Washington, DC. October 25, 2011. The latest national survey by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner for Democracy Corps reveals an intensely anti-establishment, anti-Washington, anti-Wall Street moment. Three-quarters of all voters say the country is on the wrong track; just 15 percent believe we are heading in the right direction—the lowest optimism since the crash and down 13 points since June. Negative ratings of the economy are up 5 points since last month and now equal what they were during the height of the economic crisis. It is angry and ugly out there, reflected in dramatic pull-back from the political and economic establishment: Washington, Wall Street, and politicians of both parties receive negative ratings across the board, hitting bottom with the Republican Congress. Nearly 60 percent of voters give Wall Street a negative rating. The President’s approval rating has dropped to 40 percent—the lowest in our tracking. But voters have pulled back more sharply from the Republicans; two-thirds now disapprove of the Republican Congress, almost half (48 percent) disapprove strongly.
Key Findings:
- Voters are intensely frustrated with an intractably stagnant economy. The state of the economy rates coolest of all, with nearly 80 percent of all voters giving the economy a cool rating.
- Voters are frustrated with the economy but unreservedly angry with the political and economic establishment that cannot fix it. On our thermometer scale, voters have pulled back sharply from the president and both parties in Congress. They reserve much anger for Republicans in Congress but save the bulk of their anger for Wall Street and its banks and financial institutions. Fewer than 20 percent of voters give them a positive rating and almost 60 percent give them a negative rating.
- The presidential ballot is even. While Obama has improved his standing among independent voters, the biggest pull-back from Barack Obama has come from his base – mostly young people and minorities.
- Republicans in Congress are being held accountable for the mess in Washington. Less than a year after they made big election gains, voters have pulled back sharply.
The memo, graphs, and frequency questionnaire can be found at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner.
About Greenberg Quinlan Rosner
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About Democracy Corps
Democracy Corps is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to making the government of the United States more responsive to the American people. It seeks to play a vital role in shaping the political debate, providing research, strategic advice, and a public voice to the issues important to the American people. www.democracycorps.com
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