Survey Finds Some Positive Movement On Attitudes About Economy
Obama's Excellent, Good Job Performance Ratings Again Top 50%
UTICA, NY - An April 13-15 Zogby Interactive survey finds the economic opinions of likely voters moving slowly in a positive direction in terms of their personal finances and U.S. economic policy. Also, President Barack Obama's positive job performance ratings are again over 50% after dipping just below that mark in a similar poll concluded on March 23. Now, 52% of likely voters rate his job performance as excellent (31%) or good (22%), 14% fair and 33% poor. On March 23, his positive ratings totaled 49%. Positive ratings for Congress were 23%, which is no change from March 23.
(Unlike other polling companies that ask if respondents approve or disapprove of the President's and Congress' job performance, Zogby International uses a four-point scale of Excellent, Good, Fair and Poor. We consider only the combined Excellent and Good responses as Positive.)
Responses on Obama continue to be highly partisan, with only 14% of Republicans rating his performance positively, compared to 88% of Democrats and 46% of independents.
This survey of 3,156 likely voters (margin of error = +/-1.8 percentage points) asked questions that gauge opinions on the state of the nation and its elected leaders and the personal economic condition of respondents. Zogby Interactive last asked the same set of questions on March 2 - 5.
These two tables show the positive movement of personal finances and U.S. economic policy. Rate Your Personal Financial Situation Excellent or Good Fair or Poor April 15, 2009 40% 60% March 5, 2009 35% 65% Rate U.S. Economic Policy Excellent or Good Fair or Poor Not Sure April 15, 2009 25% 70% 5% March 5, 2009 18% 77% 5% Nation's Direction
When asked whether the U.S. was heading in the right direction or off on the wrong track, 43% chose right direction, 45% wrong track and 13% not sure. The table below shows how those numbers have trended and now stabilized in Zogby Interactive polls done this year.
Is the nation headed in the right direction or off on the wrong track? April 15 March 23 March 5 Jan. 26 Jan. 8 Right Direction 43% 45% 40% 36% 14% Wrong Track 45% 47% 48% 45% 70% Not Sure 13% 8% 12% 19% 16%
Other Personal Financial Questions
The percentage of people who feel secure in their jobs is unchanged from March 5, with 64% in the April poll saying they are very or fairly secure.
Also stable at 43% is the percentage of likely voters who are confident their children will have a better life than themselves. "Public opinion on the economy seems to have hit bottom and may be moving up, but ever so slowly," said John Zogby, President and CEO of Zogby International "The only tangible evidence that the economy is doing likewise is the bump in the stock market. People seem to believe that positive actions are in the works. The question is how long they are willing to wait for results." For a methodology statement on this poll, please visit: http://www.zogby.com/methodology/readmeth.cfm?ID=1396 (4/16/2009)