In the days before Tuesday’s hard-fought Florida primary and just after the president’s State of the Union address, political stories topped the public’s news interest.

About two-in-ten (22%) say they followed news about candidates for the 2012 presidential elections more closely than any other news last week. About as many (18%) say their top story was Barack Obama’s annual speech to a joint session of Congress on Jan. 24. Another 15% say they followed news about the nation’s economy most closely, according to the latest weekly News Interest Index survey, conducted Jan. 26-29 among 1,006 adults by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

By comparison, news coverage was not so evenly distributed. The 2012 campaign dominated coverage, accounting for a third of the newshole (33%), according to a separate analysis by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ). The State of the Union made up 9% of coverage and the economy 6%.

Differing Partisan Interests

More than a third of Republicans (36%) say they followed news about the presidential candidates more closely than any other news last week. Reports about the condition of the U.S. economy ranked second (14% most closely). Just 8% of Republicans say President Obama’s State of the Union was their top story.

Among Democrats, about a third (32%) say they paid more attention to the State of the Union speech than to any other story. Another 16% say they followed election news most closely and 9% cite economic news. Independents are more evenly divided: 21% say their top story was news about the economy, while 18% cite the presidential election and 15% choose Obama’s speech.

Looking at a separate measure, nearly half of Democrats (48%) say they followed news about the State of the Union very closely, much more than the 17% of Republicans and 25% of independents that say this. Republicans and Democrats are about equally likely to say they very closely followed news about the election (35% and 31%, respectively) or the economy (36% and 39%, respectively).

Attention Focused on Two Battling Candidates

Two weeks ago, following his win in the New Hampshire primary, Romney was far and away the most visible GOP candidate. In a Jan. 12-15 survey, 51% said they had heard the most about Romney in the news recently. At that point, just 6% said they had heard the most about Gingrich.

But Gingrich’s win in South Carolina – and Romney’s effort to stop his momentum in Florida – has led to nearly equal levels of visibility for the contenders. Currently, 42% say they’ve heard the most about Gingrich recently, while 36% say Romney. This is true among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents as well; 45% say they have heard the most about Gingrich, while 41% say they have heard the most about Romney.

The Week’s News

Overall, 35% say they followed reports about the condition of the U.S. economy very closely, matching the number that said this one week earlier. Nearly as many (29%) say they followed the State of the Union speech very closely, a level of interest comparable to interest in Obama’s previous two State of the Union speeches. Somewhat more (37%) very closely followed news about Obama’s first address to a joint session of Congress shortly after taking office in 2009.

The week’s other top stories attracted less attention. Fewer than one-in-ten (6%) say their top story was the successful mission by U.S. special forces to rescue two aid workers – one American and one Dane – held captive in Somalia. About two-in-ten (21%) say they followed this news very closely. News about the raid made up 4% of coverage.

Few (4%) say they followed recent news about historically low interest rates for banks and home mortgages most closely; 16% say they followed this news very closely. This news accounted for 1% of coverage.

Just 2% say their top story was new policies announced by Google about how the internet giant would track people’s web use; 7% say they followed this news very closely. The story made up less than 1% of the week’s newshole.

Two weeks ago, the on-line protests by prominent web-sites against proposed legislation in Congress targeting online piracy proved to be the top story for those ages 18-29. In the most recent survey, young people were somewhat more likely to follow news about the Google policy changes than those over 50, but just 6% say this was the news they followed most closely. That’s well behind interest in Obama’s speech (21% most closely) or the presidential campaign (19%) among younger Americans.

These findings are based on the most recent installment of the weekly News Interest Index, an ongoing project of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. The index, building on the Center’s longstanding research into public attentiveness to major news stories, examines news interest as it relates to the news media’s coverage. The weekly survey is conducted in conjunction with The Project for Excellence in Journalism’s News Coverage Index, which monitors the news reported by major newspaper, television, radio and online news outlets on an ongoing basis. In the most recent week, data relating to news coverage were collected Jan. 23-29, and survey data measuring public interest in the top news stories of the week were collected Jan. 26-29 from a nationally representative sample of 1,006 adults.

By comparison, just 46% of Republican voters have positive opinions of the GOP field, according to the latest survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Jan. 26-29 among 1,006 adults, including 341 Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters. In early January, shortly before the New Hampshire primary, 51% gave the field excellent or good ratings while 44% rated the candidates collectively as only fair or poor.

