NBC/WSJ Poll: Bush at 82% approval

WSJ Interactive Edition | 1/24/2002 | Hart/Teeter

[Politico2]

HART-TEETER

January 2002
1724 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 234-5570

Interviews: 1,011 adults
Dates: January 18-21, 2002

48 Male
52 Female

FINAL
Study #6023
NBC News/Wall Street Journal
January 2002
Poll Methodology

---

Margin of error for 1,011 interviews is +/-3.2%

Unless otherwise noted by a "+", all previous data shown reflects responses among all adults.

---

1. All in all, do you think that things in the nation are generally headed in the right direction, or do you feel that things are off on the wrong track?

								High	Low
	1/02	12/01	9/01	6/01	4/01	3/01	1/01	9/01	7/92+
Right direction	62	70	72	43	47	52	45	72	14
Wrong track	20	15	11	39	39	32	36	11	71
Mixed (VOL)	14	12	11	14	11	11	15	11	9
Not sure	4	3	6	4	3	5	4	6	6
			12/00	10/00+	9/00+	7/00+	6/00+	4/00+
			39	48	51	48	44	44
			43	32	29	32	38	34
			14	18	16	17	15	19
			4	2	4	3	3	3

+ Results shown reflect responses among registered voters. -->

2a. In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job George W. Bush is doing as president?

	1/02	12/01	11/01	9/01	6/01	4/01	3/01
Approve	82	85	88	82	50	56	57
Disapprove	13	11	7	12	35	30	22
Not sure	5	4	5	6	15	14	21

2b. Do you generally approve or disapprove of the job George W. Bush is doing in handling the economy?

	1/02	12/01	6/01	4/01	3/01
Approve	63	63	50	51	52
Disapprove	27	25	38	33	27
Not sure	10	12	12	16	21

2c. In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job George W. Bush is doing in handling our foreign policy?

	1/02	12/01	6/01	4/01	3/01
Approve	81	82	50	63	53
Disapprove	13	12	32	26	20
Not sure	6	6	18	11	27

-->

3a. When it comes to dealing with the war on terrorism, do you think that George W. Bush is doing an excellent job, a good job, only a fair job, or a poor job?

Excellent job	43
Good job	40
Only a fair job	14
Poor job	3
Not sure	-

3b. When it comes to dealing with domestic issues here at home, do you think that George W. Bush is doing an excellent job, a good job, only a fair job, or a poor job?

Excellent job	17
Good job	42
Only a fair job	27
Poor job	12
Not sure	2

4. Specifically, when it comes to dealing with the environment, do you think that George W. Bush is doing an excellent job, a good job, only a fair job, or a poor job?

Excellent job	9
Good job	33
Only a fair job	29
Poor job	18
Not sure	11

5. In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job Congress is doing?

									High	Low
	1/02*	12/01	6/01	4/01	3/01	1/01	12/00	10/00+	9/98	10/90+
Approve	54	57	47	43	45	48	55	49	61	22
Disapprove	29	29	34	33	32	35	30	35	28	69
Not sure	17	14	19	24	23	17	15	16	11	9
			9/00+	7/00+	6/00+	4/00+	3/00+	1/00	12/99	10/99
			46	46	43	42	43	48	45	42
			41	42	46	44	40	36	42	45
			13	12	11	14	17	16	13	13
			9/99	7/99	6/99	4/99	3/99	1/99	12/98	10/98+
			40	43	40	49	41	50	44	48
			49	41	42	38	45	40	42	39
			11	16	18	13	14	10	14	13

* Asked of one-half the respondents (FORM A).
+ Results shown reflect responses among registered voters.

6. I'm going to read you the names of several public figures and groups, and I'd like you to rate your feelings toward each one as either very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative. If you don't know the name, please just say so.

