1. The Public Opinion Landscape –
Inauguration Edition
January 18, 2013

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Slide
1. A Look Back at 2012……………………………………………………….…...2
2. Perceptions of Economic Conditions / Views of the
Future…………………………………………………………………………….….10
3. Perceptions of Obama & Congress …………………………….………16
4. Perceptions of Policy Issues Moving Forward…………………....27
1

3. Year in Review: 2012
Year in Review: 2012

4. PUBLIC’S TOP STORIES OF 2012: ECONOMY
NEVER FAR FROM THE TOP
The election was the most closely followed % Followed
story for most of 2012 Story
Very Closely
% Followed Fiscal Cliff negotiations (Nov 30-Dec 2)* 40%
Story
Very Closely
Obama on gay marriage (May 10-13) 37%
2012 election (Nov 8-11)* 60%
Trayvon Martin killing (Mar 22-25)* 35%
Newtown, CT shooting (Dec 16) 57%
Hurricane Sandy (Nov 1-4)* 53% Deadly Midwest storms (Mar 1-4) 33%
Price of gas (Mar 15-18)* 52% Summer Olympics (Aug 6-12) 31%
Aurora, CO shooting (Jul 19-22)* 48%
Hurricane Isaac (Aug 31- Sep 3) 31%
Health care decision (Jun 28-Jul 1) 45%
Libya investigation (Oct 18-21)* 31%
US Economy (Oct 25-28)* 44%
US Embassy Attacks (Sep 13-16)* 43%
As I read a list of some stories covered by news organizations this past week, please tell me if you happened to follow each news
story very closely, fairly closely, not too closely, or not at all closely. First, The Economy….
Note: Dates show field period of the survey in which interest
was measured. * Interest in these stories was tracked over
multiple weeks; highest weekly interest is shown here. 3
Source: Pew Research Center News Interest Index

5. VIEWS OF ECONOMIC NEWS WERE MIXED
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
Are you hearing mostly good news about the economy these days, mostly bad news about the economy or a
mix of both good and bad news?
90%
80% Mix of good and bad news
80%
68% 68%
70% 64% 65%
60%
67%
60% 62% 60% 62%
60% 56% 55% 53% 61% 55% 59%
50%
50% 41% Mostly bad news 48%
39% 38% 41%
40% 39% 36%
27% 30% 35%
30% 19%
24%
33%
30%
30%
28%
32%
31% 24%
20% Mostly good news
7% 7% 6% 9% 11% 6% 10%
10% 1%
4% 3% 5% 4%
4% 2% 3% 6%
2%
0%
Apr-09
Apr-10
Apr-11
Apr-12
Oct-09
Oct-10
Oct-11
Oct-12
Aug-09
Aug-10
Aug-11
Aug-12
Dec-08
Feb-09
Jun-09
Dec-09
Feb-10
Jun-10
Dec-10
Feb-11
Jun-11
Dec-11
Feb-12
Jun-12
Dec-12
A Mix of Good and Bad Mostly Bad News Mostly Good News
4
Source: Pew Research Center Poll, January 3-6, 2013

6. 2012: CONSUMER CONFIDENCE AND THE
STOCK MARKET
US Consumer Confidence
71.6 73.1 71.5
69.5 68.7 68.4
64.4 65.4 65.1
61.5 62.7 61.3
Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12
Dow Jones
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Sources: www.conference-board.org./ www.tradingeconomics.com

7. THE YEAR IN REVIEW: ECONOMIC INDICATORS
THEN NOW
INDICATOR
January 2012 December 2012
Unemployment Rate 8.3% 7.8%
Inflation Rate 2.9% 1.7%
Stock Market (DJIA) 12,359.92 13,104.14
Consumer Confidence Index 61.5 65.1
U.S. Interest Rates .25% .25%
U.S. Dollar Exchange Rate 1 78.83 79.67
1The US Dollar Index is a leading benchmark for the international value of the US dollar measuring the
performance of the greenback against a basket of currencies which includes: EUR, JPY, GBP, CAD, CHF and SEK.
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Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.tradingeconomics.com/ . http://www.fxstreet.com/

8. THE YEAR IN REVIEW – PERCEPTIONS OF THE
ECONOMY
100% Beginning of 2012 End of 2012
80% 79%
69%
60% 61%
53%
40%
23%
20% 23%
0%
Country on Wrong Track Economy is Getting Worse* Economy is Bad*
Compared with other years, do you think that 2011 was one of the best years for the United States, above
average, about average, below average, or one of the worst years for the United States?
One of the best Above average About average Below average One of the worst
2% 7% 27% 43% 21%
7
Source: NBC/WSJ survey/ *CBS News/NYT Poll

