Falling confidence
by March 24, 2010 9:48 am 67 views
The annual Harris Poll Confidence Index that measures the confidence of American people in the leaders of major U.S. institutions fell from 54 in 2008 to 53 in 2009.
For 44 years The Harris Poll has created the Confidence Index. Over the years it has gone up and down. In 2002, it touched 65. In 2008, it fell to 44. This year it stands at 53, one point lower than in early 2009. Harris surveyed 1,010 adults by telephone between Feb. 16-21.
Harris reports that the relative lack of movement in the 2009 Confidence Index is the result of a number of increases and decreases in confidence in the leaders of different institutions. The biggest change since early 2009 is the substantial drop in public confidence in the White House. Those with a “great deal of confidence” have fallen by 9 points from 36% to 27%.
There have also been declines in those with a great deal of confidence in colleges and universities (from 40% to 35%), organized religion (from 30% to 26%) and television news (from 22% to 17%).
OTHER SURVEY RESULTS
• There have been increases in those with a great deal of confidence in the courts and justice system (from 19% to 24%), major companies (from 11% to 15%), and Congress (from 4% to 8%). However, confidence in all of these is still very low.
• This year there are five institutions that have leaders who inspire a great deal of confidence in more than 30% of Americans: The military (59%); Small business (50%); Major educational institutions, such as colleges and universities (35%); Medicine (34%); and, The U.S. Supreme Court (31%).
• Following are five institutions that have leaders who inspire a great deal of confidence in less than 15% of Americans: Organized labor (14%); The press (13%); Law firms (13%); Congress (8%); and, Wall Street (8%).
• Almost half of Americans say they have hardly any confidence at all in the leaders of both Congress (48%) and Wall Street (45%).
• Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to say they have a great deal of confidence in: The military (79% vs. 54%); Small business (62% vs. 44%); and, Organized religion (42% vs. 21%).
• Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to say they have a great deal of confidence in: The White House (54% vs. 7%); Organized labor (27% vs. 7%); The press (22% vs. 8%), and Congress (14% vs. 6%).