Economic Outlook (3)

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Economic Outlook (p. 3)

Polls listed chronologically. Data are from nationwide surveys of Americans 18 & older.
						.

Economic Outlook, Personal Finances, Consumer Behavior continued

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Sept. 21-23, 2010. N=1,010 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"Do you think the economy is in a recession, or not?"
					.
		Is	Is not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/21-23/10	74	25	1
	6/16/10	78	21	1
	12/2-3/09	84	16	-
	9/11-13/09	86	13	1
	8/28-31/09	87	12	1
	5/14-17/09	90	10	-
	12/1-2/08	89	10	1
	10/17-19/08	76	23	1
	8/29-31/08	73	26	1
	6/26-29/08	75	25	-
	4/28-30/08	79	19	2
	3/14-16/08	74	25	1
	2/1-3/08	66	31	2
	1/9-10/08	61	37	3
	12/6-9/07	57	42	1
	10/12-14/07	46	51	3

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Sept. 1-2, 2010. N=1,024 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Which of the following statements best describes your opinion of economic conditions today? Economic conditions are as bad or worse as they were two years ago. The economy has gotten better, but in the near future conditions will again be as bad as they were two years ago. The economy has gotten better and in the near future conditions will remain better than they were two years ago."
					.
		As bad or worse than 2 years ago	Better now, but bad soon	Better and will remain so	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/1-2/10	49	18	32	1

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Aug. 5-9, 2010. N=1,000 adults nationwide.
					.
"Thinking about the country's economic conditions, have we pretty much hit the bottom, or is there still a ways to go before we hit the bottom?" Half sample (Form B), MoE ą 4.4
					.
		Pretty much hit bottom	Still a ways to go	Hit bottom already (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	8/5-9/10	29	64	3	4
	1/10-14/10	31	53	13	3
	10/22-25/09	29	58	8	5
	9/17-20/09	35	52	9	4
	7/24-27/09	27	58	10	5
	2/26 - 3/1/09	17	76	3	4

Pew Research/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll, sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management. June 3-6, 2010. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
					.
"Which of the these best describes your opinion? The economy is now recovering. The economy is not yet recovering but will recover soon. OR, It will be a long time before the economy recovers."
					.
		Now recovering	Will recover soon	Will be a long time	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/3-6/10	13	35	50	2
	3/10-14/10	13	37	48	2
					.
"Which of the following national economic issues worries you most? The job situation. The federal budget deficit. Rising prices. OR, Problems in the financial and housing markets." Options rotated
					.
			6/3-6/10	3/10-14/10
			%	%
	Job situation		41	45
	Federal budget deficit		23	22
	Rising prices		16	17
	Financial and housing markets		13	11
	Other (vol.)		3	2
	None (vol.)		1	-
	Unsure		2	2

Gallup Poll. April 8-11, 2010. N=1,020 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
					.
"How would you rate your financial situation today -- as excellent, good, only fair, or poor?"
					.
		Excellent	Good	Only fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/8-11/10	8	33	40	19	1
	4/6-9/09	6	36	39	19	1
	12/12-14/08	11	41	32	16	1
	4/6-9/08	7	38	37	17	-
	4/2-5/07	10	45	31	14	-
					.
"Right now, do you think that your financial situation as a whole is getting better or getting worse?"
					.
		Better	Worse	Same (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/8-11/10	39	40	19	2
	4/6-9/09	34	43	22	1
	4/6-9/08	32	49	17	2
	4/2-5/07	51	32	16	1

Bloomberg Poll conducted by Selzer & Co. March 19-22, 2010. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
					.
"What is your expectation of when it will feel to you like the economy is strong again? Do you think that will happen within the next year, next two years, or longer than two years from now, or do you think it is already as strong as it was before the recession?"
					.
		Within next year	Within next two years	Longer than two years	Already as strong	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/19-22/10	9	39	48	2	2
					.
"For each of the following, please tell me if you sense things are generally a lot better, a little better, about the same, a little worse, or a lot worse than they were a year ago. . . ."
					.
		A lot better	A little better	About the same	A little worse	A lot worse
		%	%	%	%	%
					.
	"The value of your investments" N=665 respondents with investments in stocks, bonds or mutual funds
	3/19-22/10	6	25	22	29	17
					.
	"The overall U.S. economy"
	3/19-22/10	4	25	13	23	34
					.
	"The businesses in your community"
	3/19-22/10	2	14	28	33	21
					.
	"The value of homes in your community"
	3/19-22/10	2	12	28	31	25

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Feb. 4-8, 2010. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"Many economists say that using the standards they apply, the recession probably is over. Thinking about your own experience of economic conditions, would you say that from your point of view the recession is over, or not over?"
					.
		Over	Not over	Unsure	.
		%	%	%	.
	2/4-8/10	12	88	1	.
	12/10-13/09	13	86	1	.
	10/15-18/09	16	82	1	.

