Behind the Numbers - Public opinion in this country is everything.

Posted at 01:23 PM ET, 09/15/2011

Gallup: Disapproval of Obama ticks up among Jews

By Jon Cohen

Fully four in 10 Jews now disapprove of the way President Obama is doing his job, according to the latest numbers from the Gallup tracking poll.

By Jon Cohen | 01:23 PM ET, 09/15/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: 2012 polls

Posted at 10:34 AM ET, 08/12/2011

Financial ‘crisis’: a view through partisan lenses

By Peyton M. Craighill

About half of all Americans call the U.S. financial situation “a crisis.” But there’s a partisan divide.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 10:34 AM ET, 08/12/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Economy

Posted at 04:54 PM ET, 08/11/2011

Obama reelect numbers soften, poll says

By Scott Clement

Obama’s political standing is weaker in the aftermath of the fierce debt negotiations, especially among liberals. There’s also stronger opposition than support for a second term among swing voting groups who backed him in 2008, including independents and women.

By Scott Clement | 04:54 PM ET, 08/11/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: 2012 polls, Barack Obama, Economy

Posted at 04:37 PM ET, 08/10/2011

WP Poll: Public sees government badly off-kilter

By Peyton M. Craighill

Over seven in 10 Americans think the federal government is focused on the wrong things, a number that’s grown since the fall.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 04:37 PM ET, 08/10/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Barack Obama, Crosstabs, Post Polls

Posted at 11:25 AM ET, 08/10/2011

Record low inclined to reelect congressional representatives

By Jon Cohen

A record number of Americans say they’re apt to seek new congressional representation when the Nov. 2012 elections roll around, according to a new Washington Post poll.

By Jon Cohen | 11:25 AM ET, 08/10/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:20 AM ET, 08/02/2011

Tea party Republicans grow fond of Boehner, maintain focus on 2012

By Scott Clement

Poll finds a majority of Republicans who agree with the tea party movement give the House speaker J positive reviews for his role in debt negotiations.

By Scott Clement | 11:20 AM ET, 08/02/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: 2012 polls, Tea party, Federal Budget Deficit

Posted at 03:02 PM ET, 08/01/2011

Budget talks in a word: ‘Ridiculous,’ ‘disgusting’ and ‘stupid’ top poll

By Jon Cohen

By Jon Cohen | 03:02 PM ET, 08/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Federal Budget Deficit

Posted at 12:23 PM ET, 08/01/2011

Polls: Did the public get what it wanted in debt deal?

By Peyton M. Craighill

The recently struck deal to raise the debt ceiling and reduce the national debt relies exclusively on cuts in federal spending. In numerous national polls, the public expressed a clear desire for a combined approach of both cuts and tax increases.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 12:23 PM ET, 08/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Federal Budget Deficit

Posted at 02:12 PM ET, 07/29/2011

Poll: Tea party splits Republicans on debt debate

By Peyton M. Craighill and Scott Clement

Republican and GOP-leaning independents most strongly aligned with the tea party movement are more vehement than other Republicans in their views about the debt ceiling.

By Peyton M. Craighill and Scott Clement | 02:12 PM ET, 07/29/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Congress, Federal Budget Deficit, Crosstabs

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 07/29/2011

Americans split on New York gay marriage law

By Scott Clement

By Scott Clement | 07:00 AM ET, 07/29/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Polls

Posted at 01:27 PM ET, 07/28/2011

Poll Watchers: Obama vs. generic Republican, the deficit, rating congressional leaders, the GOP nomination and wine vs. beer

By Peyton M. Craighill

A summary of daily polling at The Washington Post.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 01:27 PM ET, 07/28/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Congress, Federal Budget Deficit, GOP nomination, Tea party, 2012 polls

Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 07/26/2011

Pew: Across party lines, more Americans seek compromise

By Jon Cohen

As leaders in Washington seem to be retreating to their respective corners, the American public is increasingly agitating for compromise, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center.

By Jon Cohen | 02:00 PM ET, 07/26/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:34 PM ET, 07/26/2011

Poll: Obama and Bush on economic recovery

By Peyton M. Craighill

Ownership of the bad economy continues to fall on former President Bush more so than the current administration or Republicans in Congress, according to a new poll.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 12:34 PM ET, 07/26/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Barack Obama, Economy

Posted at 09:08 AM ET, 07/26/2011

Poll: Obama, GOP share disapproval on job creation

By Peyton M. Craighill

More than eight in 10 Americans say jobs are hard to find in their communities, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 09:08 AM ET, 07/26/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Barack Obama, Congress

Posted at 01:52 PM ET, 07/25/2011

Obama holds (slight) edge in trust on debt limit

By Scott Clement

In the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, Americans say they trust President Obama slightly more than congressional Republicans in the debt limit debate.

