As economic data continues to impress — low unemployment, steady growth, reduced inflation — there’s been quite a bit of discussion about President Joe Biden and the degree to which he’s struggled to get credit for the progress. As The Wall Street Journal reported overnight, “Voters have a slightly rosier view of the economy now that inflation is easing. Few are giving President Biden credit for the improvement.”

There are plenty of competing theories as to why the White House hasn’t benefited more politically from the good economic news, but the Wall Street Journal’s latest national poll raised a related question: Are Republican voters even aware of the good economic news?

The survey asked respondents, for example, whether inflation has moved in the right direction or the wrong direction over the past year. The results among likely GOP primary voters were clearly lopsided:

• Right direction: 8%
• Wrong direction: 92%

The poll also asked whether the stock market has gotten better or worse over the last year. On this, the results among Republican primary voters were a bit closer, but still clear:

• Right direction: 18%
• Wrong direction: 69%

The same data found that 88% of GOP primary voters said the economy has gotten worse over the last couple of years, and 70% said the U.S. job market has gotten worse.

The trouble, of course, is that these aren’t exactly subjective questions. Inflation really has improved sharply over the last year, even if 92% of Republican primary voters believe otherwise. Likewise, the stock market has actually gone up quite a bit compared to this point 12 months ago, even if two-thirds of GOP primary voters insist this hasn’t happened.

As for the job market, in August 2021, the unemployment rate in the United States was 5.2%. Two years later, in August 2023, the unemployment rate was down to 3.8%.

The question of why Biden hasn’t gotten more credit for economic progress is obviously important. Indeed, the 2024 presidential campaign may be determined in large part on the answer. But it’s not the only relevant question.

Just as notable is why, exactly, so many Republican voters don’t recognize the developments that have actually happened. Is it partly the result of political tribalism, with folks rejecting good news in response to a pollster’s question? Or is this largely the result of conservative media downplaying Biden-era good news to such an extent that much of the GOP base is simply in the dark about key economic indicators?