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Jan. 22-24, 2010. N=1,009 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Which of the following statements comes closest to your view of economic conditions today? The economy is starting to recover from the problems it faced in the past year or so. An economic recovery has not started but conditions have stabilized and are not getting any worse. The economy is still in a downturn and conditions are continuing to worsen."
					.
		Starting to recover	Stabilized	Still in a downturn
		%	%	%
	1/22-24/10	12	49	39
	12/2-3/09	15	46	39
	10/16-18/09	17	50	33
	6/26-28/09	12	48	40
					.
"Would you say that economic conditions are the worst that they have been in your lifetime, or have you lived through worse economic conditions than the country is currently facing?"
					.
		Worst in lifetime	Lived through worse
		%	%
	1/22-24/10	77	22

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Jan. 8-10, 2010. N=1,021 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"How long do you think it will take for the economy to recover from its current problems: within the next six months, six months to a year, one to two years, two to three years, three to four years, or longer than four years?"
					.
		1/8-10/10	3/12-15/09	1/12-15/09
		%	%	%
	Within 6 months	1	1	1
	6 months to a year	7	9	12
	1 to 2 years	29	32	27
	2 to 3 years	19	24	23
	3 to 4 years	11	12	12
	Longer than 4 years	31	22	24

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. Dec. 10-14, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
					.
"Over the next year, do you think the country's economy will get better, get worse or stay about the same?"
					.
		Get Better	Get Worse	Stay About the Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/10-14/09	46	20	32	1
					.
"Over the next year, do you think your own family's finances will get better, get worse or stay about the same?"
					.
		Get Better	Get Worse	Stay About the Same
		%	%	%
	12/10-14/09	37	13	50

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Dec. 11-13, 2009. N=1,025 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
					.
"Roughly how much money do you think you personally will spend on Christmas gifts this year?"
					.
		MEDIAN Response	MEAN Response (with zero)	MEAN Response (without zero)	Unsure* %
		.	.
	12/11-13/09	$500	$743	$814	13
	12/4-7/08	$400	$639	$700	15
	12/6-9/07	$500	$833	$880	12
	12/5-8/05	$500	$840	$892	11
	12/5-8/04	$600	$862	$920	12
	12/11-14/03	$500	$776	$794	7
					.
					* "Unsure" includes those who do not celebrate Christmas.

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Dec. 2-3, 2009. N=1,041 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"As you may know, the U.S. went through a depression in the 1930s in which roughly one out of four workers were unemployed, banks failed across the country, and millions of ordinary Americans were temporarily homeless or unable to feed their families. Do you think it is very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not likely at all that another depression like that will occur in the U.S. within the next 12 months?"
					.
		Very likely	Somewhat likely	Not very likely	Not likely at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/2-3/09	17	26	39	19	1
	7/31 - 8/3/09	12	29	36	22	-
	3/12-15/09	12	33	36	18	1
	12/1-2/08	10	28	41	20	-
	10/17-19/08	12	29	35	24	1
					.
"Do you think you will spend more, less or about the same amount on Christmas or holiday gifts this year than you did last year?"
					.
		More	Less	Same
		%	%	%
	12/2-3/09	12	49	39
					.
"Will you spend more of your holiday gift budget on practical things that people really need, or on things that people don't necessarily need but might enjoy?"
					.
		Need	Might enjoy	Equally/ both (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/2-3/09	68	27	4	1
					.
"Do you think current economic conditions will make this holiday season more stressful for you than in previous years, or not?"
					.
		Will	Will not
		%	%
	12/2-3/09	40	59
					.
"Now thinking about the amount of money you generally donate during the holiday season to charities or other organizations that help those in need. Which of the following statements best describes you? You definitely will give as much to charities as you did last year. You hope to be able to give as much to charities this year, but economic conditions may force you to cut back."
					.
		Will give as much as last year	May be forced to cut back	Don't donate money to charities (vol.)
		%	%	%
	12/2-3/09	44	51	5

ABC News Poll. Nov. 18-22, 2009. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Compared to last year, would you say this holiday season you will spend more, less, or about the same on presents for friends and family?" 2008 & earlier: "Compared to last year, would you say this Christmas you will spend more, less, or about the same on presents for friends and family?"
					.
		More	Less	About the Same	Other (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	11/18-22/09	7	50	40	2
	12/11-14/08	7	57	34	1
	11/12-16/08	8	51	37	3
	11/14-18/07	14	36	48	2
	11/99	15	29	54	2
					.
"Roughly how much money do you think you personally will spend on gifts this holiday season?" 2008: "Roughly how much money do you think you personally will spend on holiday gifts this Christmas season?"
					.
		MEAN response
					.
	11/18-22/09	$659
	11/12-16/08	$716