That survey showed that GOP voters’ ratings of the field are far less positive than were opinions of the Republican field in 2008. At about this point four years ago, 68% of Republican and GOP-leaning voters rated the field as excellent or good. (See “GOP Voters Still Unenthused about Presidential Field,” Jan. 9, 2012.)

Who Understands Problems of Average Americans?

Separately, the survey, in partnership with The Washington Post, finds that far more voters say Barack Obama understand the problems of average Americans than say that about either Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich. More than half of all registered voters (55%) say Obama understands the problems of average Americans very or fairly well. About four-in-ten (41%) say he understands people’s problems not too well or not at all well.

Only about four-in-ten voters (39%) give Romney high marks for understanding the problems of average Americans; about the same percentage (36%) says Gingrich does very or fairly well in understanding people’s problems.

About half of independent voters (53%) rate Obama positively in understanding the problems of average Americans; only 38% and 37% of independents, respectively, give Romney and Gingrich positive ratings. Democratic voters overwhelmingly say that Obama understands the problems of average people (84%). Smaller majorities of GOP voters give Romney (61%) and Gingrich (60%) positive ratings.

But while Americans are hearing more and more about class conflict, there is little indication that they are increasingly divided along these lines. People don’t necessarily want to take money from the wealthy; they just want a better chance to get rich themselves. They care about policies that give everyone a fair shot — a distinction that candidates in both parties should understand as they head into the 2012 campaigns.

An awareness of economic inequality is not new. Pew surveys going back to 1987 have found an average of 75 percent of the American public thinking that the “rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.” As far back as 1941, 60 percent of respondents told the Gallup poll that there was too much power in the hands of a few rich people and large corporations in the United States.

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The deadly crash of a cruise ship off of the coast of Italy and the latest developments in the 2012 presidential campaign topped the public’s news interests last week.

About a quarter (26%) say they followed news about the cruise ship accident more closely than any other news. A comparable percentage (23%) say they followed news about candidates for the 2012 presidential election most closely, according to the latest weekly News Interest Index survey, conducted Jan. 19-22 among 1,002 adults by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

But the protest by popular websites against proposed online piracy legislation was a top story for young people. Nearly a quarter (23%) of those younger than 30 say they followed news about the online piracy fight most closely. That is about the same as the percentage following the 2012 elections most closely (21%). Among the public as a whole, just 7% say they followed news about the web protests – which included sites such as Wikipedia going dark for the day – more closely than any other story.

News about the election and the battle for the Republican nomination received much more media attention than any other story. Election news accounted for 41% of coverage, far more than the crash of the Costa Concordia cruise ship. The accident made up 10% of coverage, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ).

The protests by popular websites and the debate in Congress over anti-piracy legislation accounted for 5% of the newshole, about the same amount of coverage given to economic news last week (4%).

The Week’s News

While Americans are about equally likely to say the 2012 elections or the cruise ship disaster was their top story last week, comparable numbers also say they followed each story very closely. Three-in-ten (30%) say this about the cruise accident and 28% say this about news about the presidential candidates. Partisans are about equally likely to say they followed election news very closely. Overall interest in election news is about the same as it has been since the start of the year.

Overall, 16% say they tracked news about the website protests very closely.  About a quarter of those 18 to 29 (23%) followed this news very closely; 51% say they followed this news at least fairly closely. Among those 65 and older, just 28% say they followed this news very or fairly closely. Democrats (20%) and independents (19%) are more likely than Republicans (11%) to say they followed the online protests very closely.

One-in-ten (10%) say they followed news about the nation’s economy most closely last week. About a third (35%) say they followed this news very closely, a level of interest that has fluctuated little in recent weeks. Economic news made up 4% of coverage, separating out about 1% of coverage devoted to the bankruptcy filing of the Eastman Kodak company.

Fewer than one-in-ten (6%) say their top story was the Obama administration’s decision to reject current plans for the Keystone XL oil pipeline that was to run from Canada to Texas; 22% say they followed this news very closely. News about the administration’s decision made up 2% of coverage.

Just 1% say their top story was the bankruptcy filing last week by Kodak, the once-dominant photo film maker; 7% say they followed this news very closely. About a third of those 65 and older (32%) say they followed this news at least fairly closely, compared with 13% of those under 30. News about the bankruptcy filing accounted for 1% of coverage.

