Most say Washington can slow price spikes but not reverse them
Core finding
Most U.S. adults (60%) think the federal government can slow a spike in prices but cannot bring them back down to where they were before, according to a March 2026 Verasight survey.
Roughly a quarter (27%) believe Washington can get prices back to pre-spike levels, while 13% say the federal government has basically no ability to lower prices.
Topline distribution
Most say Washington can slow price spikes but not reverse them.
Which comes closest to your view about the federal government's (meaning, the president and/or U.S. Congress) ability to address spikes in prices:
n = 1,000 · Mar 6–16, 2026 · MoE ±3.5%
Methodology
Full 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 | Mar 6–16, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.5% |
| Module | Module 2: Economics, Work, & Policy |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044
Which comes closest to your view about the federal government's (meaning, the president and/or U.S. Congress) ability to address spikes in prices:
Cite this question
Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.