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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Larry Elliott Economics editor

Are you better off than four years ago? Why US voters should – but can’t – say yes

United States Donald Trump Joe Biden Kamala Harris Inflation Economy Adam Tooze Europe European Union White House
Members of the Harris-Walz campaign steam wrinkles out of the US national flag being used as a backdrop for former US President Barack Obama as he campaigns for US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 10, 2024
Democratic campaign staff iron out the wrinkles in an US flag. If the polls are right, Kamala Harris is not getting as much of a boost from the economy as she might expect. Photograph: Ryan Collerd/AFP/Getty Images

When Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election, 10 short words proved decisive. After a period in which high inflation had eroded living standards, the Republican challenger for the White House asked voters: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

The simple question that resonated so strongly with US voters 44 years ago has resurfaced in 2024 as the race between the vice-president, Kamala Harris, and the former president Donald Trump goes down to the wire.

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