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Federal Budget, Taxes, Economic Policy See also: Business news (banks, housing, Detroit...) | Economic Outlook

CBS News Poll. Nov. 13-16, 2009. N=1,167 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"From what you know so far, which comes closest to your own view? The economic stimulus package has already created a substantial number of new jobs in the U.S. OR, It will create a substantial number of new jobs but hasn't done that yet. OR, It will not create a substantial number of new jobs."

		It Has Created Jobs	It Will Create Jobs	It Will Not Create Jobs	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	11/13-16/09	7	46	42	5
	9/19-23/09	7	52	38	3
	7/24-28/09	4	53	41	2

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Oct. 22-25, 2009. N=1,009 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1 (for all adults).

"Do you generally approve or disapprove of the job that Barack Obama is doing in handling the economy?" Half sample (Form A), MoE ą 4.4

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/22-25/09	47	46	7
	9/17-20/09	50	42	8
	7/24-27/09	49	44	7
	6/12-15/09	51	38	11
	4/23-26/09	55	37	8
	2/26 - 3/1/09	56	31	13

"When you think about the current economic conditions, do you feel that this is a situation that Barack Obama has inherited or is this a situation his policies are mostly responsible for?"

		Obama Inherited	Obama Responsible	Some of Both (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/22-25/09	63	20	15	2
	6/12-15/09	72	14	10	4
	2/26 - 3/1/09	84	8	6	2

"Over the past nine months, the government has taken a series of measures that were intended to help improve economic conditions. Do you think the government has done about the right amount, has done too much, or has not done enough?" Half sample (Form B), MoE ą 4.4

		Right Amount	Too Much	Not Enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/22-25/09	27	30	36	7

"Which of the following two statements comes closer to your point of view? Statement A: The President and the Congress should worry more about boosting the economy even though it may mean larger budget deficits now and in the future. Statement B: The President and the Congress should worry more about keeping the budget deficit down, even though it may mean it will take longer for the economy to recover." Half sample (Form A), MoE ą 4.4

		Boosting Economy	Keeping Deficit Down	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/22-25/09	31	62	3	4
	9/17-20/09	30	62	4	4
	6/12-15/09	35	58	2	5

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Oct. 16-18, 2009. N=1,038 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Do you think Barack Obama's policies have made the economy better, or don't you think so?"

		Have Made Better	Don't Think So	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/16-18/09	43	56	2
	7/31 - 8/3/09	44	51	5

	"Do you think Barack Obama's policies have made the economy better, or don't you think so?" If "Don't think so": "Do you think Barack Obama's policies will eventually make the economy better, or don't you think so?"

	Combined Responses	Have Made Better	Will Make Better	Don't Think So	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/16-18/09	43	13	42	3
	7/31 - 8/3/09	44	11	40	5

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Oct. 15-18, 2009. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5 (for all adults).

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling [see below]?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	"The economy"
	10/15-18/09	50	48	1
	9/10-12/09	51	46	2
	8/13-17/09	52	46	2
	7/15-18/09	52	46	3
	6/18-21/09	56	41	3
	4/21-24/09	58	38	4
	3/26-29/09	60	38	3
	2/19-22/09	60	34	6

	"The federal budget deficit" Half sample (Form B)
	10/15-18/09	45	51	4
	9/10-12/09	39	55	6
	8/13-17/09	41	53	5
	7/15-18/09	43	49	8
	6/18-21/09	48	48	5
	4/21-24/09	51	43	7
	3/26-29/09	52	43	5

"Do you think Obama's economic program is making the economy better, making it worse, or having no real effect?"

		Better	Worse	No Effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/15-18/09	41	22	35	2
	8/13-17/09	43	23	32	2

"Which of these do you think is more important right now: increasing federal spending to try to improve the economy, even if it sharply increases the federal budget deficit; or avoiding a big increase in the federal budget deficit, even if it means not increasing federal spending to try to improve the economy?" Options rotated

		Increase Spending	Avoid Big Deficit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/15-18/09	38	57	5
	7/15-18/09	40	55	5
	3/26-29/09	49	47	5
	1/13-16/09	51	44	4

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Sept. 19-23, 2009. N=1,042 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Regardless of how you usually vote, who do you think is more likely to make the right decisions about the nation's economy: Barack Obama or the Republicans in Congress?"

