# 76% of Americans say the U.S. economic system is rigged to favor the wealthy

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/money/americans-say-economic-system-rigged-to-favor-the-wealthy/
Published: 2026-07-13

> Featured topic in Money & Finance.

76.1% of U.S. adults agree the economic system is rigged to benefit the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of ordinary people (43.4% strongly plus 32.7% somewhat); 36.0% worried in the past year that their food would run out before they got money to buy more.

## Overview: A rigged system

76.1% of U.S. adults agree that the U.S. economic system is rigged to benefit the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of ordinary people, the sum of 43.4% who strongly agree and 32.7% who somewhat agree. Just 18.5% disagree (11.0% somewhat plus 7.5% strongly).

The strain shows up in concrete terms too. 36.0% of adults say it was sometimes (24.4%) or often (11.6%) true in the past 12 months that they worried their food would run out before they got money to buy more.

## Three-quarters call the system rigged

76.1% of adults agree that the economic system is rigged to benefit the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of ordinary people, combining 43.4% who strongly agree and 32.7% who somewhat agree.

18.5% disagree (11.0% somewhat plus 7.5% strongly), and 5.4% are not sure.

## Strong agreement peaks among the young

53.4% of adults under 30 strongly agree the system is rigged, compared with 37.5% of those 65 and older.

By region, strong agreement is highest in the Northeast (49.2%) and lowest in the South (39.5%).

## Food worry reaches a third of adults

36.0% of adults say it was sometimes (24.4%) or often (11.6%) true in the past 12 months that they worried their food would run out before they got money to buy more; 64.1% say it was never true.

Men were more likely than women to say that worry never applied (71.0% vs. 57.5%).

## Supporting evidence

### 76.1% agree the economic system is rigged to benefit the wealthy and well-connected, including 43.4% who strongly agree.

Question: The economic system in the United States is rigged to benefit the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of ordinary people.

Note: Shows agreement that the economic system is rigged to benefit the wealthy.

Topline:

- Strongly agree: 43.4%
- Somewhat agree: 32.7%
- Somewhat disagree: 11.0%
- Strongly disagree: 7.5%
- I’m not sure: 5.4%

### 36.0% of adults worried at least sometimes in the past year that their food would run out before they got money to buy more.

Question: Within the past 12 months, we worried whether our food would run out before we got money to buy more.

Note: Shows how many adults worried about food running out in the past year.

Topline:

- Never true: 64.1%
- Sometimes true: 24.4%
- Often true: 11.6%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-05-21 → 2026-05-26
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.1%
- Module: Verasight AAPOR Omnibus Survey #2026-052
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Sources

- [Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: The economic system in the United States is rigged to benefit the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of ordinary people.](https://reports.verasight.io/r/aapor-2026#q-24): reports.verasight.io/r/aapor-2026: Shows agreement that the economic system is rigged to benefit the wealthy.
- [Within the past 12 months, we worried whether our food would run out before we got money to buy more.](https://reports.verasight.io/r/aapor-2026#q-16): reports.verasight.io/r/aapor-2026: Shows how many adults worried about food running out in the past year.

## Citation

Verasight AAPOR Omnibus Survey #2026-052, fielded May 21-26, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.1%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/aapor-2026#q-24](https://reports.verasight.io/r/aapor-2026#q-24)