Gallup Poll News Service back issues from February 2009:
U.S. Satisfaction Remains Low Under Obama; Seventeen percent of Americans are satisfied, versus 13% before the election.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 02, 2009; ... Byline: Lydia Saad Synopsis: Only 17% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the country; 80% are dissatisfied. These ratings are hardly any better than those seen before the presidential election. Although satisfaction among Democrats has improved, it also ...
Americans Approve of Most Obama Actions to Date; Widespread support for decisions on ethics reform, interrogations, fuel standards.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 02, 2009; ... Byline: Jeffrey M. Jones Synopsis: Solid majorities of Americans approve of Barack Obama's actions on diplomacy, interrogations, ethics reform, fuel efficiency standards, and pay discrimination. But the public disagrees with closing the Guantanamo Bay prison and lifting the ban ...
Americans Support Stimulus, but Many Want Major Changes; Most say plan will not have major impact this year.(Survey)
Feb 03, 2009; ... Byline: Frank Newport Synopsis: Three in four Americans (75%) want Congress to pass some version of President Obama's economic stimulus plan, but this group is divided on whether it needs major changes first. Almost 8 out of 10 Americans are concerned the plan would not ...
Gallup's Measure Suggests More Jobless Claims; Four-week average likely to surge past 565,000.(Survey)
Feb 03, 2009; ... Byline: Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist Synopsis: Gallup's hiring measure suggests that four-week average jobless claims will exceed 565,000 when the government reports them on Thursday -- up from the 542,500 reported for the week ending Jan. 24, and reflecting the continued ...
Few Americans Perceive a More Civil Tone in D.C.(Survey)
Feb 04, 2009; ... Byline: Lydia Saad Synopsis: About half of Americans believe the political tone in Washington under President Obama is no different than before. On the margins, as many Americans think the tone between Republicans and Democrats has gotten worse since the election as say it has ...
In U.S., Worry About Making Monthly Payments Adding Up; Those who are very worried are much more likely to be stressed or angry.(Survey)
Feb 04, 2009; ... Byline: Elizabeth Mendes and Brett Pelham Synopsis: Gallup Polls taken throughout 2008 find the percentage of Americans who are worried about keeping up with monthly debt payments increased significantly at the end of the year and reveal a compelling relationship between debt ...
Dismal Unemployment Rate Likely Friday; Gallup's model suggests January's unemployment rate will exceed the 7.5% consensus estimate.(Survey)
Feb 04, 2009; ... Byline: Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist Synopsis: Gallup's unemployment rate model suggests the government will report on Friday that the unemployment rate worsened in January -- exceeding not only December's 7.2% but probably also the 7.5% consensus estimate. ...
Media Coverage of Obama Gets Mixed and Partisan Reviews; Nearly half see coverage as about right, but views diverge by party, job approval.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 05, 2009; ... Byline: Lymari Morales Synopsis: Americans overall are not highly critical of the media's coverage of President Obama, with nearly half (48%) saying it has been "about right." However, a sizable minority (38%) -- including two-thirds of Republicans -- think the media have not ...
Public Support for Stimulus Package Unchanged at 52%; Seven in 10 favor some type of stimulus legislation.(Survey)
Feb 05, 2009; ... Byline: Lydia Saad Synopsis: A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds 52% of Americans in favor of Congress passing a roughly $800 billion economic stimulus package, identical to what Gallup found a week ago, and essentially the same as at the start of January. PRINCETON, ...
Limbaugh Well-Liked by Many, but Not All, Republicans; Strong majority of Democrats have negative opinions of the conservative talk-show host.(Rush Limbaugh)(Survey)
Feb 05, 2009; ... Byline: Frank Newport Synopsis: Conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh is viewed favorably by 60% of Republicans nationwide, while 23% have an unfavorable opinion. In sharp contrast, only 6% of Democrats view Limbaugh favorably, while 63% view him unfavorably. ...
Perceptions of Government Corruption High in Russia; Although this perception has declined significantly since 2007.(Survey)
Feb 05, 2009; ... Byline: Cynthia English and Neli Esipova Synopsis: In 2008, nearly 7 in 10 Russians (69%) said their government was not doing enough to fight corruption and just over one-third (37%) said the level of corruption in their country is higher than it was five years ago. ...
