Who gets blamed when gas prices go up? And what are the political consequences? Last week, President Biden announced that the U.S. would ban imports of Russian oil and warned that it would mean higher prices at the pump. That comes after a year of rising prices already. The average cost in the U.S. today is $4.33 per gallon. A year ago, it was $2.86, according to AAA. In this installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, the crew discusses what high gas prices have meant for politics historically and outlines the debates in Washington over how to bring those prices down.
The crew also explores some of the ways American life has changed in the two-plus years since the U.S. started introducing measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic. And they ask whether polling accuracy can be improved by asking respondents to flip a coin before answering.
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