For Public, Tough Year Ends on a Down Note
Six-in-ten say the country is losing ground on the federal budget deficit, the cost of living, Social Security and the availability of good-paying jobs.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Read our research on:
Politics
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Tax Cut Deal Captures Public and Media Attention
Interest in WikiLeaks Down
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Tax Cuts Win Broad Bipartisan Support
Overview The agreement between President Obama and congressional Republicans to extend tax cuts and unemployment benefits is getting strong bipartisan support. Overall, 60% approve of the agreement while just 22% disapprove. There are virtually no partisan differences in opinions about the agreement – 63% of Democrats approve of it, as do 62% of Republicans and […]
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Deficit Solutions Meet With Public Skepticism
Overview In many respects, there is a broad public consensus when it comes to the federal budget deficit: seven-in-ten say it is a major problem that must be addressed right away, and roughly two-thirds say that the best way to reduce the deficit is through a combination of cutting major government programs and increasing taxes. […]
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About the Surveys
Most of the analysis in this report is based on telephone interviews conducted December 1-5, 2010 among a national sample of 1,500 adults 18 years of age or older living in the continental United States (1,000 respondents were interviewed on a landline telephone, and 500 were interviewed on a cell phone, including 201 who had […]
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Deficit Solutions Meet With Public Skepticism
Seven-in-ten say the deficit is a major problem that must be addressed right away, but this general consensus evaporates when concrete deficit reduction proposals are tested.
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Most Say WikiLeaks Release Harms Public Interest
Mixed Reactions to Media Coverage
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Mixed Views on Tax Cuts, Support for START and Allowing Gays to Serve Openly
Overview With the public giving subpar approval ratings to President Obama and continuing to express negative views of Congress and the political parties, it goes its own way on many of the remaining issues before the lame-duck Congress. In a survey conducted before Obama and GOP leaders agreed to temporarily extend all Bush-era tax cuts, […]
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Despite Years of Terror Scares, Public’s Concerns Remain Fairly Steady
Overview Since 9/11, there have been major terrorist attacks in Great Britain, Spain and other countries. And in the United States, there have been Orange Alerts and numerous near misses involving bombs smuggled aboard aircraft and in parked cars. But over the course of all of this, there is little evidence that close calls in […]