These findings are based on the most recent installment of the weekly News Interest Index, an ongoing project of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. The index, building on the Center’s longstanding research into public attentiveness to major news stories, examines news interest as it relates to the news media’s coverage. The weekly survey is conducted in conjunction with The Project for Excellence in Journalism’s News Coverage Index, which monitors the news reported by major newspaper, television, radio and online news outlets on an ongoing basis. In the most recent week, data relating to news coverage were collected Jan. 16-22, and survey data measuring public interest in the top news stories of the week were collected Jan. 19-22 from a nationally representative sample of 1,002 adults.

As the 2012 State of the Union approaches, the public continues to give the highest priority to economic issues. Fully 86% say that strengthening the economy should be a top priority for the president and Congress this year, and 82% rate improving the job situation as a top priority. None of the other 20 issues tested in this annual survey rate as a top priority for more than 70% of Americans.

More generally, the public’s concerns rest more with domestic policy than at any point in the past 15 years; 81% say Obama should be focused on domestic policy, just 9% say foreign policy. In keeping with this, defending against terrorism and strengthening the military are given less priority today than over the course of the past decade.

Nonetheless, the public is keeping a wary eye on Iran. It is now seen as the country that represents the greatest danger to the U.S., and more Americans prioritize taking a firm stand against Iran over avoiding military conflict. And with respect to restructuring America’s national security policy, the public is evenly divided as to whether a smaller military can be just as effective as a larger one in facing future security challenges.

Shifting GOP Priorities

The new poll finds that the federal budget deficit stands out as the fastest growing policy priority for Americans, largely because of growing Republican concerns about the issue. In the national survey, conducted Jan. 11-16 among 1,502 adults, 69% rate reducing the budget deficit as a top priority – the most in any of the Pew Research Center’s annual policy priority updates going back to 1994.

The number of Republicans rating the budget deficit as a top priority has spiked to 84% from 68% a year ago and just 42% five years ago. Meanwhile Republicans are placing far less emphasis on terrorism, which was their top priority in every year between 2002 and 2008. Today 72% rate it as a top priority, down from 83% a year ago and 93% five years ago. By contrast, the emphasis Democrats and independents give to terrorism and the budget deficit has changed far less.

Parties Divide on Medicare, Health Care

Making the Social Security and Medicare systems financially sound continue to be top-tier issues for Americans, with 68% and 61% rating them as top priorities, respectively. There is a substantially larger partisan divide over Medicare, which Democrats view as higher priority than do Republicans, than over Social Security. Reducing health care costs remains one of the more divisive issues politically, as it was even before the recent battle over health care reform. Currently, 71% of Democrats rate it as a top priority, compared with just 49% of Republicans.

Energy and Environment

No issue divides partisans more than the importance of environmental protection – 58% of Democrats say it is a top priority, compared with just 27% of Republicans. Of the 22 items tested, environmental protection is one of the lowest GOP priorities, along with such issues as improving transportation infrastructure and campaign finance reform. Dealing with the nation’s energy problems, by contrast, is of equal importance to both Republicans (55% top priority) and Democrats (57%), though other recent surveys suggest that partisans have very different solutions in mind.

Since it was first tested on the annual policy priorities list in 2007, the share of Americans who view dealing with global warming as a top priority has slipped from 38% to 25%. Democrats (38%) are far more likely than Republicans (11%) to rate this as a top priority. But the decline has occurred across party lines: In 2007, 48% of Democrats rated dealing with global warming as a top priority, as did 23% of Republicans.

Money and Politics

Despite a recent focus on the issue of money in politics, including the role of Super PACs in the 2012 Republican primaries, the issue remains on the back burner for most Americans. Just 28% say reforming the campaign finance system is a top priority for the president and Congress in 2012, and it is one of the lowest ranked issues across party lines. Somewhat more (40%) say reducing the influence of lobbyists and special interest groups in Washington is a top priority. There has been little change in the public’s focus on either issue compared with previous years.

Declining Focus on Immigration

The share of Americans ranking illegal immigration as a top priority has fallen to 39% from 46% a year ago and 55% in 2007. This decline has occurred across party lines, with a notable drop among Republicans. In 2007, illegal immigration was the second-highest priority after terrorism for Republicans, with 69% rating it as a top priority. Today, 48% of Republicans rate it as a top priority, placing it behind 11 other priorities.

