A lot has changed in America over the past year. We have a new President and a new administration. Healthcare reform is now on the front burner. Swine flu fears are making headlines. But some things haven’t changed: Troops remain in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a new surge may be in the works. The recession continues, with unemployment hitting record highs and no one really sure when and if the nation’s economy will bounce back.

The latest Zogby Interactive survey shows President Barack Obama’s job performance rating has fallen slightly to 49%. Just over a year ago, former President George W. Bush hit a record low of just 21% in Zogby telephone polling as he neared the end of his second term and the November election loomed.

While our latest polling shows 42% of likely voters say the nation is headed in the right direction and 51% believe it is off on the wrong track, Americans were much more pessimistic about the state of the country a year ago. In October of last year, three in four Americans believe the country was headed on the wrong track and just 18% believed the U.S. was headed in the right direction. A year ago, under the Bush administration, there was strong dissatisfaction with the direction the country was headed from all sides of the political spectrum – 84% of Democrats, 79% of self-identified political independents, and even 64% of Republicans felt this way. Fast forward to today, under the Obama administration, and views on the direction the country is headed have become increasingly partisan. Our latest survey shows while 90% of Republicans believe the U.S. is on the wrong track, just 15% of Democrats feel the same. Among independents, 55% believe the country is on the wrong track.

Do you think the country is better off today than at this time last year, and has the change in administrations made a difference either way? Do you think American will be in a better or worse place a year from now?

Steph Uncategorized economy, employment, health, Obama, recession, war, work, zogby

Some banks have responded to public anger over overdraft fees on debit cards by revising their policies, and the FDIC is calling for tighter restrictions.

So how common is it for people to overdraw their checking account, knowingly or not? An August Zogby poll found that almost a quarter (24%) says they’ve done it since the start of the recession. Who are the guilty parties? Differences among political party are slight, with Democrats (27%) slightly more likely than independents (23%) and Republicans (21%) to say they have overdrawn on their checking account since the start of the recession.
Age makes a big difference, as those ages 65 and older (9%) are the least likely to say they have overdrawn,  compared to New Globals, ages 18-29 and Nikes, ages 30-49, being most likely age groups to say they have done so (30% each).  People with a college degree (21%) are slightly less likely than those without (27%) to say they have overdrawn.

From the “no kidding” file, those who say they or someone in their immediate family has lost a job due to corporate downsizing within the past year (32%) are far more likely than those who have not (21%) to say they have overdrawn on their checking account, and those who classify themselves as being in the investor class (16%) are far less likely than those who do not (28%) to say the same.

Without any previous data to compare all of this to, it’s hard to say whether or not a quarter of those polled saying they have overdrawn since the recession is a concerning number or not. An FDIC report from 2008 found similar numbers, with 75% of customers reporting no overdraft transactions in a 12 month period , but that could be seen as the start of the recession or maybe it was an early indication of things to come.

Have you overdrawn your checking account since the recession began? How careful are you to avoid overdrafts? Should  the government step in to ease the cost of overdrafts for consumers?

Paul Uncategorized, economics media, recession, zogby

I am sitting in my living room. Immediately to my right is my dining room. In my dining room are, variously, a box holding my wedding gown…from 1988, a box of stuffed animals and a 3 foot tall Tigger, a remote control car still in the box (these even though my youngest son is a senior in high school), the cat carrier, two rolling footstools and two Cannondale road bikes. Of course I also have a dining room table, china cabinet, and 6 chairs. There are also 3 stacks of boxes, a bookcase and a settee that belonged to my grandmother.  Although I’ve rarely been accused of being neat, I’m not usually living in such chaos. It’s just that I’ve recently moved, downsized to be precise, and I’m trying to fit more than 20 years of family stuff into a house no bigger than the one I moved to just after wearing that wedding dress all those years ago. 

I am among those who are reducing their lifestyle. Why? Well, it’s a cost savings obviously; a smaller place will cost me less money monthly to light and heat. My monthly payment is lower and the maintenance is significantly less on a smaller home, so it’s less work. I’m headed for an empty nest as my youngest son graduates from high school so we no longer need as much room as we used to come the fall, so there’s that as well.

