The Economist/YouGov, May 26, 2026
| Question | Do you think members of Congress and other elected officials should be banned from buying or selling individual stocks while they hold public office? |
| Response | Yes |
| Poll Main Page | The Economist/YouGov Poll, May 22-26, 2026 |
| Interview Period | May 22, 2026 to May 26, 2026 |
| Sample Size | 1,520 |
| Note | This question was asked to half the poll’s sample. The same question was asked to the other half but with inverted wording (“Do you think members of Congress and other elected officials should be allowed to buy and sell individual stocks while they hold public office?”). The results were marginally higher for the inverted version, especially for Democrats. |
| Policy Context | When this poll was conducted in May 2026, various bills to ban stock trading had been circulating for many months, but none had reached a vote in the House. The concern is that Congress members write and enforce laws that can move markets. Even Congress members’ comments on potential legislation can have an effect. If they are trading on market movements that they are influencing, it is a conflict of interest. |
| Insight |
Different polls may have used different formats and wording, but they were all getting at the same concept.
Position | Dem. | Rep. | Ind. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Members of Congress, their immediate families, and staff should be banned from trading stocks Fox News, Feb. 10, 2026 | 70% | 83% | 67% | |
Elected officials should be banned from stock trading YouGov, May 10, 2024 | 73% | 77% | 71% |
Position | Dem. | Rep. | Ind. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Members of Congress, their immediate families, and staff should be banned from trading stocks Fox News, Feb. 10, 2026 | 70% | 83% | 67% | |
Elected officials should be banned from stock trading YouGov, May 10, 2024 | 73% | 77% | 71% |