		Barack Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	53	27	1	9	10
	7/24-28/09	56	25	3	9	7
	4/1-5/09	63	20	2	8	7

"So far, do you think the federal government's stimulus package has made the economy better, made the economy worse, or has it had no impact on the economy so far?"

		Better	Worse	No Impact	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	36	13	46	5
	7/24-28/09	25	13	57	5
	7/9-12/09	21	15	60	4

"In the long run, do you think the federal government's stimulus package will make the economy better, will make the economy worse, or will it have no impact on the economy in the long run?"

		Better	Worse	No Impact	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	47	21	24	8
	7/24-28/09	44	22	28	6
	7/9-12/09	42	21	29	8

"As you may know, one of Barack Obama's campaign promises last year was that he would not raise taxes on households earning less than $250,000 a year. Do you think he will be able to keep that campaign promise, or not?"

		Will	Will Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	35	56	9

Bloomberg Poll conducted by Selzer & Co. Sept. 10-14, 2009. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.

"For each of the following, please tell me if you are mostly optimistic or mostly pessimistic. . . ."

		Mostly Optimistic	Mostly Pessimistic	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"The U.S. government's economic plan"
	9/10-14/09	46	48	6

	"The ability of the government to help the economy recover and grow"
	9/10-14/09	54	44	2

	"The ability of the government's stimulus program to create jobs"
	9/10-14/09	49	48	3

"[Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as president?] ... Do you approve or disapprove of the job he is doing with [see below]?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	"The economy"
	9/10-14/09	50	45	5

	"The budget deficit"
	9/10-14/09	38	55	7

"Which president has provided better economic leadership for the U.S.: President Barack Obama, or former president George W. Bush?"

		Obama	Bush	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	55	28	17

"Do you think the economic stimulus passed by Congress earlier this year is helping the economy, is keeping the economy from getting worse, is having no effect, or is hurting the economy?"

		Helping	Keeping from Getting Worse	Having No Effect	Hurting	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	24	23	27	22	4

"How confident are you that Barack Obama's economic team will be able to fix the problems that caused the nation's financial crisis? Are you very confident, fairly confident, just somewhat confident, or not confident?"

		Very Confident	Fairly Confident	Just Somewhat Confident	Not Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	16	22	28	33	1

"Which do you think would do the most good to help the economy: more government spending even if it means a bigger budget deficit, or cutting spending even at the risk of a longer-lasting recession?"

		More Spending	Cutting Spending	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	28	62	10

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 11-13, 2009. N=1,030 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the economy?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	46	51	2
	8/6-9/09	48	49	3
	7/17-19/09	47	49	4
	5/29-31/09	55	42	3
	3/27-29/09	56	39	5
	2/9-12/09	59	30	11

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the federal budget deficit?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	38	58	4
	7/17-19/09	41	55	4
	5/29-31/09	46	48	6
	3/27-29/09	49	44	6

"All in all, would you say that what Barack Obama's economic policies have made the economy better, made it worse, or made no difference?"

		Better	Worse	No Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	43	25	30	1

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Sept. 10-12, 2009. N=1,007 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5 (for all adults).

"Who do you trust to do a better job handling [see below]: Obama or the Republicans in Congress?" Options rotated

		Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"The economy" Half sample (Form A)
	9/10-12/09	48	37	1	12	2
	7/15-18/09	56	33	1	9	2
	6/18-21/09	55	31	2	9	2
	4/21-24/09	61	24	2	11	2
	3/26-29/09	58	25	1	14	2
	2/19-22/09	61	26	1	9	3

	"The federal budget deficit" Half sample (Form B)
	9/10-12/09	50	36	1	12	1
	7/15-18/09	54	35	-	9	2
	6/18-21/09	56	30	2	9	2

"Changing topics: So far, do you think the economic stimulus program has helped the national economy, hurt the national economy, or hasn't made much difference?"

		Helped	Hurt	No Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	32	19	47	2
	6/18-21/09	28	19	52	2
	4/21-24/09	33	16	49	2

"How confident are you that the federal government is putting measures into place that will make another financial crisis less likely in the future? Are you very confident of that, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?" Half sample

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not So Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	10	39	23	27	1

"How confident are you that financial institutions will change their business practices in a way that makes another financial crisis less likely in the future? Are you very confident of that, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?" Half sample

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not So Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	8	33	27	30	2

"How much blame do you think the Bush administration, for inadequate regulation of the financial industry, deserves for the country's economic situation: a great deal, a good amount, only some or hardly any?"