Tax Fairness a Low GOP Priority

About six-in-ten Americans (61%) say that making the tax system more fair should be a top priority for the president and Congress this year. It ranks among the top 10 issue priorities, well above items like immigration or the environment, and nearly on par with perennially top-tier issues like education (65% top priority). Democrats and independents rate this as a more critical issue than do Republicans, but half of Republicans say this should be a top priority in 2012. About two-thirds of Americans with household incomes under $75,000 rate this as a top priority, compared with about half of those earning $75,000 or more.

Iran a Top Concern

The recent tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and disputes between the U.S. and Iran in the Persian Gulf have garnered a good deal of public attention. Roughly four-in-ten (42%) say they have heard a lot about this, and 41% have heard a little. The percentage naming Iran as the country posing the greatest danger to the U.S. has more than doubled to 28% from 12% a year ago, and it now ranks slightly higher than China. Of those following the Iran situation, 54% say the U.S. should take a firm stand against Iran’s actions, while 39% say it is more important to avoid a military conflict with Iran.

On Afghanistan, the public favors removing U.S. troops as soon as possible by a wide 56% to 38% margin. Obama continues to receive highly favorable marks for his handling of Afghanistan, and more approve than disapprove of his handling of Iran as well. (For more, see “Obama: Weak Job Ratings, But Positive Personal Image” Jan. 19, 2012).

The State of the Union

As President Obama prepares for his third State of the Union speech Tuesday evening, 36% say this address will be more important than previous years’ speeches; 14% say it will be less important and 46% say it will be about as important as past State of the Union addresses. This is about the same balance of opinion offered before each of Obama’s previous two addresses.

Not surprisingly, far more Democrats (53%) than independents (29%) or Republicans (27%) view Obama’s speech as more important than usual. However, there is considerably more agreement that Obama should focus his energies on domestic issues, rather than foreign policy: Currently, 81% want the president to focus domestically, much more than said this prior to George W. Bush’s last two State of the Unions, in 2007 and 2008.

The combined landline and cell phone sample are weighted using an iterative technique that matches gender, age, education, race, Hispanic origin and nativity and region to parameters from the March 2011 Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and population density to parameters from the Decennial Census. The sample also is weighted to match current patterns of telephone status and relative usage of landline and cell phones (for those with both), based on extrapolations from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey. The weighting procedure also accounts for the fact that respondents with both landline and cell phones have a greater probability of being included in the combined sample and adjusts for household size within the landline sample. Sampling errors and statistical tests of significance take into account the effect of weighting. The following table shows the sample sizes and the error attributable to sampling that would be expected at the 95% level of confidence for different groups in the survey:

Sample sizes and sampling errors for other subgroups are available upon request.

In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.

Among those who are aware of the recent tensions between the U.S. and Iran over Iran’s nuclear program and disputes in the Persian Gulf, a majority say that it is more important to take a firm stand against Iranian actions (54%) than to avoid a military conflict with Iran (39%). More than seven-in-ten Republicans (72%) say taking a firm stand is more important, as do a smaller majority (52%) of independents.

Democrats are more evenly split: 45% say taking a firm stand, 47% say avoiding a military conflict. This reflects a division of opinion within Democrats; while 52% of conservative and moderate Democrats say taking a firm stand is more important, that falls to 36% among liberal Democrats.

There also is a sizable age gap in opinions about how to deal with Iran. Among those under 30 who have heard about recent U.S.-Iran tensions, 56% say it is more important to avoid a military conflict with Iran. Majorities in older age groups – including 61% of those 65 and older –say it is more important to take a firm stand against Iranian actions.

More Perceive Iran as Greatest Danger

When asked which country represents the greatest danger to the U.S., more Americans volunteer Iran (28%) than name any other country, though nearly as many (22%) name China. North Korea (8%), Iraq (7%) and Afghanistan (5%) are mentioned by smaller proportions of the public.

The percentage naming Iran has more than doubled since last January (from 12% then to 28% today); opinions today are on par with those in 2006 and 2007. Compared with last year, fewer now cite North Korea as the most dangerous nation (8% today, 18% then), while about as many say China as did so last January (22% today, 20% last year).

Republicans view Iran as the country that poses the greatest danger to the United States: 42% name Iran, compared with 23% who name China and 9% who say North Korea
By contrast, Iran and China are cited about equally by Democrats (24% and 20%, respectively) and independents (25% each).