Confidence in Obama Remains High After Cabinet Troubles; Public believes controversy a normal part of filling high government positions.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 06, 2009; ... Byline: Jeffrey M. Jones Synopsis: This week's troubles for Barack Obama's Cabinet nominees have done little to dampen public confidence in the president. Sixty-five percent of Americans say they approve of the job he is doing, and 58% say controversies like the one surrounding ...
Obama Has Upper Hand in Stimulus Fight; Obama's 67% approval rating on the stimulus is more than twice that of Republicans.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: Frank Newport Synopsis: President Obama receives a 67% approval rating for his handling of the government's efforts to pass an economic stimulus bill, compared to 31% for the Republicans in Congress. A majority of Americans (51%) agree that passing such a bill is ...
Gov't. Projects Seen as Better for Job Creation Than Tax Cuts; Public thinks government funding better approach by 50% to 42%.(Survey)
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: Jeffrey M. Jones Synopsis: In terms of creating jobs, Americans are slightly more likely to believe that increased government funding of infrastructure and other projects (50%) is a better approach than tax cuts for individuals and businesses (42%). ...
What Alabamians and Iranians Have in Common; A global perspective on Americans' religiosity offers a few surprises.(Survey)
Feb 09, 2009; ... Byline: Steve Crabtree and Brett Pelham Synopsis: In terms of their likelihood to say religion is important in their daily lives, U.S. state populations span a range that invites comparisons to some predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East, as well as to some relatively ...
Majority of Workers Not Worried About Being Laid Off; Still, 41% have close friends or relatives who have lost jobs.(Survey)
Feb 10, 2009; ... Byline: Frank Newport Synopsis: Despite the current recession, a new Gallup Poll finds that a significant majority (68%) of workers say they are not worried about being laid off in the near future. PRINCETON, NJ -- Despite the overwhelming tsunami of bad economic ...
Net New Hiring Hits New Low; Gallup measure suggests four-week average jobless claims will likely exceed 600,000.(Survey)
Feb 10, 2009; ... Byline: Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist Synopsis: Gallup's net new hiring measure reached a new low of -8 for the week ending Feb. 7, suggesting that when the government reports weekly jobless claims on Thursday, they are likely to exceed the 610,000 consensus forecast -- ...
Best President? Lincoln on Par With Reagan, Kennedy; However, Lincoln has unique bipartisan appeal.(Ronald Reagan, John Kennedy, and Abraham Lincoln)(Survey)
Feb 11, 2009; ... Byline: Lydia Saad Synopsis: When Americans are asked to pick the nation's greatest president, the result is a near-tie among Ronald Reagan, John Kennedy, and Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln has emerged as a powerful model for President Barack Obama, and he has a uniquely bipartisan ...
Stimulus Support Edges Higher, Now 59%; Support up mainly among Democrats; flat among independents.(Survey)
Feb 11, 2009; ... Byline: Lydia Saad Synopsis: Public support for an $800 billion economic stimulus package has increased to 59% in a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted Tuesday night, up from 52% in Gallup polling a week ago, as well as in late January. PRINCETON, NJ -- Public support ...
On Darwin's Birthday, Only 4 in 10 Believe in Evolution; Belief drops to 24% among frequent church attenders.(Charles Darwin)(Survey)
Feb 11, 2009; ... Byline: Frank Newport Synopsis: On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, new Gallup polling shows that only 39% of Americans say they "believe in the theory of evolution," while a quarter say they do not believe in the theory, and another 36% don't have an ...
For Russians, Link Between Democracy and the West; Association between free markets, democracy, and Western nations.(Survey)
Feb 11, 2009; ... Byline: Ian T. Brown Synopsis: Forty percent of Russians say they would choose for their country a political system similar to the Soviet one but more democratic and market-based, more than choose any other option. Among Russians, Gallup also finds an association between free ...