It feels like there’s more to it though. After a lifetime of always feeling as though I needed to have just a little more than enough-just in case, everything from extra towels and sheets to a back up bottle of laundry detergent and a pound of butter in the freezer, I’m now running leaner. We have very little storage space now, no extra closets, no garage and so we’re operating on just having what’s necessary, I’m letting go.

Is it part of the new economy? Yes, that’s some of it, and I’m not alone. On a recent Zogby Interactive survey 29% of Americans report they are driving less as a result of the recession, 5% have downsized their home, 19% are bringing their lunch, 38% have reduced or eliminated going out to dinner, 19% are renting movies, and 34% have changed their travel plans.

So, yes, for myself and plenty others, that’s part of it, but there’s something else I’ve found, it’s freeing to have less. I have less to be responsible for. I donated, sold or gave away plenty, and threw out a fair amount of just plain junk that we’ve carried from house to house over the years. And the result is that I feel better. There’s less to be responsible for, fewer things to maintain, fewer moving parts, and fewer broken ones.

Will I continue to live a smaller life? Have less of a footprint here on earth? Yes, I think I will. Will you? Are you now? Did you always live a sparse lifestyle and you’re glad to see so many of us are catching up? Anyone want to buy a “vintage” wedding gown?

Karen Scott is Managing Editor and co-Director of Project Management at Zogby International. She has two sons, one is a sophomore at Pennsylvania State University (We Are-Penn State!) and one, as mentioned above is a senior in high school. Her life has been full of surprises, among them are the fact that her wedding dress (pictured here) lasted longer than the marriage did, and while she knew she was a (young)  Woodstocker, upon further examination, it seems as though she might have become a Secular Spiritualist while no one was looking.

ZogbyFeaturedContributor Uncategorized animals, economy, international, lifestyle, marriage, media, recession, travel, work, zogby

Just because Ben Bernanke says the recession is over doesn’t make it so. The chairman of the Federal Reserve may be technically correct that the economy is in recovery, but the average American is not impressed by slight upticks in the indicators.

The disconnect is enormous between Wall Street–where stock prices have improved and banks are prospering again and paying big bonuses–and Main Street, where unemployment levels frighten even those with jobs and discourage consumers from buying and going into further debt.

Read the rest of John Zogby’s column at Forbes.com, where he looks at the political ramifications of the economy and why “green” and high-tech jobs are good themes for politicians.

Paul economics, elections economy, employment, John Zogby, recession, zogby

A college degree doesn’t come cheap. When you add up the cost of tuition, room and board, books, and various fees, many of today’s college graduates (and their parents) can look forward to years of hefty student loan payments. Not such a big deal for those who have degrees in high-paying fields who are able to quickly find employment. But for those who graduate and have a tough time finding a job in their desired field or who take a job in a field with a low salary, crushing educational debt can make it hard to get ahead. A recent article in USA Today highlights the struggles of college students trying to get the best educational bang for their buck – including abandoning their expensive “dream schools” and giving a hard look at the option of attending less expensive state schools and community colleges.

While most agree that a college degree is worth the cost, we were surprised to find a new Zogby-Scoop44 poll showed that among those with college degrees, 25% don’t think a degree is worth it today given the high price of attendance. That’s a pretty significant number coming from those who know first-hand about the costs and benefits of having a college degree. But it’s also important to note that we asked about the cost and benefit of a college degree today – many respondents likely earned their degrees when the cost to attend college was much less.

Over at Scoop44, Alexander Heffner gets the perspective of some current college students and professors on the subject of today’s high college costs including, Patricia Graham, a longtime professor of history and education at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College, who cautions: “Making more money, though, is not the only reason to go to college.”

Making more money certainly isn’t the only value in earning a college degree, but as college costs continue to rise and the overall economy struggles, many prospective college students may be doing the math to determine if a high-priced degree is worth the expense. Do you think a college degree is worth it today? At what point, if any, do you think a college degree becomes too costly and do you think college costs will ever reverse the trend and become more affordable?