Little Change in Views of Afghanistan

A majority (56%) says U.S. troops should be brought home from Afghanistan as soon as possible; 38% say troops should remain there until the situation has stabilized. Public views about the draw-down of U.S. forces are nearly identical to June, although this represented a stark shift from past years.

The public also continues to say the effort in Afghanistan is going at least fairly well (55%), with Republicans (62%) and Democrats (55%) about equally likely to say it is going well. Independents offer less positive assessments (51% very or fairly well, 42% less well).

There continue to be wide partisan differences over whether to keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan until the situation has stabilized or bring them home as soon as possible. A majority of Republicans (57%) say troops should remain in the country until the situation has stabilized. Two-thirds of Democrats (66%) and 56% of independents say troops should be removed as soon as possible. These patterns are little changed from June.

Can a Smaller Military Do The Job?

Following the Defense Department’s recent response to cuts to its budget, including plans to scale down the size of the armed forces, Americans are divided in their views about the effectiveness of a smaller military: 44% say a smaller military will reduce effectiveness, while 45% say a smaller military can be just as effective in facing future challenges.

Roughly two-thirds of Republicans (65%) say troop cuts will reduce effectiveness, compared with 46% of independents and just 31% of Democrats. There are substantial differences within partisan groups: While nearly three-quarters of liberal Democrats (73%) say a smaller military would be just as capable, conservative and moderate Democrats are more evenly split (39% less effective, 49% as effective).

Conversely, while moderate and liberal Republicans are split on the question, seven-in-ten conservative Republicans (70%) say downsizing military will diminish its effectiveness.

America’s Image Abroad

A 56% majority of Americans say the U.S. is less respected now than it was in the past. This is unchanged from November of 2009, and remains a more positive assessment of foreign impressions than throughout the later years of George W. Bush’s administration. At the same time, the percentage saying the U.S. is more respected than in the past has declined over the last two years (from 21% to 13%), with a comparable rise in the proportion saying the country is as respected as it had been (from 20% to 27%).

As was the case in 2009, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say the U.S. is now less respected abroad (66% vs. 50%). But these evaluations shift with administrations; while George W. Bush was president, Democrats were far more likely to say the U.S. had lost respect. Today, 56% of independents say the U.S. is less respected than in the past, similar to the proportion who said this in 2009; fewer now say this than did so from 2004 to 2008.

Nearly seven-in-ten (69%) say protecting the nation from terrorism should be a top priority, not much different from one year ago (73%) but down from 80% at the start of 2010. Still, terrorism has been at or near the top of the annual priorities list since it was first included in 2002, shortly after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

Concern about the nation’s budget deficit, on the other hand, has been increasing in recent years. Currently, 69% say reducing the deficit is a top priority. In January 2009, only about half (53%) rated this as a top priority.  The proportion citing the deficit as a top priority is now on par with the number that said this in December 1994 (65%), during Bill Clinton’s second year in office.

Reducing the deficit or paying off the national debt became less of a priority in the late 1990s as the nation – and the federal government – benefited from a strong economy. Concern was also modest in the early years of the Bush administration, especially in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. But concern about deficits has increased steadily since 2009.

Still, strengthening entitlement programs continues to be important for most Americans: 68% say securing Social Security is a top priority, while 61% say this about the Medicare system. In both cases, those numbers are little changed in recent years. In addition, nearly two-thirds (65%) cite improving education as a top priority, again little changed in recent years. About six-in-ten cite making the tax system more fair (61%) or reducing health care costs (60%) as top priorities.

Dealing with illegal immigration remains a lower priority and concerns have fluctuated in recent years. Currently, 39% say dealing with illegal immigration should be a top priority, down from 46% in 2011; it stood at 40% in 2010. In 2007, a majority (55%) said dealing with illegal immigration should be a top priority.

A Spike in GOP Deficit Concerns

More than eight-in-ten Republicans (84%) say reducing the federal budget deficit is a top priority, up 16 points since last January and the highest percentage in a Pew Research Center survey.

During the Bush administration, at most only about half of Republicans viewed reducing the budget deficit as a top policy priority. In January 2009, shortly before George W. Bush left office, 51% of Republicans rated reducing the deficit as a top priority. That percentage jumped 17 points (to 68%) by January 2011 and has increased by about the same amount (16 points) in the last year alone.

Democrats’ concerns over the deficit also have risen in recent years, though less sharply than Republicans’. Currently, 66% of Democrats say reducing the budget deficit should be a top priority for the president and Congress, up from 52% in January 2009.

