March 1, 2014 12:00 PM
State of the Nation
In the fourth week of January, the NBC/WSJ poll found that 63% of us think the country is on the wrong track. In the third week of February, the Econ/You Gov survey found the wrong track number to be 62%. The same survey found 60% claiming that view in January. In October 2013, the NBC/WSJ found the wrong track number to be 78%, and Econ/You Gov came up with 66%. The right direction number in both surveys sat in the high 20s.The official unemployment rate for January 2014 is 6.6%. However, the real unemployment rate is 12.7%. The latter number includes the so-called “marginally attached” plus those who are working part-time, but would like to be working full time. This is, of course, a substantial change from January 2010, when the unemployment rate was 9.8% and the real unemployment rate was 16.7%.
In the CNN/ORG poll, 36% rate economic conditions in the country as good, while 64% describe them as poor. While these are not great numbers, they are substantially better than they were when Obama took office in March 2009, when 13% described conditions as good, while 89% described them as bad. [CNN/ORG 2/14]
Americans were asked whether the current economy “works well” or “does not work” for them and their families and various other groupings. Of the five groupings tested, the economy is seen as working well for “the wealthy” and for “men.”
The most dramatic schism is the difference in how the economy is seen as working for women and how it is seen as working for men. Women are considered to be behind men:
- by 20 points by Americans generally
- by 26 points by women
- by 12 points by men
- by 27 points by Hispanics
- by 12 points by African Americans
- by 20 points by white
- by 30 points by liberals
- by 9 points by conservatives
Americans generally say the economy
| Works well for | Does not work well for | |
| The wealthy | 81% | 6% |
| The middle class | 22% | 40% |
| Those living in poverty | 13% | 72% |
| You and your family | 37% | 22% |
| Men | 53% | 11% |
| Women | 33% | 25% |
Women say the economy
| Works well for | Does not work well for | |
| The wealthy | 83% | 5% |
| The middle class | 20% | 41% |
| Those living in poverty | 13% | 71% |
| You and your family | 36% | 24% |
| Men | 56% | 10% |
| Women | 30% | 29% |
Men say the economy
| Works well for | Does not work well for | |
| The wealthy | 78% | 8% |
| The middle class | 24% | 40% |
| Those living in poverty | 12% | 71% |
| You and your family | 39% | 19% |
| Men | 49% | 13% |
| Women | 37% | 21% |
Hispanics say the economy
| Works well for | Does not work well for | |
| The wealthy | 87% | 7% |
| The middle class | 24% | 38% |
| Those living in poverty | 13% | 68% |
| You and your family | 37% | 20% |
| Men | 63% | 11% |
| Women | 36% | 26% |
African Americans say the economy
| Works well for | Does not work well for | |
| The wealthy | 83% | 3% |
| The middle class | 26% | 26% |
| Those living in poverty | 10% | 78% |
| You and your family | 41% | 21% |
| Men | 47% | 20% |
| Women | 30% | 26% |
Whites say the economy
| Works well for | Does not work well for | |
| The wealthy | 80% | 6% |
| The middle class | 19% | 44% |
| Those living in poverty | 14% | 71% |
| You and your family | 37% | 21% |
| Men | 52% | 10% |
| Women | 32% | 25% |
Liberals say the economy
| Works well for | Does not work well for | |
| The wealthy | 85% | 8% |
| The middle class | 21% | 42% |
| Those living in poverty | 6% | 85% |
| You and your family | 39% | 21% |
| Men | 58% | 8% |
| Women | 28% | 33% |
Conservatives say the economy
| Works well for | Does not work well for | |
| The wealthy | 73% | 9% |
| The middle class | 24% | 37% |
| Those living in poverty | 16% | 61% |
| You and your family | 37% | 22% |
| Men | 49% | 14% |
| Women | 40% | 21% |
[NBC/WSJ 1/14]
From 1990 to 2012, there has been a rather dramatic increase in the percentage of Americans who say they have no religious affiliation.
| 1990 | 2012 | % Increase | |
| Total | 7.7% | 19.7% | 260% |
| Conservatives | 5.0 | 9.1 | 180% |
| Liberals | 14.6 | 39.6 | 270% |
| 75+ | 3.8 | 7.1 | 185% |
| 45-54 | 5.9 | 16.0 | 270% |
| 25-34 | 10.1 | 28.6 | 280% |
| 18-24 | 9.7 | 32.0 | 330% |
| [NJ 2/1/14] | |||
Over the last six years there has been a dramatic shift in the political composition of the 50 U.S States from Democratic to Republican.
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
| Total Democratic | 35 | 33 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 17 |
| Total Republican | 5 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 12 | 14 |
| Competitive | 10 | 12 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 19 |
| [Gallup 1/14] | ||||||
65% of Americans are dissatisfied with our system of government and how it works. And, that dissatisfaction with government in general, the Congress, and politicians is cited by 21% as the single most important problem facing the country today. [Gallup 1/14]
Neither of the two major political parties has the same priorities for the country as do Americans generally.
| Republican Party | Democratic Party | |
| Same priorities | 35% | 38% |
| Not same priorities | 59% | 57% |
| [NYT/CBS 2/14] | ||
