public-opinion

American Dream Lives On Despite Rising Financial Insecurity: Survey

by The Huffington Post on May 27, 2011

Huffington Post…

Americans, despite the uncertainty of their own personal finances, continue to have faith in that well-worn concept of an American dream. In a recent report conducted by The Mellman Group and Public Opinion Strategies for Pew Charitable Trusts, 68 percent of those surveyed “say they have achieved or will achieve the American Dream.” That stands in marked contrast to how they view their current financial situation, especially with only 32 percent now labeling their personal finances as “excellent or good.” Back in 2007, before the recession took full effect, over half of Americans expressed that high level of confidence. With the unemployment rate stuck above nine percent and more than one-fourth of single-family homes underwater, that insecurity appears justified. Add to that the effect, both psychological and economic, of high food and gas prices , and largely stagnant wages also become a threat. Although those surveyed expressed faith in the economic mobility associated with the American dream, the vast majority don’t think they should go it alone. All of 83 percent said government should play a role in supporting economic mobility, and 58 percent said they though the government could do more, too. A particularly strong desire was expressed to see the government better help middle- and lower-class Americans. In fact, 80 percent say the government is currently not effectively helping those two groups. And just over half of those surveyed, 54 percent think the government helps the “wrong people” when it does intervene. “Americans are looking to policy makers to support their efforts to get ahead,” said Erin Currier, project manager for Pew’s Economic Mobility Project, in a release . “Even in the wake of the Great Recession, there is a strong belief that people can work hard and be successful.” Those surveyed, by and large, know what role they want the government to play in creating an economically-mobile country, too: the two most popular choices being “ensuring all children get a quality education” (88 percent) and “promoting job creation” (79 percent). It’s not that Americans only want to be rich, either. Above all, actually, 85 percent of those surveyed said it was financial stability, not a rise in economic status, that they valued most. Only 13 percent said the opposite.

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American Dream Lives On Despite Rising Financial Insecurity: Survey

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Obama’s Approval Rating Rises After U.S. Health-Care Overhaul, Poll Shows

by on March 31, 2010

By Chris Dolmetsch March 31 (Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama ’s approval rating moved higher after Congress passed the most sweeping overhaul of U.S. health-care policy in more than four decades, his key domestic legislative goal, a poll released today showed. The Marist Poll found that 46 percent of registered voters approve of the job Obama is doing, up from 44 percent in a survey conducted in early February. Forty-three percent disapprove of his performance compared with 47 percent last month. Obama’s standing also rose among voters who describe themselves as independent, with 39 percent saying they approve of the job he is doing compared with 29 percent last month. Forty-five percent disapproved of his performance, down from 57 percent last month. “President Obama has scored a big legislative victory, but this has only translated minimally into his job performance scores,” Lee M. Miringoff , director of the Poughkeepsie, New York-based Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, said in a statement . “For many voters, he still needs to swish a few three-pointers to become a driving force behind this fall’s midterm elections.” The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act put in motion the largest expansion of health-care coverage since the creation in 1965 of Medicaid, for the poor, and Medicare, for people 65 and older and the disabled. Obama signed the law on March 23 and yesterday signed a companion measure to fully enact the measure. Central Issue The law, with some provisions taking effect this year, is likely to shape Obama’s presidency and be a central issue in November’s elections to determine control of Congress. It was enacted without a single Republican vote. Obama’s approval rating rose to 50 percent from 48 percent in the latest daily tracking poll conducted by Washington-based Gallup , while his disapproval rating fell to 43 percent from 44 percent. A Bloomberg National Poll conducted earlier this month found 50 percent of voters approved of the job the president is doing, down from 54 percent in December, while 45 percent disapproved, up from 41 percent. The Marist Poll survey of 860 registered voters was conducted by telephone on March 25, 26 and 29 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. To contact the reporters on this story: Chris Dolmetsch in New York at cdolmetsch@bloomberg.net .

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Obama’s Approval Rating Rises After U.S. Health-Care Overhaul, Poll Shows

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Obama’s Approval Rating Rises After U.S. Health-Care Overhaul, Poll Says

March 31, 2010

By Chris Dolmetsch March 31 (Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama ’s approval rating moved higher after Congress passed the most sweeping overhaul of U.S. health-care policy in more than four decades, his key domestic legislative goal, a poll released today showed. The Marist Poll found that 46 percent of registered voters approve of the job Obama is doing, up from 44 percent in a survey conducted in early February. Forty-three percent disapprove of his performance, compared with 47 percent last month. Obama’s standing also rose among voters who describe themselves as independent, with 39 percent saying they approve of the job he is doing, compared with 29 percent last month. Forty-five percent disapproved of his performance, down from 57 percent last month. “President Obama has scored a big legislative victory, but this has only translated minimally into his job performance scores,” Lee M. Miringhoff, director of the Poughkeepsie, New York-based Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, said in a statement . “For many voters, he still needs to swish a few three-pointers to become a driving force behind this fall’s midterm elections.” The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act put in motion the largest expansion of health-care coverage since the creation in 1965 of Medicaid, for the poor, and Medicare, for people 65 and older and the disabled. Obama signed the law on March 23 and yesterday signed a companion measure to fully enact the measure. The law, some provisions of which will take effect this year, is likely to shape Obama’s presidency and be a central issue in November’s elections to determine control of Congress. It was enacted without a single Republican vote. The survey of 860 registered voters was conducted by telephone on March 25, 26 and 29, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. To contact the reporters on this story: Chris Dolmetsch in New York at cdolmetsch@bloomberg.net .

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Video: Miringoff Sees Obama Rating Hit by Health Care Gridlock: Video

February 8, 2010

Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — Lee M. Miringoff, the director of Poughkeepsie, New York-based Marist College’s Marist Institute of Public Opinion, talks with Bloomberg’s Susan Li about President Barack Obama’s approval rating. The Marist Poll found that 57 percent of independent voters have a negative view of Obama’s job performance, up from 44 percent in a Dec. 8 survey. (Source: Bloomberg)

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