U.S. Concern Over Economy Is Highest in Years

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Bush on 2009 Budget

President Bush discusses the 2009 budget following a cabinet meeting Monday at the White House.

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Bush continues to receive poor marks for his handing of the economy, with only 30 percent approving of his performance. His overall approval rating of 33 percent has been virtually unchanged for a year and brings his string of sub-50 percent approval ratings to nearly two years.

Congress fares little better in the public's eye. Overall, 33 percent approve of the way Congress is doing its job, but slightly fewer disapprove of Congress than give the president low marks. And while majorities disapprove of how both congressional Democrats are Republicans are performing, more approve of the Democrats (39 percent to 30 percent for the Republicans).

In general, the Democrats are preferred over the Republicans on six of the seven major issue areas tested in the new poll, including the economy, the federal budget deficit and taxes.

The public sides with the Democrats on health care by a 27 percentage point margin, the deficit by 21 points, the economy by 19 points, Iraq by 14, taxes by eight and the U.S. campaign against terrorism by seven. On immigration issues, the two come out about evenly: 40 percent trust the Democrats; 37 percent the Republicans.

In each case, it is independents who lift the Democrats, as partisans overwhelmingly side with their own party across issues. On immigration, which will likely be a hot-button issue in the fall campaign, 37 percent of independents side with the Democrats, 32 percent with the Republicans. In May 2006, the Democrats had an 18-point advantage on the issue among independents.

Overall public attitudes about the situation in Iraq remain basically stable. About a third of those polled said the war in Iraq was worth fighting, and about four in 10 think the United States is making significant progress toward restoring civil order there. Those percentages have changed little over the past few months. Most independents continue to say the war was not worth fighting and see few signs of progress in Iraq.

The poll was conducted by telephone among a random national sample of 1,249 adults; the results from the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.