More Americans consider it a "good thing" that Congress passed a financial rescue package for U.S. financial institutions than call it a "bad thing," but only by a narrow 9 percentage-point margin, 50% to 41%.
A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds 66% of Americans saying the events of the last month have harmed their own financial situations, and an even more ominous 70% thinking the events of the past two weeks will hurt them financially in the long run.
Opinions on Crisis Prior to Passage of Financial Rescue Plan
Forty percent of Americans tell Gallup they view the current economic crisis as the biggest financial crisis in their lifetimes. Despite limited support for the initial "bailout" plan, Americans do want to see Congress act on the financial crisis, with 56% saying that if Congress does not pass legislation, the U.S. economy will fall into either a depression or a severe and prolonged recession.
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