(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many adults in the United States hold high hopes for Barack Obama’s government, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 55 per cent of respondents are very or somewhat confident that the president-elect’s economic team can lead the country out of its current economic problems.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many adults in the United States hold high hopes for Barack Obama’s government, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 55 per cent of respondents are very or somewhat confident that the president-elect’s economic team can lead the country out of its current economic problems.
Since last year, defaults on so-called subprime mortgages—credit given to high-risk borrowers—in the United States have caused volatility in domestic and global financial markets and raised concerns that the U.S. economy could fall into a recession. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The crisis has affected the global financial and credit systems.
In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. On Nov. 4, Democratic nominee Obama secured a majority of electoral votes, defeating Republican candidate McCain. Obama will become the first African American president in U.S. history when he takes over from George W. Bush—who served two four-year terms—on Jan. 20, 2009.
On Nov. 24, Obama presented his economic team, featuring Timothy Geithner as treasure secretary; and Lawrence Summers and Christina Romer as economic advisers. The president-elect declared: "[The] economic team [has] the vision and expertise to stabilize our economy, create jobs, and get America back on track. Even as we face great economic challenges, we know that great opportunity is at hand—if we act swiftly and boldly. That’s the mission our economic team will take on."
Polling Data
How confident are you that Barack Obama’s economic team can lead the country out of the current economic problems?
|
Very confident |
25% |
|
Somewhat confident |
30% |
|
Not very confident |
26% |
|
Not at all confident |
13% |
|
Not sure |
5% |
Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 likely American voters, conducted on Nov. 25, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
