25% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-five percent (25%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending December 14. 

This finding is down one point from the previous week. The number of voters who think the country is on the right course has now ranged from 23% to 27% nearly every week since early June and has been below 30% most weeks since June of last year.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) of voters now believe the nation is headed down the wrong track, up two points from last week. 

A year ago at this time, 26% said the country was heading in the right direction, while 66% thought it was headed down the wrong track.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
   
 The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from December 8-14, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Republicans and 69% of voters not affiliated with either major political party think the country is on the wrong track. Democrats agree by a narrower 47% to 43% margin.
 
 Black voters by a 48% to 38% margin think the country is heading in the right direction. Seventy-two percent (72%) of whites and 57% of other minority voters disagree.

Voters over 40 are more pessimistic about the direction of the country than younger voters are.

Eighty-five percent (85%) of conservatives and 62% of moderates say the country is heading down the wrong track. Liberals are nearly evenly divided.

Those who have an immediate family member in the military are more pessimistic than those who don't have a family member in uniform. 

Just 27% believe the United States will still be the most powerful nation in the world by the end of the 21st century.

Voters believe military strategy should be focused narrowly on defending America and its interests rather than addressing the problems of other nations.

Voters strongly believe that President Obama and the new Congress should work together rather than stand on principle.

Most voters still expect the health care system to suffer under Obamacare.

Americans are finding more joy in the holiday season this year but they still have a lot of shopping to do with just eight days before Christmas.

Crosstabs and historical data are available to Platinum Members only. 

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.