Obama’s recession efforts didn’t help middle class, poor — report

More than seven out of ten Americans believe that policies introduced by the federal government since the recession began in 2008 have done little or nothing to help the middle class or the poor finds a new poll from the Pew Research Center.

Many Americans believe that policies implemented under President Obama have primarily served to help large corporations, large banks and the wealthy.

The study found that 72 percent say government policies implemented since recession have done very little to help the middle class, while 68 percent say they have provided equally little help for small businesses and 65 percent feel that these policies have done little to help the poor.

Although there are significant partisan differences in these views, the study found that many Republicans, Democrats and independents say that government policies since the beginning of the recession have done little or nothing to help the poor and the middle class.

The study suggests that many Americans are still trying to regain ground lost in the economic downturn, with 29 percent saying that had “mostly recovered” but with another 30 percent saying that the recession had a major impact on their finances which they have not recovered. The number saying they have not recovered is down from 36 percent in 2011 and 33 percent in 2013.

Those with lower incomes are especially likely to say that they have not recovered from the recession six years after it’s end.

The study also found that opinions about job growth, household incomes and stock market growth have improved over the last two years.

Some 67 percent that there has been at least some recovery in the job situation, 20 percentage points higher than in September 2013. However 60 percent see only a “partial recovery” in jobs, with only 7 percent saying the job market has fully recovered and 32 percent believe it has “has hardly recovered at all.”

Many still see the economy as at risk — 68 percent told the pollster that the economy is no more secure than it was prior to the 2008 recession and only about a third say that it was more secure.

The survey was conduct Feb. 18-22 among 1,504 adults.