GALLUP POLL: U.S. Satisfaction With Gov't, Morality, Economy Down
(excerpt)

GALLUP POLL

PRINCETON, NJ -- When President Obama delivers his State of the Union speech Tuesday, he will be addressing a nation that is less satisfied with a variety of aspects of U.S. life than it was in 2008. Americans' satisfaction with six of seven different economic, moral, or governmental aspects is down significantly compared with Gallup's prior measurement three years ago, as the economy was slowing down but before the financial crisis hit. Currently, Americans are most likely to express satisfaction with the overall quality of life in the United States (77%). Majorities also remain satisfied with the influence of organized religion (58%) and the opportunity for a person to get ahead by working hard (55%), though the latter has shown the greatest decline since 2008. Americans are least satisfied with the size and influence of major corporations (29%), the moral and ethical climate (30%), and the size and power of the federal government (31%).

The latest data, from a Jan. 7-9 poll, represent new low points in satisfaction for the six items showing declines this year compared with the prior measurement. Gallup first asked this list of items in January 2001 and tracked it each January through 2008. Gallup did not ask the questions in either of the last two years, so it is unclear whether satisfaction levels would have been worse in 2009 or 2010 during the height of the economic downturn.

Over the past decade, the two items measuring satisfaction with the government have declined the most. Satisfaction with the U.S. system of government and how it works is down 34 percentage points from its 2002 high, and satisfaction with the size and power of the federal government is down 29 points from its high the same year. Those 2002 figures were higher because of the rally in support of government after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, but since then, there has been a decline in satisfaction in those two areas that has accelerated over the last three years. The current satisfaction levels with government are also significantly lower than in January 2001, prior to the terrorist attacks.