The approval rating for U.S. President Barack Obama did not improve dramatically this month, while slightly more Americans than last month are voicing a favorable opinion of the U.S. Congress, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,013 American adults, 45 per cent of respondents (+1 since June) approve of Obama’s performance, while 46 per cent (-4) disapprove.

The level of strong approval for the U.S. President (12%, -2) continues to trail the level of strong disapproval by double digits (28%, -3).

Four-in-five Republicans (82%, +1) are dissatisfied with Obama, while a similar proportion of Democrats (78%, +1) are content with the American president.

As was the case last month, a majority of Independents (53%, -7) disapprove of Obama’s performance, while about two-in-five approve of it (38%, +3).

The approval rating for the U.S. Congress stands at 23 per cent this month (+5), while 64 per cent of respondents disapprove of its actions (-8).

The level of strong approval is four per cent (+2), while a third of Americans (35%, -5) are strongly dissatisfied.

This month, Congress received more favorable reviews across the entire political spectrum. Two-in-five Democrats (42%, +6) provide a positive assessment of the legislative branch, along with 16 per cent of Independents (+5) and 12 per cent of Republicans (+5).

Analysis

The disapproval rating for Obama is no longer at the 50 per cent mark, but Americans are evenly split in their assessment of their president. Obama managed to close the approval gap among Independents (from -25 in June to -15 this month), but did not manage considerable gains among Democrats or Republicans.

Congress—following a month dominated by discussions about financial reform—bounced slightly from its dismal showing in June. The West and the South continue to be the areas where more than a third of respondents are “strongly dissatisfied” with the legislative branch.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 22 to July 23, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,013 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Americans remain particularly concerned about the economic future of their country, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,013 American adults, 86 per cent of respondents rate the national economy as poor (57%) or very poor (29%).

Three-in-five Americans (61%) describe their personal financial situation as poor (41%) or very poor (20%), a slight increase compared to the June edition of the Angus Reid Public Opinion Economic Panorama.

About a fifth of respondents (18%) are confident in a recovery over the next few months, but a higher proportion of Americans (26%) think the situation will worsen.

The bulk of the American population (62%) thinks the recession will not be over until after 2010.

Concerns, Inflation and Debt

Signaling weak confidence in financial institutions, a large proportion of Americans continue to express concern over the safety of their savings (45%), and the safety of their investments (43%). Two other concerns remain significantly high: the threat of unemployment (48%), and the possibility of missing mortgage or rent payments (42%).

Fewer Americans (32%) report having worried about their employer running into serious financial problems over the past three months.

Adding to the anxiety over empty pockets, the large majority of respondents think the price of gas (73%), and groceries (68%) will increase in the next six months. While only a quarter of respondents (25%) think the price of real estate will go up, more people expect to see more expensive new cars (39%), and televisions (27%).

If respondents suddenly got $1,000 in extra cash, they would allocate the largest chunk of it ($348) to paying down debt, followed by covering daily expenses ($244), savings ($205), spending in personal items ($75), making a big purchase ($64), investing in mutual funds ($34) and investing in individual stocks ($29).

Political Leadership

President Barack Obama remains the most trusted leader to handle the economy (46%), followed by the Democratic Party (38%), Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (31%), the Republican Party (30%), and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (28%).

The governing Democratic Party is preferred over the Republican Party to end the recession (34% to 29%), and to create jobs (38% to 32%). The Republicans are seen as the more capable party to rein in the national debt (37% to 26% for the Democrats), and to control inflation (22% to 29%).

The U.S. Economy Compared to Others

A large proportion of Americans think that, economically speaking, their country is doing worse than China (44%), Canada (30%), and Japan (32%). About a quarter of respondents also think the U.S. compares poorly against Australia (23%) and Germany (22%). Only 16 per cent think the U.S. is in a worse place than the United Kingdom.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 22 to July 23, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,013 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

The plan to build a mosque and a 13-story community center in lower Manhattan, a few blocks from Ground Zero, is rejected by a considerable proportion of Americans, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,013 American adults, 42 per cent of respondents believe having a mosque close to one of the sites of the 9/11 attacks is a provocation. Conversely, just 28 per cent of respondents see no problem with the mosque, and regard it as a sign of New York’s tolerance and openness.

Across the country, at least two-in-five Americans in the Northeast (43%), South (43%) and Midwest (41%) regard the plan as a provocation.

Respondents aged 18 to 34 are divided on the issue (34% regard the mosque as a provocation, while 33% see nothing wrong with it). The gap between the two choices is wider among Americans aged 35 to 54 (44% to 27%) and those over the age of 55 (47% to 26%).

A similar scenario ensues when political allegiance is assessed. Three-in-five Republicans (63%) and almost half of Independents (45%) see the mosque as a provocation, compared to only one third (32%) of Democrats.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 22 to July 23, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,013 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Most people in the United States disagree with the notion that celebrities are not entitled to have privacy because they are public figures who earn a comfortable living just by being famous, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

The online survey of a representative national sample of 1,003 adults also finds that a large proportion of respondents hold negative feelings towards former Democratic Party presidential hopeful John Edwards, and professional golfer Tiger Woods.

