In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,006 American adults, 43 per cent of respondents (+3 since October) approve of the way Obama is handling his duties, while 53 per cent (+1) disapprove.

The incumbent president gets his best marks in the Midwest (46%) and his lowest rating in the South (41%). The number of respondents who strongly disapprove of Obama outranks the proportion of those who strongly approve by a 3-to-1 margin (36% to 12).

The approval rating for the U.S. Congress also increased this month, to 16 per cent (+3). However, three-in-four Americans (78%, =) are dissatisfied with its actions.

Only three per cent of respondents strongly approve of their federal lawmakers, while half of them (49%, +2) strongly disapprove.

This month, the worst rating for Congress is in the West (10%) and the best in the Midwest (20%).

Analysis

A year before Americans cast their ballots in the 2012 presidential election, the approval rating for the president remains below the 50 per cent mark. This month has seen an improvement for the first time since July, but more than half of Independents (53%) are still dissatisfied with Obama.

Congress has begun to climb closer to the 20 per cent mark, after a particularly disastrous late summer and early fall. The views of Independents on the performance of federal lawmakers (13% approve) are closer to those of Republicans (11%) than to Democrats (24%).

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From November 15 to November 17, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,006 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

The online survey of a representative national sample of 1,020 American adults also shows that only one-in-five respondents expect to see the country’s unemployment rate drop over the next 12 months.

Tax Proposal

President Obama has proposed establishing a minimum tax on Americans who earn an annual income of at least 1 million dollars. Some people think this is a good idea, because the new tax would prevent high income earners from benefitting from lower tax rates on investment earnings than the rates middle income taxpayers pay on their wages. Other people think this is a bad idea, because it is detrimental to have a new tax for high income earners because they create new jobs in America.

Across the country, 66 per cent of respondents support Obama’s plan, while 23 per cent oppose it. The highest level of support comes from people in the Northeast and Midwest (71% each). Democrats overwhelmingly back the President’s proposal (87%), along with two thirds of Independents (68%). Republicans are divided, and almost half (48%) oppose the plan. It is important to note that a majority of respondents in the highest income bracket (64%) also support the proposal.

Unemployment Rate

Only 20 per cent of Americans expect the country’s unemployment rate—currently at 9.1 per cent—to drop in the next 12 months, while one third (33%) expect it to remain the same and a slightly higher proportion (37%) believes it will climb even higher. Respondents in the South (43%) and Republicans (47%) are particularly pessimistic in their assessment.

Analysis

Obama’s controversial proposal to create a new tax on high income earners is definitely backed by Democrats. Also, a sizeable proportion of Independents agree with the president’s view, a fact that could play a key role in the months leading up to the 2012 election. While Republicans are not thrilled with the plan, they are not completely against it. In fact, two-in-five Republicans favor the new tax, a level of support that is seldom espoused by this group for ideas proposed by the current head of state.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From September 21 to September 22, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,020 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,020 American adults, 40 per cent of respondents (unchanged since August) approve of Obama’s performance as president, while 53 per cent (=) disapprove.

Obama does not reach the 50 per cent mark on approval in any of the country’s four main regions, getting his best numbers in the Northeast (43%). The level of strong approval for the U.S. President trails the level of strong disapproval by a 3-to-1 margin (11% to 34%).

The approval rating for the U.S. Congress is also stagnant, at 12 per cent (=). Almost four-in-five respondents (78%, -3) are currently dissatisfied with its performance.

The level of strong approval for federal lawmakers in the U.S. remains at two per cent, while practically half of Americans (47%, -5) strongly disapprove of its actions.

The worst rating for Congress is in the Midwest, where only seven per cent of respondents approve of its performance.

Analysis

The recent discussions about job creation have not had an immediate effect on Obama’s approval numbers, which are still the lowest of his administration. The American President appears to be connecting better in the Northwest, but is not near the 50 per cent mark in any region.