Nonetheless, Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to rate the deficit as a top priority. It is often the case that members of the party out of power express greater concern over the deficit than do members of the party in control of the White House. Throughout most of the Bush administration, more Democrats than Republicans rated reducing the budget deficit (or paying off the national debt) as a top priority. In 1997 and 1998, during Bill Clinton’s second term, more Republicans than Democrats viewed these issues as top priorities.

Familiar Partisan Divides

There continue to be substantial partisan differences over other policy goals as well. Nearly six-in-ten Democrats (58%) say protecting the environment should be a top priority for the president and the Congress, compared with just 27% of Republicans and 40% of independents.

Democrats also are far more likely than Republicans to view improving the education system (28-point partisan gap), dealing with the problems of the poor and needy (27 points) and dealing with global warming (27 points) as top priorities. Nearly four-in-ten Democrats (38%) say dealing with global warming should be a top priority, compared with just 11% of Republicans and 21% of independents.

Republicans, on the other hand, are more likely than Democrats to say that reducing the budget deficit (18-point partisan gap) and dealing with moral breakdown in the country (11 points) are top priorities for the president and Congress.

Republicans are less likely to view illegal immigration as a top priority than did so last year and the gap with Democrats has narrowed. About half of Republicans (48%) view dealing with illegal immigration as a top policy priority, down from 61% in 2011. Among independents, the number saying this is a top priority also fell, from 47% to 37%. Democrats’ views are largely unchanged (36% today, 33% last year).

Nearly identical percentages of Republicans (72%) and Democrats (71%), along with 66% of independents, say that defending the country from future terrorist attacks should be a top priority for the president and Congress.

There was a wide partisan gap over the importance of this issue during much of the Bush administration. And as recently as last year, Republicans were more likely than Democrats to rate defending against future attacks as a top priority (83% vs. 72%).

Barack Obama begins his fourth year in office facing a struggling economy, an unhappy public, and a lower job approval rating than most of his recent predecessors at a comparable point in their presidencies. In fact, Obama’s job rating today is a bit more negative than it was in December: 48% disapprove of his performance as president while 44% approve.

George W. Bush began his reelection year with a 56% job approval rating; Bill Clinton’s approval rating was 50% in January 1996. Obama’s current mark is closer to George H. W. Bush’s in January 1992 (46% approved, 43% disapproved).

Obama continues to struggle among political independents: Just 37% of independents approve of the way he is handling his job as president while 56% disapprove. George H. W. Bush had a similar approval rating (39%). But Obama’s disapproval rating among independents is higher than Bush’s, and much higher than either Clinton’s or George W. Bush’s.

Nonetheless, Obama possesses political strengths at the start of his reelection year, notably a positive personal image. Large majorities say Obama stands up for his beliefs (75%), cares about people like them (61%) and is trustworthy (61%). And while perceptions of Obama’s leadership have declined over time, on balance more say he is a strong leader than disagree (52% vs. 45%).

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Jan. 11-16 among 1,502 adults, finds that Obama’s personal image is much stronger than GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney’s. Currently, 51% say they have a favorable opinion of Obama while 45% have an unfavorable view. Romney’s favorability with the public stands at just 31%, while his unfavorable rating is as high as Obama’s (45%). (For more on the GOP primary and general election, see “Unpopular Nationally, Romney Holds Solid GOP Lead,” Jan. 18, 2012).

The survey also finds that Michelle Obama remains broadly popular with the public. Currently 66% say they have a favorable opinion of Michelle Obama while just 21% have an unfavorable view. Favorable opinions of the first lady have declined only modestly – by 10 points – since peaking at 76% early in her first year in the White House. In contrast, Barack Obama’s personal favorability has fallen by 22 points (from 73% to 51%) during this period.

The public’s views of the legacy of the Obama presidency reflect his mixed job approval ratings. About as many say Obama will be an unsuccessful (32%) as a successful president (27%), with a plurality (39%) saying it is too soon to tell. Similarly, about equal percentages think the failures of the Obama administration will outweigh its accomplishments (44%) as say its accomplishments will outweigh its failures (43%). On both measures, Obama is seen less positively than George W. Bush was at about the same point in his first term.

As has been the case for much of his presidency, Obama receives much better job approval ratings for terrorism and international threats than he does for the economy, energy policy or the budget deficit. Obama’s approval rating for handling the threat of terrorism stands at 65%, 10 points higher than a year ago. His rating for terrorism today is nearly as high as it was just after the killing of Osama bin Laden last May (69%).