9. THE YEAR IN REVIEW- PERCEPTIONS OF OBAMA
Overall Job Approval Rating Job Approval on the Economy
60%
Beginning of 2012 End of 2012
55%
53%
50%
48%
49%
45% 45%
40%
8
Source: NBC/WSJ survey

10. DISSATISFACTION WITH THE DIRECTION OF
THE COUNTRY
9
Source: Gallup Poll, January 10, 2013

11. Perceptions of Economic Conditions /
Views of the Future
10

12. OPTIMISM THAT WE SAW TOWARD END OF
2012 MAY BE LEVELING OFF
WRONG TRACK 54.6%
Election Optimism?
The trend shows a
sharp increase in
optimism between
July 2012 and
November 2012. It
has since leveled off.
RIGHT DIRECTION 35.7%
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Sources: Pollster.com Aggregate Data, as of January 16, 2013

13. AMERICANS’ VIEWS ON THE ECONOMY HAVE
STAGNATED AS WE BEGIN THE NEW YEAR
Do you think the economy is getting better, getting worse, or staying about the same?
60%
50% 49%
50% 45% 45% 43%
43% 44% 43% Staying
38% 39% the Same
40% 34% 36%
32% 30% 30% 33% 30% 30% 32% 35% 33% Getting
28%
30% better
28% 28% 28% Getting
20% 24% 23% 22% 24% 24% 25% 23% worse
18%
10%
0%
12
Source: CBS News Poll, December 12-16, 2012

14. DEBT, GOVERNMENT DYSFUNCTION RISE TO TOP
OF AMERICANS’ ISSUE LIST
40%
35% 32% 32% 37%
31% 31% 31% 31% 31% 31% 30%
29%
30%
26%
30% 29%
25% 28% 23%
26% 26% 21% Economy
25% 25% 20%
20% 22% 23% 20% Deficit
16% 17%
15% 14% 15% 15% 14% 18%
13% 13% Dissatisfaction
15% 12% 12% 12% 12%
16% with gov’t
10% 13% Unemployment
11% 11% 10% 11%
8% 8% 9% 9% 9%
5% 7% 7%
0%
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan
2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2013
Unemployment Economy Dissatisfaction with gov't Federal Budget Deficit
What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?
13
Source: USA Today/Gallup Poll, January 7-10, 2013

15. JOB SITUATION REMAINS GLOOMY
Thinking now about job opportunities where you live, would you say there are
plenty of jobs available in your community or are jobs difficult to find?
90%
80% 68%
70% Jobs are difficult to find
60%
50%
40%
30%
20% Plenty of jobs are available
22%
10%
0%
14
Source: Pew Research Center Poll, December 5 - December 9, 2012

16. MANY PREDICT 2013 WILL BE A YEAR OF
ECONOMIC DIFFICULTY
15
Source: USA Today/Gallup Poll, December 14-17, 2012

17. Perceptions of Obama & Congress
16

18. OVERALL OBAMA APPROVAL COMPARABLE
TO PAST PRESIDENTS AT START OF 2nd TERM
Job Approval Ratings for Prior Presidents in
80%
73% January of First Year of 2nd Term
70%
62%
60% 58%
54% 52% 51%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Eisenhower Reagan Clinton Obama G.W. Bush Nixon
(1957) (1985) (1997) (2013) (2005) (1973)
Weekly Approval
Rating Average 17
Jan 7 - 13
Source: Historical Gallup Poll Data

19. OBAMA WALKS INTO SECOND TERM
STRONGER THAN BUSH
-10 +11
58% 55% • President Bush’s
48% approval rating
44% dropped 10 points
the year he was re-
elected.
• President Obama’s
has increased 11
points.
Bush (2004) Obama (2012)
January Approval Rating December Approval Rating
18
Source: Pew Research Center, December 5-9, 2012

20. PERCEPTION OF OBAMA ADMIN. BIGGEST
ACCOMPLISHMENTS & FAILURES
Which ONE of these would you say is the most Which ONE of these would you say is the
positive accomplishment of the Obama biggest failure of the Obama
Administration? Administration?
Most Positive Accomplishment Biggest Failure
Bringing troops home (Iraq) 22% Unable to improve economy 21%
Killing Osama bin Laden 21% Increased Govt. spending 21%
Holding the line on Middle Class & raising Kept troops in Afghanistan 16%
taxes on wealthy
15%
Passing Obamacare 14%
Preventing another depression 12%
Raising taxes on the wealthy 6%
Passing Obamacare 12%
Didn't provide strong leadership 5%
Saving the Auto industry 7% Too much business regulation 5%
None of these 9% None of these 8%
19
Source: NBC News/WSJ Survey January 12-15