	Very Positive	Somewhat Positive	Neutral	Somewhat Negative	Very Negative	Don't Know Name/Not Sure
George W. Bush
January 2002	53	26	10	7	4	-
December 2001	54	26	9	6	5	-
June 2001	30	23	16	15	15	1
April 2001	36	22	15	13	14	-
March 2001	38	24	14	12	11	1
January 2001	25	25	18	13	17	2
December 2000	23	25	16	13	22	1
November 27, 2000	31	19	11	19	20	-
Likely voters November 2000+	30	23	13	13	20	1
Likely voters October 2000+	28	25	15	13	18	1
September 2000+	23	26	15	15	19	2
High
December 2001	54	26	9	6	5	-
Low
March 2000+	19	26	21	15	17	2
The Democratic Party
January 2002 *	16	33	23	15	11	2
December 2001	18	30	26	14	9	3
June 2001	15	31	24	17	11	2
March 2001	17	27	24	16	14	2
January 2001	21	26	22	16	13	2
December 2000	23	23	18	16	18	2
October 2000+	20	27	20	15	16	2
September 2000+	23	26	19	17	14	1
August 2000+	21	26	23	16	13	1
July 2000+	19	27	24	15	14	1
June 2000+	15	32	23	15	13	2
High
January 2000	20	30	23	15	10	2
Low
December 1994	10	23	25	24	16	2
Dick Cheney
January 2002 *	32	30	21	6	5	6
December 2001	36	27	23	3	6	5
June 2001	26	22	22	14	11	5
April 2001	31	21	22	10	9	7
March 2001	30	26	22	8	6	8
January 2001	23	26	26	9	7	9
December 2000	23	26	22	10	11	8
October 2000+	25	24	26	8	9	8
September 2000+	17	26	22	12	8	15
July 2000+	19	23	26	9	6	17
March 1991+	27	33	15	4	2	19
High
February 1991+	33	33	13	2	2	17
Low
July 2000+	19	23	26	9	6	17
Richard Gephardt
January 2002 *	6	21	25	10	8	30
September 1998	6	18	35	9	5	27
October 1997	4	18	30	12	6	30
September 1997	6	15	32	8	7	32
March 1992	4	19	29	11	7	30
March 1991	5	21	28	10	4	32
Bill Clinton
January 2002 *	17	19	13	13	36	2
June 2001	18	21	15	15	31	-
April 2001	20	20	15	11	34	-
March 2001	17	17	13	14	38	1
January 2001	32	24	11	12	21	-
December 2000	33	23	11	12	21	-
Likely voters November 2000+	22	20	11	11	35	1
Likely voters October 2000+	25	23	8	12	32	-
September 2000+	25	25	10	13	27	-
August 2000+	24	22	11	13	30	-
July 2000+	22	27	11	12	28	-
High
January 1993	33	31	15	9	7	5
Low
March 2001	17	17	13	14	38	1
The Republican Party
January 2002 **	20	32	24	12	9	3
December 2001	21	36	18	13	9	3
June 2001	13	30	21	19	16	1
March 2001	18	31	21	15	14	1
January 2001	14	30	25	15	14	2
December 2000	18	26	23	14	18	1
October 2000+	14	29	25	16	14	2
September 2000+	14	33	19	20	13	1
August 2000+	19	27	23	14	15	2
July 2000+	15	28	24	16	15	2
June 2000+	9	30	28	16	15	2
High
December 2001	21	36	18	13	9	3
Low
March 1999	1	22	23	19	23	2
Tom Daschle
January 2002 **	8	24	21	8	11	28
December 2001	11	23	27	7	6	26
December 2000	3	7	17	5	4	64
Al Gore
January 2002 **	12	21	31	15	18	3
June 2001	14	24	25	17	18	2
March 2001	16	25	22	17	19	1
January 2001	22	29	15	15	18	1
December 2000	23	21	11	14	30	1
November 27, 2000	31	16	10	17	26	-
Likely voters November 2000+	25	22	15	17	20	1
Likely voters October 2000+	24	25	11	15	25	-
September 2000+	26	26	14	15	18	1
August 2000+	22	22	19	15	21	1
July 2000+	17	26	18	15	23	1
High
January 1993	23	32	22	9	6	8
Low
June 2000+	12	25	24	17	21	1
Tom DeLay
January 2002 **	2	12	21	6	7	52
December 2000	2	7	19	5	8	59
July 2000+	3	7	18	4	9	59
July 1999	2	7	19	3	4	65

* Asked of one-half the respondents (FORM A).
** Asked of one-half the respondents (FORM B).
+ Results shown reflect responses among registered voters.

7a. Now I'd like to read you a list of legislative priorities. Please tell me which ONE you feel is the most important priority for the President and Congress to address this year. (ACCEPT ONLY ONE RESPONSE. IF "ALL," ASK:) Well, if you had to choose just one, which priority do you think is MOST important?

THIS TABLE HAS BEEN RANKED BY THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF TOP PRIORITY
	Q.7a Top Priority			Q.7a/b COMBINED Top/Second Priorities
	1/02	12/01	6/01	1/02	12/01	6/01
Dealing with terrorism	26	36	NA	43	56	NA
Stimulating the economy	23	31	NA	43	59	NA
Reforming and improving education-1	13	10	26	29	25	46
Preserving the Social Security system-2	11	10	13	25	27	31
Providing prescription-drug benefits to seniors	8	NA	NA	17	NA	NA
Increasing unemployment compensation and health care benefits for the unemployed	5	NA	NA	12	NA	NA
Reforming the campaign-finance system	5	NA	NA	9	NA	NA
All equally important (VOL)	9	7	9	11	7	10
None important (VOL)	-	1	1	1	1	2
Not sure	-	-	1	1	1	2

1- In June 2001, item was phrased, “Reforming the education system.”
2- In June 2001, item was phrased, “Reforming the Social Security system.” (ASK ONLY OF RESPONDENTS WHO CHOOSE A MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY IN Q.7a.)

7b. And which of these issues do you think should be the next priority for the President and Congress to address this year? (ACCEPT ONLY ONE RESPONSE. IF "ALL," ASK:) Well, if you had to choose just one, which priority do you think is the SECOND-MOST important? -->

8. Now I'm going to read you a list of issues facing the country. Please tell me which area you think the President and Congress need to pay the most attention to this year. (ACCEPT ONLY ONE RESPONSE. IF "ALL," ASK:) Well, if you had to choose just one, which issue should they pay the MOST attention to?

THIS TABLE HAS BEEN RANKED BY THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE
The economy and the recession	28
The war on terrorism	26
Health care and Medicare issues	13
Domestic issues such as education and the environment	11
Energy independence from foreign countries	11
All equally important (VOL)	9
None/other (VOL)	1
Not sure	1

9a. Who do you want to see take the lead role in setting policy for the country -- President Bush or Congress?

