[poochee]

Close to half of black adults nationwide, 47%, say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S., up from 10% in mid-2008. There has been a much smaller increase among whites -- now 22%, up from 15%. Even among Democrats, blacks show a greater increase than whites in satisfaction.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

Americans are much less sure than they were a year ago at the time of his election that President Barack Obama will be able to accomplish a number of challenges facing his administration. In particular, far fewer Americans believe he will be able to heal political divisions and control federal spending.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

The U.S. political climate heading into 2010 is not as favorable to the Democratic Party as it was in 2006 and 2008. Though Democrats continue to have an edge in party affiliation and President Obama retains majority approval, congressional approval and satisfaction with the U.S. are low.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

More Americans now say President Barack Obama is governing from the left (54%) than expected him to do so just after the election (43%). Less than half (48%) currently think he is keeping his promises -- down from two-thirds (65%) in April.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

Republicans give Mike Huckabee (71%) an edge over Mitt Romney (65%) and Sarah Palin (65%) when asked if they would seriously consider voting for each as president. Huckabee and Romney have greater appeal to the broader public, though only 4 in 10 Americans say they would consider voting for either.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

Americans view Secretary of Defense Robert Gates positively to the extent they are familiar with him. Forty-nine percent have a favorable opinion of Gates, with 19% unfavorable and 33% unsure. Though Gates is a Republican, Democrats view him more favorably than Republicans.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

Forty-one percent of Americans say race relations have gotten at least a little better under Barack Obama; about half as many say they have worsened. Last November, 70% expected race relations to improve as a result of his election, and 61% still hold out hope that this will happen in the long run.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

Americans are evenly split on the potential long-term impact of a new healthcare bill on the U.S. healthcare system: 41% say it would make the system better; 40% say it would make it worse. They are more negative than positive on the bill’s potential impact on their personal healthcare situations.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

Republicans have moved ahead of Democrats, 48% to 44%, in Gallup’s latest update on registered-voter preferences for the 2010 midterm congressional elections. Over the course of the year, independents have grown increasingly likely to vote Republican on this measure.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

Forty-two percent of Americans believe President Barack Obama should increase U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, either by the roughly 40,000 Gen. Stanley McChrystal recommended (35%) or by a smaller amount (7%). However, slightly more Americans, 44%, favor a reduction of U.S. troops in that country.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

More Americans now believe it is not the government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage (50%) than think it is (47%). This marks the first time this decade when a plurality has not favored the “government responsibility” viewpoint.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

Americans express slightly greater approval of Congress this month after last month’s decline, but the current 26% rating is still down from this summer. While Democrats’ and Republicans’ approval is up from last month, the percentage of independents approving is the lowest it has been all year.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

After several months of decreased concern, Americans in November are more likely than last month to cite economic concerns as the most important problem facing the country. Now, 31% mention the economy in general and 20% mention unemployment as the top problem. Healthcare (22%) also figures prominently.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

If a new healthcare bill is passed into law, Americans would be most concerned about its costs, increased government involvement in healthcare, how a new law would affect their personal healthcare situations, and that a new bill would not do enough to expand healthcare access.

The Gallup Poll

[poochee]

Smoking is strongly related to well-being regardless of income, according to Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data from 2008 and 2009. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers are less likely than non-smokers to be “thriving," report fewer positive emotions, and are more likely to report depression.

The Gallup Poll