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Oct. 22-25, 2009. N=1,009 adults nationwide.
					.
"Thinking about the country's economic conditions, have we pretty much hit the bottom, or is there still a ways to go before we hit the bottom?" Half sample (Form A), MoE ą 4.4
					.
		Pretty Much Hit Bottom	Still a Ways To Go	Hit Bottom Already (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/22-25/09	29	58	8	5
	9/17-20/09	35	52	9	4
	7/24-27/09	27	58	10	5
	2/26 - 3/1/09	17	76	3	4
					.
"Thinking about the current level of unemployment, have we pretty much hit the bottom, or is there still a ways to go before we hit the bottom?" Half sample (Form B), MoE ą 4.4
					.
		Pretty Much Hit Bottom	Still a Ways To Go	Hit Bottom Already (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/22-25/09	27	63	7	3
					.
"As you may know, last week the Dow Jones stock market average rose above ten thousand for the first time in twelve months. Is this a real and important indication to you that the economy is improving, or does it not really have much of an effect on how you view the state of the economy?" Half sample (Form B), MoE ą 4.4
					.
		Important Indication	Not Much of an Effect	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/22-25/09	32	64	4

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Oct. 15-18, 2009. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"How do you feel about [see below]: very worried, somewhat worried, not too worried or not worried at all?"
					.
		Very Worried	Somewhat Worried	Not Too Worried	Not at All Worried	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
					.
	"The direction of the nation's economy over the next few years"
	10/15-18/09	34	40	17	9	-
	7/15-18/09	36	42	16	6	-
	1/13-16/09	35	46	15	4	-
	10/10-11/08	48	40	8	3	1
					.
	"Your own family's financial situation"
	10/15-18/09	23	37	24	16	-
	7/15-18/09	23	41	25	12	0
	1/13-16/09	27	43	20	10	-
	10/10-11/08	23	43	22	11	1

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 11-13, 2009. N=1,030 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
					.
"Do you think the economy is now in a recession, or not?"
					.
		Is	Is Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	84	15	1
	3/14-16/08	76	22	1
	10/12-14/07	36	58	7
					.
"Regardless of whether you think the economy is currently in a recession, do you think the U.S. economy is getting a lot better, getting a little better, staying the same, getting a little worse or getting a lot worse?" Options rotated
					.
		A Lot Better	A Little Better	Staying the Same	A Little Worse	A Lot Worse
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	3	49	21	16	10
					.
"Thinking about one year from now, do you think the U.S. economy will be fully recovered, better than it is now but not fully recovered, still in a recession, or worse than it is now?"
					.
		Fully Recovered	Better, Not Fully Recovered	Still In a Recession	Worse Than Now	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	2	63	23	12	1
					.
"How worried are you that an economic crash is still possible in the U.S. in the next year: very worried, somewhat worried, not too worried, or not worried at all?"
					.
		Very Worried	Somewhat Worried	Not Too Worried	Not at All Worried
		%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	20	41	28	11

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Sept. 11-13, 2009. N=1,012 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Now thinking about your family's personal financial situation, would you say you are better off or worse off than you were a year ago, or is your family's personal financial situation about the same?"
					.
		Better Off	Worse Off	About the Same
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	9	39	52
					.
"And thinking about a year from now, do you think the value of houses in your community will be much higher, somewhat higher, about the same, somewhat lower, or much lower than it is today?"
					.
		Much Higher	Somewhat Higher	About the Same	Somewhat Lower	Much Lower
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	4	31	44	16	6

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Sept. 10-12, 2009. N=1,007 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"Would you say this recession has hurt you financially, or not?"
					.
		Has	Has Not	Unsure	.	.
		%	%	%	.	.
	9/10-12/09	65	35	-	.	.
	2/19-22/09	64	35	1	.	.
	1/13-16/09	68	32	-	.	.
	12/11-14/08	63	36	-	.	.
					.
"Is the current economic situation a cause of stress in your life, or not?"
					.
		Yes	No	.	.	.
		%	%	.	.	.
	9/10-12/09	55	44	.	.	.
	3/26-29/09	61	39	.	.	.
	2/19-22/09	57	43	.	.	.

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Aug. 13-17, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"How much longer do you think the country's current economic recession will last: a few more months, up to six months, up to a year, up to two years, or longer than that?"
					.
		A Few More Months	Up to Six Months	Up to a Year	Up to Two Years	Longer
		%	%	%	%	%
	8/13-17/09	4	10	35	24	25
	2/19-22/09	1	3	24	36	34

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. July 16-20, 2009. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
					.
"When it comes to improving the economy, do you think it is realistic to expect at least some noticeable results in the first year of the Obama administration, or do you think it will take longer than that to see any noticeable results?"
					.
		In the First Year	Longer Than That	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/16-20/09	16	83	2
	4/16-20/09	27	72	1
	1/9-14/09	27	72	1

USA Today/Gallup Poll. July 17-19, 2009. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
				.
"Just your best guess: How long do you think it will be before the economy starts to recover?" Open-ended
				.
		MEAN	MEDIAN
				.
	7/17-19/09	5.5 years	2 years
	2/20-22/09	4.1 years	2 years
	12/12-14/08	5.2 years	3 years

CBS News Poll. July 9-12, 2009. N=944 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3..
					.
"How much longer do you think the current recession will last: six months, a year, two years or more than two years?" 2/09 & earlier: "How long do you think the current recession will last: six months, a year, two years or more than two years?"
					.
		Six Months	A Year	Two Years	More Than Two Years	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	6	38	26	24	6
	5/6-12/09	13	39	23	19	6
	4/1-5/09	10	38	23	26	3
	3/12-16/09	9	37	26	21	7
	2/18-22/09	6	27	28	35	4
	2/2-4/09	9	30	31	22	8
	1/11-15/09	5	25	33	35	2

Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor National Survey conducted by FD. April 8-14, 2009. N=1,200 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.8 (for all adults).
					.
"And, to start with, do you feel that the economy, generally, is headed in the right direction, or do you think things are seriously off on the wrong track?" N=598, MoE ą 4
					.
		Right Direction	Wrong Track	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/8-14/09	30	55	5	10
					.
"Now I would like to ask you some questions about your views on your own financial situation generally. First, overall, how would you rate your own personal financial situation? Would you say you are in excellent shape, good shape, only fair shape or poor shape financially?"
					.
		Excellent	Good	Only Fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/8-14/09	6	36	37	19	1
					.
"I would like to read you a list of some areas of people's personal financial situation they are concerned or worried about. As you think about the next six months, please tell me which one concerns you MOST. Paying for health care for you or your family. You or someone in your household losing their job. Saving for or paying for retirement. The cost of gas and home utilities. Paying for education for you or your family. Paying monthly mortgage or rent. The value of your home. Credit card debt." N=602, MoE ą 4
					.
		%			.
	Health care	17			.
	Job loss	17			.
	Retirement	13			.
	Gas and utilities	13			.
	Education	13			.
	Mortgage or rent	10			.
	Home value	7			.
	Credit card debt	5			.
	Unsure	5			.

Gallup Poll. April 6-9, 2009. N=1,027 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"For people in general, do you think that now is a GOOD time or a BAD time to buy a house?"
					.
		Good Time	Bad Time	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/6-9/09	71	27	2
	4/6-9/08	53	44	3
	4/2-5/07	58	39	3
	4/10-13/06	52	44	4
	4/4-7/05	71	26	3
	4/7-9/03	81	16	3

Diageo/Hotline Poll conducted by FD. March 26-29, 2009. N=800 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"And, as you may know, economists generally agree that the country is now in a recession. Roughly how long do you think it will take before the economy comes out of recession and is back on track: less than 12 months, more than 12 months but less than two years, between two and four years, or more than four years?" Options rotated
					.
		Less Than 12 Months	Less Than 2 Years	2-4 Years	More Than 4 Years	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/26-29/09	7	24	40	23	6
	1/21-24/09	3	26	43	25	3

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. March 12-15, 2009. N=1,019 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
				.
"Which of the following economic problems concerns you the MOST: rising prices and the rate of inflation, the unemployment rate, the condition of the stock market, high taxes, or the problems due to the mortgage crisis and falling home values?"
				.
		3/12-15/09	4/28-30/08
		%	%
	Unemployment rate	36	13
	Inflation	20	47
	Mortgages, home values	16	19
	Stock market	14	5
	High taxes	11	13
	Other (vol.)	1	2
	Unsure	1	1

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. March 4-5, 2009. N=1,203 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"How much longer do you think the current economic recession is likely to last? Would you say less than 12 months, one to two years, three to five years, OR more than five years?"
					.
		Less Than 12 Months	One to Two Years	Three to Five Years	More than Five Years	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/4-5/09	12	54	23	8	3

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Feb. 19-22, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Just your best guess: Do you think the economy is in a normal downturn that will correct itself before too long, or do you think the economy has moved into a serious long-term decline?" Options rotated
					.
		Normal Downturn	Long-Term Decline	Neither (vol.)	Unsure	.
		%	%	%	%	.
	2/19-22/09	42	56	2	1	.
	9/08	44	52	2	3	.
	5/93	48	45	4	3	.
	10/92	37	56	4	3	.
					.
"Have you been cutting back on your spending lately, spending at about your usual level, or spending more than usual?"
					.
		Cutting Back	Spending at Usual Level	Spending More	Unsure	.
		%	%	%	%	.
	2/19-22/09	67	30	3	1	.
					.
"How concerned are you, if at all, about not having enough money to pay your rent or mortgage: very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned, or not at all concerned about this?"
					.
		Very Concerned	Somewhat Concerned	Not Too Concerned	Not at All Concerned	Doesn't Apply (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/19-22/09	24	22	17	33	4
	12/11-14/08	21	16	16	41	5
					.
"How confident are you that you will retire with enough income and assets to last for the rest of your life? Would you say you're very confident, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?"
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not So Confident	Not at All Confident	Retired (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/19-22/09	14	35	25	23	3
	12/11-14/08	15	31	22	26	6

