President Obama has received high approval ratings from Democrats since he stepped into office, but low marks from Republicans. See how members of both parties since 1953 have rated the performance of the presidents, from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama.
From 1923 to the present, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt have had the highest average number of news conferences per month. Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan held the fewest. Learn more about how often presidents since 1923 have met the press.
The Congressional Recovery Index analyzes legislation passed by Congress to jumpstart the sluggish American economy, including the landmark American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and reviews procedural tactics used to both advance and hinder passage of the measures. Procedural cooperation is noted when applicable.
Most Americans like their own Members of Congress but tend to be unhappy with congressional performance overall. While congressional approval ratings have been increasing with the start of the 111th Congress, the public can quickly change its mind. Track congressional approval ratings dating back to 1974.
Since 1947, the busiest Congress in terms of bills introduced was the 90th (1967-69), followed closely by the 91st, while the 104th (1995-97) was the least productive. Yet, the 81st Congress that closed out the 1940s had nearly one out of seven measures enacted. See all the data dating back to 1947.
Party unity - how often a majority of voting Democrats opposed a majority of voting Republicans in Congress - tells us something about partisanship in our legislative branch. Learn more about party unity in the House and Senate since 1954.
Public satisfaction levels with the ways things are going in the United States fluctuate greatly over time. Peaks in June '86, February '99 and December '01 are punctuated with troughs in July '79, June '92 and October '08. See how the satisfaction level has risen and fallen from 1979 to the present.
In 1964, 76% of people trusted government just about always or most of the time. Today that number is about 30%. See how public trust in government has shifted since 1958.
Public views toward the economy have reached historic lows, in late 2008 reaching below 10% for the first time since 1993. See how public confidence levels in the economy have risen and fallen dating back to 1992.
Banks, the presidency, Congress, television news, big business. These are some of the major institutions that affect the lives of millions of Americans, and about which Americans have strong feelings. See how public confidence levels in major institutions in the United States have shifted since 1973.
With the advent of the 24 hour news cycle, the Internet, and the decline of newspapers, what are public attitudes toward the mass media? Public trust confidence levels with the mass media are measured dating back to 1972.
The number of newspapers and subscribers have been declining in recent years. These charts measure the number of newspapers and circulation dating back to 1850.
April 29, 2009
As our nation confronts an economic crisis of a severity unlike any since the Great Depression, much attention has been placed on President Obama’s first 100 days and the administration’s progress in combating these unprecedented challenges. Expert Darrell West tracks public opinion on Obama’s handling of the recovery effort for a new index, GovWatch.