Zone 3- Euro-Americas Summary, Week # 115

Dated 11-17, 2010

EAST EUROPE

Many Russians Express Trust for Medvedev

Many people in Russia express confidence in president Dmitry Medvedev, according to a poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center. 40 per cent of respondents say they completely trust him as a person and as a politician.

April 15, 2010

WEST ERUOPE

Tories Lead by Ten Points in Britain

The Conservative Party remains ahead of its competitors in Britain, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 38 per cent of respondents would support the Tories in next month’s election to the House of Commons.

April 14, 2010

Spaniards Reject Government’s Abortion Law

People in Spain are not satisfied with their government’s new pregnancy termination regulations, according to a poll by NC Report published in La Razón. 54.2 per cent of respondents oppose the Abortion Law.

April 18, 2010

Spaniards Throw Support Behind Opposition PP

Spain’s Popular Party (PP) is now stronger than the ruling Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), according to a poll by NC Report published in La Razón. 43.6 per cent of respondents would vote for the conservative PP in the next legislative election, while 37.6 per cent would vote for the PSOE.

April 13, 2010

French Socialists Like Strauss-Kahn in 2012

International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn is a popular option to become the presidential candidate of France’s Socialist Party (PS), according to a poll by LH2. 37 per cent of respondents say Strauss-Kahn should lead the left into the 2012 election.

April 16, 2010

NORTH AMERICA

Voters Currently Divided on Second Obama Term

Registered voters are about evenly divided over whether President Barack Obama is deserving of a second term in office. Currently, 46% say he deserves re-election and 50% say he does not. Predictably, Democrats are one-sided for Obama's re-election and Republicans are one-sided against it, while independents lean against a second Obama term.

April 16, 2010

Making Ends Meet Is a Threshold for Personal Wellbeing

Having enough money to "buy the things you need" is a strong correlate of Americans' broad perception of their own wellbeing. Overall, 60% of Americans who say they have enough money for their needs rate their lives well enough to be considered "thriving." By contrast, 27% of those who can't meet their needs are thriving. This pattern is generally seen at each income level.

April 16, 2010

Americans' Views on Healthcare Law Remain Stable

Americans remain divided on the merits of the new healthcare law, with 45% saying it was a good thing that Congress passed the legislation and 49% saying it was a bad thing. This assessment from an April 8-11 Gallup poll shows little change from two weeks ago.

April 15, 2010

Republicans Lead by 48% to 44% on Congressional Ballot

Gallup Daily tracking for the week ending April 11 puts Republicans slightly ahead of Democrats, 48% to 44%, in the congressional voting preferences of registered voters nationally. This marks the third week since the U.S. House passed healthcare reform on March 21 that the Republicans have tied or led the Democrats.

April 13, 2010

Americans Blame President Bush for the Bad State of The Economy

According to the latest Harris Poll, the Republicans are a long way from convincing the American people that it is time to return the GOP back to power in Washington. The public may have serious doubts and reservations about the Democrats, but the memories of Bush era are still haunting Republicans.

April 07, 2010

Americans Split on Whether Their Income Taxes Are Too High

For the second straight year, slightly less than half of Americans say the amount of federal income tax they have to pay is too high, while almost as many say the amount they pay in taxes is about right.

April 14, 2010

Six in 10 Americans Expect Their Taxes to Increase

Sixty-three percent of Americans believe their taxes will increase in the next 12 months, while 4% expect a change that will reduce their taxes. Majorities of all income groups share this view, though it is more common among Americans in upper-income households.

April 14, 2010

Most Americans See Home Prices Stable or Rising

Lower but stabilizing home prices combined with continued low mortgage interest rates have persuaded 72% of Americans that now is a "good time" to buy a house -- essentially the same percentage as a year ago, but up 19 points from 2008.

April 15, 2010

Tomorrow's News

But the leaders of America's newsrooms are nonetheless worried about the future. Fewer than half of all those surveyed are confident their operations will survive another 10 years -- absent significant new sources of revenue. Nearly a third believe their operations are at risk in just five years or less. And many blame the problems not on the inevitable effect of technology but on their industry's missed opportunities.

April 12, 2010

Americans Dread Foreign and Domestic Terrorism

Many adults in the United States foresee an act of terrorism taking place on U.S. soil in the next year, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 69 per cent of respondents think an attack carried out by foreigners is likely to happen, while 58 per cent feel foresee an act of terrorism carried out by Americans.

April 14, 2010

Americans in Tune with Obama on Nuclear Weapons

Most people in the United States agree with the notion that there should be fewer nuclear weapons in the world, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 36 per cent of respondents think the U.S. government should focus on eliminating weapons worldwide, while 35 per cent think it should try to reduce the number of nuclear arms in the world.

April 13, 2010

Few Canadians Endorse Bigger House of Commons

Few people in Canada support a government proposal to increase the number of seats in the lower house of Parliament from 308 to 338, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 17 per cent of respondents think this would be beneficial for Canada, whereas 31 per cent say it would be detrimental.

April 12, 2010

Canadian Majority Would Legalize Marijuana

Many adults in Canada believe marijuana should be legalized, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 53 per cent of respondents agree with this idea.

April 18, 2010

NDP Holds Double-Digit Lead in British Columbia

The opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) has extended its advantage in British Columbia, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 47 per cent of respondents would vote for the NDP in the next provincial election, up four points since March.

April 18, 2010

LATIN AMERICA

Serra Barely Ahead of Rousseff in Brazil

Brazilians could be facing a tight first round in this year’s presidential election, according to a poll by Vox Populi released by Bandeirantes. 34 per cent of respondents would vote for Jose Serra of the Brazilian Party of Social Democracy (PSDB) in the upcoming ballot.

April 14, 2010

MULTI-COUNTRY POLLS

Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa

As compared with other parts of the world, sub-Saharan Africa is the most religious zone in the world. The vast majority of people in many sub-Saharan African nations are deeply committed to the practices and major tenets of one or the other of the world's two largest religions, Christianity and Islam, though traditional African religious beliefs and practices have not disappeared. Rather, they coexist with Islam and Christianity.

April 15, 2010

Little Hope for Middle East Peace in Three Nations

People in three countries hold little hope in the success of a potential Middle East peace process, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. At least 40 per cent of respondents in Canada, the United States and Britain believe there will never be a solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

April 16, 2010

Bullying is a Crime for Canadians and Americans

People in two North American countries believe bullying should be considered a crime even if no physical violence is involved, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 62 per cent of respondents in Canada—and 52 per cent in the U.S.—agree with this notion.

April 15, 2010

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The complete detailed weekly reports of the project can be found on theGilani Research Foundation website.