Politics

reportAug 19, 2009

Would Americans Welcome Medicare if it Were Being Proposed in 2009?
reportAug 19, 2009

More See White House and GOP Leaders at Odds

Overview Americans are in an increasingly sour mood about Washington. Barack Obama’s approval ratings continue to inch downward and a growing proportion of Americans (63%) think that the president and Republican leaders are not working together to deal with important issues facing the nation; in June, 50% said the two sides were not cooperating. While […]
reportAug 19, 2009

Would Americans Welcome Medicare if it Were Being Proposed in 2009?

Much of the opposition to health care reform today is being fueled by anti-government sentiment that did not exist during the mid-1960’s.
reportAug 12, 2009

News About Economy Seen as Less Dire, More Hopeful

Summary of Findings News about the economy and the debate over health care reform continue to dominate public attention. A growing proportion of Americans say they are hearing mostly good news about the economy, while the percentage saying the news is mostly bad has fallen since July. On health care, protests at contentious town hall […]
reportAug 11, 2009

Budget Woes Take Toll on Views of State Governments

Overview With the economy wreaking havoc on state budgets, the favorability ratings of state governments have declined from a year ago. Overall, 50% of the public now holds a favorable opinion of their state government, down from 59% in April 2008. The falloff in positive views has been greater in states with large and moderate […]
reportAug 7, 2009

Public Supports Targeting Al Qaeda Leaders, Wants Congress in the Loop

Americans generally support allowing the Central Intelligence Agency to assassinate al Qaeda leaders, but opinions are more mixed about whether the CIA should have such a program without first informing Congress.
reportAug 6, 2009

The Republican Party’s Dilemma
reportAug 6, 2009

Many Fault Media Coverage of Health Care Debate

Summary of Findings As the fight in Washington over health care reform continues to dominate public attention and media coverage, most Americans are critical of the way news organizations are explaining key elements of the debate. News about proposed health care legislation was the most closely followed story of last week, just as it had […]
reportAug 6, 2009

The Republican Party’s Dilemma

The Sotomayor vote represents the dilemma the GOP faces coming out of its 2008 and 2006 election defeats: how to keep its base happy on the one hand and broaden its appeal to women, Latinos and young people, on the other.
reportJul 30, 2009

Obama’s Ratings Slide Across the Board

Overview Barack Obama’s approval ratings have suffered major declines. The president’s overall job approval number fell from 61% in mid-June to 54% currently. His approval ratings for handling the economy and the federal budget deficit have also fallen sharply, tumbling to 38% and 32%, respectively. Majorities now say they disapprove of the way the president […]