No Mandate for Criminal Probes of Bush Administration; Most favor investigations into controversial terror techniques, possible abuse of Justice Dept.(George W. Bush)(Survey)
Feb 12, 2009; ... Byline: Jeffrey M. Jones Synopsis: While no more than 41% of Americans favor a criminal investigation into controversial Bush administration anti-terrorism actions and U.S. attorney dismissals, at least 6 in 10 appear to support having the matters investigated in some fashion. ...
Inauguration Bounce in Consumer Confidence Disappears; Consumers' economic assessments and future expectations turning more negative.(Survey)
Feb 12, 2009; ... Byline: Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist Synopsis: Gallup's Index of Consumer Confidence worsened by 9 points in early February, as consumer ratings of the current economy fell 4 points and consumer expectations for the economy's future direction fell 5 points -- wiping out ...
In U.S., Health Habits Improving, But Uphill Climb Remains; Younger, lowest-income, and single Americans the least healthy.(Survey)
Feb 12, 2009; ... Byline: Elizabeth Mendes Synopsis: The Healthy Behavior Index, a sub-index of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, increased in January, but, at 61.2, remains lower than it was in January 2008. Younger, lowest-income, and single Americans are currently least likely to report ...
Majority of Americans Support Direct Diplomacy With Iran; Despite continuing to be highly unfavorable toward the country overall.(Survey)
Feb 13, 2009; ... Byline: Lymari Morales Synopsis: A majority of Americans (56%) think the United States should engage in direct diplomacy with Iran, though 8 in 10 continue to view the country unfavorably overall. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans appear to support the Obama ...
Americans' Reported Spending Down 40% From Last Year; Three-quarters say they are cutting back.(Survey)
Feb 13, 2009; ... Byline: Lydia Saad Synopsis: Americans' self-reported spending in store, restaurant, gas, or online purchases is down sharply compared to a year ago. Their $61-per-day average spending in the two-week period ending Feb. 11 is down 40% from the $102 in average spending for the ...
Editorial Note: No Gallup Daily Results Today.(Public notice)
Feb 14, 2009 ... Synopsis: A heavy snowstorm shut down Gallup interviewing centers in Omaha and Lincoln, Neb., Friday night; as a result Gallup will not be publishing new Gallup Poll Daily tracking results Saturday, Feb. 14. The next update will be Sunday, Feb. 15. ...
Americans Advocate Reduced Services to Help Postal Service; Preferred to higher stamp prices or government assistance.(Survey)
Feb 16, 2009; ... Byline: Jeffrey M. Jones Synopsis: Most Americans say they would favor cutbacks in postal services (57%) as opposed to government assistance or higher stamp prices in order to get the U.S. Postal Service on better financial footing. PRINCETON, NJ -- When given a ...
U.S. Surpasses China in Forecast for Economic Powerhouse; Economic confidence in United States surges among Democrats.(Survey)
Feb 16, 2009; ... Byline: Lydia Saad Synopsis: Only 37% of Americans believe the United States is the world's leading economic power, but this is up from 33% a year ago and erases China's former lead on this measure. The United States leads China 45% to 34% as the nation Americans say will be the ...
Congress' Approval Rating Jumps to 31%; More positive ratings from Democrats largely responsible for increase.(Survey)
Feb 17, 2009; ... Byline: Jeffrey M. Jones Synopsis: Though Americans continue to give Congress fairly low job approval ratings, the current 31% who approve of Congress is up sharply from last month and is the highest Gallup has measured in nearly two years. PRINCETON, NJ -- Gallup's ...
A Ray of Hope for Jobless Claims; Gallup's Net Hiring Index improved slightly during the week ending Feb. 14.(Survey)
Feb 17, 2009; ... Byline: Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist Synopsis: Gallup's hiring measure improved slightly during the week ending Feb. 14, suggesting that this Thursday's weekly jobless claims figure will decline from the 623,000 the government reported last week -- a modest ray of hope in a ...
Obama Signs Stimulus Into Law With Majority Support; Support for bill among American public is highly partisan.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 17, 2009; ... Byline: Frank Newport Synopsis: A majority of Americans supported President Obama as he signed the massive $787 billion economic stimulus bill into law today, but that support is far from universal, particularly among Republicans. The bill's focus -- the economy -- is ...
