State Of The Nation

Americans are increasingly pessimistic about the state of the country. Only 24% think the country is headed in the right direction while 68% think it is off on the wrong track.(average of surveys below). In mid-January only 61% of those surveyed thought the country was on the wrong track.

Similarly in those polls that ask a satisfied/dissatisfied question the average number of those who are dissatisfied has also grown to 68% and the number who claim to be satisfied has fallen to 29%.



57% describe the nation's economy as not so good or poor. [Wash Post/ABC 4/07]

36% of Americans would allow illegal immigrants to remain in this country and become citizens if they meet certain requirements. An additional 42% would require that illegal immigrants leave the United States, but then let them return if they meet certain requirements. [Gallup 4/07]

61% of the public is dissatisfied with the position of the United States in the world today. 54% think this country rates unfavorably in the eyes of the world. [Gallup 2/07]

Americans split 49% to 47%, with the plurality believing that the government should redistribute wealth by heavy taxes on the rich. Further, 66% believe that upper income people are paying too little in the way of taxes. [Gallup 4/07]

49% believe that this is a good time to find a quality job. 4 years ago 76% held that view. And half of Americans know someone who has been laid off or lost a job in the last 6 months. [Gallup 4/07]

58% say that current economic conditions are only fair or poor. [Gallup 4/07]

While 57% believe that the war in Iraq was a mistake, 64% of those over 50 years of age have that view. And, of those over 70, 70% think it was a mistake. [Gallup 2007 to May]

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Overall, 58% of Americans think that race relations in this country are at least fairly good. This is up from 1995, when only 34% held this view, but down from 2005, when 63% took that position.

However, the view of African-Americans is quite different. Only 40% think relations are at least fairly good. That is up from 1995, when the number was 31%, but down from 2005, when 48% had the more positive view.

Hispanics, with 55% believing that relations are at least fairly good, are closer in their assessment to the public at large, and they rate race relations about the same as they did in 2005.

Among African-Americans, 76% believe we devote too little attention to race relations in this country, with 16% believing that we give it too much attention. Among whites, 49% think the subject gets too much attention, and 32% say not enough. A plurality of Hispanics, 47%, think we give this matter too little attention. [NBC/WSJ 4/07]

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In 2000, 69% of employers offered health insurance to their employees. In 2006 that number was 61%. [Money Magazine 6/07]

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82% believe the price of gasoline will go up in the next few months. [CBS/NYTimes 4/07]

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How particular countries rate, as friends or foes, was a question put to Americans by a Quinnipiac University survey taken during the last week of April. Respondents were asked to rate countries from 1 to 100. The higher the number the more friendly the country is seen to be.

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66% of Americans think the United Nations is doing a poor job of solving the problems it has had to face. This is the largest number holding this view since Gallup began asking this question in 1953.

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In late April the Gallup survey gave its respondents an opportunity to name the “top priority for the President and Congress" (open-ended, multiple responses were accepted):

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Abortion does not come up as an important issue when Americans are given an opportunity to offer up their most important issues. But it is one of those issues on which folks have very determined positions when the issue is raised. The Supreme Court has ruled that partial birth abortions may be barred. 66% of Americans agree with that proposition. 55% believe that the question of abortion should be left to a woman and her doctor; yet only 45% identify themselves as being pro-choice. [CNN/ORC 5/07;NBC/WSJ 4/07;CNN/ORC 5/07]

Another issue that does not show up on volunteered issue lists in any appreciable numbers, but on which strong opinions are beginning to form, is global warming/climate change. Yet a March, 2007 Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner survey for The Center for American Progress found:

• 76% believe the effects of global warming are apparent now.


• 61% believe global warming is caused more by human actions than by naturally occurring forces.


• 69% think the country's energy policy is off on the wrong track.


• 79% have the view that shifting to new, alternative energy production will help American security and create jobs.

And, at least anecdotally, there is a partisan split on the relative importance of the issue. In the March 3rd National Journal Insiders Poll, the "Insiders" were asked to name the issue other than Iraq that is likely to get more attention in the 2008 election than most people expect. Democrats named global warming second in their list of six, after health care. Republicans did not name it in their top six.

As much as anything else, the above responses may reflect the emphasis that the two Parties are likely to place on the issue in the coming election.

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