Steph education economy, education, employment, history, recession, war, zogby

Any rapid change is very unsettling, and when the change endangers people’s financial security, we are likely to see anxiety and anger. It seems that is exactly what is happening right now.

In a nation of liberals and conservatives who seem to oftentimes perceive the world and facts in alien ways, economic hardships are bound to bring more conflict. This may be one reason why the health care reform debate has turned nasty. Congressional town hall meetings have become shouting matches. People with guns have displayed their weaponry outside the meeting halls. Most recently, liberals are drawing a line in the sand over the public option and threaten to vote down any bill that doesn’t include it.

Read all of John Zogby’s column on how people are coping with economic change at Forbes.com.

Paul Uncategorized guns, health, John Zogby, recession, zogby

Large numbers of U.S. adults have cut back on driving, eating at restaurants, going to the movies and traveling. It’s no surprise that this type of discretionary spending has taken a hit, but these trends are not just the result of a 20-month recession.

To be sure, the recession has added to the count of people who are cutting back. But many Americans had already decided to live with less before the bottom fell out of the economy. That has been an ongoing trend, as more Americans move away from material frivolities and take pleasure in a simpler lifestyle. Now that a recession is forcing many others to also live within limits, how many will discover that they never really needed all those material things to be happy in the first place? That thought should worry consumer-oriented businesses, and encourage those who believe the nation and world are on an unsustainable course.

Read the rest of John Zogby’s column at Forbes.com and more about this survey here.

Paul culture, economics economy, John Zogby, lifestyle, recession, travel, zogby

The current economic recession officially began late in 2007. While there are signs that this bad cycle may have bottomed out, we have been in recession now for more than 20 consecutive months.

Zogby International recently conducted an interactive survey with one of the biggest samples of U.S. adults we’ve ever done. Much of the survey measured how the recession has impacted the lives of people, and their outlook on the future. The quick takeaway is that large numbers of people report a significant impact and most people are not optimistic that they will ever fully recover. But as is always the case, when you look deeper into sub-group responses, generalizations become less clear.

Read all of John Zogby’s column on the impact of the recession at Forbes. com.

Paul economics future, international, John Zogby, polls, recession, zogby

The recession and stock market plunge of 2008 have taken a toll on people’s confidence in statements from corporate executives. That was one key finding of a Zogby 463 Interactive survey completed from May 29-June 1.

Most Americans, 75%, don’t believe  statements of CEOs and CFOs about the the financial position of their companies are credible because they are reluctant to detail the real problems they face in the current economic environment. Just 15% believe CEO and CFO statements are the best source of information about a company’s financial outlook.

That number correlates with a similar question asked in a February 2009 Zogby/Vox Pop Interactive survey of investors.  They rated financial information obtained from company announcements among the least valued, with just 11% finding this information worthwhile in helping them make profitable investment decisions.

Do you trust corporate executives to give honest appraisals about their companies? What sources do you find most valuable in making investment choices?

Paul Uncategorized, economics environment, recession, zogby

In a recent article about dollar stores and the recession,  the New York Times reports that dollar stores seem to be thriving. According to the Times,  “the nation’s dollar stores, those once-dowdy chains that lured shoppers by selling some or all of their merchandise for $1, are suddenly hot. They are busily opening new stores, outfitting existing stores with refrigerators and freezers, and sprucing up their aisles with better lighting, fresh paint and new signs.”  The article goes on to note that Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree have all opened new stores and have plans to open more stores in the next year.  In addition, these dollar stores are now offering more grocery items (some stores even have frozen food sections) and household necessities in an attempt to attract new customers and poach business from traditional grocery stores and larger retailers.

Shoppers interviewed in the article mention both the low prices and the appeals of a smaller store – less crowded, easier to find what they want, better customer service – as reasons for shopping at the dollar store.

Has the current economy impacted where you shop? Do you find yourself shopping for any items at a dollar store? Why or why not?

Katy consumption, culture, economics, lifestyles, shopping consumption, economy, recession, shopping