Take those headlines one at a time. Gallup finds that 21 percent of Americans cite inflation or gas prices as the nation’s most important problem, with another 11 percent citing the general economy. That’s about double the number who named those three issues as the biggest problem in January.

Nearly half of all Americans say they worry a great deal about the affordability and availability of energy. A year ago it was 37 percent, and in 2020 it was 22 percent, at a time when energy prices were low because of reduced economic activity due to the pandemic.

Higher prices and other concerns have helped to keep Americans in a gloomy mood about the direction of the country. About one quarter of all Americans say they are satisfied with the direction, a level that has not changed much since last summer, with the exception of January, when there was a dip during the worst of the omicron surge.