A majority of the public (56%) also approves of the way Obama is handling the situation in Afghanistan; just 37% disapprove. His job rating on Afghanistan also turned much more positive following bin Laden’s death and remains positive today.

Nearly half (48%) approve of the way Obama is dealing with the situation in Iran; almost as many (41%) disapprove. And about as many approve (46%) as disapprove (45%) of the way Obama is handling the nation’s foreign policy.

However, Obama’s job ratings on major domestic issues – the economy and the federal budget deficit – remain abysmal. Just 38% approve of his handling of the economy while 59% disapprove. His rating on the budget deficit is equally negative (34% approve, 62% disapprove. The percentage disapproving of his handling of these issues has risen over the past year (by eight points and nine points, respectively).  In addition, for the first time in Obama’s presidency, significantly more disapprove (46%) than approve (36%) of his handling of energy policy. (This survey was conducted before the Obama administration’s recent decision on the Keystone XL oil pipeline.)

Other Findings

Few “Green Shoots” Evident. Public views about the economy remain quite negative. Just 11% say the nation’s economy is excellent or good, and only 16% say jobs are plentiful in their community. Still, more expect economic conditions to be better a year from now than did so in December (34% now, 28% then).

Congress at Record Low. Just 23% express favorable opinion of Congress, among the lowest measures ever in a Pew Research Center survey. House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are increasingly unpopular among members of their own parties.

Cooperation Not Conflict. Nearly six-in-ten (58%) say GOP leaders should work with Obama, even if it means disappointing some Republican supporters. About the same percentage (59%) wants to see Obama compromise, even if that means disappointing some Democratic supporters.

Biden Down, Clinton Still Up. Joe Biden’s favorability rating has declined since the first year of the Obama administration. Just 38% view Biden favorably, down from 50% in November 2009. By contrast, 62% view Hillary Clinton favorably, largely unchanged over this period.

Obama’s Influences. Nearly seven-in-ten Republicans (69%) say Obama listens more to liberal Democrats than moderates in the party. Democrats, by contrast, increasingly see Obama being influenced by moderates – 58% of Democrats express this view, up from 44% in June 2010.

Obama is doing far worse among independents than his predecessors at the same point in his presidency. In January 2004, independents approved of the job George W. Bush was doing by a 52% to 34% margin, and 50% of independents approved of Bill Clinton’s job performance in January 1996. Even George H.W. Bush was in a stronger position among independents in January 1992 than Obama is today. In January 1992, Bush had a comparable 39% approval rating among independents, but just 45% disapproved, compared with the 56% who disapprove of Obama’s performance today.

Americans are divided in their assessments of Obama’s long-term achievements. While 43% believe that in the long run the administration’s accomplishments will outweigh its failures, about the same number (44%) believe the failures will outweigh the accomplishments. At the start of 2004, more saw the Bush administration’s accomplishments outweighing its failures by a 49% to 36% margin. After his reelection, this evaluation turned sharply negative, and by December of 2008 64% said the Bush administration’s failures would outweigh its accomplishments. 

On another measure, 32% predict that Obama will end up being an unsuccessful president while 27% predict he will be successful, and 39% say it is still too early to tell. While fewer now believe it is too early to judge than did so last year, the relatively even balance of opinion on Obama’s long term success is little changed. As George W. Bush entered his re-election year, more thought his presidency would be successful than unsuccessful by roughly two-to-one (39% vs. 20%, with 38% saying it was too early to tell).

Obama Doing Better on Foreign than Domestic Issues

Obama continues to get stronger ratings on foreign and security policy than on economic issues at home. While opinion remains mixed as to his overall foreign policy (46% approve, 45% disapprove), Obama receives widely positive marks for his handling of terrorism (65% approve) and Afghanistan (56% approve). Reviews of Obama’s Afghanistan policy, in particular, improved earlier this year after the killing of Osama bin Laden, and have remained positive since.

And with increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, slightly more approve (48%) than disapprove (41%) of how Obama is dealing with the situation. This represents a 6-point increase in approval on Iran since the question was last asked a year ago.

Although Obama’s foreign policy ratings are stable or improving, he has lost substantial ground on his handling of energy policy in just the past few months. Currently, just 36% of the public approves of how Obama is handling energy policy, while 46% disapprove. This is a reversal of the balance of opinion during much of 2010 and 2011. As recently as November, 44% approved of the job Obama was doing on energy, while 38% disapproved.
 