21. EXPECTATIONS FOR OBAMA HIGHER THAN
CLINTON’S IN 1996
Looking ahead to the next four years, do you expect [Bill Clinton/Barack Obama] to do a better
job as president, about the same, or a worse job as president than he did in his first term?
50% 46% 46%
40%
39%
31%
30%
22%
20%
14%
10%
0%
Better About the same Worse
Clinton Obama
Note: “No Opinion”
not shown
20
Source: CNN/ORC Poll, December 17-18, 2012

22. U.S. PRESIDENTS TYPICALLY LESS POPULAR
IN SECOND TERM
Presidential Approval Averages, by Terms First-term Second- Net change,
average term second
approval approval minus first
rating rating term
Harry Truman 56% 36% -20
Dwight Eisenhower 70% 60% -10
Lyndon Johnson 74% 50% -24
Richard Nixon 56% 34% -22
Ronald Reagan 50% 55% +5
Bill Clinton 50% 61% +11
George W. Bush 62% 37% -25
Barack Obama 49% ? ?
Reagan and Clinton Only Ones Who Scored Better During Second Term
21
Source: Historical Gallup Poll Data

23. BIDEN’S CURRENT RATING IS SOMEWHAT
LESS FAVORABLE THAN HIS PREDECESSOR
Vice Presidents at Start of Gore Cheney Biden
Second Term Jan 1997 Mar 2005 Jan 2013
% % %
Favorable 65 48 42
Unfavorable 29 42 42
Don’t Know 6 10 16
22
Source: Pew Research Center Poll, January 9-13, 2013

24. AMERICANS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THEIR
SITUATION, PESSIMISTIC ABOUT WASHINGTON
70% 66% Optimistic Pessimistic
60%
55%
51% 51%
50% 48% 49% 46% 46%
41%
40%
30%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Family's financial Policies Obama Economy The way things Chances Obama
situation will pursue in are going in the and GOP will work
second term country together
23
Source: ABC News/Washington Post, December 24, 2012

25. REPUBLICANS BLAMED MOST FOR GRIDLOCK
Who do you blame more for the difficulties in
50% 47% reaching agreements and passing legislation in
Congress?
40%
30%
24%
21%
20%
10%
0%
Congressional GOP Obama & Democrats Both equally*
* “Both equally”
was not offered as
a response, but
Note: “Don’t know” and non 24
was recorded
applicable answers not shown when mentioned
Source: CBS News Poll, December 18, 2012

26. CONGRESS BEGINS 2013 WITH 14% APPROVAL
Annual average for 2012, 15%, was lowest in Gallup history
25
Source: Gallup Poll, January 7-10, 2013

27. NEITHER SIDE OF THE AISLE RECEIVES
POSITIVE MARKS ON JOB PERFORMANCE
Democrats in Congress Republicans in Congress
Disapprove Disapprove
Approve 59% 71%
37% Approve
24%
No opinion No opinion
3% 4%
Do approve or disapprove of the way the Do approve or disapprove of the way the
Democrats in Congress are doing their job? Republicans in Congress are doing their job?
26
Source: ABC News/Washington Post Poll, January 10-13, 2013

28. Perceptions of Policy Issues Moving Forward
27

29. TOP PRIORITIES FOR 2013-2014: EMPHASIZING
EDUCATION AND AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE
What kinds of things would you like to see leaders in
Washington deal with over the next few years?
Education Emphasis 40%
Access to Affordable Healthcare 33%
More Personal Freedom/Less Gov. 30%
Improved Morals/Values 23%
Addressing & Reducing Violence 16%
Corporate Oversight 12%
Greater Equality & Opportunities for Women 7%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
28
Source: NBC News/WSJ Survey January 12-15

30. YET, ECONOMIC RECOVERY STILL TOP CONCERN
How important is it that President Obama accomplish each of the following
during his second term as president?
Extremely /Very Somewhat Not too much/at all
Repair economy 95 41
Stabilize SS and Medicare 88 10 2
Prevent Iran from a nuclear weapon 79 14 7
Reduce US dependence on oil 73 17 8
Make college affordable 73 17 9
Cut federal spending 72 20 6
Lower taxes, eliminate deductions and loopholes 70 23 5
Stop illegal immigration 62 24 14
Global warming 50 23 25
Increase taxes on income >$250K 47 24 28
Create paths to citizenship 37 33 29
Cut defense 29 29 38
29
Source: Gallup Poll, November 9-12, 2012