	1/02	3/99-a	1/99	1/98	9/97	6/97	4/97
President Bush	44	35	38	28	35	35	38
Congress	32	47	43	49	43	45	44
Shared/equal role (VOL)	22	10	12	17	14	12	12
Neither (VOL)	1	5	5	4	4	5	3
Not sure	1	3	2	2	4	3	3
			1/97	12/96	3/95	12/94	11/94+
			34	38	33	31	30
			43	44	54	55	55
			18	14	6	8	11
			2	2	3	2	1
			3	2	4	4	3

a- Prior to January 2002, this question was phrased, “Who do you want to see take the lead role in setting policy for the country -- President Clinton or the Congress?”
+ Asked only of registered voters.

9b. I'm going to read you two statements about the role of government, and I'd like to know which one comes closer to your point of view. Statement A: Government should do more to solve problems and help meet the needs of people. OR
Statement B: Government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals.

	1/02	12/97	12/95-a
A/government should do more	45	41	32
B/government is doing too many things	43	51	62
Some of both (VOL)	9	5	NA
Not sure	3	3	6

a- In December 1995, this question was phrased, “Some people think the government is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses. Others think that government should do more to solve our country's problems. Which comes closer to your own view?” Turning to the elections for the House and Senate later this year...

10a. What is your preference for the outcome of the November 2002 congressional elections -- a Congress controlled by Republicans or a Congress controlled by Democrats?-a

	1/02	12/01	12/99	10/99	7/99	6/99	4/99	3/99
Republican-controlled Congress	44	42	40	39	39	42	41	37
Democrat-controlled Congress	40	40	44	41	43	41	40	43
Not sure-b	16	18	16	20	18	17	19	20
		10/98+	9/98	7/98	6/98	4/98	2/98	1/98
		41	40	41	39	37	41	40
		43	39	40	40	41	37	42
		16	21	19	21	22	22	18
		12/97	9/97	7/97	4/97	1/96	12/95	10/94
		41	41	45	44	41	42	44
		37	39	39	38	38	41	38
		22	20	16	18	21	17	18

a- In October 1994, the question referred to the 1994 congressional elections; the 1995 and 1996 survey dates referred to the 1996 congressional elections; the 1997 and 1998 dates refer to the 1998 congressional elections.
b- The volunteered responses "both equal,” "neither in control,” or "doesn't matter,” were reported separately; for purposes of comparative they are combined with "not sure.”
+ Results shown reflect responses among registered voters.

10b. In this year's election for U.S. House of Representatives, do you plan to vote for the Republican candidate or the Democratic candidate in your district? (IF "NOT SURE," ASK:) Well, which way do you lean at this time?

	1/02	10/98+	9/98	7/98	6/98	4/98	1/98	9/98+	7/98+	6/98+	4/98+	1/98+	10/96+
Vote for the Republican candidate	34	40	34	32	32	30	30	35	33	34	30	32	38
Vote for the Democratic candidate	33	43	36	34	36	36	36	37	35	37	37	36	39
Depends (VOL)	16	8	14	15	16	18	22	14	16	16	20	22	8
Other/neither/ won’t vote (VOL)	3	2	4	5	6	4	3	2	2	3	1	2	1
Not sure	14	7	12	14	10	12	9	12	14	10	12	8	14
		9/96+	8/20-21/96+	8/2-6/96+	7/96+	6/96+	5/96+	3/96	12/95-a	11/94	10/94	10/94+	9/94
		36	37	38	37	35	36	36	34	40	39	41	33
		42	38	38	40	40	39	38	36	37	36	36	39
		7	11	10	10	10	9	12	17	6	6	7	9
		2	2	2	1	1	2	3	3	3	5	2	5
		13	12	12	12	14	14	11	10	14	14	14	14

a- Prior to March 1996, this question was phrased, "election for U.S. Congress...”
+ Asked only of registered voters.

11. Let me read you several factors some people say they will consider in deciding which candidate to vote for in this November's congressional election. For each one that I mention, please tell me whether this factor will be important enough to determine your vote, a significant consideration, or not a consideration at all.

THIS TABLE HAS BEEN RANKED BY THE PERCENTAGE WHO SAY IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO DETERMINE VOTE
	Important Enough To Determine Vote	A Significant Consideration	Not A Consideration At All	Depends (VOL)	NotSure
The candidate has a strong record of delivering for your district	43	43	11	2	1
The candidate has the endorsement of President Bush	20	27	50	1	2
The candidate has the endorsement of environmental groups	19	32	45	2	2
The candidate is the incumbent	10	22	61	2	5

12. Please tell me which ONE or TWO of the following issues will be the most important to you in voting in this November's congressional election. (ACCEPT UP TO TWO RESPONSES. IF "ALL," ASK:) If you absolutely had to choose, which ONE or TWO issues would you say are most important to you?