		A Great Deal	A Good Amount	Only Some	Hardly Any	None (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	40	25	23	10	1
	7/15-18/09	42	20	23	11	1
	3/26-29/09	47	23	21	7	1

"How much blame do you think the Obama administration, for not doing enough to turn the economy around, deserves for the country's economic situation: a great deal, a good amount, only some or hardly any?"

		A Great Deal	A Good Amount	Only Some	Hardly Any	None (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	13	15	33	34	4
	7/15-18/09	14	17	28	34	4
	3/26-29/09	13	13	27	39	6

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. Sept. 3-8, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.

"And please tell me if you approve, disapprove or neither approve nor disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling each of the following issues. How about [see below]?" If unsure: "If you had to choose, do you lean more toward approving or disapproving of the way Barack Obama is handling [see below]?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"The economy"
	9/3-8/09	44	52	5	-
	7/16-20/09	50	46	4	-
	4/16-20/09	58	35	6	1

	"Federal budget deficit"
	9/3-8/09	33	56	12	-
	7/16-20/09	39	51	10	-
	4/16-20/09	49	41	8	2

	"Taxes"
	9/3-8/09	38	50	13	-
	7/16-20/09	46	44	11	-
	4/16-20/09	54	35	11	1

	"Unemployment"
	9/3-8/09	40	49	11	-
	7/16-20/09	49	40	10	-
	4/16-20/09	59	29	12	1

"Thinking about the stimulus package that was approved by Congress in February to help improve the economy, do you think that the stimulus package has helped bring about improvements to the economy, did even more damage to the economy than would have happened otherwise, had no real effect on the condition of the economy, or it's too early to tell?"

		Helped	Did More Damage	Had No Real Effect	Too Early To Tell	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/3-8/09	17	21	21	40	1
	7/16-20/09	7	22	24	47	1
	4/16-20/09	10	18	14	57	1

"How confident are you that the stimulus package will work to bring about significant improvements in the U.S. economy: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/3-8/09	10	30	27	32	1
	7/16-20/09	9	33	30	28	-

"How much do you blame each of the following for the recession? How much would you blame [see below] for the current financial crisis: a lot, quite a bit, some, only a little, or none at all?"

		A Lot	Quite a Bit	Some	Only a Little	None at All
		%	%	%	%	%

	"The banks and lenders that made risky loans"
	9/3-8/09	63	16	14	3	4

	"The federal government for failing to regulate banks closely enough"
	9/3-8/09	52	16	17	7	7

	"The people who borrowed money that they could not afford to repay"
	9/3-8/09	48	17	20	9	6

	"President George W. Bush"
	9/3-8/09	40	14	26	11	9

	"President Barack Obama"
	9/3-8/09	13	7	19	14	47

	"President Bill Clinton"
	9/3-8/09	12	7	26	17	37

"How confident are you that the federal government has taken enough steps to ensure that a meltdown of the financial industry could not happen again in this country: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/3-8/09	3	27	38	32	1

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Aug. 28-31, 2009. N=1,010 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling [see below]?" N=502 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	"The economy"
	8/28-31/09	49	51	-
	3/12-15/09	59	40	2

	"Taxes"
	8/28-31/09	45	52	2
	3/12-15/09	62	37	1

	"The federal budget deficit"
	8/28-31/09	36	63	1
	3/12-15/09	52	47	2

"Do you think the Republicans in Congress or the Democrats in Congress would do a better job of dealing with each of the following issues and problems? . . ." N=508 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5

		Republicans	Democrats	No Difference (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	"The economy"
	8/28-31/09	39	52	8	1
	10/20-22/06	41	53	5	2

	"Taxes"
	8/28-31/09	47	47	6	-

	"The federal budget deficit"
	8/28-31/09	46	46	6	2

"Do you generally support or oppose President Obama's overall economic plan?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/28-31/09	52	46	2
	6/26-28/09	58	39	2
	3/12-15/09	65	34	1

