Total public debt has grown to $16.7 trillion from $10.6 trillion since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009. In the poll, 65 percent say they expect the country’s debt burden to worsen over the next 12 months, up from 56 percent who said that in February. Only 17 percent anticipate improvement on the debt.

Fewer Working

The 7.5 percent jobless rate has come down from 7.9 percent in January, yet it remains above the 20-year average of 6 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. And the share of Americans age 16 and over who are employed -- 58.6 percent -- is well below the 63.4 percent pre-crisis peak in 2006.

Still, by a margin of 35 percent to 11 percent, those surveyed say they expect their personal financial security to improve over the next year. An additional 48 percent say they anticipate no change.

Bush, who is taking a break from her career to raise her children, says she believes that an era of roller-coaster economics has given way to a more stable environment. And the former finance and real estate professional says she sees an improving labor market.

The U.S. has created an average of 196,000 jobs a month this year, government data compiled by Bloomberg show. In the poll, 60 percent of respondents say they don’t need to find a better job. “I feel like work’s out there and I can get a job, if I need to or want to,” Bush says.

Accelerating Growth

Forty-two percent of poll respondents say they expect job growth to pick up over the next 12 months, while 22 percent expect it to decline. An additional 34 percent say employment will remain about the same.

The bull market in stocks -- the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has risen 14 percent this year -- has also caught the public’s attention. By a 28 percent to 9 percent margin, those surveyed say they anticipate their investments to appreciate this year.

The ranks of those expecting their investments to lose value have been cut in half since February. An additional 36 percent say their portfolio will be worth “about the same,” while 25 percent lack investments.