This Week's Top Stories
Better Off: Key U.S. indicators improved from when Obama took office
Satisfaction Surge: U.S. satisfaction climbs to three-year high
Convention Bounce: Obama up 3 points immediately after convention
Libyans' Views: 95% last spring wanted militias disarmed
Untapped Potential: Majority in U.S. underutilizing their strengths
Congress' Approval Poised to Be Lowest in an Election Year
September 14, 2012
Thirteen percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, after a record-low 10% last month. Congress' approval is on pace to be the lowest Gallup has measured in an election year.
Married Voters Strongly Back Romney
September 14, 2012
Married registered voters favor Republican Mitt Romney over Democrat Barack Obama, 54% to 39%. A Gallup analysis finds that marital status remains a strong predictor of ballot preference even after controlling for a number of variables.
Snapshot: Libyans Want Militias Disarmed Immediately
September 13, 2012
Ninety-five percent of Libyans agree that local militias should be disarmed immediately, as the country grapples with the role of armed groups and a surplus of weapons after the downfall of the Gadhafi regime.
Democrats Pull Even With Republicans as Better on Terrorism
September 13, 2012
The Democratic Party now ties the Republican Party in Americans' perceptions of which would better safeguard the U.S. against terrorism, erasing a GOP advantage. Americans also see Democrats as better at keeping the country prosperous.
VIDEO
In U.S., Smokers Light Up Less Than Ever
September 13, 2012
An all-time high of 68% of U.S. smokers say they smoke less than one pack of cigarettes per day, and an all-time low smoke more than one pack. More than two-thirds of smokers say they are addicted, and nearly eight in 10 want to quit.
GALLUP BUSINESS JOURNAL
Building Strengths Accelerates Company Engagement Everywhere
September 12, 2012
Employee engagement globally is alarmingly low. Here's how executives worldwide can attack this problem systematically -- by "owning" the strengths of employees, teams, and their entire company.
Editors' Pick
Half in U.S. Don't Use Their Strengths Throughout the Day
September 12, 2012
The majority of Americans report that they are able to use their strengths to do what they do best for six hours or fewer each day. Male, low-income, and less-educated Americans use their strengths the least.
GALLUP DAILY
Sep 12-14, 2012 – Updates daily at 1 p.m. ET; reflects one-day change
Gallup Business Journal
Building Strengths Accelerates Company Engagement Everywhere
September 12, 2012
Employee engagement globally is alarmingly low. Here's how executives worldwide can attack this problem systematically -- by "owning" the strengths of employees, teams, and their entire company.
What Drives Entrepreneurs to Win
September 6, 2012
If we're going to emerge from the worldwide economic slump, entrepreneurs will lead the way. Gallup uncovers the motivations, perceptions, and behaviors that propel these exceptional businesspeople.
NEWS FROM GALLUP LEADERSHIP
Gallup on Marketplace Radio
Last Week's Top Stories
Payroll to Population: 27% of adults worldwide have a full-time job
DNC Dynamics: Pre-speech, Obama's approval trailed his favorability
No Bounce: Support for Romney essentially unchanged after RNC
Iraq's Infrastructure: Residents of Kurdish region less satisfied
Spending Uptick: U.S. consumer spending nears four-year high
Politics
Married Voters Strongly Back Romney
September 14, 2012
Married registered voters favor Republican Mitt Romney over Democrat Barack Obama, 54% to 39%. A Gallup analysis finds that marital status remains a strong predictor of ballot preference even after controlling for a number of variables.
Democrats Pull Even With Republicans as Better on Terrorism
September 13, 2012
The Democratic Party now ties the Republican Party in Americans' perceptions of which would better safeguard the U.S. against terrorism, erasing a GOP advantage. Americans also see Democrats as better at keeping the country prosperous.
U.S. Satisfaction Up to 30%, Highest in Three Years
September 12, 2012
Thirty percent of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S., the highest level since August 2009. Meanwhile, the percentage saying they are "very dissatisfied" is 41%, down from 56% a year ago.
Economy
Opinion Briefing: Arab Nations Differ on Uprisings' Upside
September 12, 2012
Gallup surveys show that Arabs in countries where major revolts did not take place last year largely believe the protests and revolts in the Arab world left the countries involved worse off -- in contrast to Arabs in countries where uprisings took place.
U.S. Economic Confidence Surged 11 Points Last Week
September 11, 2012
Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index surged to -18 last week, up from -29 the week prior. Democrats and independents, whose economic confidence spiked after the start of the Democratic National Convention, drove this surge.
In U.S., Half of Women Prefer a Job Outside the Home
September 7, 2012
Half of all women in the U.S., 51%, say that if free to do either, they would rather have a job outside the home than "stay at home and take care of the house and family," similar to the rate seen since 2007. This contrasts with 76% of men.
Wellbeing
Half in U.S. Don't Use Their Strengths Throughout the Day
September 12, 2012
The majority of Americans report that they are able to use their strengths to do what they do best for six hours or fewer each day. Male, low-income, and less-educated Americans use their strengths the least.
UK, Germany Life Ratings Relatively Stable as Europe Hurts
September 5, 2012
Germans and Britons are rating their lives relatively the same in 2012 as they did in 2011, even as both nations grapple with the worsening debt crisis in Europe. Germans consistently rate their lives worse than Britons do.
Republicans Have Greater Access to Basic Necessities
August 30, 2012
Democrats and independents struggle more than Republicans do with access to basic necessities. Republicans are more likely to have health insurance, visit the dentist regularly, and have enough money for food, medicine, and shelter.
World
Opinion Briefing: Arab Nations Differ on Uprisings' Upside
September 12, 2012
Gallup surveys show that Arabs in countries where major revolts did not take place last year largely believe the protests and revolts in the Arab world left the countries involved worse off -- in contrast to Arabs in countries where uprisings took place.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, Satisfaction With Infrastructure Crumbles
September 7, 2012
Residents of Iraqi Kurdistan report less satisfaction with key infrastructure and perceive more corruption in 2012 than they did in previous years, while attitudes in the rest of Iraq have improved.
Global Payroll to Population Employment Rate at 27% for 2011
September 5, 2012
Worldwide, 27% of adults were employed full time for an employer in 2011, according to Gallup's new Payroll to Population measure. Payroll to Population rates varied from 52% in Sweden to 4% in the Central African Republic.
More Data & Analysis
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WorldView Access data that represent the voice of more than 98% of the Earth's residents through a Web-based portal.
Gallup Brain The Gallup Brain is a searchable, living record of more than 70 years of public opinion.
Research Reports Gallup experts and senior scientists are continually analyzing Gallup data and sharing their findings.