Congress faces an even tougher problem, being endorsed by just one-in-ten respondents in the West, and even fewer in the Midwest.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From September 20 to September 21, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,020 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,002 American adults, 40 per cent of respondents (-8 since July) approve of Obama’s performance as president, while 53 per cent (+8) disapprove.

The level of strong approval for the U.S. President practically trails the level of strong disapproval by a 3-to-1 margin (12% to 34%). Obama does not reach the 50 per cent mark on approval in any of the country’s four main regions.

The approval rating for the U.S. Congress also dropped this month, reaching 12 per cent (-6), while four-in-five respondents (81%, +8) voice dissatisfaction with its performance.

The level of strong approval for federal lawmakers in the U.S. is two per cent, while half of Americans (52%) strongly disapprove.

The worst rating for Congress is in the West, where only 10 per cent of respondents approve of its performance.

Analysis

The eight-point drop in Obama’s approval rating is the most dramatic since he took office. Also, it must be noted that the proportion of respondents who currently disapprove of his actions (53%) is the highest of his presidency.

Congress, which has been unable to reach the 20 per cent mark since March, has now descended to historic lows and is only supported by one-in-eight respondents.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From August 17 to August 18, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,002 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,001 American adults, 85 per cent of respondents consider it an embarrassment to America that the politicians in Washington have not reached an agreement on the federal debt ceiling.

In addition, 78 per cent of Americans believe that the image of the United States abroad has suffered greatly as a result of these discussions, and that the economic crisis in America will become greater if an agreement is not reached.

Across the country, three-in-four respondents (74%) have closely followed news stories related to the negotiations to raise the federal debt ceiling.

The Politicians

The three main participants in the discussions are having a hard time connecting with the population. Only 38 per cent of Americans approve of the way President Barack Obama has dealt with the negotiations, just three-in-ten (29%) approve of how Speaker of the House John Boehner has performed, and one-in-five (21%) feel the same way about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

None of the three politicians has emerged as a true consensus builder, with 70 per cent of respondents thinking Obama deserves “most” or “some” of the blame for the failure of the negotiations. The figure is equally high for Boehner (73%) and Reid (71%).

Only 48 per cent of respondents are confident that an agreement will be reached before the Aug. 2 deadline.

Raising the Debt Limit

About two-in-five Americans (42%) would raise the debt limit, even if it leads to higher government spending and a higher national debt. Conversely, three-in-ten (31%) think the debt limit should not be raised, even if the government goes into default and the nation’s economy is hurt.

Democrats (57%) and Independents (43%) are more likely to side with the argument to raise the debt limit, while Republicans (46%) would prefer not to raise the current level—along with respondents who agree with the core policies of the National Tea Party movement (51%).

The Deficit

Half of Americans (50%)—including 74 per cent of Republicans, 70 per cent of Tea Party Movement endorsers, and 49 per cent of Independents—think the best way to reduce the budget deficit is to cut existing programs. Only 28 per cent of respondents—including 43 per cent of Democrats—would prefer to raise taxes.

The 2012 Election

Since an Angus Reid Public Opinion survey conducted in January 2011, there has been little change in the way Americans feel about the 2012 presidential race. More than a third of respondents (37%) would either vote or are leaning towards voting for the Democratic nominee, while 29 per cent would vote or are considering voting for the Republican nominee.

Analysis

The survey shows an American public that has become desperate for answers, overly embarrassed by their politicians, and deeply troubled about two issues: the possibility of the economic crisis worsening, and permanent damage to America’s image overseas.

It is evident that there are no political winners in the debt ceiling debate. The three main politicians are keeping the base content, but are not succeeding in getting their message across. More than two-thirds of Americans blame them all equally for the failure of the negotiations, and none of them can get the endorsement of two-in-five Americans on their performance.

As expected, Tea Party followers are calling for cuts to existing programs and a decision to keep the debt limit as is, along with most Republicans. Democrats flatly reject these two choices, but Independents are split. They tend to side more with the argument to raise the debt limit, but are more likely to call for cuts to existing programs.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 29 to July 30, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,012 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,001 American adults, 48 per cent of respondents (+3 since June) approve of the way Obama is handling his duties, while 45 per cent (-4) disapprove.