No Perceived Gains in U.S. World Standing Post-Bush; Just 32% are satisfied with the United States' position in the world.(George W. Bush)(Survey)
Feb 18, 2009; ... Byline: Jeffrey M. Jones Synopsis: As Barack Obama embarks on his first international trip, Gallup's annual World Affairs poll finds little improvement from last year in the percentage of Americans who are satisfied with the United States' position in the world (32%) or who ...
Americans More Negative Than Positive About Foreign Trade; Have held more negative views since 2005.(Survey)
Feb 18, 2009; ... Byline: Jeffrey M. Jones Synopsis: Among the goals for President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as they travel to Canada and Asia this week is to broaden U.S. trade. Americans take a slightly more negative (47%) than positive (44%) view of foreign trade, ...
Opinion Briefing: Mexico's War on Drug Traffickers; More Mexicans perceive gangs, drug trafficking in their neighborhoods.(Survey)
Feb 18, 2009; ... Byline: Jesus Rios and Julie Ray Synopsis: Gallup Polls underscore the precarious situation Mexico is facing regarding its stability and rule of law. In 2008, more Mexicans than in 2007 said gangs and drug trafficking are present in their areas, and more than 4 in 10 residents ...
Canada Remains Americans' Most Favored Nation; Great Britain nearly ties Canada for top spot.(Survey)
Feb 19, 2009; ... Byline: Lydia Saad Synopsis: Canada is President Barack Obama's first foreign destination since he took office, and it also happens to be the country Americans view most favorably. Canada's 90% favorable rating is nearly matched by Great Britain's 89%. Ratings of Russia and ...
Americans See Afghanistan War as Still Worth Fighting; Though many would like faster withdrawal of troops than is likely.(Survey)
Feb 19, 2009; ... Byline: Lymari Morales Synopsis: Before President Barack Obama's decision this week to send additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan, a majority of Americans (52%) perceived the situation there to be going very or moderately badly; 70% thought the Taliban would retake control if ...
Despite Stimulus Bill, No Sign of Uptick in Consumer Mood; Attitudes remain as negative now as they were in early February.(Survey)
Feb 20, 2009; ... Byline: Frank Newport Synopsis: There is no sign yet that the new $787 billion stimulus law has made any change in the way Americans view the U.S. economy. Attitudes remain extremely negative, with 79% saying the economy is getting worse, and 62% rating the economy as poor. ...
Job-Market Pessimism Reaches New High; Ninety percent say now is a bad time to find a quality job.(Survey)
Feb 20, 2009; ... Byline: Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist Synopsis: Job-market pessimism reached a new high in February, as the percentage of Americans saying now is a bad time to find a quality job hit 90%, and the percentage saying unemployment is the nation's most important problem doubled. ...
Chinese Buck Trend of Economic Negativity; More economic pessimism in Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan.(Survey)
Feb 20, 2009; ... Byline: Cynthia English Synopsis: As U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits China on the last leg of her Asia trip, Gallup reveals that the Chinese are more optimistic about their economy than the other three nations she visited. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S ....
U.S. Investor Optimism Hits New Low; In addition to Wall Street, average investor confidence plunged last week.(Survey)
Feb 23, 2009; ... Byline: Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist Synopsis: It was not only Wall Street but also average investor confidence that plunged last week, as the Gallup Index of Investor Optimism, conducted Feb. 17-19, fell 24 points to -64 -- a new low for the Index since its inception in ...
Strong Bipartisan Support for Obama's Move on Afghanistan; Republicans more likely than Democrats to support sending in more troops.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 23, 2009; ... Byline: Frank Newport Synopsis: A strong majority (65%) of Americans support President Obama's decision to send 17,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, including 75% support from Republicans, marking a relatively rare instance in which a president receives more support for a ...
Americans Tell Obama What They Want to Hear in Speech; Economy is dominant issue, with jobs the top specific economic concern.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 24, 2009; ... Byline: Lydia Saad Synopsis: Most Americans -- 74% -- name some aspect of the economy as the primary issue they want President Obama to talk about in his remarks to Congress Tuesday night. "Jobs" (18%) is the top specific economic issue they'll be listening for. The U.S. wars in ...