The Price of Celebrity

Three-in-five Americans (62%) believe celebrities are entitled to have privacy just like any other person in the world.

Conversely, three-in-ten respondents (29%) think celebrities are not entitled to have privacy because they are public figures who earn a comfortable living just by being famous.

There is little variation on this question along party lines, with Democrats (61%), Republicans (61%) and Independents (64%) agreeing that celebrities do not give up their rights to privacy when they become rich and famous

Views on Politicians

The survey asked Americans to state whether they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of nine politicians who either ran for president, or have served as president or vice-president in the past decade.

The best score overall—which is calculated by subtracting the number of unfavorable mentions from the number of favorable mentions—is for Barack Obama (+7) and Mike Huckabee (+4). John McCain, Joe Biden, Al Gore and George W. Bush all garner favorable mentions from at least a third of respondents, but their score varies greatly. McCain is at -1, Biden at -8, Gore at -10 and Bush at -17.

The score for John Kerry is -15. The two lowest scores are for Dick Cheney (-31, and 54% of unfavorable mentions) and John Edwards (-40, and 56% of unfavorable mentions).

Views on Sports Figures

The survey also asked Americans to state whether they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of ten current and former sports figures.

Only two of the ten men on the list posted a negative score: Mark McGwire (-1) and Tiger Woods (-17). Five sports figures had a positive score in double-digits: Phil Mickelson (+30), Pete Sampras (+26), Tom Brady (+22), John McEnroe (+17) and Albert Pujols (+10). Ray Lewis checks in at +5, while both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have a score of +3.

Analysis

John Edwards and Tiger Woods, who were the focus of the tabloid press in recent months over admitted extramarital affairs, posted the lowest scores in this exercise.

Edwards is one of three men who reach the 50 per cent plateau in unfavorable mentions. The other two are Bush and Cheney, who served at the White House for eight years. The former North Carolina Senator also has the lowest proportion of favorable mentions among all politicians (16%).

Woods is the most recognized athlete on this list (20% of respondents are undecided, compared to 33% or higher for the remaining nine men), and garners the highest number of unfavorable mentions (49%, 17 points higher than Bryant).

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 14 to July 15, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,003 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.

A large proportion of Americans acknowledge that the country has a serious drug abuse problem, but two thirds believe that the so-called “War on Drugs” has been ineffective, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,003 adults, 64 per cent of respondents believe America has a serious drug abuse problem that affects the whole country. One-in-five (20%) believe America’s drug abuse problem is confined to specific areas and people, while seven per cent believe America does not have a serious drug abuse problem.

Two thirds of respondents (65%) believe the “War on Drugs”—the efforts of the U.S. government to reduce the illegal drug trade—has been a failure, while only eight per cent deem it a success.

Legalization of Drugs

More than half of respondents (52%) support the legalization of marijuana. While clear majorities of Democrats (57%) and Independents (59%) agree with this course of action, only about two-in-five Republicans (38%) concur.

Support for the legalization of other illegal substances is considerably lower. Only 10 per cent of respondents agree with legalizing ecstasy, eight per cent would consent to legalizing heroin, powder cocaine and methamphetamine or “crystal meth”, and just seven per cent would allow crack cocaine to be legal.

Mexico

A majority of Americans hold favorable views on Mexican food (78%) and the Mexican people (59%), while about a third provide a positive assessment of Mexican beer (34%) and immigrants from Mexico who live in the United States (32%). However, only seven per cent of respondents have a favorable opinion of the Mexican government.

It is important to note that respondents who have travelled to Mexico in their lifetime are more likely to have a favorable opinion of each one of the five entities tested than those who have never been to the Latin American country.

In all, half of Americans (49%) believe Mexico deserves most of the blame for being a major supplier of illegal drugs to the U.S. because it has allowed the drug cartels to grow and flourish. Democrats (45%) are less likely than Republicans (59%) to feel this way.

However, one third of Americans (34%) think the U.S. deserves most of the blame for this situation, for having a population that demands illegal drugs.

While respondents in the Northeast are almost evenly split on this issue, a majority of those in the South and the West blame Mexico for the current state of affairs.

Our previous poll on drugs in the United States, conducted in December 2009, is available here.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 14 to July 15, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,003 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.

Although most people in the United States think there is no need to re-open a national discussion on abortion, a large proportion of Americans do want to have this conversation, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,002 American adults, 33 per cent of respondents say a debate about abortion is long overdue in the U.S. and it is time to talk about this issue. However, 51 per cent of respondents disagree.

Personal Feeling

Americans remain divided on how to best regulate abortions. While one fifth of respondents say the procedure should be permitted in all cases, 18 per cent say it should be allowed but under the current restrictions.

An additional 26 per cent of Americans think abortion should only be permitted in cases of rape, incest, and to save a woman’s life; 15 per cent think abortions should only happen when the woman’s life is in danger; and nine per cent of respondents say they should be subject to greater restrictions than they are now.

Legality

Almost half of Americans (46%) think abortion should be legal but only under certain circumstances. In contrast, three-in-ten respondents say abortion should always be legal. Fifteen per cent of Americans would completely ban abortions, in all circumstances.

