The months between the election and the inauguration of any new president, particularly one from the opposing party, are always swollen with anticipation. While Trump critics and skeptics brace for their worst, supporters can happily indulge their hopes for the best.

The bitter political divide continues, but its impact on the economic outlook is not as sharp.

With Republicans about to take control of both the White House and Congress, business expects an end to the Washington stalemate and a shift in policies in its direction.

“Uncertainty about the regulatory environment and tax policy is what can cause paralysis,” said Dan Houston, chief executive of Principal Financial Group, a financial management company headquartered in Des Moines. “Just understanding what the ground rules are going to be can make a difference. There seems to be a feeling that there’s going to be more clarity in the first half of 2017.”

Central Iowa has already been booming with one of the lowest unemployment rates and highest growth rates in the country. But employers have been further buoyed since the election by the belief that imminent tax cuts and fewer regulations will further rev up the economy, Mr. Houston said.

Meanwhile, although the attention to potential Supreme Court nominees has focused on bitterly fought social issues like abortion rights and gay marriage, a more conservative court is also likely to be more pro-business as well, said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

“If you are a Republican, this is the beginning of a golden age,” Mr. Sabato said.

With unemployment falling and wage gains picking up in the last couple of years, Democrats were growing much more upbeat about the economy. Some are now more pessimistic, with Pew showing those who think the economy will get better next year declining to 15 percent from 35 percent. But that drop was not enough to offset the Republican surge.

“Is it just two ships passing in the night?” Mr. Sabato asked about the sudden enthusiasm about the economy.