THIS TABLE HAS BEEN RANKED BY THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE
The economy	40
The war on terrorism	30
Education	22
Health care	19
Social Security	17
Taxes	15
All equally important (VOL)	10
None/other (VOL)	1
Not sure	-

13. I'm going to read you several proposals that Congress is considering, and for each one, I'd like to know whether you favor or oppose that proposal. **

THIS TABLE HAS BEEN RANKED BY THE PERCENTAGE WHO SAY FAVOR
	Favor	Oppose	Not Sure
Providing prescription-drug benefits for senior citizens	88	6	6
Providing assistance to people with no health insurance	82	11	7
Providing tax cuts to individuals	67	25	8
Increasing defense spending	64	28	8
Providing tax cuts to businesses	41	48	11

** Asked of one-half the respondents (FORM B).

14. Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or something else? (IF "DEMOCRAT" OR "REPUBLICAN," ASK:) Would you call yourself a strong (Democrat/Republican) or not a very strong (Democrat/Republican)? (IF "INDEPENDENT," ASK:) Do you think of yourself as closer to the Democratic Party, closer to the Republican Party, or do you think of yourself as strictly independent?

Strong Democrat	20
Not very strong Democrat	8	CONTINUE
Independent/lean Democrat	11
Strictly independent	17
Independent/lean Republican	9
Not very strong Republican	8	Skip to Q.15b
Strong Republican	20
Other	5
Not sure/nothing	2

(ASK ONLY OF DEMOCRATS IN Q.14.)

15a. Let me read you a list of people who might seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2004. If the next Democratic primary for president were being held today, which one of the following candidates would you vote for? (IF "NOT SURE," ASK:) Well, which way do you lean?

THIS TABLE HAS BEEN RANKED BY THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE
Al Gore	35
Bill Bradley	9
Joe Lieberman	9
Tom Daschle	9
Richard Gephardt	8
John Kerry	6
John Edwards	3
Joe Biden	3
None/other (VOL)	4
Not sure	14

15b. If the next election for president were held today, and George W. Bush were running as the Republican candidate and Al Gore were running as the Democratic candidate, for whom would you vote?

George W. Bush	63
Al Gore	28
Neither/other (VOL)	3
Not sure	6

15c. If the next election for president were held today, and George W. Bush were running as the Republican candidate and Richard Gephardt were running as the Democratic candidate, for whom would you vote?

George W. Bush	67
Richard Gephardt	21
Neither/other (VOL)	3
Not sure	9

Now I'd like to ask you a few questions about President George W. Bush.

16a. Compared to what you expected when George W. Bush took office a year ago, do you feel that he has done better than you expected, worse than you expected, or just about as you expected?

	George W. Bush	Bill Clinton
	1/02*	1/94
Better than expected	67	17
Worse than expected	3	15
Just about as expected	28	65
Not sure	2	3

* Asked of one-half the respondents (FORM A).

16b. Which phrase best describes your feelings about how George W. Bush will continue to do during his presidency -- optimistic and confident that he will do a good job, satisfied and hopeful that he will do a good job, uncertain and wondering whether he will do a good job, or pessimistic and worried that he will do a bad job?

	1/02	1/01-a	11/00	11/00+	10/00+
Optimistic and confident	43	24	28	29	27
Satisfied and hopeful	36	35	24	25	29
Uncertain and wondering	14	28	24	23	24
Pessimistic and worried	7	12	22	21	19
Not sure	-	1	2	2	1

a- In January 2001, this question was phrased, “Which phrase best describes your feelings about how George W. Bush will do during his presidency..." Prior to January 2001, this question was phrased “Which of the following best describes how you would feel if George W. Bush were elected president...?”
+ Results shown reflect responses among registered voters.

16c. How would you rate George W. Bush on the following qualities, using a five-point scale on which a "5" means a very good rating, a "1" means a very poor rating, and a "3" means a mixed rating. *

THIS TABLE HAS BEEN RANKED BY THE PERCENTAGE WHO GIVE A GOOD RATING (RATING OF 4 OR 5)
	Very Good Rating				Very Poor Rating	Cannot Rate
	5	4	3	2	1
Having the ability to handle a crisis
January 2002	63	18	12	4	3	-
January 2001	20	27	29	11	11	2
Representing traditional American values
January 2002	50	25	17	4	4	-
January 2001	30	29	25	7	8	1
Having the strong leadership qualities needed to be president
January 2002	49	24	17	5	5	-
January 200	26	24	25	13	11	1
December 1999	26	27	24	10	9	4
Being in charge and making his own decisions
January 2002	40	27	18	7	7	1
January 2001	24	25	24	11	14	2
Being knowledgeable and experienced enough to handle the presidency
January 2002	39	28	21	6	6	-
January 2001	19	25	25	16	14	1
Being compassionate enough to understand average people
January 2002	44	21	20	6	8	1
January 2001	21	21	27	14	16	1
December 1999	22	24	28	10	12	4
Working effectively with Congress to get results
January 2002	26	32	29	6	5	2
January 2001	19	27	36	8	8	2
December 1999	18	30	32	7	7	6

* Asked of one-half the respondents (FORM A).

17. Which issue do you think President Bush will pay more attention to this year--continuing the war on terrorism or dealing with domestic problems?

Continuing the war on terrorism	64
Dealing with domestic problems	16
Both equally (VOL)	18
Not sure	2

-->

18. Do you think that things in America are back to normal, are almost back to normal, still have a long way to go before being back to normal, or are still very shaky and will never return to normal?

