26% Have Favorable Opinion of Bernanke, 51% Unfavorable
Half of Americans nationwide believe the Federal Reserve Board chairman has too much power over the economy. Meanwhile, favorability ratings for current Chairman Ben Bernanke are at their lowest level yet recorded.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 51% believe the chairman of the Fed has too much power over the economy. Only nine percent (9%) disagree and say he does not have too much power while 21% say things are about right. Another 18% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The number of adults who feel the chairman has too much power has stayed in a fairly narrow range since October 2008 [LINK to 47% Say Congress Has More Power Over Economy Than President and Fed Chairman], but the latest finding is the highest measured since then.
Only 26% of Americans share a favorable view of Bernanke, including seven percent (7%) who view the chairman Very Favorably. Fifty-one percent (51%) view Bernanke unfavorably, with 29% who share a Very Unfavorable opinion of him. Another 24% have no opinion of the chairman.
Favorable ratings for Bernanke are down nine points from April and are the lowest measured since he took office in 2006.
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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 29-30, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
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