30% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Thirty percent (30%) 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 28. 

This finding is up three points from the previous week and is the highest finding since early June. The number of voters who think the country is on the right course ranged from 23% to 27% nearly every week after that and has been below 30% most weeks since June of last year.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of voters now believe the nation is headed down the wrong track, down two points from last week. 

A year ago at this time, 30% said the country was heading in the right direction, while 63% thought it was headed down the wrong track.

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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from December 22-23 & December 28, 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-five percent (85%) of Republicans and 66% of voters not affiliated with either major political party think the country is on the wrong track. Fifty-two percent (52%) of Democrats say the country is headed in the right direction.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of black voters think the country is heading the right way. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of whites and a plurality (48%) of other minority voters disagree.

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

Those who are married and have children at home are more likely than those who are not married and don't have children living with them to say the country is heading down the wrong track. 

Generally speaking, the more one attends religious services, the more likely he or she is to believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. 

What's the mood of America as 2014 ends?

Republicans and Democrats end 2014 tied on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

Just seven percent (7%) give Congress good or excellent marks for its job performance.

Voters continue to be critical of President Obama's handling of both economic and national security issues. 

Most voters – including Republicans – think the GOP should look for a fresh face to run for president in 2016.

Crosstabs and historical data are available to Platinum Members only. 

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