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Released: November 19, 2008

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Reuters/Zogby Index: Mood of Americans Improves After Election

Survey finds more likely voters believe the U.S. is headed in the right direction; Overwhelming dissatisfaction with the nation's economic policy persists

UTICA, New York - The mood of Americans has improved in the past month, with an increase in the number of likely voters who now view the country as headed in the right direction, a new Reuters/Zogby telephone poll shows.

The Reuters/Zogby Index, which measures overall American confidence, has increased to 93.3 from 89.7 in October. The Reuters/Zogby Index includes 10 poll questions that gauge perception of the state of the country and the economy. The telephone survey of 1,014 likely voters nationwide was conducted Nov. 13-15, 2008. It carries a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

Americans more likely to believe the country is headed in the right direction, but overwhelming dissatisfaction with U.S. economic policy holds steady

While most likely voters - 61% - still believe the country is headed on the wrong track, this post-election survey shows this feeling has eased from the 75% who said the country was headed in the wrong direction in October. Nearly one in three (30%) believe now believe the country is headed in the right direction, a jump from 18% who said the same last month.

This month's survey finds a significant decline in the number of Democrats and political independents who believe the country is headed in the wrong direction - 57% of Democrats now see the U.S. as on the wrong track, a drop from 84% who said the same in October. Among independents, 58% view the nation as headed in the wrong direction, compared with 79% last month. Republicans, however, are now slightly more likely to take a negative view of the nation's direction - 67% now feel this way, up from 64% in October.

Despite Americans' slightly-less pessimistic view of the country's direction, overwhelming dissatisfaction with U.S. economic policy remains, with 93% of likely voters who now take a negative view the nation's economic policy, up from 92% who said the same in October. More than two in three likely voters (67%) give U.S. economy a "poor" rating. This month's survey also finds a majority of Americans continue to give their personal financial situation a negative rating (51%), with 16% who rate their personal financial situation as "poor."

President Bush's job approval marks improve slightly from record-low, while ratings for Congress continue to sink

President Bush's job approval ratings have increased slightly in this latest poll to 25%, after hitting a record-low of 21% in October. Positive job ratings from Republicans have increased to 51% this month, from 42% who said the same last month. Favorable ratings from Democrats have improved to 8%, while 19% of political independents now give the President positive approval marks.

While the President's job approval ratings have improved, job performance ratings for Congress have fallen to a new record-low of 8%, from 9% last month. The Democratically-controlled Congress earns positive ratings from 9% of Democrats, a drop from 13% who said the same in October. Republican approval has improved slightly to 9%, from 6% who said the same last month, while Congressional job approval ratings from political independents have fallen to 7% from 10% in October.

For a methodology statement on this poll, please visit:

http://www.zogby.com/methodology/readmeth.cfm?ID=1379

(11/19/2008)

Tags: Politics

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