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Frequently asked Pew Research survey questions and data.
National Satisfaction: 27%
Just over a quarter of Americans (27%) are satisfied with the state of the nation today. Fully 69% are dissatisfied with the country. The public’s mood is grim, and has been for an extended period of time. Roughly a third of Americans or fewer have been satisfied with how things are going in this country since the start of 2005 (the low being 11% in October 2008). Still, Americans are growing more optimistic about the future. Two-thirds of the public (67%) say that 2010 will be a better year than 2009. Last January, just 52% believed the coming year would be better, and in January 2008, 50% saw a better year ahead. Though a majority of Republicans are optimistic about the year to come (55%), a large partisan gap exists on optimism, with more than eight-in-ten Democrats (83%) saying 2010 will be better than last year. But both Democrats and Republicans are more optimistic about the future this year than in 2009, when only 64% of Democrats and 38% of Republicans saw a better year ahead.
Last Updated: 15 Jan 10
Presidential Approval: 49%
A year into his presidency, 49% of Americans approve of how Barack Obama is handling his job as president. More than four-in-ten (42%) disapprove of Obama’s performance as president. The president’s approval rating is little changed from a month ago (49% approved, 40% disapproved), but his approval rating is down 15 points from its post-inauguration high in February (64%). Disapproval has risen even more noticeably, up 25 points from 17% last February. Leading the downward trend, the president has lost support from political independents throughout his term, and for the first time significantly more independents now disapprove (49%) of Obama than approve (39%). “Strong” opposition to the president is also up. In April, strong approval outweighed strong disapproval by a 45%-to-18% margin, but now as many Americans strongly disapprove of Obama as strongly approve (30% each). Still, the president remains personally very popular. Broad majorities view him as a good communicator (83%), warm and friendly (77%), well organized (70%), and well informed (69%).
Last Updated: 15 Jan 10
Democratic Party Favorability: 48%
The Democratic Party has seen a sharp fall in favorability in 2009. While the Democratic Party is still seen more positively than the GOP (40% favorability), its favorability rating has fallen to 48%, down from 62% in January. The party’s electoral outlook has also taken a hit. In a hypothetical midterm election, as many voters would choose the Democratic candidate (45%) as would support the Republican (44%). At about this point four years ago, Democrats led in the generic congressional ballot by 52% to 40%. However, the Democratic Party continues to hold substantial advantages over the GOP on nearly all issues and leadership traits.
Last Updated: 30 Aug 09
Republican Party Favorability: 40%
As has been the case for most of the past three years, a little more than half the public has an unfavorable view of the Republican Party, while about four-in-ten view the party favorably. Though opinion of the GOP has not improved among Americans, Republicans have tied the Democrats in a generic congressional ballot: if the election were held today, 45% of voters would choose a Democrat and 44% would back a Republican. And while voters still side with the Democrats on most issues, as many voters now trust the GOP as the Democrats on reducing the federal budget deficit and managing the federal government, issues the Democrats were favored on by double-digit margins in 2006.
Last Updated: 30 Aug 09
Home Broadband Adoption: 63%
Fully 63% of adult Americans now have broadband internet connections at home, up from 55% who had high-speed access in May 2008. Broadband adoption had stalled between December 2007 and December 2008 -- remaining in a narrow range between 54% and 57% -- but has since risen with strong growth among seniors, low-income Americans and rural residents. African Americans, however, experienced their second consecutive year of below average broadband adoption growth. Groups who already had above-average rates of high-speed internet -- upper-income Americans and college graduates -- also saw only modest growth in the past year. Only 7% of Americans are dial-up internet users at home, a figure that is half the level it had been two years ago. A plurality of dial-up users said cost was the reason they've yet to make the change to broadband.
Last Updated: 1 May 09
Iraq War Wrong Decision: 49%
Since the beginning of 2007, positive views of the situation in Iraq have risen dramatically; however, the number of Americans who believe invading Iraq was the wrong decision (49%) is almost exactly what it was two years ago. The number of Americans saying invading Iraq was the right decision has hovered around 40% for those two years, and is currently at 43%. In contrast, while opinion about the situation in Afghanistan is less positive, nearly two-thirds (64%) believe the decision to use military force in that country was the right decision.
Last Updated: 16 Jan 09
Internet Penetration: 75%
Three quarters of Americans (75%) are internet users, over 60 points more than were online in 1995 when only 14% of the country used the internet. The Web remains a place dominated by younger Americans; fully 87% of adults ages 18 to 29 go online and more than half of the adult internet population is between 18 and 44 years old. Older Americans, however, have seen considerable growth in online penetration. While only 26% of adults ages 70 to 75 were online in 2005, close to half (45%) now use the internet. Among all adults ages 65 and older, 41% go online. Income and education are strongly related to internet penetration. Nearly all high-income (94%) and college-educated Americans (95%) are online, while only 57% of Americans earning less than $30,000 and roughly a third of those with less than a high school education use the internet.
Last Updated: 1 Dec 08