Back to normal	5
Almost back to normal	35
Still have a long way to go	44
Still very shaky	15
Not sure	1

19. When it comes to taking military action in the war against terrorism, do you think that most of the military action that needs to be taken is still ahead of us, or that most of the military action has been taken and is already behind us?

Most military action still ahead of us	64
Most military action is already behind us	26
Depends (VOL)	5
Not sure	5

20. How likely do you think it is that the United States will be the target of another major terrorist attack at home or overseas in the next few months -- very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely, or very unlikely?

	1/02	12/01
Very likely	44	45
Somewhat likely	37	40
Somewhat unlikely	11	10
Very unlikely	5	3
Not sure	3	2

21a. Do you think that the United States will ever capture or kill international terrorist Osama Bin Laden, or not?

	1/02	12/01	9/01
Yes, will capture or kill	51	66	73
No, will never capture or kill	33	23	15
Not sure	16	11	12

21b. Do you think that capturing or killing Osama Bin Laden is necessary to successfully conclude the campaign in Afghanistan, or not?

Capturing or killing is necessary	44
Capturing or killing is NOT necessary	52
Not sure	4

22. Now I would like to mention some actions that might be taken in the war against terrorism, and for each one, please tell me whether you think the United States should or should not take that action.

	Should Take Action	Should Not Take Action	Depends (VOL)	Not Sure
Take military action against terrorist cells in other countries, such as the Philippines, Somalia and the Sudan
January 2002 **	71	20	5	4
December 2001	64	23	6	7
Take military action against Iraq and Saddam Hussein, even if Iraq had nothing to do with the September eleventh attacks
January 2002 **	47	42	4	7

** Asked of one-half the respondents (FORM B). Now I'd like to ask you a few questions about the economy, the budget, and taxes.

23a. How satisfied are you with the state of the U.S. economy today -- are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied with the state of the economy?

							High	Low
	1/02	12/01	1/01	4/00+	10/99	12/98	9/98	1/96
Very satisfied	4	5	18	29	23	26	31	3
Somewhat satisfied	43	47	57	52	53	54	55	37
Somewhat dissatisfied	39	32	18	12	17	13	10	38
Very dissatisfied	13	15	6	6	7	6	3	19
Not sure	1	1	1	1	-	1	1	3
		10/98+	9/98	12/97	9/97	6/97	3/97	12/96
		27	31	18	13	10	13	9
		55	55	52	52	51	45	51
		12	10	20	23	27	27	27
		5	3	8	10	10	13	11
		1	1	2	2	2	2	2
	9/96	6/96	5/96+	3/96	1/96	7/95	4/95	12/94
	7	5	4	3	3	4	4	4
	49	43	43	39	37	39	40	41
	30	32	38	37	38	35	37	38
	12	18	14	19	19	21	18	15
	2	2	1	2	3	1	1	2

+ Results shown reflect responses among registered voters.

23b. How satisfied are you with your own financial situation today--are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied with your financial situation?

							High	Low
	1/02	1/01	4/00+	10/99	9/99	12/98	9/98	12/94
Very satisfied	19	21	25	21	22	25	26	13
Somewhat satisfied	50	50	51	53	50	51	52	48
Somewhat dissatisfied	19	17	13	14	18	13	14	24
Very dissatisfied	12	11	10	11	10	10	7	14
Not sure	-	1	1	1	-	1	1	1
		9/98	12/97	9/97	6/97	3/97	12/96	12/94
		26	20	19	16	17	16	13
		52	51	49	50	48	50	48
		14	16	17	20	20	21	24
		7	12	14	13	14	12	14
		1	1	1	1	1	1	1

+ Results shown reflect responses among registered voters.

23c. Looking ahead to the next year or so, do you expect to be better off financially, worse off, or about the same as you are today?

	1/02	9/99
Better off	45	44
Worse off	5	5
About the same	48	49
Not sure	2	2

24. How likely do you think it is that you or someone in your household will lose their job as a result of a recession in the next twelve months -- extremely likely, very likely, just somewhat likely, or not that likely?

	1/02	12/01	9/91-a
Extremely likely	6	8	8
Very likely	7	7	10
Just somewhat likely	18	20	21
Not that likely	67	64	58
Not sure	2	1	3

a- In September 1991, this question was phrased, “How likely do you think it is that you or someone in your household will lose their job as a result of the recession...”

25. Do you think the worst of the recession is over or is yet to come?

	1/02	12/91+	9/91
Worst is over	47	28	43
Worst is yet to come	41	62	49
Not sure	12	10	8

+ Results shown reflect responses among registered voters.

26. Whom do you blame most for the recession? (ACCEPT UP TO ONE RESPONSE. IF "ALL," ASK:) Well, who do you think is MOST responsible?

THIS TABLE HAS BEEN RANKED BY THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE
The normal business cycle	35
The September eleventh attacks and the war on terrorism	32
Democrats in Congress	8
Republicans in Congress	6
President George W. Bush	5
Alan Greenspan	3
None of these/other (VOL)	6
Not sure	5

27. Do you think that proper government economic policies can or cannot speed the nation's recovery from the recession?

Government policies can speed recovery	72
Government policies cannot speed recovery	15
Mixed/depends (VOL)	6
Don't know/not sure	7

28. Who do you think has the better approach on how to get the country out of a recession -- President Bush or the Democrats in Congress?