"Do you think the Democrats or the Republicans are more responsible for the country's current economic problems?" N=502 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5

		Democrats	Republicans	Both Equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	8/28-31/09	27	41	26	4	1
	7/31 - 8/3/09	23	44	24	7	3
	5/14-17/09	21	53	22	4	1
	1/12-15/09	22	50	20	6	1

"Do you think Barack Obama's policies have improved economic conditions, worsened economic conditions, or had no effect on economic conditions in the country?" N=508 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5

		Improved	Worsened	No Effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	8/28-31/09	39	34	27	1
	5/14-17/09	37	23	40	-

"What is your view of the Cash for Clunkers program, which allowed people to trade in cars with low gas mileage and get about four thousand dollars off the purchase of a new car? Would you describe that program as a success or a failure?"

		Success	Failure	Mixed (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	8/28-31/09	55	40	3	2

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Aug. 13-17, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5 (for all adults).

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling [see below]?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	"Taxes" Half sample
	8/13-17/09	51	40	8
	4/21-24/09	56	38	6

CBS News/New York Times Poll. July 24-28, 2009. N=1,050 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Who do you think is mostly to blame for the current state of the nation's economy: the Bush administration, the Obama administration, Wall Street and financial institutions, Congress, or someone else?" If "someone else": "Who do you think is mostly to blame?"

			7/24-28/09	4/1-5/09
			%	%
	Bush Administration		30	33
	Wall Street, financial institutions		29	21
	Congress		12	11
	Obama Administration		4	2
	Someone else		7	8
	All of the above (vol.)		6	7
	Combination (vol.)		11	14
	Unsure		1	4

"Do you think the federal government's stimulus package has made the economy in your local community better, made the economy in your local community worse, or has it had no impact on the economy in your local community so far?"

		Better	Worse	No Impact	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	19	12	65	4

"In the long run, do you think the federal government's stimulus package will make the economy in your local community better, will make the economy in your local community worse, or will it have no impact on the economy in your local community in the long run?"

		Better	Worse	No Impact	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	44	13	37	6

"Earlier this year, Congress passed a nearly 800 billion dollar stimulus package in order to get the economy back on track. Some people say the stimulus package was not large enough, others say it was too large. In the months ahead, if things continue the way they are now, would you favor or oppose the government spending additional money on another stimulus package?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	27	65	8

"Which comes closer to your own view? The federal government should spend money to stimulate the national economy, even if it means increasing the budget deficit. OR, The federal government should NOT spend money to stimulate the national economy and should instead focus on reducing the budget deficit."

		Stimulate Economy	Reduce Deficit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	35	58	7
	7/9-12/09	33	61	6
	6/12-16/09	41	52	7

"In order to reduce the federal budget deficit, would you be willing or not willing for the government to provide fewer services, in areas such as health care, education and defense spending?"

		Willing	Not Willing	Some Areas, Not Others (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	31	53	11	5

"In order to reduce the federal budget deficit, would you be willing or not willing to pay more in taxes?"

		Willing	Not Willing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	41	56	3

USA Today/Gallup Poll. July 17-19, 2009. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling taxes?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	45	48	7

"Thinking about the economic problems currently facing the United States, how much do you blame George W. Bush for these: a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?" Options rotated

		A Great Deal	A Moderate Amount	Not Much	Not at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	43	37	13	7	1

"Thinking about the economic problems currently facing the United States, how much do you blame Barack Obama for these: a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?" Options rotated

		A Great Deal	A Moderate Amount	Not Much	Not at All
		%	%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	14	18	29	38

"Next, we'd like you to think about Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan passed earlier this year and its effect on the U.S. economy, both in the short term and in the long term. First, up until now, do you think Obama's economic stimulus plan has made the economy better, not had an effect, or made the economy worse?" Options rotated

		Better	No Effect	Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	28	49	21	2

"In the long term, do you think Obama's economic stimulus plan will make the economy better, not have an effect, or make the economy worse?" Options rotated

		Better	No Effect	Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	48	19	31	2

"Next, please think about the effect Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan will have on your family's financial situation in the short term and in the long term. First, up until now, do you think Obama's economic stimulus plan has made your financial situation better, not had an effect, or made your financial situation worse?" Options rotated

		Better	No Effect	Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	14	64	22	1

"In the long term, do you think Obama's economic stimulus plan will make your financial situation better, not have an effect, or make your financial situation worse?" Options rotated

		Better	No Effect	Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	35	28	34	3

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. July 15-18, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5 (for all adults).

