ATL Standard

The Biden administration's handling of the economy and lingering pandemic has drawn widespread criticism from the American public as inflation continues to rise.

According to Civiqs' online poll of registered voters across every state, Biden's disapproval rating among Georgia voters has risen to 59 % as of Feb 12, while just 31% still approved.

When the same question was asked a year ago,  only 49% disapproved, and 44 % still approved of Biden's performance.

CNN's most recent national poll reflects this downward trend in voter approval, reporting that almost six in ten Americans are dissatisfied with the Biden administration's performance in the face of rising inflation and a spike in coronavirus cases.

According to CNN's survey, 58% of Americans disapprove of the current administration's performance, while only 41% are in favor of it.

One of Biden's critics, Former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Harvard professor Lawrence Summers warned of inflation in Feb of last year if the Biden administration did not exercise caution in its fiscal policies.

"I’m not sure that we would have the inflation if there had never been a pandemic and, even if there had been a pandemic, without the overwhelming stimulus that was applied well into recovery during 2021,"  Lawrence stated on Twitter.

In a Feb 2021 opinion article for the Washington Post, Summers detailed the main economic dangers linked with Biden's aggressive macroeconomic stimulus initiatives, including an inflationary spiral.

Summers had also warned of a steep increase in inflation as a consequence of the Federal Reserve's financial commitments and Biden's skepticism of inflation at the time.

Rep Elise Stefanik (R-New York) also listed inflation as a potential economic threat in early 2021, citing a rise in the price of fruits, milk and eggs, as well as baby supplies such as diapers, according to a report by the New York Times.

On Feb 10, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) had increased by 7.5% annually for a 12-month period ending in January 2022, marking the highest yearly rise of inflation in 40 years since 1982.

Concern over inflation is not completely partisan, as William Galston, a former domestic policy advisor to Bill Clinton, demonstrates in a New York Times article.

Having lived through the inflation crisis of the late 1970s and early 1980s, he believes that inflation can be overcome. However, the issue is whether "you’re willing to endure the pain.”

Galston argues Biden must be more proactive in demonstrating his efforts to address inflation, citing Bill Clinton's advice that “you may not be able to fix the problem right away, but you have to be caught trying.”

According to The New York Times, White House spokeswoman Emilie Simons maintains that Biden  “is using every tool available to reduce prices.”

Economists, however, are reportedly skeptical of Biden's ability to contain inflation at this time.