For the second straight week, just 33% of U.S. voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

The percentage of voters who feel this way has remained in the narrow range of 31% to 35% since late June. Following President Obama’s inauguration in January, voter confidence in the direction of the country began steadily increasing, peaking at 40% in early May.

While down since then, the latest finding is still five points higher than the week Obama took office and up 12 points from the week he was elected president in early November.

However, the majority of voters (61%) continue to believe the nation is heading down the wrong track, down slightly from last week. This finding has remained fairly consistent for months. In the weeks just prior to Obama's election, more than 80% of voters felt that way.

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Sixty percent (60%) of Democrats say the country is heading in the right direction, but only 11% of Republicans and 24% of voters not affiliated with either party feel the same way. A substantial number of Republicans (86%) and unaffiliated voters (70%) believe the nation is heading down the wrong track.

Congressional Democrats continue to push for the passage of health care reform before the end of the year. Overall support for the plan is at its highest since early September. Forty-seven percent (47%) now favor the health care plan proposed by the president and congressional Democrats. Just under half (49%) remain opposed.

The president heads for South Korea today -- after three days in China -- as part of a week-long visit with foreign leaders in Asia to ease economic tensions, strengthen U.S. diplomacy and work on environmental issues.

But only 20% of Americans think what is good for China’s economy is good for the U.S. economy. Still, 84% see U.S. relations with China as important, including 59% who see them as very important

Prior to China, Obama visited Japan where one of the topics under discussion was the continuing presence of U.S. troops on that island nation. Just 26% say the United States should remove all its military troops from Japan. Seventy-eight percent (78%) think the U.S.-Japanese relationship is important.

After being knocked out of first place last month for the first time in nearly two years, the economy is back as the issue voters view as most important.

As Congress seeks to limit the ability of banks to raise interest rates and fees on credit cards, 50% of Americans say the interest rates on their cards have been raised in the past six months.

Republican candidates maintain a six-point advantage over Democrats in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of voters oppose the Obama administration’s decision to try the confessed chief planner of the 9/11 attacks and other suspected terrorists in a civilian court in New York City.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of adults support the death penalty. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of voters oppose the military draft.

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