Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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Politics

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    Support for Free Trade Recovers Despite Recession

    Overview Despite the economic recession, public support for free trade agreements has recovered after declining a year ago. Currently, 44% say that free trade agreements like NAFTA and the policies of the World Trade Organization are good for the country, up from 35% a year ago. Slightly more than a third (35%) say that such […]

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    Obama at 100 Days: Strong Job Approval, Even Higher Personal Ratings

    Overview As he approaches the 100-day mark of his presidency, Barack Obama’s job approval ratings are higher than those of his most recent predecessors. However, the 44th president is even more distinguished by his strong personal popularity. Fully 73% of Americans – including as many as 46% of Republicans – hold a favorable view of […]

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    Public Remains Divided Over Use of Torture

    Overview Amid intense debate over the use of torture against suspected terrorists, public opinion about this issue remains fairly stable. Currently, nearly half say the use of torture under such circumstances is often (15%) or sometimes (34%) justified; about the same proportion believes that the torture of suspected terrorists is rarely (22%) or never (25%) […]

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    Fox News Stands Out as “Too Critical” of Obama

    Summary of Findings When Americans are asked to assess television news coverage of Barack Obama, Fox News Channel stands out from other networks for being too critical of the president. Nearly three-in-ten (29%) select Fox when asked which of six broadcast and cable news networks have been too critical of the new Democratic president, a […]

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    Will Obama Ride Reagan’s Ratings Roller Coaster?

    A close look at reactions to Reagan’s first few months in office provides striking parallels with what polls now find about opinions of Obama. And a consideration of the Reagan experience may well give some clues as to what lies ahead for the 44th president.

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    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.

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    Most Now Say News Paints Mixed Economic Picture

    Summary of Findings The proportion of Americans saying they are hearing a mix of good and bad news about the economy – rather than mostly bad news – continues to steadily increase. Currently, 56% say they are hearing a mix of good and bad economic news, up from 46% in March and just 19% last […]

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    Partisan Bickering Is Back, Says Public

    Overview Shortly before President Obama took office in January, the public was uncharacteristically optimistic that Republicans and Democrats would work together more to solve problems in the year ahead. Less than three months later, those expectations have faded and most see a return to partisan politics in Washington. A majority (53%) currently says that Republicans […]

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    Obama’s Trip Closely Followed

    Summary of Findings Americans tracked President Obama’s first European trip more closely than other major news stories last week and much more closely than George W. Bush’s first year international summit travels in 2001. A quarter say they followed Obama’s trip and meetings with foreign leaders very closely, while 35% say they followed the trip […]