"Do you think Obama is placing too much of a priority on the economy, too little, or about the right amount?"

		Too Much	Too Little	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	9	29	58	3

"Do you think Obama is placing too much of a priority on the federal budget deficit, too little, or about the right amount?"

		Too Much	Too Little	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	13	39	44	4

"How confident are you that Obama's economic program will improve the economy: very confident, fairly confident, not very confident or not confident at all?"

		Very Confident	Fairly Confident	Not Very Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	22	34	17	26	1
	3/26-29/09	23	41	18	17	1
	1/13-16/09	23	48	17	11	-

"Would you support or oppose additional federal spending above the 787 billion dollars already set aside to try to stimulate the economy? ... Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?"

		Strongly Support	Somewhat Support	Somewhat Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	18	17	18	43	3

"Would you support or oppose new federal spending of about 800 billion dollars on tax cuts, construction projects, energy, education, and health care to try to stimulate the economy? ... Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?"

		Strongly Support	Somewhat Support	Somewhat Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	43	27	9	17	3

"Which of these statements comes closer to your view? Beneath it all, Obama is an old-style, tax-and-spend Democrat. OR, Obama is a new-style Democrat who will be careful with the public's money." Options rotated

		Old-Style	New-Style	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/15-18/09	43	52	3	2
	6/18-21/09	36	58	4	3
	3/26-29/09	32	62	3	3

Diageo/Hotline Poll conducted by FD. July 9-13, 2009. N=800 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.5 (for all registered voters).

"And, when thinking about the economic stimulus package passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, how confident are you that it will be successful in turning around the economy: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?" N=395 (Form A), MoE ą 4.9

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/9-13/09	8	31	24	35	2
	6/4-7/09	14	38	23	24	2
	4/23-26/09	12	45	15	26	2
	3/26-29/09	14	43	21	20	3

"First, when thinking about the economic stimulus package passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, how confident are you that it will be successful in creating jobs: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?" N=405 (Form B), MoE ą 4.9

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/9-13/09	11	37	22	30	2

"As you may know, there's been some discussion about the potential for another stimulus package that would be designed to provide more economic stimulus to the economy. If there was a proposal for another stimulus package, would you support it or oppose it?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/9-13/09	36	52	12

"And, if you had to choose between a quicker economic recovery with a higher federal deficit, or a slower economic recovery and a lower deficit, which would you prefer?" Options rotated

		Quicker Recovery/ Higher Deficit	Slower Recovery/ Lower Deficit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/9-13/09	23	71	6

CBS News Poll. July 9-12, 2009. N=944 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Would you find it acceptable or not acceptable to raise the deficit in the short term to try to create jobs and stimulate growth?"

		Acceptable	Not Acceptable	Not Necessary (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	63	31	1	5

"In your opinion, does the federal budget deficit affect your own family's financial situation, or not?"

		Does	Does Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	67	31	2

Quinnipiac University Poll. June 23-29, 2009. N=3,063 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 1.8.

"Who do you trust to do a better job handling the economy: President Obama or the Republicans in Congress?"

		President Obama	Republicans in Congress	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/23-29/09	54	32	14
	4/21-27/09	54	27	18
	3/24-30/09	55	27	18
	2/25 - 3/2/09	56	26	18

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey. June 18-21, 2009. Adults nationwide.

"If you were making up the budget for the federal government this year, would you increase spending for [see below], decrease spending for [see below], or keep spending the same for this?"

