Poll: U.S. On Wrong Track

Iraq, Economy Named Top Concerns; Bush, Congress Get Low Marks

(CBS) 
DIRECTION OF THE COUNTRY
Americans are now more pessimistic than they have been in recent months about the direction of the country. Sixty-two percnet say things in the U.S. have seriously gotten off on the wrong track; one third says things are headed in the right direction. Rarely in this poll has the percentage who think the country is on the wrong track been this high; the most recent instance was in May 2004, when 65 percent said so.

DIRECTION OF COUNTRY

Right direction
32%
Wrong track
62%

Sixty-five percent of Republicans see the country as headed in the right direction, while 83 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of Independents see it on the wrong track. Aside from Republicans, pessimism about the direction of the country is spread across a wide array of demographic groups. Majorities of all ages, income, and racial groups, and in all regions of the country see things as on the wrong track.

THE CONGRESSIONAL PARTIES
Congressional Republicans themselves are viewed a bit more negatively than Democrats. Forty-two percent of the public has a favorable opinion of Republicans in Congress, compared to 49 percent for Democrats in Congress. As would be expected, views of each party in Congress are highly subject to partisan leanings. Americans view their own party's delegation favorably, and the opposing party's negatively.

VIEWS OF EACH PARTY IN CONGRESS

Republicans in Congress:
Favorable 42%
Unfavorable 49%

Democrats in Congress:
Favorable 49%
Unfavorable 40%

Although they are well-known names to those in Washington, D.C., most Americans just haven’t heard enough about key Republican Congressional leaders to rate them. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who has been criticized recently for possible ethical lapses, is the best-known of the three leaders tested in this poll. Opinion of him are more negative than positive by three to one among those who know of him — but seven in 10 Americans are undecided or don’t know enough about him to have an opinion.

Less than two in ten have an opinion of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist; they are divided on him. Only 13 percent have an opinion of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert; those few are also divided.

VIEWS OF REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS

Tom DeLay
Favorable 7%
Unfavorable 22%
Undecided/Not heard enough 69%

Bill Frist
Favorable 8%
Unfavorable 10%
Undecided/Not heard enough 81%

Dennis Hastert
Favorable 6%
Unfavorable 7%
Undecided/Not heard enough 86%

Most Americans think it is important which party controls Congress — but that’s what they thought in 1998 too. Forty-three percent say which party controls Congress is very important to them, and another 41 percent say it’s somewhat important. Only 15 percent think that is not important.

THEIR OWN REPRESENTATIVE
While public approval of Congress overall is low, the public is much more approving of the job their own congressional representative is doing: 57 approve approve, and 23 percent disapprove. This dichotomy — disapproving of Congress as in institution, but approving of one’s own congressperson — is not new; it has been documented by this poll and by political scientists for decades.

OWN REPRESENTATIVE’S JOB APPROVAL

Approve
Now 57%
101998 64%
9/1994 56%
8/1980 61%

Disapprove
Now 23%
10/1998 19%
9/1994 17%
8/1980 18%

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This poll was conducted among a nationwide random sample of 1,149 adults interviewed by telephone April 13-16, 2005. The error due to sampling could be plus or minus three percentage points for results based on all adults. Error for subgroups may be higher.

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