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Dec. 12-14, 2008. N=1,008 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Turning now to the economy: Which of the following would you say best describes the current economic situation in the United States? The biggest economic crisis the U.S. has faced in your lifetime. A crisis, but not the worst in your lifetime. A major problem, but not a crisis. OR, Not a major problem."
					.
		Biggest Crisis	Crises, Not The Worst	Major Problem, Not a Crisis	Not a Major Problem	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/12-14/08	60	16	18	4	1
					.
"Next, we'd like to ask you about the possibility of an economic depression in the United States. By depression, we mean an economic downturn that is much more severe than most recessions and would last several years. How likely do you think it is that the United States will be in an economic depression within the next two years: very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not at all likely?"
					.
		Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Not Too Likely	Not at All Likely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/12-14/08	35	39	21	4	1
	3/14-16/08	23	36	28	12	1
					.
"Regardless of how likely you think it is, how much does the possibility of the U.S. economy going into a depression worry you: a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?"
					.
		A Great Deal	A Moderate Amount	Not Much	Not at All
		%	%	%	%
	12/12-14/08	40	39	14	7
	3/14-16/08	46	33	14	7

Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll. Oct. 10-13, 2008. N=1,543 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Are you in favor of or opposed to the federal government providing assistance to individual homeowners who are facing foreclosure?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/10-13/08	61	27	12

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey. Oct. 9-12, 2008. N=1,485 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you think your family's income is going up faster than the cost of living, staying about even with the cost of living, or falling behind the cost of living?"
					.
		Going Up Faster	Staying About Even	Falling Behind	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/9-12/08	5	34	57	4
	7/23-27/08	6	28	64	2
	1/30 - 2/2/08	6	33	58	3
	9/07	10	43	44	3
	1/06	9	41	47	3
					.
"How confident are you that any money you have in the bank is safe? . . ."
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/9-12/08	36	38	14	7	5

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Oct. 10-12, 2008. N=1,269 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Just your best guess, do you think the recent problems in the economy represent a temporary financial downturn and the economy will soon recover, or a more permanent change in the economy and it will not recover for a long time?" Options rotated
						.
		Temporary Downturn	More Permanent Change	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/10-12/08	47	49	5
						.
"Now thinking about your how your own situation has been affected by the events affecting the economy over the past month, how much do you think your own financial situation has been harmed by the events of the last month: a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?"
						.
		Great Deal	Moderate Amount	Not Much	Not at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/10-12/08	29	37	22	11	1
						.
"Now, I'd like you to think about the events of the last two weeks and any future problems that might result from them. How much do you think your own financial situation will be harmed in the long run: a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?"
						.
		Great Deal	Moderate Amount	Not Much	Not at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/10-12/08	29	41	21	6	2
						.
"Are you confident that George W. Bush and his economic advisors can fix the economy, or not?"
						.
		Yes, Confident	Not Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/10-12/08	16	80	4
						.
"Now, thinking more generally, regardless of who is in power, how much influence do you think the government can have in fixing the economy: a great deal, a fair amount, not much, or none at all?"
						.
		A Great Deal	A Fair Amount	Not Much	None at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/10-12/08	37	42	15	4	1

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Oct. 10-11, 2008. N=517 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.5.
					.
"How confident are you that you will retire with enough income and assets to last for the rest of your life? Would you say you're very confident, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?"
					.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not So Confident	Not at All Confident	Already Retired (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/10-11/08	10	34	25	24	7
					.
"How do you feel about [see below]: very worried, somewhat worried, not too worried or not worried at all?"
					.
		Very Worried	Somewhat Worried	Not Too Worried	Not at All Worried	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
					.
	"The performance of the stock market"
	10/10-11/08	48	30	12	9	1
					.
	"Your ability to get a loan from a bank or other financial institution, if you need one"
	10/10-11/08	19	25	24	27	5*
	* Includes "Don't need a loan" (vol.)

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Oct. 3-5, 2008. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you think the problems currently facing financial institutions and the stock market will affect you and your family immediately, will affect you in a year or so, will eventually affect you, or will never affect you?"
					.
		Will Affect Immediately	Will Affect In Year or So	Will Affect Eventually	Will Never Affect
		%	%	%	%
	10/3-5/08	36	19	37	8
	9/19-21/08	32	20	38	9
					.
"As you may know, the U.S. went through a depression in the 1930s in which roughly one out of four workers were unemployed, banks failed across the country, and millions of ordinary Americans were temporarily homeless or unable to feed their families. Do you think it is very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not likely at all that another depression like that could occur in the U.S.?"
					.
		Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Not Very Likely	Not Likely At All
		%	%	%	%
	10/3-5/08	21	38	29	13

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 26-27, 2008. N=1,011 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Next, we are interested in how people's financial situation may have changed. Would you say that you are financially better off now than you were a year ago, or are you financially worse off now?"
						.
		Better	Worse	Same (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/26-27/08	26	55	19	-
	5/30 - 6/1/08	26	55	18	1
	1/30 - 2/2/08	34	44	21	1
	10/12-14/07	39	39	22	-
	1/15-18/07	50	30	19	1
	2/9-12/06	37	39	24	-
	7/22-24/05	42	40	17	1
						.
"Looking ahead, do you expect that at this time next year you will be financially better off than now, or worse off than now?"
						.
		Better	Worse	Same (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/26-27/08	58	25	13	5
	5/30 - 6/1/08	52	31	10	7
	1/30 - 2/2/08	60	23	12	5
	10/12-14/07	57	22	18	3
	1/15-18/07	65	19	12	4
	7/22-24/05	59	25	14	2
						.
"How worried are you about the safety of money you have deposited in banks and other financial institutions: very worried, moderately worried, not too worried, or not worried at all?"
						.
		Very Worried	Moderately Worried	Not Too Worried	Not Worried At All	Doesn't Apply (vol.)/Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/26-27/08	16	29	27	24	3

Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll. Sept. 19-22, 2008. N=1,428 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
					.
"Would you say that you are better off or worse off than you were four years ago, or would you say that you are about the same as you were then?"
					.
		Better Off	Worse Off	About the Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	24	42	33	1
	Democrats	14	55	30	1
	Independents	19	42	37	2
	Republicans	42	24	34	-
					.
"Would you say you feel more or less secure financially than you did six months ago, or do you feel about as secure as you did six months ago?"
					.
		More Secure	Less Secure	About as Secure	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-22/08	13	50	37	1

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Sept. 5-7, 2008. N=1,022 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"Which of the following economic problems concerns you the MOST: the price of gasoline, the availability of good jobs, high taxes, or the problems due to the mortgage crisis and falling home values?"
			.
		%
	Price of gasoline	35
	Jobs	28
	High taxes	18
	Mortgages, home values	18
	Other (vol.)	1
	Unsure	1

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. July 23-27, 2008. N=1,503 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you think something can be done to deal with the problem of rising prices, or do you feel that we'll have to continue living with inflation because not much can be done about it?"
					.
		Something Can Be Done	Not Much Can Be Done	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/23-27/08	72	23	5

Quinnipiac University Poll. May 8-12, 2008. N=1,745 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 2.4 (for all registered voters).
					.
"Would you describe the state of the nation's economy these days as excellent, good, not so good, or poor?"
					.
		Excellent	Good	Not So Good	Poor
		%	%	%	%
	5/8-12/08	1	12	44	43
					.
"Which best describes your family's financial situation: getting ahead, falling behind or holding steady?"
					.
		Getting Ahead	Falling Behind	Holding Steady	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/8-12/08	12	24	64	1
					.
"As you think about your own financial situation, which of the following economic issues worries you the most right now: [see below]?"
					.
			%
	Rising gasoline prices		47
	Rising food prices		16
	Rising health care costs		16
	Declining retirement fund values		9
	Declining real estate values		7
	Unsure		4
					.
"Do you think the United States economy is in a recession now?"
					.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL reg. voters	71	24	5
	Republicans	49	45	6
	Democrats	84	12	4
	Independents	73	22	5

Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll. May 1-8, 2008. N=2,208 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you think we are in an economic recession, or not?"
					.
		Are	Are Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/1-8/08	78	17	5
					.
"Six months from now, do you expect the nation's economy will be better than it is now, worse than it is now or about the same as it is now?"
					.
		Better	Worse	About the Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/1-8/08	19	37	40	4
					.
"As you may be aware, inflation is now running at four percent. Just your best guess, over the next year do you think inflation will be much higher than it is today, or somewhat higher, or somewhat lower, or much lower, or will inflation be about the same as it is today?"
					.
		Much Higher	Somewhat Higher	Somewhat Lower	Much Lower	About the Same
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/1-8/08	16	45	9	2	23

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. April 28-30, 2008. N=1,008 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Which of the following economic problems concerns you the MOST: rising prices and the rate of inflation, the unemployment rate, the condition of the stock market, high taxes, or the problems due to the mortgage crisis and falling home values?"
					.
		%
	Inflation	47
	Mortgages, home values	19
	High taxes	13
	Unemployment rate	13
	Stock market	5
	Other (vol.)	2
	Unsure	1
					.
"And thinking specifically about recent increases in prices, which of the following concerns you the MOST: the price of food, the price of gasoline, or the price of other goods and services?"
					.
		%
	Gasoline	68
	Food	23
	Other goods and services	5
	All equally (vol.)	3
					.
"As you may know, in the past few years banks and other financial institutions provided mortgages to many Americans who eventually could not afford to pay them and now may lose their homes. Do you think those people should receive special treatment that would prevent them from defaulting on their mortgages?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/28-30/08	49	48	3
	12/6-9/07	51	46	3

USA Today/Gallup Poll. April 18-20, 2008. N=1,016 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Now, thinking just about food prices: Have recent price increases in food and other groceries caused any financial hardship for you or your household?" If yes: "Is that a severe hardship that affects your ability to maintain your current standard of living, or is it a moderate hardship that affects you somewhat but does not jeopardize your current standard of living?"
					.
		Caused Severe Hardship	Caused Moderate Hardship	Has Not Caused Hardship	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/18-20/08	10	36	54	1

CBS News/New York Times Poll. March 28-April 2, 2008. N=1,368 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
						.
"Right now, do you think the United States is in an economic recession, or not?"
						.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/28 - 4/2/08	66	27	7
						.
"From what you know, how much do you think the cost of the war in Iraq has contributed to the U.S. economic problems: a lot, some, not much or not at all?"
						.
		A Lot	Some	Not Much	Not at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	ALL adults	67	22	6	4	1
	Republicans	40	40	11	8	1
	Democrats	85	11	2	2	0
	Independents	66	21	8	2	3

