get more specifichen you talk about your 401(k). you have lost value in your 401(k)? are you stl making as much at your job/ tell me about these -- at your job? tell me about the specifics. caller: iave been out of work for 17 months. i don't have as much as i should have in my 401(k) at 55. and i have had to take half of it out to pay for rent, utilities. i have been going to the food bank. and like i said, the democratic party is not the same party as when jfk -- it's not the same

party. host: are you still looking? for a job caller: no. thank goodness after 1 months, i wi be starting a new one next week, thank goodness. host: congratulations. maybe things will turn around r you then, kelly. let's talk to wayne in salisbury, connecticut. good morning. caller: hi. how are you doing today? host: hi. caller: ok. things are not looking good for me and they have alwa been kind of rough. i'm 67 yea old. i had cancer at 24earsld. i was going to school, college, and unions -- i went to ups actually, just to loes a night.

i figured i would do that wh going to school. it'd bereat i'm also a vet. an i go in there, they say, you then they go and tell me just have to go and get the physso io there and she goes take off your shirt and we are going to check your heart so i have a scar going up my abdomen. she literally walked to her desk, closedhe folder, and said, oh, we will be in touch with you. one year, a business was hiring, and they were hiring anybody and everybody kind of deal. i guesshey had gotten the contract when they first -- the choppers they are using now.

i forget the name them. but i never got a job there. and my mother actually worked there so, you know, it's because of my physical state that no union wants to hire me because i have a history of cancer or whatever. and now i am 67 and i always had help from my family and whatnot, my mother, my sister especially. my brother does help me out. now my sister's husband -- i am living on my own. pension but just a medical pension -- a v.a. pension but just a medical pension. also social security.

when i was going to get social security, i went to the v.a. offices and ked them, you know, i'm going to be getting social security next month, you know, what's going to happen? and she goes, don't worry about it. if they want to get hold of you, they will. that was, like, three years ago. so i did not hear from them. my fst day was in march so i figured i will hear from them. host: so, wayne, are you -- do you feel like things could get better for you? caller: right now, no. actually, i was getting social security and a v.a. pension and i just got a letter a couple mohs ago and -- because i'm making about $2000 now and they want to cut me back down.

they want to take half of my social security, which is only $680, and my pension, which is like 13. they want to cut half my social security and part of my pension so i am making $1300 a month. and recently, my landlady wants me out. so i am having to move out at the end of the month. i don't have the money to go nowher i'm going to be going probably to something -- you know, a military kind of deal for veterans, and i can only be there so long. and so it's either -- well, i live in connecticut and they want you to be making three times the amount of the rent that you are looking for.

host: wayne, we certainly wish you the best but i have to move on to clifford in birmingham, alabama. good morning. caller: good morning. how are you doing? host: good. caller: i'm doing good. i'm holding my own. we are doing prettyd. i worked hard. i was in the miliry. i managed my money to the point where things ok. and m looking at the economy right now. people have forgotten what i wasike when he came out of the pandemic. everything was shutwhen joe bidd problems in front of him, bu has turned things around. and i heard donald trump say out of his own mouth -- so he could blame joe biden. i guess it would not bother him,

but for these people complaining, crying about what they don't have, what do if the economy crashes? that's what donald trump wants to have. and then the border? the bipartisan deal they have got now in the senate? trump once this border open so they can keep you as a political cudgel against joe biden. they don't want anything but to talk about this. so all these people talking about the border, you want the border closed, but some people in there that want to get it done. you have the senate trying to do it but donald trump says i want the border open so i can talk about joe biden and i want the economy to collapse and all the people following this guys, this pied piper of lies, they are going to hell with him with gasoline drawers on. host: back to the economy, this is axios that says "americans are actually pretty happy with their finances."