Satisfaction Levels Remains Low Percent sa tisfed with the way things are going in the country today
The partisan gap in national satisfaction today is comparable to previous time periods. As a rule, satisfaction is higher among members of the president’s party. Since 1990, Democrats were significantly more satisfied with national conditions than Republicans during both the Clinton and Obama administration, while Republicans were significantly more satisfied under both Bush administrations. Looking at yearly averages, the partisan gap reached a peak in 2004, when 65% of Republicans were satisfied, compared with just 17% of Democrats. So far in 2011, the partisan divide is much smaller: an average of 32% of Democrats and 14% of Republicans have expressed satisfaction during the first three months of this year.
Satisfaction Levels Remains Low  | Percent sa tisfed with the way things are going in the country today  | 75  | Mic  | 50  | 25  | 3  | E  | g  | I  | g  | g  | g  | 3  | g  | is  | I  | I  | a  | I  | I  | is  | is  | I  | I  | is  | :  | I  | Partisan Satisfaction by Administration  | Satisfaction levels by party identification, yearaverages.  | H.W. George Bush  | Bill  | George  | Barack  | H.W. George Bush  | Clinton  | W. Bush  | Obama  | 75  | Republican  | 50  | Independent  | 25  | Democrat  | g  | S  | S  | I  | S  | S  | 3  | I  | I  | I  | I  | 2  | is  | is  | I  | I  | is  | a  | I  | I  | I  | I  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER Mar. 8-14, 2011, QB2, 