	1/02	12/01
President Bush	42	46
The Democrats in Congress	29	25
Both equally (VOL)	15	13
Neither	4	NA
Not sure	10	16

29. Which of the following legislative options designed to stimulate the economy do you think should be a higher priority--providing health and economic benefits to households with laid-off workers or providing tax cuts to businesses?

Providing benefits to households with laid-off workers	57
Providing tax cuts to businesses	30
Neither (VOL)	6
Not sure	7

-->

30a. As you may know, the federal budget was running a surplus but is now running a deficit. Do you consider this a very serious problem, a fairly serious problem, just somewhat of a problem, or not really a problem?

Very serious problem	26
Fairly serious problem	23
Just somewhat of a problem	34
Not really a problem	16
Not sure	1

30b. What do you think has contributed the most to the federal budget deficit -- the recession, the war on terrorism, or the President's tax cut enacted last year? (ACCEPT ONLY ONE RESPONSE. IF "ALL," ASK:) Well, which do you think has contributed the MOST to the deficit?

The recession	28
The war on terrorism	36
The tax cut	17
All/none/other (VOL)	13
Not sure	6

31a. Do you think the tax cut bill that Congress passed and the President signed last year helped the economy, hurt the economy, or didn't have any significant effect?

Helped economy	27
Hurt economy	17
No significant effect	45
Had mixed effects (VOL)	5
Not sure	6

31b. Which of these two statements comes closer to your point of view? Statement A: Democrats favor delaying the tax cut for households with an annual income of more than one hundred and thirty thousand dollars, because there is a budget deficit and funds are needed for other programs. OR
Statement B: Republicans favor maintaining the tax cut for all Americans, because the tax cuts are needed to stimulate the economy.

A/Delay tax cut for over-$130,000 households	34
B/Maintain tax cut for all Americans	57
Depends (VOL)	3
Not sure	6

31c. What if the choice were between delaying tax cuts for upper-income households or reducing spending on domestic programs--would you favor delaying the tax cuts for upper-income households or reducing spending on domestic programs?

Delay tax cut for upper-income households	56
Reduce spending on domestic programs	32
Depends (VOL)	4
Not sure	8

32. Do you think the September eleventh attacks and the war on terrorism caused the recession to be worse than it otherwise would have been, caused it not to be as bad as it otherwise would have been, or did they not have any significant effect on the recession?

Caused recession to be worse	78
Caused recession to not be as bad	6
Did not have any significant effect	14
Not sure	2

33. I am going to read a list of institutions in American society, and I'd like you to tell me how much confidence you have in each one--a great deal, quite a bit, some, very little, or none at all?

THIS TABLE HAS BEEN RANKED BY THE PERCENTAGE WHO SAY A GREAT DEAL OF CONFIDENCE
	A Great Deal Of Confidence	Quite A Bit Of Confidence	Some Confidence	Very Little Confidence	No Confidence At All	Not Sure
The military
January 2002 **	54	31	11	2	1	1
December 2000	36	27	25	7	3	2
June 1998-a	33	31	25	9	1	2
May 1996-a	30	36	25	7	-	2
January 1996-b	32	38	22	7	-	1
December 1991-c	47	31	15	6	NA	1
December 1988-d	15	31	33	15	NA	7
October 1986-d	29	34	24	10	1	2
November 1981-d	22	28	29	14	6	2
January 1977-d	23	34	25	11	1	6
June 1975-d	27	31	25	11	1	5
Congress
January 2002 **	13	24	44	15	3	1
December 2000	10	16	48	18	6	2
June 1998-a	10	18	48	20	2	2
February 1997-e	7	14	46	32	NA	1
January 1996-b	4	10	41	41	3	1
December 1991-c	7	10	39	43	NA	1
December 1988-d	8	20	41	26	NA	6
October 1986-d	10	31	43	12	1	3
November 1981-d	8	21	41	22	6	3
January 1977-d	12	28	34	17	1	7
June 1975-d	14	26	38	18	1	3
The national news media
January 2002 **	13	17	39	19	10	2
December 2000	7	13	39	25	15	1
February 1997-e	5	15	39	40	NA	1
January 1996-b	6	14	40	37	2	1
December 1991-c	16	21	38	25	NA	1
The financial industry
January 2002 **	10	18	50	16	3	3
December 2000	11	25	45	13	4	2
The accounting profession
January 2002 **	9	16	41	20	7	7
Large corporations
January 2002 **	8	14	44	23	9	2
December 2000	9	17	42	22	8	2
July 1998-d	13	18	42	22	2	3
January 1996-b	6	15	45	30	2	2
December 1991-c	11	15	47	26	NA	2
December 1988-d	6	16	39	32	NA	8
October 1986-d	7	21	40	26	2	4
November 1981-d	6	14	36	29	11	3
January 1977-d	11	21	35	25	2	6
June 1975-d	10	24	36	23	2	5

PLEASE NOTE: Comparative data shown does not necessarily reflect all of the existing data for an item. It is possible that an institution received higher or lower confidence ratings in a survey that is not shown.
**Asked of one-half the respondents (FORM B).
a- Comparative data comes from Gallup/CNN/USA Today surveys.
b- Comparative data comes from a survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research for the Kaiser Foundation, Harvard University, and the Washington Post. “Large corporations” was previously phrased as “large business corporations” and “national news media” was previously phrased as “news media.”
c- Comparative data comes from a survey conducted by ABC News. “Large corporations” was previously phrased as “large business corporations” and “national news media” was previously phrased as “news media.”
d- Comparative data comes from surveys conducted by Gallup. “Large corporations” was previously phrased as “big business.”
e- Comparative data comes from a survey conducted by Hart/Teeter for the Council for Excellence in Government. -->

34a. How concerned would you say you are about the situation involving Enron--very concerned, fairly concerned, just somewhat concerned, or not concerned at all?

