GOP Party Identification Slips Nationwide and in Pennsylvania
The Republican Party has continued to lose adherents in 2009. In combined surveys since the start of the year, fewer than a quarter (23%) of Americans identify as Republicans. In total, the GOP has lost roughly a quarter of its base over the past five years. But these losses have not translated into substantial Democratic gains.
Partisan Gap in Obama Job Approval Widest in Modern Era
For all of his hopes about bipartisanship, Barack Obama has the most polarized early job approval ratings of any president in the past four decades.
No Decline in Belief That Obama is a Muslim
More than two months into Barack Obama’s presidency, as many people incorrectly identify him as a Muslim as did so during the 2008 campaign with white evangelicals and Republicans most likely to misidentify his religious affiliation.
Obama Unlikely to Find a Quick Fix for U.S. Global Image
As the president travels through Europe this week, issues arising from the global economic crisis and other world problems on his agenda seem likely to resonate with key criticisms of America’s leadership carried over from the Bush years.
Unusually Wide Gap in ‘Satisfaction,’ ‘Right Direction’ Measures
Americans’ perception about the state and direction of the nation usually go hand-in-hand. However, big events, like last fall’s election, can split these two indicators of the public’s national outlook.
One-In-Five Homeowners Feels “Underwater” On Mortgages
Those who say their homes are worth less than what they owe on their mortgages are generally younger, less affluent and more likely to be Hispanic or African American than are those who feel they would at least break even if they had to sell today.
On Darwin’s 200th Birthday, Americans Still Divided About Evolution
Opinion polls over the past two decades have found the American public deeply divided — and confused — in its beliefs about the origins and development of life on earth.
Ideological Gaps Over Israel on Both Sides of Atlantic
The American public has long expressed strong support for Israel. In contrast, polls in Western Europe have frequently found more support for the Palestinians. But while they generally take different sides in the conflict, political ideology matters in both America and Europe.
Dems’ Favorability Advantage Widens
The current Democratic favorability advantage is the largest measured in nearly two decades. Even among white evangelical Protestants, loyal supporters of the Republican Party, opinions about the two parties are about even.
Who Expects To Gain — And Lose — Under Obama
More Americans say that people like themselves will gain influence under the Obama administration than was the case for the last two incoming presidents. Many who did not vote for Obama say this as well — including pluralities of all whites and white evangelical Christians.
