American Women: Presidential Hopefuls Must Fix Broken Economy

According to a recent study by AARP and Divided We Fail, women voters are overwhelmingly concerned about the slumping economy, how it affects their families and how the presidential candidates intend to address the problem.

Key Findings

Nearly half of women surveyed believed that the economy is the most important problem facing the country today. Taking the pulse of women today also revealed that now, more than ever, they are sandwiched between aging parents and growing children for whom they are responsible for. Additionally:

• 51% are very worried about paying for rising costs of basics items such as food and gas
• 58% worry about being able to care for parents and other aging relatives simultaneously
• 56% worry about being able to save for their child's education
• 57% worry about being laid off or downsized from a job

"Addressing the specific concerns of this block of voters could make or break any candidate in this election. Candidates must listen to women across the nation by tackling problems in the economy with proactive policies," said Nancy LeaMond, AARP's Executive Vice President of Social Impact.

How Important Is the Women's Vote

National polling showed that in the 2004 presidential race, women represented 60% of undecided voters with less than two weeks until the election--representing a critical block to court in final hours. In 2006 women provided the critical margin of victory in three significant races that allowed Democrats to reclaim Congress.

"The media has continued to address gender in terms of whether the candidate is a man or a woman, unfortunately," said LeaMond. "What continues to be ignored is the fact that there are millions of women who remain undecided and they will be important voters in this election."

For More Information

For more information on the study, download the full results (pdf).

Findings from this survey were discussed in-depth by Celinda Lake (Lake Research Partners), Greg Strimple (Mercury Public Affairs) and Amy Walter and John Mercurio (the Hotline) at the National Press Club Wednesday, May 21. View the archive of the presentation.