		Increase	Decrease	Keep the Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"Education" N=505 (Form 1)
	6/18-21/09	67	6	23	4

	"Veterans benefits and services" N=505 (Form 1)
	6/18-21/09	63	2	29	6

	"Health care" N=505 (Form 1)
	6/18-21/09	61	10	24	6

	"Medicare" N=500 (Form 2)
	6/18-21/09	53	6	37	4

	"Combating crime" N=500 (Form 2)
	6/18-21/09	45	10	39	6

	"Government assistance for the unemployed" N=500 (Form 2)
	6/18-21/09	44	15	36	6

	"Environmental protection" N=500 (Form 2)
	6/18-21/09	43	16	34	6

	"Energy" N=505 (Form 1)
	6/18-21/09	41	15	35	9

	"Military defense" N=500 (Form 2)
	6/18-21/09	40	18	37	5

	"Scientific research" N=1,005, MoE ą 3.5
	6/18-21/09	39	14	40	7

	"Agriculture" N=500 (Form 2)
	6/18-21/09	35	12	41	13

	"Anti-terrorism defenses in the U.S." N=505 (Form 1)
	6/18-21/09	35	17	41	7

	"Economic assistance to needy people around the world" N=505 (Form 1)
	6/18-21/09	26	34	33	7

	"The State Department and American embassies" N=500 (Form 2)
	6/18-21/09	9	28	50	12

CBS News/New York Times Poll. June 12-16, 2009. N=895 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"So far, do you think Barack Obama's policies have made the economy better, made the economy worse, or haven't his policies had any effect on the economy yet?"

		Better	Worse	No Effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	32	15	48	5

"As you may know, the budget deficit is the shortfall when the amount of money the government spends is more than the amount of money it takes in. How much have you heard or read about the federal government's current budget deficit: a lot, some, not much, or nothing at all?"

		A Lot	Some	Not Much	Nothing
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	38	36	20	6

"So far, do you think the Obama Administration has developed a clear plan for dealing with the current budget deficit, or hasn't it developed one yet?"

		Has a Plan	Doesn't Have a Plan Yet	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	30	60	10

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). June 12-15, 2009. N=1,008 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1 (for all adults).

"And how confident are you that Barack Obama has the right set of goals and policies to improve the economy: extremely confident, quite confident, only somewhat confident, or not at all confident?"

		Extremely Confident	Quite Confident	Only Somewhat Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	20	26	24	29	1

"Do you think that the recently passed economic stimulus legislation is a good idea or a bad idea? If you do not have an opinion either way, please just say so."

		Good Idea	Bad Idea	Do Not Have Opinion	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	37	39	20	4
	4/23-26/09	38	39	18	5
	2/26 - 3/1/09	44	36	15	5

"Which ONE of the following groups do you feel is most responsible for the federal budget deficit: the Bush administration, the Democrats in Congress, the Republicans in Congress, or the Obama administration?" If more than one: "Well, if you had to choose just ONE, who would you say is MOST responsible?" Half sample (Form B), MoE ą 4.4

		Bush Administration	Democrats in Congress	Republicans in Congress	Obama Administration	All (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	46	21	7	6	20

Marist College Marist Poll. June 1-3, 2009. N=1,028 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Do you approve or disapprove of how President Barack Obama is handling the economy?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/1-3/09	53	41	6
	4/1-3/09	54	37	9

"Do you approve or disapprove of how President Barack Obama is handling the economic crisis?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/1-3/09	53	39	8
	4/21-23/09	55	41	4
	4/1-3/09	57	35	8

"Do you think the current economic conditions are mostly something President Obama inherited or are they mostly a result of his own policies?"

		Inherited	His Own Policies	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/1-3/09	74	18	8
	4/21-23/09	80	14	6
	4/1-3/09	76	13	11

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey. May 21-24, 2009. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.

"All in all, do you think the government is on the right track or the wrong track in the way it is handling economic problems facing the nation?"

		Right Track	Wrong Track	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/21-24/09	53	39	8
	3/27-30/09	50	39	11
	2/20-23/09	47	34	19
	1/16-19/09	31	48	21

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. April 16-20, 2009. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.

"Overall, please tell me whether you approve, disapprove, or neither approve nor disapprove of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling the economy?" If neither: "If you had to choose, do you lean more toward approving or disapproving of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling the economy?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	50	45	4	1
	2/12-17/09	49	45	4	2

"Overall, please tell me whether you approve, disapprove, or neither approve nor disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling the economy?" If neither: "If you had to choose, do you lean more toward approving or disapproving of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling the economy?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	29	65	4	1
	2/12-17/09	33	59	5	4

"When it comes to solving the country's economic problems, how much do you think Barack Obama is doing to cooperate with the Republicans in Congress? Is he doing too much, not enough, or about the right amount?"

