Americans Demand Lower Prices as Costs Mount

In August, six in 10 people surveyed said the government should focus on lowering grocery, electricity and gas costs rather than raising household incomes, according to the POLITICO Poll. Repeated surveys have found that rising costs—not stagnant wages—stand as the central affordability problem by a two-to-one margin.

More than 70% said the federal government should do more about affordability but is choosing not to. That included 65% of Trump voters and 84% of voters for former Vice President Kamala Harris. About 55% said their area’s cost of living was the worst they could remember. Nearly two-thirds said moving up the socioeconomic ladder was harder or impossible than in the past.

Household Costs and Government Choices

Jennifer Jones Austin, co-chair of the National True Cost of Living Coalition, said people see lower costs as “an easier fix because the government has not demonstrated that they're going to change the wage structure.” She also said government should address both prices and wages: “if your resources are depressed, you will never be able to build assets, which in America is essential for economic security.”

The proposals POLITICO Magazine collected range from reversing some tariffs and capping student loan interest to expanding social housing and strengthening food banks. Under President Donald Trump's trade policy, pressure from Republican lawmakers and industries led to expanded exemptions. The American Action Forum found that the share of U.S. imports exempt from Trump's tariffs rose from about 30% under the original “Liberation Day” duties to roughly two-thirds under tariffs imposed in July over forced-labor concerns.

The administration cut tariffs on farm equipment and home air conditioners in June, then lowered duties on Moroccan fertilizer weeks later. The Agriculture Department said the fertilizer move would lower farmers' prices by about 22%. In August, the administration temporarily lifted tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of imports to ease record-high ground beef prices. Other tariff reductions identified for products including toys, baby gear and kitchen appliances hadn't been implemented.

Victoria Guida wrote that sending checks or lowering taxes can quickly put money in people's pockets but may also fuel price increases and add to federal debt, pushing up interest rates and living costs. Federal interest payments had exceeded defense spending. Addressing deficits would require decisions about taxes and Social Security and Medicare benefits, with potential consequences for people's ability to afford necessities. Guida wrote that “the only solution to this cycle is pain” and that politicians must decide what kind and who bears it.

Market Power and Essential Goods

A POLITICO analysis of egg prices examined federal investigators' allegations that three major producers coordinated bids through Egg Clearinghouse, Inc., a surplus-inventory exchange whose bids feed into Urner Barry price quotes used in contracts with Walmart and other large retailers. The average U.S. supermarket price for a dozen eggs rose from $1.93 in January 2022 to $4.82 a year later. Bird flu killed 43 million egg-laying hens in 2022, while supply-chain disruptions, the war in Ukraine and “Bidenflation” also figured among explanations for higher prices.

Court records showed Hickman's, Cal-Maine and Versova submitted dozens of bids, exceeding all other buyers combined, according to the account. A Cal-Maine executive allegedly wrote, “Let's hold it today.” Executives allegedly held weekly calls to “bid up” prices. The companies didn't respond to requests for comment. Cal-Maine said it cooperated with a Justice Department probe and described its conduct as “lawful, appropriate and in the best interest of supplying eggs to the marketplace.”

On June 29, the Justice Department filed a complaint and proposed a settlement that had not yet received court approval. The proposal called for a fine of about $3 million, an independent monitor for five years and 53 million eggs for food banks in states involved in the case. The companies wouldn't have to admit wrongdoing or go to trial. Farm Action head Angela Huffman criticized the agreement, saying executives accused of taking millions of dollars from the public faced “just a slap on the wrist.”

Public Provision and Household Relief

Seattle Social Housing Developer, a public authority funded through a 5% tax on employers paying individual workers more than $1 million a year, acquired the 150-unit Elara apartment complex in 2026. Rents ranged from $665 for a low-income studio to $3,767 for a two-bedroom at market rates. The authority said it would focus 50% of its new construction portfolio on family-sized units.

Food banks reported rising demand as federal resources declined. Rep. Blake Moore said, “There is a gap with what the government can do. Our welfare programs are not going to solve everything. They never will.” Claire Neal, CEO of MANNA FoodBank in western North Carolina, said, “We're seeing lots of folks who have never struggled before and never anticipated to be standing in line at a food pantry.”

The affordability debate now covers prices, wages, public spending and who controls access to essentials. Voters surveyed said government should do more. The proposed remedies carry different costs, and elected officials and public authorities still must decide who pays.