Older Americans are least confident after Trump's win

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

One of the most striking parts of our first post-election Ipsos Consumer Tracker is the gap between younger and older Americans’ perspectives on the next four years.

Two weeks on from election day, Americans over 55 are considerably less confident than other Americans on a range of economic, political, and social issues. 

On the other hand, Americans aged 18 to 34 are twice as likely as those 55+ to describe their economic situation as “extremely uncomfortable” (14% to 6%). They’re also twice as likely as those 55+ (41% to 21%) to say they’re more confident about their ability to pay their bills immediately after Trump’s win. 

Americans 55+ are twice as more than twice as likely as 18- to 34-year-olds to say they’re less confident about freedom of speech, their ability to grow their savings, or the future of small businesses after the election. (But then again, older people already tend to care more about small businesses than younger people). 

An end to conflicts in Palestine and Ukraine? Half of the oldest Americans say they’re less confident about that now, compared with one in five young Americans. 

And then there’s the question of whether the president-elect might unify a nation that’s never been more divided. Nearly two-thirds of Americans over 55 say they’re less confident about that, compared with one in three 18- to 34-year-olds. 

In recent weeks, considerable attention has been paid to younger Americans' turnout and voting behavior. But the skepticism of many older Americans — which, like so much in recent political history, runs contrary to preconceived notions — has been lesser acknowledged, even as it raises a number of important questions for brands and policymakers alike. 

No matter how you slice it, there’s increasing evidence that Americans have no consensus on the state of the economy or public policy (let alone the next four years). To meet divergent needs in the demand economy, brands will need to adjust their market fit and pricing strategies accordingly.