President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address Tuesday enjoying rising approval ratings that have been strengthened by rapidly improving perceptions of the economy and increased optimism about the overall direction of the country, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. … Obama enjoys other advantages as […] Read more »
Mood on Economy Up, Race Relations Sharply Down
Americans’ views about the economy, their overall quality of life and the opportunity to get ahead through hard work are more positive than they were before the 2014 State of the Union Address — echoing their improving economic confidence. At the same time, Americans are markedly less satisfied with the […] Read more »
Black and White Differences in Views on Race
The outcry after grand juries in Ferguson, Missouri, and Staten Island, New York, decided not to indict police officers in the deaths of unarmed black men has refocused Americans’ attention on the continuing, contentious issue of race relations in the U.S. Gallup has measured black and white Americans’ attitudes about […] Read more »
The United States of Unease
… For the past month, CityLab has reported results from the Atlantic Media/Siemens State of the City poll, which explored how Americans living in urban, suburban, and rural areas rate their communities on all the key components of daily life, from education, transportation and safety to the environment and culture. […] Read more »
The Fire This Time
The 1992 Los Angeles riots that followed the not-guilty verdict in the police beating of black motorist Rodney King were probably the last time the fraught relationship between African-Americans and law enforcement galvanized as much attention as it has since the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. … In […] Read more »
Optimism for Rising Home Values Is Highest Since 2007
Americans’ growing optimism about the housing market continues, with 56% of Americans now expecting average home prices in their local area to increase. That is up from 33% just two years ago, and from a low of 21% in January 2011, but still below the readings of 60% or higher […] Read more »