American Pulse(TM): Economy and Terrorism on People's Minds

Americans Grade the President: Range From C's to D's

 | Source: BIGresearch BIGresearch

COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwire - January 13, 2010) - It appears President Obama's efforts to reassure Americans about the languishing economy haven't paid off, according to the latest American Pulse™ Survey of over 5,400 people. 64.2% say the economy will worsen or stay the same in 2010 (29.7% think it will improve) and 43.7% plan to spend less this year than last.

Further, Americans remain uneasy about terrorism. 92.8% believe the U.S. is still fighting the war on terror. 40.8% feel less safe since President Obama took office (47.3% feel the same, 11.9% feel safer). 68.9% are somewhat/very concerned that terrorists may infiltrate high level elected positions or the military.

The attempted Christmas Day bombing on Flight 253 also appears to have sparked some strong sentiments among Americans*: 

--  71.1% think the U.S. government should use "profiling" to protect
    Americans from terrorist attacks; 10.7% say it should not.
--  64.9% are somewhat/very concerned about terrorist attacks when they fly.
    (49.3% are somewhat/very concerned when they visit government buildings,
    49.1% are when they travel in general and 42.3% are when they visit public
    gathering places like malls.)
--  60.8% think the government is not doing enough to protect Americans from
    future terrorist attacks.

Americans were also asked to grade President Obama on domestic and international issues, including the economy and national security. On average, he received C's and D's across the board among adults 18+: 

                     Adults 18+   Democrats   Republicans   Independents
Economy              D+ (1.6*)    B- (2.4)    F (0.9)       D+ (1.5)
Healthcare           D+ (1.5)     C+ (2.3)    F (0.8)       D+ (1.4)
National Security    C- (1.7)     B- (2.4)    D (1.1)       D+ (1.6)
War in Iraq          C- (1.7)     C+ (2.3)    D (1.2)       D+ (1.6)
War in Afghanistan   D+ (1.6)     C  (2.1)    D (1.2)       D+ (1.5)
Climate Change       C- (1.7)     C+ (2.3)    D (1.1)       D+ (1.5)
Job Creation         D+ (1.4)     C  (2.0)    F (0.8)       D  (1.2)
Immigration          D+ (1.3)     C  (1.9)    F (0.7)       D  (1.1)

*Average Grade (On a 4-point scale)

For full complimentary report: http://americanpulse.bigresearch.com.

*January American Pulse survey was fielded after the attempted attack; 1/4-1/7/10

About American Pulse™

The American Pulse™ Survey is collected online by BIGresearch every month exclusively utilizing Survey Sampling International's (SSI) U.S. panel covering topics such as politics, pop culture and the economy. Over 5,000 respondents participate, providing greater insights and accuracy of +/- 1%. http://www.bigresearch.com

About Survey Sampling International (SSI)

Survey Sampling International is the premier global provider of sampling solutions for survey research. SSI offers access to more than 6 million consumer and business-to-business research respondents in 54 countries via Internet, telephone, and mobile. Additional client services include custom profiling, survey programming and hosting, data processing, sampling consulting, and survey optimization. SSI serves more than 1,800 marketing research clients, including nearly three-quarters of the top researchers worldwide. Founded in 1977, SSI has an international staff of 400 people representing 50 countries and 36 languages. The company is based in Shelton, CT with 14 additional offices worldwide. http://www.surveysampling.com

Contact Information: Contacts: BIGresearch Chrissy Wissinger 614.846.0146 SSI Gloria Mellinger 203.567.7236

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