The level of strong approval for the U.S. President trails the level of strong disapproval by a 2-to-1 margin (15% to 29%).

Obama’s rating surpasses the 50 per cent mark in the Midwest (54%) and the Northeast (52%).

The approval rating for the U.S. Congress stands at 18 per cent this month (unchanged), while 73 per cent of respondents (+2) appear dissatisfied with its actions (-1).

The level of strong approval for federal lawmakers is four per cent, while 41 per cent of Americans strongly disapprove.

The worst rating for Congress is in the South, where only 15 per cent of respondents approve of its performance.

Analysis

July is now the second-best month for Obama’s rating in 2011, after the nine-point gain Obama showed in May 2011—shortly after the announcement of Osama bin Laden’s death.

The approval rating for Congress has been mostly steady throughout the year, and has never reached the 25 per cent mark.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 8 to July 10, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,001 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

The online survey of a representative national sample of 1,006 American adults presented respondents with three policy options that the United States government could take to deal with Libya, where a popular uprising that began in February has led to violent confrontations between rebels and the long-standing regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

More than a third of respondents (36%) believe the U.S. should impose economic sanctions against Libya—the course of action originally outlined by President Barack Obama last month.

One-in-five Americans (22%) would do nothing, saying that the African country poses no threat to the U.S. Only eight per cent of respondents would authorize a full-scale invasion of Libya to remove the current government.

There is little movement along party lines on this question, and the endorsement of a regime change operation in Libya is equally low among Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

More than half of Americans (55%) say they have followed recent news stories about Libya “very closely” or “moderately closely.”

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

Methodology: From March 4 to March 5, 2011, Vision Critical conducted an online survey among 1,006 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,006 American adults, more than a third of respondents (36%) say Obama has performed worse than they expected after almost two years in office, while 45 per cent believe he has performed about the same as they expected. Only 13 per cent of respondents think the President has performed better than they expected.

Two-in-five respondents (40%) think Obama has accomplished little in his first two years as President, while 29 per cent think it is too early to judge his accomplishments. One-in-five Americans (21%) think Obama has accomplished much over the past two years.

At this point, a third of Americans (33%) believe Obama deserves to be re-elected as President in 2012, while 44 per cent disagree. Compared to an Angus Reid / Vision Critical survey conducted in January 2010, Obama has gained three points on the re-election question (from 30% to 33%), but the proportion of people who believe he does not deserve a new term has increased by five points (from 39% to 44%).

Half of Americans (51%) agree with Obama’s recent statement, where he defended doing or trying to do what he promised during the 2008 campaign. More than a third of respondents (37%) disagree with the President.

Three-in-five respondents (59%) think Obama was right to compromise with the Republicans and extend the tax cuts for all Americans that began under President Bush, while allowing for the continuation of government compensation for unemployed Americans and tax credits to help businesses.

Analysis

After two years at the White House, and a mid-term election that saw the Republicans take control of the House of Representatives, partisanship continues to play a role in the way Americans perceive the President.

Republicans only praise Obama for compromising—and allowing the Bush tax cuts to continue—but are consistently critical of other facets of his tenure, particularly in regard to his performance and accomplishments.

Despite the fact that many Democrats are voicing satisfaction with the President, there are signs that the level of support among the party faithful is starting to erode. About one-in-five Democrats are disappointed with Obama’s performance (20%), feel he has accomplished too little in the past two years (23%), and think he does not deserve to be re-elected in 2012 (19%).

Among Independents, a key group in Obama’s 2008 victory over Republican John McCain, the numbers for the President show a need to strengthen the base of support for another term. Almost half of Independents (49%) think Obama has not done enough to earn a new term at the White House, and two-in-five feel he has accomplished little (42%) and has been a worse head of state than they originally anticipated (41%). It will be important to track the perceptions of this group throughout the next 12 months, to review whether any one of the prospective Republican contenders can capitalize on Obama’s apparent weakness.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

Methodology: From January 14 to January 16, 2010, Vision Critical conducted an online survey among 1,006 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,013 American adults, 85 per cent of respondents rate the economic conditions in the United States as “very poor” or “poor”, unchanged since October. In every single month throughout 2010, at least four-in-five Americans have consistently used the words “very poor” or “poor” to describe the state of the U.S. economy.

