February 9, 2013 11:59 AM
State of the Nation
57% think that things in this country are “off on the wrong track.” 35% say they are “headed in the right direction.” [NBC/WSJ 1/13]60% think that 2013 will be a time to hold back economically because harder times are ahead. [NBC/WSJ 1/13]
This is similar to a Gallup finding that 50% of Americans think the country’s best years are behind it. Republicans are far more pessimistic than Democrats. 74% of the GOPers think the best years are behind us, while only 28% of Dems have that view.
When asked how satisfied they are with the current state of the U.S. economy, 72% express dissatisfaction, while 27% express satisfaction. [NBC/WSJ 1/13]
When asked to volunteer the most important problem facing the country today, 18% say “dissatisfaction with government.” Democrats/Democratic leaners are more likely, by 21% to 13%, than Republicans/Republican leaners to raise dissatisfaction with government.
Only 36% are satisfied with the size and power of the Federal government. This is down from 60% who held that view in 2002. [Gallup]
When asked to volunteer a word or short phrase to describe how they feel about where America is headed in the next year, 33% utter positive words and phrases. 58% came up with negative words and phrases. This negative view is higher than it was at this time in 2012, when 46% had negative things to say, and in 2011, when 47% had negative things to say. [NBC/WSJ 1/13]
Americans believe that the four most urgent health problems facing this country are access (23%), cost (19%), obesity (16%), and cancer (13%). Ten years ago only 4% offered obesity as an urgent health problem. [Gallup]
In America today, 37% of the population is non-white, 13% were born outside the U.S. (more than half from Latin America), 14% are 65 years of age and older, 33.5% are college graduates, 11.8% of workers belong to unions, 19.6% of adults don’t identify with any religion. [WSJ 1/22/13]
74% of all adults, including 76% of women, would allow women in combat. [Gallup]
63% of Americans and 88% of LGBT adults think that discrimination against gays and lesbians in the United States is a serious problem. 78% of Americans believe that gay and lesbian partners or spouses should be able to inherit; 77% believe they should be able to avail themselves of their partner’s or spouse’s healthcare benefits; and 61% believe they should be able to adopt. [Gallup]
53% of Americans say that the 1973 Roe v Wade abortion decision should not be overturned. This is down from 66% who held that view in 2006. [Gallup]
Only 23% are now expressing a positive view about the Tea Party. 47% are expressing a negative view. The high point for the Tea Party was the expression of positive feelings of 35% in June 2010. [NBC/WSJ 1/13]
E-books are coming into their own. 23% of Americans (16 years of age and older) read an e-book in the past year. This is up from 16% the year before. The number who read a print book in the same time period fell to 67% from 72% the year before. [Pew Research Center 12/12]