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). March 7-10, 2008. N=approx. 500 registered voters nationwide.
					.
"Let me read you a number of aspects dealing with the economy, for each please tell me whether this is currently affecting you a great deal, quite a bit, just some, or very little. If this does not apply to you, just say so. . . ."
					.
		A Great Deal	Quite a Bit	Just Some	Very Little	Does Not Apply
		%	%	%	%	%
	The price of gasoline and home heating oil
	3/7-10/08	65	14	12	5	3
					.
	The cost of groceries and household products
	3/7-10/08	50	17	21	7	4
					.
	The cost of health care
	3/7-10/08	45	13	19	10	12
					.
	Savings and pensions for retirement
	3/7-10/08	33	12	22	13	19
					.
	The impact trade agreements have had on American jobs
	3/7-10/08	28	13	20	13	23
					.
	Job security and layoffs
	3/7-10/08	26	8	15	13	37
					.
	Your investments in the stock market
	3/7-10/08	21	12	18	11	36
					.
	The cost and security of your mortgage
	3/7-10/08	17	5	12	16	48
					.
	Overtime pay and bonuses at work
	3/7-10/08	15	6	10	13	54

Associated Press-Ipsos poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs. Feb. 4-6, 2008. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
					.
"How much do you worry about each of the following? . . ."
					.
		A Lot	Some	Not Much	Not at All	Doesn't Apply/Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	Seeing the value of your stocks and retirement investments drop
	2/4-6/08	30	29	14	17	10
					.
	Being unable to pay your bills
	2/4-6/08	25	21	19	35	-
					.
	Seeing the value of your home drop
	2/4-6/08	22	26	22	30	-
					.
	Being unable to pay your monthly mortgage/rent payment
	2/4-6/08	20	15	16	48	1
					.
	Losing your job
	2/4-6/08	16	12	15	39	18
					.
"Do you think the U.S. economy is now in a recession, or not?"
					.
		Is	Is Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/4-6/08	61	36	3
					.
"Do you think each of the following deserves a lot, some, only a little, or none of the blame for the country's economic problems? . . ."
					.
		A Lot	Some	Only a Little	None	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	Mortgage lenders
	2/4-6/08	56	28	9	4	3
					.
	President Bush
	2/4-6/08	44	30	14	12	-
					.
	The U.S. Congress
	2/4-6/08	37	43	13	5	2
					.
	Consumers
	2/4-6/08	22	40	21	16	1
					.
	Wall Street
	2/4-6/08	20	41	18	14	7
					.
	The Federal Reserve
	2/4-6/08	19	42	18	16	5

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2008. N=1,249 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Just your best guess, would you say the nation's economy is in a recession right now, or not?"
					.
		Is	Is Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/30 - 2/1/08	59	38	3
					.
"Do you think the United States is in a long-term economic decline, or do you think the country's economic system is basically pretty solid?"
					.
		Decline	Pretty Solid	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/30 - 2/1/08	49	47	4
	5/96	46	51	3

Fortune Magazine poll conducted by Abt SRBI. Jan. 14-16, 2008. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Turning to the economy, in general, how would you rate economic conditions in the country today: excellent, good, only fair or poor?"
					.
		Excellent	Good	Only Fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/14-16/08	3	23	44	29	1
					.
"Right now, do you think that economic conditions in the country as a whole are getting better, getting worse, or staying about the same?"
					.
		Better	Worse	Same
		%	%	%
	1/14-16/08	3	65	31
					.
"Which of the following best describes the country's economic condition right now? Would you say that the country is in an economic recession right now, heading into a recession in the next twelve months, or not in a recession and not heading into one?"
					.
		In a Recession	Heading Into A Recession	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/14-16/08	19	57	19	5
					.
"Just thinking about your own personal economic situation, do you feel that over the past twelve months things have gotten better, worse, or stayed about the same?"
					.
		Better	Worse	Same
		%	%	%
	1/14-16/08	15	38	47
					.
"In the past twelve months, have you been spending about as much as you did before on most things, spending more, or cutting back your spending compared to twelve months ago?"
					.
		About as Much	More	Cutting Back
		%	%	%
	1/14-16/08	24	28	48

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Dec. 14-17, 2007. N=1,008 adults nationwide.
					.
"Do you think that there will or will not be an economic recession during the next twelve months?" Half sample, MoE ą 4.4 (Form B)
					.
		Will Be	Will Not Be	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/14-17/07	56	31	13
	1/01	39	48	13
	12/00	43	43	14
					.
"President Bush recently announced that the mortgage industry has agreed to provide assistance for some homeowners with subprime mortgages. The voluntary agreement would freeze interest rates for some of those who are now making payments on time, but whose payments are scheduled to rise, with the goal of helping them avoid foreclosure. Based on what you have heard, do you feel this plan does enough to address the problem, does too much, or does not do enough?" Half sample, MoE ą 4.4 (Form A)
					.
		Enough	Too Much	Not Enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/14-17/07	21	14	52	13
					.
"President Bush recently announced that the mortgage industry has agreed to provide assistance for some homeowners with subprime mortgages. The voluntary agreement would freeze interest rates for some of those who are now making payments on time, but whose payments are scheduled to rise, with the goal of helping them avoid foreclosure. Based on what you have heard, do you favor or oppose this plan?" Half sample, MoE ą 4.4 (Form B)
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/14-17/07	55	33	12