Very concerned	35
Fairly concerned	17
Just somewhat concerned	23
Not concerned at all	17
Not sure	8

34b. Do you think the Bush administration did or did not grant special considerations and favors to Enron?

Did grant special favors	34
Did not grant special favors	33
Depends (VOL)	3
Not sure	30

34c. Do you think the Bush administration should or should not have notified Enron shareholders and government regulators of the company's financial problems?

Should have notified	59
Should not have notified	25
Don't know/not sure	16

Changing subjects...

35. Do you favor or oppose an outright ban on the cloning of human beings?

	1/02	1/98
Favor	54	58
Oppose	39	36
Not sure	7	6

FACTUALS: Now I am going to ask you a few questions for statistical purposes only.

F1. Are you currently registered to vote in the precinct or election district where you live now, or haven't you had a chance to register yet?

Yes, registered	87
No, not registered	11
Not sure	2

F2. Are you currently employed? (IF CURRENTLY EMPLOYED:) What type of work do you do?
(IF NOT CURRENTLY EMPLOYED:) Are you a student, a homemaker, retired, or unemployed and looking for work?

Currently Employed
Professional/ manager	26
White-collar worker	21
Blue-collar worker	17
Farmer, rancher	-
Not Currently Employed
Student	3
Homemaker	6
Retired	20
Unemployed, looking for work	5
Other	-
Not sure	2

F3. Did you happen to vote in the 2000 presidential election? (IF "YES," ASK:) For whom did you vote -- George W. Bush, the Republican, Al Gore, the Democrat, Ralph Nader, the Green Party candidate, or Pat Buchanan, the Reform Party candidate?

Yes, Voted
Voted for George W. Bush	43
Voted for Al Gore	33
Voted for Ralph Nader	2
Voted for Pat Buchanan	-
Voted for other candidate (VOL)	1
Not sure who voted for (VOL)	1
No, Did Not Vote	16
No, was too young to vote (VOL)	1
Not Sure/Refused	3

F4. How old are you? (IF "REFUSED," ASK:) Well, would you tell me which age group you belong to?

18-24	9	50-54	10
25-29	7	55-59	7
30-34	10	60-64	6
35-39	9	65-69	6
40-44	11	70-74	5
45-49	11	75 and over	7
		Refused	2

F5. What is the last grade that you completed in school?

Grade school	1
Some high school	5
High school graduate	30
Some college, no degree	19
Vocational training/2-year college	8
4-year college/bachelor's degree	20
Some postgraduate work, no degree	3
2 or 3 years postgraduate work/master's degree	9
Doctoral/law degree	3
Not sure/refused	2

F6. Thinking about your general approach to issues, do you consider yourself to be liberal, moderate, or conservative?

Liberal	20
Moderate	41
Conservative	33
Not sure	6

F7. Are you currently single and never married, married, separated, widowed, or divorced?

Single	20
Married	59
Separated	2
Widowed	8
Divorced	9
Other (VOL)	-
Not sure/refused	2

F8a. In what religion were you brought up?

Protestant	49	CONTINUE
Catholic	30
Jewish	2
Muslim	-	Skip to
Other	12	Q.F9
None	5
Not sure/refused	2

(ASK ONLY OF PROTESTANTS IN Q.F8a.)

F8b. Would you describe yourself as either a fundamentalist or an evangelical Christian, or would you not describe yourself that way?

Fundamentalist/evangelical	16
Neither fundamentalist nor evangelical	29
Not sure	4
Non-Protestants (Q.F8a).	51

F9. Are you a member of a labor union? (IF "NO," ASK:) Is anyone else in this household a member of a labor union?

Labor union member	11
Labor union household	6
Non-union household	81
Not sure	2

F10a. Are you from a Hispanic or Spanish-speaking background?

Yes	8
No	90
Not sure/refused	2

F10b.What is your race -- white, black, Asian, or something else?

White	81
Black	10
Asian	1
Other	1
Hispanic (VOL)	6
Not sure/refused	1

F11. Finally, if you added together the yearly income of all the members of your family who were living at home last year, would the total be less than ten thousand dollars, between ten thousand dollars and twenty thousand dollars, between twenty thousand dollars and thirty thousand dollars, between thirty thousand dollars and forty thousand dollars, between forty thousand dollars and fifty thousand dollars, between fifty thousand dollars and seventy-five thousand dollars, between seventy-five thousand dollars and one hundred thousand dollars, or would the total be more than that?

