With consumer spending accounting for more than two-thirds of the U.S. economy, the economic outlook of shoppers can be a strong indicator of overall financial trends. That’s why consumer sentiment is often used to predict economic spending more generally, since it leads to increased investment and hiring. A recent Chapman University study unveiled that high-earning—meaning an annual income of more than $150,000—Californians and Democrats were becoming more optimistic about the future. The demographics were more excited about economic prospects in the fourth quarter of 2020 than they were in the third quarter. This rebound in consumer sentiment among higher income earners and Democrats could be euphoria about an election win (high-wage earners in California are mostly Democrat) but it might also have to do with their belief that the pandemic could more quickly end. The trend held true at both a state and county level. Interestingly, consumer sentiment for those …