A Third of Public Says It’s Sometimes OK for Homeowners to Stop Making Mortgage Payments
More than a third (36%) of Americans say the practice of “walking away” from a home mortgage is acceptable, at least under certain circumstances.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Mixed Reactions to Media Coverage
The public’s views of the Republican Party are little changed from September, before the party’s gains in the midterm election. Currently, 41% have a favorable opinion of the GOP while 52% have an unfavorable opinion. In September, 43% had a favorable view of the Republican Party and 49% had an unfavorable view. Views of the […]
Overview As the Pentagon prepares to release its highly anticipated survey of military personnel about the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, most Americans (58%) say they favor allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the armed forces. Fewer than half that number (27%) oppose allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly. These opinions have changed little […]
Overview Two years ahead of the next presidential election, the public is divided over whether Barack Obama should run for a second term as president. About half (47%) say they would like to see Obama run again in 2012, while 42% say they would not. This is better than the outlook for Ronald Reagan in […]
Overview The public overwhelmingly views the job situation as a major priority for Congress during the coming months. Fully 80% say it is very important for Congress to pass legislation to address the job situation, which is virtually unchanged from May (81%). Somewhat fewer (70%) say it is very important for Congress to reduce the […]
The public continues to take a dour view of the nation’s economy. Nearly nine-in-ten (89%) describe economic conditions in this country today as poor (45%) or only fair (44%). Just 9% say conditions are excellent (1%) or good (8%). The percentage saying the economy is excellent or good has remained virtually unchanged since Obama took […]
In the wake of the election, Republicans are taking a more positive view of the job their party is doing in advocating its traditional positions. Currently, 40% of Republicans and Republican leaners say the GOP is doing an excellent or good job standing up for its traditional positions on issues like reducing the size of […]
On Twitter, meanwhile, this new medium’s election role was clearly defined and considerably different than the other media platforms studied. The social media tool has consistently displayed its organizing and galvanizing capacity in its response to a number of major events—from marshalling support for the Iranian protesters in 2009 to aiding relief efforts after the […]