Two months ago, 69% of Democrats approved of the job Obama was doing on energy policy; that figure has dropped 13 points to 56%. There has been less change in opinions among independents (down six points) and Republicans (one point).

Obama gets better marks for his handling of the environment; about half the public (49%) approves of the job Obama is doing, while 36% disapproves. These figures are virtually unchanged from April, and there has been no loss of Democratic support on the environment,with 75% approving of Obama’s job performance on the issue.

Majorities continue to disapprove of the job Obama is doing handling the economy and the federal deficit. About six-in-ten disapprove of each. Disapproval on the deficit is up since November, from 57% to 62%.

Of the eight items tested, the economy and deficit have thelargest partisan gaps. Just 11% of Republicans approve of the job Obama isdoing with the economy, while 69% of Democrats do. Just 14% of Republicans approve of Obama’s handling of the deficit, compared with 63% of Democrats.

Little Change in Obama’s Personal Image

Obama continues to be widely viewed as a good communicator (78% say this phrase reflects their impression of him), someone who stands up for what he believes in (75%), warm and friendly (71%) and well-informed (69%).  Somewhat fewer view Obama as someone who cares about people like them (61%) and trustworthy (also 61%). These impressions have changed little over the past two years.
 

By contrast, a narrow majority (52%) views Obama as a strong leader and slightly fewer (46%) say he is able to get things done. Views of Obama as a strong leader fell in 2010, rebounded a bit in May of last year following the killing of Osama bin Laden, and declined again in August. The current measure is little changed from August.

The percentage saying Obama is able to get things done also declined in August – to 44% from 55% in May and 54% in January 2011. Obama’s current rating for effectiveness also has changed little since August.

As in the past, there are wide partisan differences in views of Obama’s personal traits, particularly in perceptions of his trustworthiness and leadership. Nonetheless, while Republicans are less likely than Democrats to view Obama positively on all dimensions, majorities of Republicans say Obama is a good communicator, stands up for what he believes in, is warm and friendly and well-informed.

Majorities of independents also view the president positively on nearly every trait, with two notable exceptions. Just 44% of independents say Obama is a strong leader while about the same percentage (41%) says that he is able to get things done.

Obama’s Ideology, Influences

Perceptions about Obama’s ideology are divided and strongly related to party affiliation. Overall about four-in-ten (43%) say that Obama is liberal, while only somewhat fewer (37%) say he is “middle of the road” ideologically. Far fewer (13%) describe him as conservative. This pattern is essentially unchanged since the beginning of his presidency.

However, views of where Obama stands differ greatly by party. Two-thirds of Republicans (67%) believe that Obama is liberal, while only 30% of Democrats agree. A plurality of Democrats (46%) characterize Obama as middle of the road. Equal numbers of independents see Obama as liberal or middle of the road (41% each), but this breakdown conceals the fact that 61% of independents who lean Republican view Obama as a liberal while a majority of Democratic-leaning independents (53%) see him as middle of the road.

These ideological perceptions coincide with opinions about which segment of the Democratic Party – the liberal members or the moderate members – Obama is listening to more. Overall the public is divided evenly on this question: 42% say he’s listening more to liberal Democrats, 41% say moderate Democrats.

Only about one-in-five Democrats (22%) believe that Obama is listening more to the liberal side of the party. That reflects an eleven point decline since June of 2010, when 33% said he was listening more to liberals in the party. Currently, 58% of Democrats think Obama is listening more to moderates in the party, up from 44% in 2010. Among Republicans, there has been little change in the majority view that Obama mostly listens to liberal Democrats.

Obama in a Word

When asked what one word best describes people’s impressions of Barack Obama, the most frequent responses are Good (24 mentions) Incompetent (21), Intelligent (19), Socialist (17), Honest (16), Trying (16) and Disappointing (15).

All of these words have been used in the past to describe the president. Mentions of some words have increased, however. For instance, in January 2010, six respondents used the word Disappointing to describe their impression of the president. Last year, nine respondents described him as Disappointing and this year 15 respondents used this word.

Some new words appear on this year’s list of one-word descriptions of Obama. Among positive descriptors, seven respondents describe Obama as Hardworking. Among negative words, Sucks appears for the first time; seven respondents used this word to describe their impression of the president.