Views on Government Aid Depend on the Program; Majorities support foreclosure aid, oppose bank and auto bailouts.(Survey)
Feb 24, 2009; ... Byline: Frank Newport Synopsis: Americans are solidly in favor of government aid to homeowners facing foreclosure, and solidly against further government aid to auto companies and banks. More generally, a majority of Americans support the broad, $787 billion stimulus plan ...
Obama Job Approval Dips Below 60% for First Time; Fifty-nine percent now approve as more express no opinion on his performance.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 24, 2009; ... Byline: Jeffrey M. Jones Synopsis: For the first time since Gallup began tracking Barack Obama's presidential job approval rating on Jan. 21, fewer than 60% of Americans approve of the job he is doing as president. PRINCETON, NJ -- For the first time since Gallup ...
Americans' Views on Bank Takeovers Appear Fluid; Support varies significantly, depending on how the process is worded.(Survey)
Feb 24, 2009; ... Byline: Frank Newport Synopsis: Americans' reactions to the idea of the government taking ownership of failing U.S. banks vary significantly, depending on how the process is described; 54% favor a temporary government "takeover" of these banks, but just 37% favor a temporary ...
Americans Endorse Obama's Approach, but Wary of Debt; Give green light to stimulus package, but indicate spending can go too far.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 25, 2009; ... Byline: Lydia Saad Synopsis: Six in 10 Americans say President Obama is moving at about the right speed in addressing the nation's problems, and 54% seem comfortable with the level of spending contained in the economic stimulus package. But 54% also say the amount being added to ...
Americans on Housing Aid: Unfair but Necessary; Fifty-one percent say helping homeowners pay their mortgages is "unfair".(Survey)
Feb 25, 2009; ... Byline: Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist Synopsis: While 51% of Americans feel government aid to help distressed homeowners make their mortgage payments is "unfair," 59% feel it is necessary, and 60% believe it will make the housing market at least a little better. ...
Many Canadians Satisfied With Environmental Efforts; Fifty-four percent are satisfied, 45% are dissatisfied.(Survey)
Feb 25, 2009; ... Byline: Aaron Rice Synopsis: The United States and Canada's agreement to begin a clean-energy dialogue comes in an atmosphere in which 54% of Canadians last year were satisfied with the current efforts to protect the environment. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. President ...
Obama Speech Bolsters Confidence for Many Americans; Of those who watched, 57% are now more confident about his plans to fix the economy.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 26, 2009; ... Byline: Lymari Morales Synopsis: Four in 10 Americans (41%) say they are more confident in President Barack Obama's plans to improve the economy following his Tuesday night address to Congress. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Barack Obama's address to Congress Tuesday ...
Americans Reject Sequel to Auto Bailout; More than 7 in 10 say Congress should not approve more loans.(Survey)
Feb 26, 2009; ... Byline: Lydia Saad Synopsis: Nearly three-quarters of Americans, 72%, say Congress should not authorize the $21 billion in federal loans -- over and above the $17 billion in loans last year -- that General Motors and Chrysler want to keep them running. PRINCETON, NJ ...
Obama Approval Rating Increases to 67%; Had dropped to 59% prior to his Tuesday congressional address.(Barack Obama)(Survey)
Feb 27, 2009; ... Byline: Jeffrey M. Jones Synopsis: After dipping to 59% immediately before the president addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, Barack Obama's approval rating has rebounded and now stands at 67%, just two points below his high. PRINCETON, NJ -- In ...
Worry About Money Peaks With Forty-Somethings; Drops off significantly for older Americans.(Survey)
Feb 27, 2009; ... Byline: Frank Newport Synopsis: Older Americans are much less likely than younger Americans to say they worried about money "yesterday." Worry peaks among Americans in their 40s and drops sharply in succeeding age groups, regardless of work status, income, or gender. ...
Opinion Briefing: Making Progress in Afghanistan; Afghans name failing economy as the most important problem.(Survey)
Feb 27, 2009; ... Byline: Nicole Naurath Synopsis: As the United States prepares to send additional forces to Afghanistan, Gallup Polls reveal that 41% of Afghans see the nation's economy as the most pressing problem they face, compared with 12% who say security. Issue at Hand: The ...