TCU Economics Instructor Discusses Affordability in The 19th
As Americans continue to feel the effects of higher prices, TCU economics instructor Rosemarie Fike provided context to The 19th on how economic pressures may shape the way voters view political leadership ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
A new poll from The 19th and YouGov found that the cost of living remains a significant concern for Americans, with respondents reporting worries about expenses ranging from groceries and housing to healthcare and retirement. The poll, conducted Sept. 18-24 among 2,357 adults, also examined which political party respondents trust to address those costs.
Fike, whose work includes research on economic freedom and the ways economic policies affect individuals, helped connect those polling results to the impact consumers experience in their daily lives.
“Households are facing a complex problem of figuring out how to reallocate their budget in response to inflation,” Fike said. “Voters are feeling the strain of higher prices and may be drawing connections between the policies that many incumbent candidates supported and the higher consumer prices they now face.”
Her perspective adds an economic lens to the polling, illustrating why affordability can extend beyond household budgeting to influence how people evaluate public policy and elected officials. As voters encounter changing costs at grocery stores, in housing and across other essential expenses, Fike’s analysis helps explain how those experiences can become part of broader political decision-making.