Less than $10,000	4
Between $10,000 and $20,000	7
Between $20,000 and $30,000	11
Between $30,000 and $40,000	12
Between $40,000 and $50,000	10
Between $50,000 and $75,000	16
Between $75,000 and $100,000	12
More than $100,000	12
Not sure/refused	16

-->

---

[Politico2]

Bush at 82%, country split on whether Bush administration granted special favors for Enron... 60% think Bush administration should have notified shareholders and regulators about Enron's financial situation.

[SamAdams76]

Wow, that is quite a bit of information to digest. Good job posting all of this. Am I reading this wrong or was George Bush really at 82% approval on 9/1 - before 9/11?

[dalebert]

you can blame the press for the last question about Enron. The cat was out of the bag when the Whitehous was contacted.The press is doing a lousy job of reporting the truth about Enron and the administration. CNN is reporting rumor and inuendo as fact as are ABC,CBC,NBC and Mathews acts like he has a personal ax to grind.

[eureka!]

King John, this may be worthy of a group ping...

[summer]

Great job posting all this! Thanks.

[Redcloak]

Note that the polling was done over a weekend. Weekend polls favor Democrats. Why? Because Republicans have lives and are out living them on the weekends. Lifeless Gorons, on the other hand, are sitting at home waiting by the phone for the pollsters to call. Now when one consideres that Bush still got 82%, even with a skewed sample...

[Redcloak]

Summoning his royal pingness?

:^)

[Libertina]

Wow, a very interesting set of responses. The one which scares me the most is the 80%+ favoring what looks to be government healthcare...and on top of that, only 60% or so favoring tax cuts (FOR THE RICH!!!!!!) Wonder where those people are planning to get all that money? Hmmm Barricade the wallet time. Dems don't have a real candidate for Pres. Why wasn't Hillary named in this survey?

[VRWC_minion]

This whole poll has too many republicans to give accurate overview

F3. Did you happen to vote in the 2000 presidential election? (IF "YES," ASK:) For whom did you vote -- George W. Bush, the Republican, Al Gore, the Democrat, Ralph Nader, the Green Party candidate, or Pat Buchanan, the Reform Party candidate?

Yes, Voted
Voted for George W. Bush	43
Voted for Al Gore	33
Voted for Ralph Nader	2
Voted for Pat Buchanan	-
Voted for other candidate (VOL)	1
Not sure who voted for (VOL)	1
No, Did Not Vote	16
No, was too young to vote (VOL)	1
Not Sure/Refused	3

[eureka!]

Re#7 LOL. Nobody pings better...

[hawaiian]

Am I reading this wrong or was George Bush really at 82% approval on 9/1 - before 9/11?

You are reading this wrong. It means 9/2001. Before the attacks, his approval was 50%.

[hawaiian]

These numbers are absolutely phenomenal for the president. I especially like the fact that Bush beats Gore 63-28 if there were another vote today. Also, only 5% of the people blame Bush for the recession. Most everyone else either blames normal business cycle, the 9/11 attacks, or the Democrats.

[daler]

Hmmm...things look pretty positive for GWB and the Republicans.

I would imagine most media moguls are presently slamming these poll results on their staff meeting tables and demanding of their reporters, "So...what are you going to do about this? Obviously your efforts thus far have been unproductive..."

[LS]

Well, talk about a poll that has to be DEVASTATING to Dems in general and to Bill Clinton and Algore in particular, WOW!

First, note that HALF the people don't even know who Dick Gephardt is or are neutral. REALLY bad for one of the two biggest leaders in Congress.

Second, Algore would get TROUNCED if the election were today---60+ percent DEMOCRATS would vote for Bush??!!

Third, Bush beats the Dems on the economy, on taxes, beats them like red-headed stepchildren. The GOP is favored in Congress, and people would MORE LIKE (44-40) to see the GOP win in November!

People blame the business cycle for the recession, but more blame DEMS IN CONGRESS than Bush!

Clinton has 36% ultra negatives, plue 11% "somewhat negatives," for a LEGACY COUNT OF NEGATIVE 47%!!

And finally, campaign finance reform got a, what, 8%???? It was the next to last item in order of priority for voters.

[Rustynailww]

the bush numbers are in a steady decline. if this continues exponentially he will be in negative numbers soon.

[LS]

You know, that 80% scares me too, but what gives room for hope is that the question "government-should-do-more" and "government-does-too-much" are nearly equal! I see this as an improvement over where I thought the country was.

[Queen of Excelsior]

You think they polled too many Republicans? Maybe not. Maybe there was an awful lot of voter fraud last November.

[LS]

I don't think so. Here is what I think is happening: in the wake of 9/11, SOME people who voted Nader, Buchanan, Lib, or Gore, are ex post facto "changing" their votes for pollsters.

[YaYa123]

." If the next election for president were held today, and George W. Bush were running as the Republican candidate and Al Gore were running as the Democratic candidate, for whom would you vote?

George W. Bush 63
Al Gore 28
Neither/other (VOL) 3
Not sure 6

I'm Not sure, but this may be my favorite question!!

thanks Politico2!

[EllaMinnow]

I saw Tim Russert discussing these results on the Today Show this morning. Not a word about the low numbers for Clinton, daschle, Gore, Gephardt. But Matt Lauer was &*$#ing bricks. It was fun!