Know the New America & Beyond: November 2025
It’s always about the economy. That’s the lesson after elections this month for New York City’s mayor and governorship of several large U.S. states, where candidates on the left and center-left who campaigned on the economy secured larger-than-expected wins.
Reuters/Ipsos polling shows that many proposals around affordability are supported by a majority of Americans regardless of political party – even those that might be considered “progressive” like rent control, which is supported by more than half of voters on the left, the right and in the center. Even the idea of opening city-run grocery stores has support of more than half of Americans, showing that financial realities still drive the country, regardless of politics. International brands must be aware that Americans are voting with their wallets at retail, as well.
Meanwhile, America’s reputation continues to stumble in the eyes of the rest of the world – only 48% of people in 30 countries around the world believe the U.S. will have a positive influence on world affairs, down from 60% in 2024, according to a new poll for the Halifax International Security Forum. For both its immediate neighbors, Canada and Mexico, it’s the United States which is seen as the “greatest threat” to their country’s security.
One place the U.S. has increasingly been involved is Venezuela, where the American military has been bombing boats off the country’s coast. Now, as the U.S. military proposes stronger action, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that a majority of Americans (55%) believe the risks of military action in Venezuela outweigh the benefits. Amid all this, a majority of Americans across the political spectrum (58%) feel it’s better for the U.S. to stay out of other nations’ affairs.
American voters want answers on affordability
A big component of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s appeal was his specific and targeted policies around making life more affordable for New Yorkers. Ipsos polling shows that Americans are drawn towards those policies — and even policies that are generally considered “progressive” are backed by a majority of independents. The bottom line is that real people are worried about real things: groceries, rent, daily costs, and so on.
How Americans feel about potential U.S. military involvement in Venezuela
Do the benefits of U.S. military action in Venezuela outweigh the risks? A majority of Americans say no. That said, attitudes toward U.S. military action against drug cartels are largely drawn along familiar partisan lines, with most Democrats in opposition and most Republican in support.
Two in three Americans plan to cut back on holiday spending
Will economic headwinds affect all-important holiday goals for retailers and brands? A new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Thrivent Financial shows that one in three Americans feel more pessimistic about their personal financial situation now compared to this time last year. To manage expenses, two-thirds of Americans plan to cut back in at least one area this holiday season, with dining out (44%), gifts (32%), and travel (28%) being the most common.
Trump’s overall approval drops after months of stability
President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to 38%, the lowest since his return to power, with Americans unhappy about his handling of the high cost of living and the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. consumer confidence sits 4.4 points lower than last year
Americans’ confidence in the economy is declining, according to the LSEG/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index, which is now down 4.4 points since this time last year. That’s driven particularly by a large drop in confidence about the economy’s future, which is down even more — a drastic 9.4 points since last year.
What the rest of the world thinks
United Kingdom
- Britons who are pessimistic about the economy blame Trump less today than they did in April. Read more
Canada
- One in four Canadians want mitigating the impact of Trump’s tariffs to be a top priority. Read more
And finally, other Ipsos global reports this month
- Ipsos Cost of Living Monitor: Across 30 countries, 30% think they will have more disposable income in the next 12 months, while 31% think they will have less. People in Europe and North America are those most likely to think their disposable income will decline.
- Halifax International Security Forum: 80% say Canada is the country/organization most likely to have a positive influence on world affairs, topping our list for the 10th year running. Meanwhile, 48% now say the U.S. will have a positive influence on world affairs, down from 60% in 2024
- Is Life Getting Better? Given the choice, people would prefer to have been born in 1975 rather than 2025 by a margin of almost two to one. This is despite 72% of people in our 30 countries having been born since 1975. An average of 44% say they would rather have been born then, far ahead of the 24% who favor today’s times.
- The State of Democracy: A new Ipsos KnowledgePanel survey in nine countries — the UK, France, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Croatia, U.S., Netherlands and Spain — finds satisfaction with democracy continues to be low everywhere except Sweden, with deep worries about the future state of democracy.
