Consumer Spending Trends and Protecting Youth Online

Rainey Center conducted a national survey studying voter attitudes on holiday spending, the American Dream, data center security and online safety. We find that voters are increasingly squeezed by rising prices and many feel the American Dream is out of reach. 

Voters believe that ensuring domestic energy dominance is a key national security priority. Voters also want parents, not the government, to make decisions about the online content kids engage with. 

Methodology

Rainey Center conducted an online survey of 1,247 likely voters on December 13, 2025, and weighted by gender, race, education, 2024 vote choice, and birth year. Respondents were also weighted by whether they passed attention checks. The margin of error is +/- 4.9%.

Holiday Shopping

• A majority of voters (55%), including 51% of Independents and 46% of Republicans, cite higher prices and inflation as the primary reason they are cutting back on holiday spending this year.
• Looking ahead to the next six months, 60% of voters expect prices for common goods to be higher (24% "Much higher," 36% "Somewhat higher"). Among Independents, 63% expect price increases.
• A quarter of voters (25%) report taking a second job or side hustle to afford Christmas. Additionally, 25% of voters have either already taken on debt (14%) or plan to (11%) to cover holiday costs.

American Dream

• Nearly half of all voters (47%) say the American Dream is "out of reach" for them personally.
• Independents are the most likely group to feel left behind, with 50% saying the American Dream is out of reach, compared to 33% of Republicans.
• When asked about their family, 40% of Independents and 36% of all voters believe the American Dream is out of reach.

Energy Security

• There is broad consensus on preventing American data from being held in Chinese data centers. 74% of all voters say this is important (52% "extremely," 22% "very"), with even higher intensity among Republicans (60% "extremely important").
• A solid majority of voters believe it is important that the U.S. does not rely on foreign countries for energy (37% "extremely," 33% "very"). This is a key issue for Republicans, 51% of whom view it as "extremely important."

Kid Safety Online

• An overwhelming 87% of voters believe parents should be in charge of determining what content minors engage with online, not the government. This sentiment is shared across the board: 93% of Republicans, 82% of Democrats and 85% of Independents agree.
• Voters want tools that empower parents. Seventy-nine percent of all voters support the App Store Accountability Act, including 83% of Republicans, 78% of Democrats and 74% of Independents.
• Voters prefer a streamlined solution. Seventy-one percent prefer verifying age once through an App Store (like Apple or Google) rather than uploading sensitive ID documents to every individual website (13%).

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