Few issues in this campaign cycle seem as toxic as trade: Both major-party presidential candidates oppose President Obama’s 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, and congressional leaders, having refused all year to vote on the trade accord until after the election, suggest they will not do so even then — potentially killing the […] Read more »
Economy Remains Top Problem in U.S. as Debate Nears
With the first presidential debate approaching, no one issue clearly dominates Americans’ minds when they are asked to name the most important problem facing the U.S. The economy (14%) continues to lead the list, followed closely by dissatisfaction with government (11%) and jobs and unemployment (11%) as the top problem […] Read more »
GOP Losing Ground as Better Party to Handle Foreign Threats
More Americans say the Republican Party will do a better job than the Democratic Party of protecting the country from foreign threats, but the gap between the parties has narrowed in the last year. The Republicans now lead by seven percentage points, 47% to 40%, down from their 16-point lead […] Read more »
Popular Presidents Factor Little in Non-Incumbent Elections
The Ronald Reagan presidency offers the most recent historical clues as to whether President Barack Obama’s popularity could affect voters’ choices for president in November. Like Obama, Reagan was earning job approval ratings in the low to mid-50s in the second half of his eighth year. And the Republican nominee […] Read more »
Differences on terrorism divide voters across battlegrounds
Fifteen years from the September 11 terror attacks, voters across the battleground states agree that terrorism remains a threat, but they differ markedly on how to fight it. The differences help define what they’re looking for in a commander-in-chief, not only in terms of a president’s characteristics, but in his […] Read more »
Economic outlook best in 9 years
Americans are more positive about the nation’s economy than they have been in nine years, according to a new CNN/ORC poll. In a reflection of rising optimism, 53% of Americans say economic conditions in the US are good, up from the 45% who felt that way in June. It’s the […] Read more »