31. TAX REVENUE TOPS OPTIONS TO REDUCE THE
DEFICIT; EDUCATION CUTS MOST OPPOSED
In order to reduce the deficit and national debt…
Approve Disapprove
Raise income tax on income >$250K 69% 28% A majority of Americans see tax
Limit number of deductions 54% 40% reform as the best way to reducing
the deficit and debt.
Raise investment taxes 52% 43%
Reduce Medicare benefits for high
income seniors
51% 46%
Reduce SS benefits for high income
Reduce federal funding…
seniors
51% 46%
Approve Disapprove
Reduce defense spending 43% 55% To help lower-income
Americans
38% 58%
Raise SS retirement age 42% 56%
For roads and
Raise Medicare eligibility age 41% 56% transportation
30% 67%
Limit mortgage interested deduction 41% 52% For education 21% 77%
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Source: Pew Research Center, December 5-9, 2012

32. MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SAY DEBT CEILING
SHOULD BE HANDLED SEPARATELY FROM
DEBATE ON SPENDING CUTS
If Congress does not raise its borrowing limit in February, the federal government will have to
default on its loans and/or shut down some of its operations. Some people say the borrowing
limit should be raised only if spending cuts also are put in place. Others say the two issues
should be kept separate. Do you think raising the borrowing limit should be tied to spending
cuts, or should these be kept as separate issues?
58%
36%
Keep the issues separate Raise debt limit only with spending cuts
31
Source: ABC News/Washington Post Poll, January 10-13, 2013

33. MAJORITY OF AMERICANS FAVOR STRICTER
GUN LAWS
In general, do you feel that the laws covering the sale of firearms should be made
more strict, less strict, or kept as they are now?
Less strict 7%
More strict 56%
Kept as they are
35%
Unsure 2%
32
Source: NBC News/WSJ Survey, January 12-15, 2013

34. AMERICANS OPPOSE ARMING TEACHERS BUT
OPEN TO MANY OTHER REFORMS
Favor % Oppose % Don’t know %
Ban on semi-automatics 58 39 3
Ban online ammunition sale 53 44 3
Putting armed guards/police in schools 64 32 4
Laws to prevent people with mental illness
from purchasing guns 80 16 4
Making private gun sales and sales at gun
shows subject to background checks 85 12 3
Ban on assault style weapons 55 40 5
Ban on high-capacity ammunition clips that
hold more than 10 bullets 54 42 4
More teachers/school officials having guns
in schools 40 57 3
Creating a federal government database to
track all gun sales 67 30 3
33
Source: Pew Research Center, January 9-13. 2013

35. AMERICANS DIVIDED ON ALLOWING ILLEGAL
IMMIGRANTS WITH JOBS TO APPLY FOR
CITIZENSHIP
As you may know, there is a proposal to allow foreigners who have jobs but are staying
illegally in the United States to apply for legal status. Do you strongly favor, somewhat favor,
somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose this proposal?
Oppose
Favor 46%
52%
Depends / Not Sure, 2% 34
Source: NBC News/WSJ Survey January 12-15, 2013

36. MOST EXPECT MORE PARTISAN BICKERING
IN 2013
This coming year, do you think Republicans and Democrats in Washington will work
together more to solve problems OR do you think they will bicker and oppose one
another more than usual?
70% 63%
59% 66%
60% 50% 53% 50% Work together more to solve
50% problems
40%
41% Bicker & oppose one another
30% 39% 39% more than usual
20% 30% 30% 23%
No difference/DK
10%
0%
Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan
2001 2002 2005 2009 2011 2013
35
Source: Pew Research Center Poll, January 9-13, 2013

37. GPG Research
GPG has a full-scale internal research team offering the full complement of qualitative and
quantitative public opinion research services. We use research to inform message
development and communication strategy, as well as to help clients assess and monitor
critical issues and track the effectiveness of strategic communication campaigns.
GPG has a deep experience conducting research about complex economic and political topics
with diverse audiences. We go beyond the standard Q&A, using innovative, projective
techniques to uncover key insights. The result is actionable research that helps shape our
clients’ messaging and strategy.
For more information about this presentation
or to find out more about GPG’s research capabilities contact:
Jason Boxt (jboxt@gpgdc.com)
36