Americans Assess the State of the Nation

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- A recent Gallup Poll finds that just 35% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the United States today. This low level of expressed satisfaction masks the fact that Americans are highly satisfied with some specific aspects of Americans life while at the same time highly dissatisfied with others.

Gallup asked Americans to assess their satisfaction with the state of the country in regard to each of 21 different policy areas and with seven different societal aspects. Americans show the highest levels of satisfaction with the overall quality of life in the United States, with the opportunities for hard workers to get ahead, and with the position of women in society. Americans are most dissatisfied with the availability of affordable healthcare, the level of immigration into the country, and the nation's efforts to deal with poverty and homelessness.

Compared with results on these questions from just prior to George W. Bush's inauguration as president in 2001, Americans have grown much less satisfied with the role the United States plays in world affairs, the state of the economy, and the quality of the environment. Americans are more satisfied now than they were in 2001, however, with the amount they pay in federal taxes and with gun policy.

Americans' Mood of the Nation

The Jan. 15-18, 2007, Gallup "Mood of the Nation" poll asked Americans if they are currently very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied with 21 different policy areas that the government deals with.

More than half of Americans are satisfied with five of the issues tested in the list, with the greatest level of satisfaction, 74%, reported for "the position of women in the nation." A majority of Americans also express satisfaction with the nation's military strength and preparedness (62%), the position of blacks and other racial minorities in the nation (55%), the nation's security from terrorism (53%), and the state of the nation's economy (52%). Additionally, 50% of Americans say they are satisfied with both the state of relations and the nation's laws or policies on guns.

The public is least satisfied with the nation's efforts to deal with poverty and homelessness (27%), the availability of affordable healthcare (25%), the nation's campaign finance laws (24%), and the level of immigration into the country today (24%). Whereas 7 in 10 Americans are dissatisfied with immigration, healthcare, and poverty, only 51% are dissatisfied with campaign finance since a substantial proportion of respondents do not have an opinion on this issue. Most who are dissatisfied with immigration say they want less, rather than more, immigration.

The poll also asked Americans about their overall satisfaction with seven different aspects of life in the country today.

As has consistently been the case since these measures were first obtained, Americans are most satisfied (86%) with the overall quality of life in the country. Americans are also highly satisfied with the opportunity for a person to get ahead by working hard (70%). Of the seven items, Americans are least satisfied with the size and influence of major corporations (39%) and the moral and ethical climate (35%).

The Bush Years

Gallup has asked Americans to rate these lists of items each January since 2001, with the initial measurement taken just prior to Bush assuming the presidency. This allows for a comparison of how Americans' satisfaction with these areas has changed during the Bush years, which is particularly relevant as he prepares for his next State of the Union address with a weak 36% job approval rating.

For the most part, Americans' satisfaction on these items is fairly stable, and does not change that much from year to year. In fact, on more than half of the 21 policy areas, there has been no meaningful change in the last six years (showing changes of four points or less in either direction).

The greatest change occurred in Americans' satisfaction with the role the United States plays in world affairs, down from 61% in 2001 to 40% today. Clearly, this change is due to the United States' experience in Iraq, as most of this decline has occurred since the United States invaded Iraq.

There has also been a drop in the percentage of Americans satisfied with the state of the nation's economy compared with 2001 (from 68% to 52%), although this precise comparison is somewhat misleading. Satisfaction with the economy dropped to as low as 34% in 2003, and after registering in the mid-40s for 2004-2006, improved slightly this year.

Since Bush took office, there have also been declines in Americans' satisfaction with the quality of the environment (from 56% to 46%), the level of immigration into the United States (from 32% to 24%), and the Social Security and Medicare systems (from 38% to 32%).

In some policy areas, Americans are more satisfied today than just prior to Bush's inauguration as president. One of President Bush's major policy initiatives involved cutting federal income taxes, and today 40% of Americans say they are satisfied with the amount they pay in federal taxes, compared with 26% in 2001. Americans are also more positive about the nation's gun laws today (50%) than they were in 2001 (38%).

In regard to the seven societal aspects, all of the change since 2001 has been in the negative direction.

The greatest change has been in the public's attitudes about how the government system works, with a drop of 12 percentage points in satisfaction from 68% to 56%. Americans are also somewhat less likely to say they are satisfied today with the size and influence of major corporations (down nine points) and with the influence of organized religion (down eight points).

For both of these items, particularly in regard to corporations, those who are dissatisfied want these institutions to have less rather than more influence on the country.  

Survey Methods

These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,018 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Jan. 15-18, 2007. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

18. Next, I'm going to read some aspects of life in America today. For each one, please say whether you are -- very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied. How about -- [ITEM A READ, THEN ITEMS B-G ROTATED]?

A. The overall quality of life

B. Our system of government and how well it works

C. The size and power of the federal government

D. The moral and ethical climate

E. The opportunity for a person in this nation to get ahead by working hard

F. The size and influence of major corporations

G. The influence of organized religion

19. Next, we'd like to know how you feel about the state of the nation in each of the following areas. For each one, please say whether you are -- very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied. If you don't have enough information about a particular subject to rate it, just say so. How about -- [ITEMS A-T ROTATED, THEN ITEM U READ]?

A. The nation's policies regarding the abortion issue

B. The nation's campaign finance laws

C. The nation's policies to reduce or control crime

D. The state of the nation's economy

E. The quality of public education in the nation

F. The nation's energy policies

G. The quality of the environment in the nation

H. The role the United States plays in world affairs

I. The nation's laws or policies on guns

J. The acceptance of homosexuality in the nation

K. The availability of affordable healthcare

L. The quality of medical care in the nation

M. The level of immigration into the country today

N. The nation's military strength and preparedness

O. The nation's efforts to deal with poverty and homelessness

P. The position of blacks and other racial minorities in the nation

Q. The state of race relations

R. The amount Americans pay in federal taxes

S. The Social Security and Medicare systems

T. The position of women in the nation

U. The nation's security from terrorism