Despite their best hope for a brighter future after this year'sdivisive election season, American investors - working to buildwhatever retirement savings they can - are not particularlyoptimistic about the post-election economy.

At the same time, investors polled in the newest quarterlyinstallment of the Wells Fargo/Gallup Investor and RetirementOptimism Index say they understand how important 401(k) plans areto retirement savings and also say they believe that saving shouldbe a national priority, with more forms of federalencouragement.

Morethan half (58 percent) went so far as to say that theresponsibility for building a safe retirement is a sharedresponsibility between the government, businesses and theindividual; 38 percent said that responsibility should fall on theindividual alone.

The study, conducted two weeks after the election, indicatesthat overall consumer confidence has dropped to -8, a long dropfrom the +16 figure recorded in July and +24 recorded in May.

While the number is bad, researchers say it's equivalent to asimilar -9 index recorded in Nov. 2011 and is more likely connectedto the country's continued economic troubles. As a benchmark, theindex had a baseline score of 124 when it was established in Oct.1996, hitting a peak of 178 in Jan. 2000 and an all-time low of -64in Nov. 2009.

And the pessimism is quite clear: Some 59 percent of thosesurveyed say now "is not a good time" to invest in the markets (upfrom 48 percent in May), and 68 percent say they have little to noconfidence in the stock market as a place to invest forretirement.

What's worse, the economic disruption and questions on the realimpact of the ongoing fiscal cliff fight is also dampening anyenthusiasm investors had for getting their investments back ontrack.

Seventy percent say they believe the country will go into aneven worse recession in 2013 if those fiscal cliff issues are notresolved. All totaled, 54 percent of investors say that the outcomeof November's Presidential and Congressional elections have made itdifficult to save for retirement.

"No question about the fact there is a gloomy sentiment amonginvestors right now, and it looks like it's connected to a beliefthat the elections [have resulted] in more Washington gridlock,"said Joe Ready, director of Institutional Retirement and Trust atWells Fargo.

"The fact that 80 percent of investors say we need a nationaleffort in place to encourage Americans to save is eye opening.Clearly people want to feel like they have the wind at their backsand the tools to increase savings."

The good news, Ready explains, was the discovery that 83 percentof those polled say the 401(k) and other tax-advantaged accountsare extremely important to helping Americans retire comfortably inthe future.

Sixty-nine percent also say it's very important for thegovernment to find ways to financially encourage every company inthe country, big or small, to establish a 401(k) plan option forits employees and that the government should also work to encourageindividuals to participate. Strong sentiment was also given forgovernment help in finding quality investment advisor advice or toallow participants more flexibility with their 401(k) savings.

Despite their concerns about the current crisis's impact on thestock market, a slight majority of investors (52 percent) say theyhave not reduced their investment in the markets.

However, of those who pulled their retirement savings money outof the markets over the past four years, two-thirds say they haveno regrets doing so, and 70 percent say they will continue to stayout of the market for the time being.

The study contacted 1,024 investors from across the country.