By Scott Clement | 01:52 PM ET, 07/25/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Federal Budget Deficit

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 07/21/2011

Obama, Romney neck and neck in 2012; other Republicans trail president

By Scott Clement

President Obama and Mitt Romney, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, split 49 percent to 47 percent among registered voters in a hypothetical 2012 matchup in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

By Scott Clement | 07:00 AM ET, 07/21/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: 2012 polls, GOP nomination

Posted at 04:08 PM ET, 07/20/2011

Poll: Obama and GOP (low) approval on economy, deficit and taxes

By Peyton M. Craighill

The public has sharply critical assessments of how the president and congressional Republicans are handling the economy, the federal budget deficit and taxes.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 04:08 PM ET, 07/20/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Barack Obama, Economy, Federal Budget Deficit

Posted at 10:15 PM ET, 07/19/2011

Republicans fear default, not Aug. 2 deadline

By Scott Clement

Eight in 10 Republicans in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll say a default would cause serious harm to the economy, but just 30 percent said it’s essential to raise the limit in a contemporaneous Pew Research Center poll.

By Scott Clement | 10:15 PM ET, 07/19/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:10 PM ET, 07/19/2011

Poll: taxes beat spending cuts for debt reduction

By Peyton M. Craighill

In evaluating ways to reduce the national debt, tax increases in a variety of shapes and sizes beat out military spend cuts and cuts to entitlements such as Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 10:10 PM ET, 07/19/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Federal Budget Deficit, Crosstabs

Posted at 12:05 PM ET, 07/19/2011

Obama tops GOP on helping middle class; also has edge on small business

By Jon Cohen

When it comes to protecting the economic interests of the middle class, President Obama has a decisive advantage over congressional Republicans, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

By Jon Cohen | 12:05 PM ET, 07/19/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:00 PM ET, 07/18/2011

Poll: Little confidence in leaders to deal with debt issue; Obama has edge

By Jon Cohen

It’s barely two weeks before the government’s spending authority hits a wall, and few Americans have great faith in any of the major players in the debt debate, according to a new poll from the Washington Post and the Pew Research Center.

By Jon Cohen | 03:00 PM ET, 07/18/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:59 AM ET, 07/15/2011

Obama news conference: What the polls say

By Scott Clement

As Obama steps to the podium for his third press conference in two weeks, polls show public widely concerned and about the consequences of a default.

By Scott Clement | 10:59 AM ET, 07/15/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Federal Budget Deficit, Economy

Posted at 01:35 PM ET, 07/13/2011

Poll watchers: Debt ceiling, Congress widely unpopular and more Bachmann

By Peyton M. Craighill and Scott Clement

Debt ceiling debate – By roughly 2 to 1 more Americans would want their member of Congress to vote against raising the debt ceiling, 42 to 22 percent in the latest Gallup poll. Still, a sizable 35 percent don’t know enough about the debate to offer an opinion.

By Peyton M. Craighill and Scott Clement | 01:35 PM ET, 07/13/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Congress, Federal Budget Deficit, GOP nomination

Posted at 04:00 PM ET, 07/11/2011

Shifting public concerns in debt limit debate

By Jon Cohen

There is deepening public concern about the debt negotiations as the Aug. 2 deadline to raise the limit on government borrowing approaches, according to a new Washington Post - Pew Research Center poll.

By Jon Cohen | 04:00 PM ET, 07/11/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:18 PM ET, 07/08/2011

Poll watchers: personal finances, rising interest in GOP campaign, debt limit polling and Casey Anthony

By Scott Clement

A 55 percent majority of Americans say their personal finances are in bad shape according to Bloomberg, as a new government report shows that job growth came to a near halt in June.

By Scott Clement | 01:18 PM ET, 07/08/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Federal Budget Deficit, GOP nomination

Posted at 12:40 PM ET, 07/07/2011

Poll Watchers: Entitlement reform, debt debate and gender differences on job recovery

By Peyton M. Craighill

A summary of daily polling.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 12:40 PM ET, 07/07/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Census 2010, Economy, Federal Budget Deficit

Posted at 12:39 PM ET, 07/06/2011

Top five findings from the New Hampshire GOP primary poll

By Scott Clement

As the race for the Republican presidential nomination shifts into higher gear, a newly released University of New Hampshire poll offers a fresh look at the first primary contest.

By Scott Clement | 12:39 PM ET, 07/06/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: GOP nomination

Posted at 04:27 PM ET, 07/05/2011

Poll watchers: Space shuttle popular, Jews (still) back Obama

By Scott Clement

Has the space shuttle program been a good investment? Most Americans think so.

By Scott Clement | 04:27 PM ET, 07/05/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Federal Budget Deficit

Posted at 11:53 AM ET, 07/01/2011

Poll watchers: Less concern over death panels, Millennials need history lesson and Bachmann polls

By Scott Clement

Some 31 percent of Americans continue to mistakenly believe the health-care law passed last years allows government panels to make decisions about end-of-life care.

By Scott Clement | 11:53 AM ET, 07/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Health care, GOP nomination

Posted at 02:48 PM ET, 06/30/2011

Poll Watchers: Economy in irreversible decline? Rick Perry rises and Virginia 2012

By Scott Clement

Poll Watchers: Economy in permanent decline? Rick Perry rises and Virginia 2012

By Scott Clement | 02:48 PM ET, 06/30/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Behind the Numbers: September, 2011