Too Much Coverage: Birth Certificate, Royal Wedding
Majorities of Americans say news organizations focused too much last week on both the royal wedding in England and the release of the long-form version of Barack Obama’s birth certificate.
More Optimism about Afghanistan, But No Boost in Support for Troop Presence
The killing of Osama bin Laden has bolstered confidence that the government can prevent a possible terrorist attack, and that the U.S. will achieve its goals in Afghanistan. But an overnight Pew Research/Washington Post poll finds the public remains divided about keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Public “Relieved” By bin Laden’s Death, Obama’s Job Approval Rises
Relief and pride are the prevailing emotional responses to Sunday’s dramatic events. Obama’s approval rating has jumped, and he gets far more credit from the public than does George W. Bush for bin Laden’s killing. Still, the military and CIA receive most of the credit.
Modest American Interest in Royal Wedding
The economy and deadly storms far outpaced U.S. interest in the coming nuptials in Great Britain and nearly two-thirds call wedding coverage excessive.
Deficit: More Concern, Less Optimism
The public increasingly views the federal budget deficit as a major problem the country must address now, but is becoming less optimistic progress will be made on the issue.
Trump Has Highest Profile Among Possible GOP Contenders
Among Republicans, 39% name Trump as the most visible presidential candidate — more than all other possible GOP candidates combined. A majority of Americans, however, could not name anyone when asked which GOP candidate they have been hearing the most about.
The Deficit Debate: Where the Public Stands
In a number of surveys over the past several months, the Pew Research Center has shown where the public stands on the budget deficit — the seriousness of the problem, views of competing policy proposals, and its confidence in the policymakers.
Public Tracks Both Japan and Shutdown Fight
The public divided its attention last week between the threat of a government shutdown (a story with much media attention) and the ongoing crisis in Japan (a story with just one-fourth of the news coverage of the shutdown).
Budget Negotiations in a Word
The public has an overwhelmingly negative reaction to the budget negotiations that narrowly avoided a government shutdown. A weekend survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Washington Post finds that “ridiculous” is the word used most frequently to describe the budget negotiations.
Tea Party: Better Known, Less Popular
As the Tea Party has evolved from a grassroots movement into a major force on Capitol Hill, public views of the movement have grown more negative. Slightly more disagree than agree with the Tea Party — a reversal in public evaluations from a year ago.
