Life at the Edge: Precarity and Economic Insecurity in the Obama Era

Abstract

Purpose À Precarity is a condition that exists when there is little predictability or security with respect to people's material well-being or psychological welfare. It is a condition that often increases during times of economic uncertainty. But there can be a paradox associated with precarity: the sense of doom can become worse even as objective conditions improve.Methodology/approach À Using data from the 2006-2012 American National Election Surveys and other sources, this chapter examines precarity and economic insecurity in the United States before and during the Obama era. It provides an overview of patterns that undergird the sense of insecurity by presenting trends in economic well-being before, during, and after the Great Recession.