Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
With balloting little more than a month away, the 2010 congressional elections again topped the media agenda as a good chunk of that narrative focused on the power and potential of the tea party. And one factor that will clearly influence the outcome on election night, the state of the U.S. economy, was the No. 2 topic.
Most Americans are optimistic about their own lives and the future of the United States over the next 40 years. But there are clouds on the horizon. Most expect the average family’s standard of living will not improve by 2050 and there is a widespread belief that economic inequality will increase. More than six-in-ten (64%) […]
Barack Obama’s overall job rating has changed very little over the first six months of 2010, with just under half (48%) of the public now saying they approve of his performance in office; 43% disapprove. This is virtually unchanged from his 49% to 42% margin in January. While disapproval rose noticeably over the course of […]
Obama’s replacement of General McChrystal as the head of NATO forces in Afghanistan generated voluminous political analysis last week. Coverage of the war approached a level not seen since late last year. Meanwhile, the Gulf oil spill continued to attract headlines, as did Wall Street reform.
U.S. President Barack Obama remains popular across much of the world. Majorities or pluralities in 16 of 22 countries surveyed express at least some confidence in the American president to do the right thing regarding world affairs. In five of six predominantly Muslim countries, however, more than half lack confidence in Obama; only in Indonesia […]
America’s image is on balance positive in most of the nations surveyed, and overall there has been little change since last year. Looking at the 20 countries surveyed for which 2009 trends are available, positive views of the United States have become more common in six nations, less common in six, and have remained about […]