Datapoints

A Patriotic People 07/03/2009 

The events of September 11, 2001, produced overt displays of patriotism; people reported that they flew their flags more than in the past, and that they sang the "Star Spangled Banner.” Those activities have receded, but patriotic sentiment in the United States is still robust. In a June 2009 Gallup poll, 58 percent of respondents described themselves as extremely proud to be an American and 24 percent said they were very proud. Five percent said they were only a little or not at all proud. In a June 2009 Zogby International question, 60 percent of those polled said they were very proud of the United States, and 28 percent stated that they were fairly proud. Two percent were not at all proud. 

Source: Zogby International, May-June 2009.

Affirmative Action 07/01/2009 

In one of the most important affirmative action cases in decades, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that white firefighters were unfairly denied promotions because of their race. The 5-4 decision in Ricci v. DeStefano reversed an appeals court decision by a panel of appellate judges that included Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

In an Opinion Research Corporation/CNN poll conducted over the weekend before the Court issued its decision, people were told that “no black firefighters scored high enough on the test to earn a promotion, so the city decided not to offer promotions to the white firefighters who got the highest scores on the test.” When asked which position came closest to their views, a large majority said that they believed the white firefighters were victims of discrimination.

Source: CNN/Opinion Research Corporation, June 2009.

Healthcare 06/29/2009 

As the debate over healthcare reform kicks into high gear, it is important to look at what people say about their own care. How unhappy are Americans? In most polls, people have said that they are highly satisfied with the care they have and with their access to the system. They are less satisfied with the cost, but 50 percent of respondents in a new CBS News/New York Times poll still report being at least somewhat satisfied. Only a third of the respondents said that they are very unhappy. 

Source: CBS News/New York Times, June 2009.

Political Popularity 06/26/2009 

Despite a flurry of recent activity on healthcare reform and climate change, just a third of Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job. The new mid-June rating of Congress is down from 39 percent in the March Gallup poll. Democrats’ approval of Congress has fallen in recent months—50 percent approve now, down from 63 percent just a short time ago.

Gallup has been asking this question about Congress since 1974. The high point for approval came shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks when 84 percent of Americans gave Congress a positive rating. The all-time low on the question was 14 percent, recorded in July 2008. The Democrats in Congress are rated more highly than the Republicans, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s negatives have risen sharply in recent months.

Source: The Gallup Organization, June 2009.  

The New Normal 06/24/2009 

Consumers drive the American economy, so understanding their reactions to the current recession is essential. In a new ABC News poll, people were asked to think about the recession and then whether they would be more or less willing to do certain things in the future. Solid majorities said they would be less willing to take on credit card debt (66 percent), take out loans or a mortgage (55 percent), spend money (54 percent), and invest in the stock market (52 percent). Two-thirds said they would be more likely to save money given their experiences with this recession. The pollsters suggest that the “new normal” could reshape the economy in significant ways.

Source: ABC News, June 2009.

Democrats and Afghanistan 06/23/2009 

In the Pew Research Center’s new poll, 94 percent of Democrats approved of President Obama’s plans to withdraw most U.S. combat troops from Iraq before September 2010. Seventy-six percent nationally gave that response. But Obama may have more trouble with his troops when it comes to Afghanistan.  Democrats are less likely than Republicans or independents to approve of his plan to send 17,000 more troops there. Other more recent polls show continued resistance by Democrats to the president's plans.

Source: Pew Research Center, March 2009.

Government Motors 06/19/2009 

Americans were skeptical about bailing out the auto companies when their troubles became widely known last fall. Most polls in November and early December 2008 show that the majority opposed giving them major financial assistance. In a mid-December question from CNN/Opinion Research Corporation, 28 percent said the federal government should give the auto companies additional assistance, but 70 percent said the government should let them go into bankruptcy.

The public remains strongly opposed. When told by Gallup that the U.S. government “is investing $50 billion in General Motors and will own 60 percent of that company when General Motors emerges from bankruptcy,” 41 percent of Americans approved of the government actions, but 55 percent opposed them. In all regions except the Midwest, opinion tilted strongly against the government’s actions. In the Midwest, opinion was divided, with 46 percent of respondents approving of the government’s actions and 50 percent disapproving.

Source: The Gallup Organization, June 2009.  

Sotomayor Soundings 06/17/2009 

Confirmation hearings on Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court are expected to begin on July 13. Initial reactions to her nomination have been positive. Fifty-four percent told Gallup they would like the Senate to vote in favor of her confirmation. That response is similar to early reactions to Samuel Alito (50 percent) and John Roberts (59 percent). Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed by Fox News and Opinion Dynamics in early June said they did not agree with Sotomayor's comment that “a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life,” while 32 percent agreed with it.  Should those remarks disqualify her?  A large majority, 67 percent said they should not.

Source: Fox News/Opinion Dynamics, June 2009.

Not-so-United Nations 06/15/2009 

When announcing his nomination of Susan Rice as U.S.ambassador to the United Nations, President Obama described the organization as an “indispensable—and imperfect—forum.”

According to a recent Gallup poll, nearly two-thirds of Americans say the United Nations has been “doing a poor job trying to solve the problems it has had to face.” Only 26 percent say the organization is doing a good job—the lowest rating since Gallup first began asking the question more than 50 years ago. But 64 percent of Americans still favor a “leading” or “major” role for the organization in world affairs, compared to 30 percent who favor a “minor” role. Majorities of Republicans (58 percent), Democrats (73 percent), and independents (62 percent) all favor a “leading” or “major” role for the organization.

Source: The Gallup Organization, February 2009.

Fed Fallout 06/12/2009 

A U.S. Federal Reserve survey released this week suggested that while “economic conditions remained weak or deteriorated further” between mid-April and May, the pace of decline may be moderating in some parts of the country.

How do Americans feel about the job the Federal Reserve is doing? Only 59 percent of Americans surveyed in an online Harris Interactive poll in March were familiar enough with the Federal Reserve to have an opinion about it. Of these, only one-third thought it was doing an “excellent” or “pretty good” job. Forty-two percent said they were familiar enough with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to have an opinion about him, and 34 percent rated his job performance as “excellent” or “pretty good.” Even fewer (35 percent) were familiar with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and 33 percent said he was doing an “excellent” or “pretty good” job.

According to Harris Interactive’s May poll, Americans’ familiarity with Bernanke remains the same (43 percent), but the percentage assessing his job performance positively has fallen to 19 percent. Familiarity with Geithner has increased (41 percent) but only 16 percent say he is doing an “excellent” or “pretty good” job.

Source: Harris Interactive online, May 2009.