WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Â鶹´«Ã½AV.Com reviews the most defining findings of 2009.
January
- George W. Bush ends his presidency with an , earning a 34% approval rating in . Americans see , and little else during his time in office.
- The 111th Congress is sworn in at a time when 20% of Americans approve of . A majority of Americans to help the struggling economy recover.
- Barack Obama takes office after earning . Nearly three-quarters of Americans . Americans say it is most important that .
- about the U.S. economy but spending and hiring remain low. A majority of Americans .
- Â鶹´«Ã½AV's State of the States series and Foreign Policy Opinion Briefings reveal benchmarks for the year ahead.
February
- Americans are as president. However, between Republicans and Democrats in Washington.
- Obama signs a $787 billion stimulus bill into law . Americans' vary, largely depending on the program. Americans oppose giving .
- Passage of the economic stimulus bill has . , with 90% of Americans saying it is a bad time to find a quality job.
- Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) to Afghanistan.
March
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The Â鶹´«Ã½AV-Healthways Well-Being Index reveals that the residents of Utah and Hawaii have the .
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Americans' , a four-year high.
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A record-high 41% of Americans say the is exaggerated. For the first time, Americans give .
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but consumer spending and hiring continue to lag.
April
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about threats from Iran, North Korea, and Mexico as they are about the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and international terrorism in general.
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remains stable and above 60% as improves steadily.
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In his first 100 days in office, . Two-thirds see him as .
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As swine flu begins to spread from Mexico, 22% of Americans report being but few change their behaviors.
May
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After Supreme Court Justice David Souter announces plans to retire, Americans say it doesn't matter to them . Americans later react favorably to .
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Fewer Americans, but still more than two-thirds, say the facing the county.
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for the first time since February 2008.
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For the first time, on the issue of abortion than call themselves pro-choice.
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across nearly all demographic subgroups.
June
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Approval of U.S. leadership , compared to approval during the Bush administration.
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As healthcare reform discussions begin in Washington, Americans express to recommend the right thing to do.
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Americans as a person and lowest on the federal deficit and spending. His for the first time.
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Republicans and Democrats differ significantly in their level of facing the country.
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Â鶹´«Ã½AV polling conducted shortly before a coup in Honduras found .
July
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Obama's job approval rating remains above 55%, suggesting he is .
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Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, rather than more liberal, 39% to 18%.
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As Sotomayor's confirmation hearings begin, a majority of Americans say they would like to see the U.S. Senate .
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As congressional leaders debate healthcare reform, . but vary on the urgency. Â鶹´«Ã½AV-Healthways data reveal that .
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. They give 's effect on the economy thus far but are more hopeful when taking a longer-term view. One-third of Americans continue to say they will .
August
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provides political, economic, and wellbeing report cards for U.S. states based on data collected during the first half of the year.
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Despite an intense national debate over healthcare reform, remains steady. grows more polarized while Obama's overall approval rating falls to .
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Â鶹´«Ã½AV global surveys reveal that .
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The U.S. out of all industries in Â鶹´«Ã½AV's annual business and industry ratings question.
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Americans grow more likely to think .
September
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Democrats' advantage over Republicans in . The but still trails the Democrats'.
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Americans remain . Many Americans doubt its .
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One year after the global economic collapse, to return to early September 2008 levels. Americans are in the year ahead.
October
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Â鶹´«Ã½AV global surveys reveal that beyond GDP.
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. Â鶹´«Ã½AV's generic ballot question finds the for Congress in 2010.
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with a 53% approval rating on foreign affairs. His , to 56%. Ultimately, his slips to 53%.
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Many Americans say their views on a final healthcare bill will . Nearly half .
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U.S. cold and flu season begins with .
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The U.S. .
November
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Â鶹´«Ã½AV global surveys find that to another country if they could.
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Obama's -- to 49% -- for the first time of his presidency, 10 months after taking office.
- the field of potential Republican contenders in 2012.
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Hamid Karzai begins a new term as Afghanistan's president with 81% in his country .
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For the first time, to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage than say it is.
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Consumer trails 2008 spending on the same days by 8.6%.
December
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Obama addresses the nation on Afghanistan at a time when . After the speech, his decision to send 30,000 more troops to the country and set a timetable for withdrawal .
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The U.S. Congress works on the final details of healthcare reform with about whether they would advise their representative to vote for or against it.
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As world leaders meet in Copenhagen to discuss climate change, Â鶹´«Ã½AV global surveys reveal that by region.
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Americans , providing hope for struggling retailers.
Stay with Â鶹´«Ã½AV.Com for more news and reactions to the news in 2010.
Survey Methods
Â鶹´«Ã½AV surveys 1,000 national adults, aged 18 and older, every day and also conducts additional surveys. In most cases, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 to ±4 percentage points. For detailed survey methods on any results reported here, please visit the original story.
Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for respondents with a land-line telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell-phone only).
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
