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Do you feel things in this country are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track?
Country on right track or wrong track · Asked in 9 waves, 1992–2024 · 32,835 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
Dropped as not asked: -1 'Inapplicable (unlisted code)'. Kept and flagged: -9 (other_missing), -8 (dk).
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
Shares of people who gave an answer. Each column is one wave, evenly spaced rather than to scale in time; hover for exact shares.
| Group | Right direction | Wrong track | n | MoE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents | 22% | 78% | 5276 | ±2 | |
| Democrats |
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANES 2024 Time Series Study Source variable: V241117. | 2024-08-03 to 2025-02-17 | mixed | 5,521 | 5,276 |
| ANES 2020 Time Series Study Source variable: V201114. | 2020-08-18 to 2021-01-04 | mixed | 8,280 | 8,280 |
| ANES 2016 Time Series Study Source variable: V161081. | 2016-09-07 to 2017-01-09 | mixed | 4,270 | 4,270 |
| ANES 2012 Time Series Study Source variable: presapp_track. | 2012-09-09 to 2013-01-13 | mixed | 5,914 | 5,914 |
| ANES 2008 Time Series Study Source variable: V083027. | 2008-09-02 to 2008-12-30 | face to face | 2,322 | 2,322 |
| ANES 2004 Time Series Study Source variable: V043034x. | 2004-09-07 to 2004-12-19 | face to face | 1,212 | 1,212 |
| ANES 1998 Time Series Study Source variable: V980413. | 1998-11-04 to 1998-12-23 | mixed | 1,281 | 1,281 |
| ANES 1994 Time Series Study |
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
Shares of people who gave an answer. A group’s column is left blank in waves where its effective sample is under 50; hover for exact shares.
| 42% |
| 58% |
| 1865 |
| ±3 |
| Independents (incl. leaners) | 18% | 82% | 1726 | ±3 |
| Republicans | 5% | 95% | 1652 | ±3 |
ANES 2024 Time Series Study · US citizens 18+ (face-to-face samples: contiguous 48 states and DC; web samples: 50 states and DC). Shares of people who gave an answer. n is unweighted; ± is the 95% margin of error at 50% from the weighted effective sample. Groups with an effective sample under 50 are grayed; under 20, hidden.
| 1994-11-09 to 1995-01-08 |
| mixed |
| 1,795 |
| 1,795 |
| ANES 1992 Time Series Study Source variable: V923526. | 1992-09-02 to 1993-01-16 | mixed | 2,485 | 2,485 |