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Dec. 6-9, 2007. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"As you may know, in the past few years banks and other financial institutions provided mortgages to many Americans who eventually could not afford to pay them and now may lose their homes. . . . And do you think that the banks and other financial institutions that currently hold those mortgages should receive special treatment that would prevent them from losing money on those mortgages?"
					.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/6-9/07	26	72	2
					.
"Which of the following statements comes closer to your view of those people who are now defaulting on mortgages? You think they are the victims of bad lending policies by the banks who provided mortgages to them. You feel sorry for them, but they willingly entered into those agreements and have no one to blame but themselves."
					.
		Victims of Bad Lending Policies	No One to Blame But Themselves	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/6-9/07	46	51	4

Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll. Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 2007. N=1,467 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Generally speaking, do you think the nation's economy these days is doing very well, or fairly well, or fairly badly, or very badly?"
						.
		Very Well	Fairly Well	Fairly Badly	Very Badly	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	11/30 - 12/3/07	6	36	29	27	2
						.
"In your opinion, how likely is it that the nation could face an economic recession sometime in the next year? Would you say it is very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely or not likely at all?"
						.
		Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Not Very Likely	Not Likely At All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	11/30 - 12/3/07	27	44	17	6	6
						.
"If the nation falls into a recession, which political party do you think would be best at restarting the country's economic growth: the Democratic Party or the Republican Party?"
						.
		Democratic Party	Republican Party	Both Equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	11/30 - 12/3/07	45	30	6	9	10

ABC News Poll. Nov. 14-18, 2007. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Will you use the Internet to buy Christmas or other holiday gifts this year, or not?"
					.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/14-18/07	36	62	2
	11/05	31	68	1
	12/04	30	69	2
	11/03	31	67	2
	12/02	24	74	2
	11/99	18	79	3

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Neil Newhouse (R). Sept. 7-10, 2007. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
					.
"As you may know, some homeowners across the country who took out adjustable rate mortgages are having difficulty making their monthly mortgage payments and are facing foreclosure on their homes now that their interest rates have increased. Foreclosure is when a bank sells or repossesses someone's home because they have failed to keep up with mortgage payments. Is it the role of the federal government to take steps to ensure that these people's homes are not foreclosed upon, or is this NOT the role of the federal government?"
					.
		Is	Is Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/7-10/07	35	59	6
					.
"Thinking some more about this situation, who do you think is more to blame: the homeowners who took out loans that they may not be able to pay back, OR the mortgage lenders who loaned the money to people who may not be able to pay it back?"
					.
		Homeowners	Lenders	Both Equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/7-10/07	27	48	22	1	2

Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll. June 7-10, 2007. N=1,183 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Six months from now, do you expect housing values to increase in your neighborhood, or to decrease, or do you think housing values in your neighborhood will remain about the same?"
						.
		Increase	Decrease	Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/7-10/07	26	15	56	3

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Jan. 17-20, 2007. N=1,007 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
			.
"Which ONE of the following elements of the economy, if any, causes you the most concern . . . ?"
			.
		%
	The cost of health care	33
	Jobs going overseas	24
	The federal budget deficit	13
	Lack of good-paying jobs	12
	The cost of higher education	7
	The cost of housing	6
	None of these cause concern	2
	Other (vol.)	1
	Unsure	2

*ABC News/Washington Post* Tracking Poll. Oct. 3-5, 2004. N=1,155 likely voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Would you say you, yourself, are better off financially than you were in 2001 when Bush became president, not as well off, or in about the same shape as then financially?"
						.
		Better Off	Not as Well Off	Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/3-5/04	30	30	40	1
						.
	For comparison (among all adults): ". . . in 1992 [sic] when Clinton became president . . . ?"
						.
	6/00	34	14	50	2
						.
	". . . in 1989 when Bush became president . . . ?"
						.
	8/92	22	32	45	1
						.
	". . . in 1981 when Reagan became president . . . ?"
						.
	1/89	42	18	39	1

*ABC News/Washington Post* Poll. July 22-25, 2004. N=1,202 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Would you say most Americans are better off financially than they were in 2001 when Bush became president, not as well off, or in about the same shape as then financially?"
						.
		Better Off	Not as Well Off	Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/22-25/04	15	41	43	1
	6/17-20/04	17	45	37	1
	10/26-29/03	9	49	41	1
	4/27-30/03	10	48	42	1

CBS News/New York Times Poll. June 23-27, 2004. N=1,053 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Is your family financially better off today than it was before George W. Bush became president, is it worse off financially, or is it about the same as it was before George W. Bush became president?"
						.
		Better	Worse	Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/23-27/04	16	27	56	1
	3/10-14/04	21	24	53	2

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