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CBS News PollFor release: June 8, 20116:30 PM EDT
 
Americans Confront Challenges at Home and Abroad: The Economy, The Debt Ceiling,and WarJune 3-7, 2011
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The President’s job approval rating has dropped back below the 50 percent mark to48%, as evaluations of his handling of the economy remain low at 37%. The President’s job approval rating has returned to where it was before the death of Osama bin Laden.
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Congress’ approval rating is at just 18% - but it is often much lower than the President’sapproval rating. The public thinks both Republicans in Congress and the President arenot focusing on the issues they care most about.
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69% oppose raising the debt ceiling, although as many expect it will be raised. 85%think the debt ceiling debate in Washington is mostly about political gain rather thanhonest policy disagreement.
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Assessments of the economy remain bleak – 79% think it is bad and just 20% say it isgood. It remains the top concern of Americans. Half are pessimistic about the housingmarket. But far more Americans say their own finances are in good shape.
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Americans are increasingly ready to see U.S. troops brought home from Afghanistan;64% want the number of troops decreased, up 16 percentage points since last month,and the highest percentage since CBS News began asking the question in 2009.
The President and Congress
The double digit bounce President Barack Obama received in his overall job approval ratingafter U.S. Navy Seals killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan last month has dissipated. PresidentObama’s rating surged eleven points to 57% after the death of the al Qaeda leader, but it hassince dropped down to 48% - about where it has been for the last two years.
Barack Obama’s Overall Job Rating
Now 5/2011 4/2011 2/2011 6/2010Approve 48% 57% 46% 48% 47%Disapprove 43 37 45 41 43Democrats and independents generally approve of how the President is handling his job, whilemost Republicans disapprove.More Americans approve than disapprove of how Barack Obama is handling specific issuessuch as terrorism, Afghanistan, and foreign policy, but his approval rating in these areas hasgone down since the killing of bin Laden. (All three are still higher than they were before binLaden’s death.)However, the president’s approval ratings on handling two of the top issues facing the countryare much more negative; just 37% approve of his handling of the economy, and 30% approve of
 
 
his handling of the federal budget deficit. More than half of Americans disapprove on bothmeasures.
Barack Obama’s Approval Ratings on…
Now 5/2011 EarlierTerrorism 63% 72% 51% (8/2010)Afghanistan 51% 61% 44% (1/2011)Foreign policy 47% 52% 39% (4/2011)The economy 37% 34% 38% (4/2011)Budget deficit 30% -- 33% (4/2011)But Congress fares even worse than the president. Just 18% of Americans now approve of the job Congress is doing, while nearly three in four Americans disapprove. Disapproval ofCongress is similar to what it was right after the 2010 midterm elections.
Congress’ Job Rating
Now 4/2011 2/2011 11/2010Approve 18% 16% 24% 17%Disapprove 72 75 62 72Most Americans don’t think either the president or the Republicans in Congress are spendingenough time on the issues they care about most. 61% of Americans say the president isspending too much time on other issues, while 75% say the same of Republicans in Congress.
Are They Spending…?
Barack Obama Republicans in CongressEnough time on issues I care about 31% 17%Too much on other issues 61 75
The Economy
As has been the case for years now, assessments of the national economy remainoverwhelmingly negative. 79% of Americans think the economy is in at least somewhat badshape, including 36% who think it is very bad. Just one in five thinks it is good.
Condition of the Economy
Now 4/2011 1/2011 6/2010Good 20% 19% 26% 22%Bad 79 80 74 7731% of Americans think the economy is getting worse; while that number is down from 39% lastmonth, it is higher than at other points in the past year. Just 24% think it is improving.
Direction of the Economy
Now 4/2011 3/2011 1/2011 6/2010Worse 31% 39% 26% 21% 24%Same 44 38 47 46 48Better 24 23 26 30 28And the economy and jobs remain Americans’ top priority. 48% name those as the mostimportant issue facing the country, followed by the budget deficit in a distant second place,mentioned by 10%.
 
 
Most Important Problem Facing the Country
Economy and Jobs 48%Budget Deficit 10Health Care 4Education 3War/Iraq/Afghanistan 3By two to one, Americans say the country has gotten off on the wrong track (60%) instead ofbeing headed in the right direction (31%). Those percentages have been similar since early lastyear.
Raising the Debt Ceiling
Congress is currently debating whether or not the nation’s debt ceiling – the legal limit on howmuch the federal government can borrow - should be raised. 69% of Americans say the debtceiling should not be raised because the country owes too much money already, and raising itwill cause long term consequences. Just 24% say that it should be raised, because otherwisethe country could default on its loans, causing severe problems for the U.S. economy.Majorities across the political spectrum are opposed, with Republicans and Tea Partysupporters especially likely to be against an increase in the debt ceiling.
Should the Debt Ceiling be Raised?
All Reps Dems Inds Tea PartyYes 24% 16% 35% 21% 16%No 69 81 54 72 83A third of Americans think spending cuts should be part of any agreement on the debt ceiling,but more – 56%- say the issue is so serious it should be decided on its own.The public expresses some concern about the economic consequences that could result fromnot raising the debt ceiling72% think it is at least somewhat likely that the economy will take a severe downturn if theceiling is not raised, but just 25% think that’s very likely to occur. More than half say it is at leastsomewhat likely that Social Security, Medicare and veterans’ payments won’t be made,including 19% who think that’s very likely to happen. Another 38% say the stoppage ofpayments for these programs is not very likely to happen if the nation’s debt ceiling is not raised.Those who think it is very likely that an economic downturn will occur if the debt ceiling isn’traised are more likely to support increasing it.
Likelihood Economy & Stock Market will Take a Downturnif Debt Ceiling isn’t Raised
Very likely 25%Somewhat likely 47Not likely 18
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