More than half of Americans (56%, -1) describe their own financial situation as “very poor” or “poor.” One-in-five respondents (21%, -6) believe the U.S. economy will decline in the next six months, while 20 per cent (+2) think it will improve.

As was the case last month, more than three-in-five Americans (63%) say that the recession will not be over until next year or after 2011.

Concerns, Inflation and Debt

The key economic concerns identified throughout the course of the year remain prevalent for many Americans. Almost half (46%, -2) are concerned about themselves or someone in their household becoming unemployed, while two-in-five have worried frequently or occasionally about the safety of their savings (43%, -2), the value of their investments (43%,-2) and their ability to pay their mortgage or rent (40%, -3). In addition, three-in-ten Americans (31%, -1) are concerned about their employer running into serious financial trouble.

Three-in-four respondents expect both the price of gas (76%, +1) and the cost of groceries (75%, +5) to increase in the next six months. Fewer Americans foresee paying more for a new car (44%, +5), a new TV (29%, +1) and real estate (26%, +1).

If Americans were given $1,000 to spend on anything, they would allocate the biggest amount of cash to paying down debt ($330), followed by covering day-to-day expenses ($241), savings ($197), spending on personal items ($93), setting aside for a big purchase ($62), investing in individual stocks ($41), and investing in mutual funds ($36).

Political Leadership

Despite the disappointing results for the Democratic Party in this month’s mid-term election, President Barack Obama continues to be the most trusted leader to handle the economy (48%, +5), followed by the Democratic Party (38%, +3), the Republican Party (31%, -1), Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (30%, +1), and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (26%, =).

The governing Democratic Party is preferred over the Republican Party to end the recession (35% to 29%) and create jobs (42% to 30%), while the GOP is the top choice to rein in the national debt (35% to 30%). The two parties are almost evenly split on who is best to control inflation (Rep. 33%, Dem. 32%).

The U.S. Economy Compared to Others

In a finding that has been consistent throughout 2010, half of Americans (49%) readily admit that the U.S. economy is doing worse than the economy of China at this point. At least one-in-four Americans believe the U.S. economy is doing about the same as the economies of the United Kingdom (34%), Canada (30%), Germany (28%), France (27%) and Australia (26%).

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From November 22 to November 23, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,013 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.

The online survey of a representative national sample of 2,129 American adults urged respondents to make the final decision on where the federal government should be spending, asking them to allocate a specific percentage of the overall budget to 20 different categories.

Health Care (9.9%) and Social Security (9.9%) were the two main priorities for Americans, followed by Labor (8.4%) and Education and Training (8.4%).

The areas that were allocated the lowest percentages of the budget by respondents are Science, Space and Technology (3.2%), Government Management (3.1%), Income and Revenues (3.0%), and International Affairs (2.6%).

Health Care is a big concern for respondents in the Northeast (11.0% and the South (10.0%), while Social Security was an important area for respondents in the South (10.3%) and the Midwest (10.0%).

Men are more likely to support expenditures for Combat National Defense (6.3%) than women (4.5%), while women more likely to call for a higher proportion of the budget to be used on Environmental Protection (6.2%) than men (4.3%).

Social Security (13.0%) and Health Care (10.3) are particularly important for respondents over the age of 55. Respondents aged 35 to 54 would allocate the lowest percentage of any age group to Government Management (2.8%) and the highest to Labor (9.9%)

Spending on Social Security and Health Care is essential for Democrats and Independents, but not so much for Republicans. GOP supporters are more likely to devote funds for Combat National Defense (7.4%), Environmental Protection (7.4%) and Immigration (5.5%) than Democrats or Independents.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From November 3 to November 5, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,129 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.