Over the past few months, short-term expectations for the economy have improved dramatically, but longer-term expectations have moved in the opposite direction.

On April 15, 25% of American adults said the economy was getting better. That’s up from 19% a month earlier and 10% at the beginning of the year. The number who believe the economy is getting worse declined from 67% at the beginning of the year to 57% in mid-March and 48% on April 15.

Similar trends were found in the attitudes of American investors. Thirty-one percent (31%) of investors now say the economy is getting better while 44% say it is getting worse.

However, the number of adults who believe the economy will be stronger in five years fell to 57% in April. That’s down seven points from 64% in March. At the beginning of 2009, 62% said the economy would be stronger in five years.

Another indication of growing long-term concern is the fact that 57% now say that today’s children will not be better off than their parents. That’s an eight-point jump since March when 49% offered that pessimistic assessment.

Twenty-two percent (22%) still believe today’s children will be better off than their parents.

While expectations for the future are shifting, there is little change in perception of current economic conditions. Nine percent (9%) of American adults now rate the economy as good or excellent. That’s unchanged from a month ago and little changed from eight percent (8%) at the beginning of the year.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls.) Rasmussen Reports updates also available on Twitter.

The Rasmussen Consumer and Investor Index measures economic confidence on a daily basis. Overall, consumer confidence is down slightly from a year ago and down dramatically from two years ago. Compared to April 15, 2008, fewer Americans now rate the economy as good or excellent, but more Americans say the economy is getting better.

Seventy-nine percent (79%) of Americans now say the U.S. economy is in a recession. Only eight percent (8%) expect it to end within six months.

Forty percent (40%) of Americans say the economy will be stronger in a year while 36% expect it to be weaker. A month ago, 42% said stronger and 37% weaker.

Forty-seven percent (47%) of adults still think it is at least somewhat likely the United States will enter a 1930s-like Depression. That’s down slightly from 53% in March, but up from 44% in early January and 38% in March 2008.

Nineteen percent (19%) now say a '30s-style Depression is Very Likely. That figure is unchanged from a month ago.

Fifty-three percent (53%) of Americans also now believe capitalism is better than socialism.

For tax day, Rasmussen Reports has summarized recent polling on taxes. Most Americans believe tax hikes are bad for the economy, but most also think higher taxes are coming.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free)… let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.