Americas

Obama Approval High Among Muslims, Jews, and Catholics

Catholics give Obama higher approval score than Protestants

May 4, 2009

Despite the flare-up over the University of Notre Dame’s outreach to President Barack Obama, 67% of rank-and-file Catholics approve of Obama’s job performance, higher than the 58% found among Protestants. Among religious groups, Muslims and Jews give Obama his highest job scores.More ...

This Easter, Smaller Percentage of Americans Are Christian

Americans more likely now than in previous decades to say they have no religious identity

April 10, 2009

The percentage of Americans who identify with some form of a Christian religion has been dropping in recent decades, and now stands at 77%. In 1948, when Gallup began tracking religious identification, the percentage who were Christian was 91%.More ...

Despite Recession, No Uptick in Americans’ Religiosity

Self-reported importance of religion and church attendance have remained steady

March 23, 2009

Despite the economic recession, a review of more than 425,000 interviews Gallup has conducted since early 2008 shows no increase in either the average of 65% of Americans who say religion is important in their daily lives, or the 42% who report regularly attending church.More ...

In U.S., More Optimism About Iraq, Less About Afghanistan

New high of 42% say war in Afghanistan a mistake

March 19, 2009

Americans’ views of the war in Afghanistan are now the most negative they have been, with 42% calling the war a “mistake.” Six years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, 52% of Americans still call that war a mistake, but the public’s optimism about the Iraq war has been on the upswing.More ...

Muslim Americans Exemplify Diversity, Potential

Key findings from a new report by the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies

March 2, 2009

Muslim Americans are the most racially diverse religious group in the United States. Muslim American women are among the most educated in the country, and young Muslim Americans report among the lowest levels of being registered to vote.More ...

Opinion Briefing: U.S. Image in Middle East/North Africa

Iraq withdrawal among top actions residents say would improve opinions

January 27, 2009

The Obama administration faces an immense task in rebuilding the United States’ brand in the Middle East/North Africa, where the regional median approval of U.S. leadership is 15%. Gallup Polls suggest Obama’s plan to expedite withdrawal from Iraq could help improve some residents’ opinions.More ...

Americans Send No Clear Mandate on Guantanamo Bay

Slightly more prefer keeping the prison open than prefer closing it, but 20% unsure

January 21, 2009

While President Barack Obama has signaled he may take action toward closing the U.S. prison Guantanamo Bay during his first days in office, Americans express no clear preference. Slightly more think the United States should not close the prison (45%) than say it should close it (35%), but 20% don’t have an opinion or are unsure.More ...

Americans Hold Firm to Support for Death Penalty

Only 21% say it is applied too often

November 20, 2008

While the state of Maryland is embroiled in a debate over repealing its death penalty statute, Americans as a whole support the death penalty for someone convicted of murder, at the rate of 64%. Only 30% oppose it, and even fewer -- 21% -- say it’s imposed “too often.”More ...

Most Expect Obama to Make Effort With Republicans

November 14, 2008

Most Americans (80%) think that Barack Obama will make a sincere effort to work with the Republicans in Congress to find bipartisan solutions to the problems facing the country.

Economic Crisis Affecting Mood as Well as Wallets

Bad economic news triggered new lows in Americans’ overall happiness

November 13, 2008

Although Americans continue to be emotionally affected by the nation’s economic crisis, they seem to be slightly less affected than they were during the initial shockwaves in mid-September, when happiness and enjoyment without a lot of stress and worry consistently hit record lows for the year.More ...