One-in-five Republicans (22%) advocate for an outright ban on abortion.

Information and Consent

Three quarters of U.S. respondents (75%) think women under the age of 18 should require parental consent before having an abortion. Only 16 per cent disagree with this notion.

About a third of respondents (32%) think pregnant women currently lack appropriate access to information on alternatives to abortion, such as counseling and adoptions. A majority of Americans (54%) think the opposite—than women have plenty of access to this kind of information.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 8 to July 9, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,002 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.

As the debate over Arizona’s immigration law reaches Washington, the proportion of Americans who would deport all illegal immigrants who are currently working in the United States has increased noticeably, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,002 American adults, 67 per cent of respondents say immigration is currently having a negative effect in the country, while only 17 per cent believe it is having a positive effect.

Only three-in-ten respondents (31%) think the current level of legal immigration should be maintained, while 45 per cent of Americans want the number of people allowed to relocate legally into the country to decrease.

Illegal Immigrants

As has been the case in previous surveys conducted this year by Angus Reid Public Opinion, most Americans hold negative views on illegal immigration. Three-in-five respondents (59%) believe the illegal immigrants in the United States take jobs away from American workers, while just one third (32%) regard them as people who are employed in jobs that American workers do not want.

The idea of a “path to citizenship” for illegal immigrants is only supported by 27 per cent of respondents, while a further 16 per cent would allow them to work in the U.S. on a temporary basis without an opportunity to become citizens. Half of Americans (50%) would require all illegal immigrants to leave their jobs and be deported—a proportion that has increased by eight points since June.

Arizona’s Immigration Bill

The immigration bill passed in Arizona earlier this year has provoked a heated debate over the status of illegal immigrants in the United States. The Justice Department has recently filed a lawsuit, claiming that only federal authorities should be in a position to enforce immigration laws.

A majority of respondents say they would like to implement some of the measures that are part of Arizona’s immigration bill in their own states, including making it a crime to transport someone who is an illegal immigrant (76%); arresting people who are unable to provide documentation to prove they are in the U.S. legally (67%); requiring state and local police to determine the status of a person if there is “reasonable suspicion” that they are illegal immigrants (66%); and making it a crime to hire laborers on the street (55%).

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 8 to July 9, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,002 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.

The arrest of 10 Russian spies in the United States did not come as a shock for many Americans, who also believe that their country should continue to train and send its own agents abroad, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,002 American adults, three-in-four respondents (77%) say they are not surprised to hear that there are Russian spies currently posing as American citizens in the U.S. Only 17 per cent of Americans are surprised with this development.

Half of respondents (50%) think Russia should not be singled out for its espionage because many other countries keep active spies elsewhere. One-third of Americans (34%) disagree with this view, and believe Russia should be shamed for maintaining a Cold War mentality by keeping active spies in Western countries.

Two thirds of Americans (65%) think the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) should continue to train and send American spies into other countries, while only 12 per cent believe this activity is no longer necessary.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 8 to July 9, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,002 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.

Americans and National Football League (NFL) fans have reacted positively to a proposal that seeks to expand the regular season, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

Last month, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell revealed that the league is considering extending the regular season to 18 games.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,001 American adults, 46 per cent of respondents say they agree with the proposal to expand the NFL regular season from 16 games to 18 games, and reduce the pre-season games for each team from four to two.

Four-in-five self-described NFL fans (79%) would welcome the expanded regular season, along with 50 per cent of respondents aged 35 to 54.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From June 25 to June 27, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,001 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.

Americans think that the private sector is mostly responsible for the ongoing global financial crisis, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,004 American adults, 58 per cent of respondents say banks and financial institutions share most of the blame for the crisis that unraveled in 2007-2008; an additional 32 per cent think they are at least partly to blame for it.

Most Americans (51%) also think that big corporations share most of the blame for the crisis, and 40 per cent say they should be partly blamed for it.

Two-in-five respondents (40%) make governments responsible for failing to regulate markets properly. Only a quarter of Americans (24%) believe consumers who took on too much debt are mostly responsible for the global meltdown.

Compared to an Angus Reid Public Opinion poll conducted in December 2009, fewer Americans are now allocating most of the blame for the crisis to governments (51% late last year, 40% now).

Avoiding a New Crisis

A majority of respondents (56%) believe that banks and financial institutions, as well as governments (54%), have not taken the necessary steps to avert a new crisis. Corporations face bigger criticism, with 66 per cent of Americans saying that they have not done what it takes to prevent a new debacle.

As for consumers, 36 per cent of respondents think they have taken the right measures to avoid another crisis, but 42 per cent disagree.

Respondents are divided when asked what caused the crisis, with 44 per cent thinking that it was triggered by governments encouraging lending institutions to service individuals who could clearly not repay the loans, and 38 per cent believing it was the result of a lack of regulation on lending practices.

Almost four-in-ten Americans (39%) think current financial regulations are too loose. Democrats and Independents (both at 46%) are much more likely than Republicans (30%) to believe this.

See our previous poll on the global financial crisis here.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From June 17 to June 18, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,004 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.