U.S. consumer prices rose more than expected in September 2026, driven by surging gasoline costs.

(EAST LANSING, MICH.) Inflation is causing real economic pain. Worries about healthcare costs have jumped sharply. And 7 in 10 Americans believe the country is in decline.

That is the landscape for the 2026 midterm election, according to a new survey from the American Communities Project at Michigan State University, which I direct.

Originally published on theconversation.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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