The Numbers

Obama's Goods and Bads

Gary Langer — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:06:30 -0400

Praise is hard to come by for a president in a bad economy. An open-ended question in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll asked Americans what Barack Obama has done particularly well lately, and what he’s done especially poorly –...

Nearly Six in 10 Support Involvement in Libya

Gary Langer — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:00:00 -0400

Nearly six in 10 Americans support U.S. military involvement in NATO efforts against the Libyan government – but few of them want to see it increase from its current level. Fifty-eight percent in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll support...

OBL and Public Opinion

Gary Langer — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:38:32 -0400

On the public opinion piece of the Osama bin Laden story, a few data points follow: While some bump for the president is entirely possible, how big it is and how long it lasts is an open question. Immediately after...

New Low for Obama on Afghanistan

Gary Langer — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:57:24 -0400

A record 49 percent of Americans now disapprove of President Obama’s handling of the situation in Afghanistan, up 8 points since January. And those who disapprove “strongly” outnumber strong approvers by nearly a 2-1 margin. With Obama holding his monthly...

Gov't Shutdown: One Person's Blame - Another's Credit

Gary Langer — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:48:19 -0400

A quick word of caution in assessing “blame” for a partial government shutdown, should it occur: In our latest ABC/Post poll, 31 percent of Americans said it would be a good thing if it happened. That view ranged from 19...

Study Raises New Questions for Opt-in Online Data

Gary Langer — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:00:00 -0400

A paper published by the U.S. Census Bureau reinforces serious questions about the reliability of surveys filled in by volunteer participants on the internet – and extends those concerns in a new direction. Past research has thrown doubt on the...

Three-Quarters Back Women in Combat Roles

Gary Langer — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 06:00:00 -0400

The Military Leadership Diversity Commission has company: Nearly three-quarters of Americans agree that women in the armed services should be allowed to serve in ground units that engage in direct combat. The commission, established by Congress in 2009 to evaluate...

Palin's Favorability Declines; Negatives Exceed her Rivals'

Gary Langer — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:01:00 -0400

Favorable impressions of Sarah Palin have dropped to a new low in her own party, with negative views of the former Alaska governor substantially exceeding those of other potential Republican presidential candidates, the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll finds. Fifty-eight...

Support for a Libyan No-Fly Zone Comes with Questions about the Future

Gary Langer — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:55:00 -0400

More than half of Americans support U.S. participation in creating a no-fly zone over Libya, but support for unilateral U.S. military action is lower – and a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds substantial skepticism about the aims and...

Japan's Nuclear Crisis May Resonate in the U.S.

Gary Langer — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 09:01:41 -0500

The crisis at the Fukushima and Daini nuclear plants in Japan comes at a sensitive time for an industry that’s been looking for new life in the United States. There’s been renewed interest in building nuclear plants – including from...