		Too Much	Not Enough	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	8	36	53	2
	2/12-17/09	6	30	62	2

"When it comes to solving the country's economic problems, how much do you think Republicans in Congress are doing to cooperate with Barack Obama? Are they doing too much, not enough, or about the right amount?"

		Too Much	Not Enough	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	7	65	25	3
	2/12-17/09	5	64	27	4

"When it comes to improving the economy, do you think it is realistic to expect at least some noticeable results in the first year of the Obama administration, or do you think it will take longer than that to see any noticeable results?"

		Some in First Year	Longer Than That	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	27	72	1
	1/9-14/09	27	72	1

"As you may know, it is estimated that the federal budget deficit now exceeds one trillion dollars. If you had to choose, what do you think should be the HIGHER priority? Increasing government spending on education, health care reform, and the development of alternative energy sources, even if that means the federal budget deficit will increase even more. Reducing the federal budget deficit by cutting spending, even if that means the government could not enact new programs on education, health care reform, and the development of alternative energy sources." Options rotated

		Increasing Spending	Cutting Spending	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	49	43	7

"How worried are you that increasing federal debt will harm the financial future of your children and grandchildren: very worried, somewhat worried, not too worried, or not at all worried?"

		Very Worried	Somewhat Worried	Not Too Worried	Not at All Worried	Doesn't Apply (vol.)/Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/16-20/09	49	30	12	9	1
	1/9-14/09	45	34	13	7	2
	9/27-30/08	42	37	11	8	2

Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor National Survey conducted by FD. April 8-14, 2009. N=1,200 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.8.

"As you know, economists generally agree that the U.S. economy is in a recession. I would like to read you two different opinions about the U.S. economy when it recovers from the recession. Which ONE of these statements comes closer to your OWN opinion? When the U.S. economy recovers, the way the economy looks and works will be very different from what it was before the recession. When the U.S. economy recovers, things will be more or less be the same as they were before the recession." Options rotated

		Very Different	The Same	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/8-14/09	69	27	5

"And, who do you trust more to develop solutions to the country's economic challenges: President Obama OR Republicans in Congress?" Options rotated

		President Obama	Republicans In Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/8-14/09	55	26	3	12	5

Gallup Poll. April 6-9, 2009. N=1,027 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"As I read some names and groups, please tell me how much confidence you have in each to do or to recommend the right thing for the economy: a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or almost none. How about [see below]?"

		Great Deal	Fair Amount	Only a Little	Almost None	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

	"President Barack Obama"
	4/6-9/09	38	33	14	15	-

	"Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke"
	4/6-9/09	7	42	19	16	17
	4/6-9/08	8	39	20	14	19

	"Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner"
	4/6-9/09	9	38	18	21	14

	"The Democratic leaders in Congress"
	4/6-9/09	10	41	20	25	3
	4/6-9/08	8	41	24	23	4

	"The Republican leaders in Congress"
	4/6-9/09	5	33	30	28	4
	4/6-9/08	6	31	24	36	4

"Do you consider the amount of federal income tax you have to pay as too high, about right, or too low?"

		Too High	About Right	Too Low	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/6-9/09	46	48	3	2
	4/6-9/08	52	42	2	4
	4/2-5/07	53	41	2	3
	4/10-13/06	48	44	2	5
	4/4-7/05	51	44	2	3
	4/04	50	43	3	4
	4/03	50	46	2	2
	1/03	47	50	1	2
	4/01	65	31	1	3
	4/00	63	33	1	3
	9/99	68	28	1	3
	7/99	60	37	*	3
	4/99	65	29	2	4
	1998	66	31	1	2
	1997	58	38	1	3
	1996	64	33	1	2
	1994	56	42	-	2
	1993	55	41	2	2
	1992	56	39	2	3
	1991	55	37	2	6
	1990	63	31	2	4
	1985	63	32	1	4
	1973	65	28	1	6
	1969	69	25	-	6
	1967	58	38	1	3
	1966	52	39	0	8
	1964	56	35	1	9
	1963	52	38	1	8
	1962	48	45	0	7
	1961	46	45	1	8
	1959	51	40	2	7
	1957	61	31	-	8
	1956	55	35	1	9

"Do you regard the income tax which you will have to pay this year as fair?"

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/6-9/09	61	35	4
	4/6-9/08	60	35	5