Zone 3- Euro-Americas Summary, Week # 118

Dated 02-08 May, 2010

Zone 3- EURO-AMERICAS

EAST EUROPE

Two-Thirds in Slovenia Dissatisfied with Government

More people in Slovenia are unhappy with their national administration, according to a poll by Ninamedia. 67.9 per cent of respondents say the work of the government has been unsuccessful, up seven points since February.

May 02, 2010

WEST EUROPE

Only a Third in France Approve of Sarkozy

Public dissatisfaction with Nicolas Sarkozy has grown this year in France, according to a poll by Ifop published in Paris Match. 67 per cent of respondents disapprove of their president’s performance, up seven points since February.

May 05, 2010

Confidence in Berlusconi Below 50% in Italy

A majority of Italians hold little trust in their prime minister, according to a poll by IPR Marketing published in La Repubblica. 54 per cent of respondents do not have confidence in Silvio Berlusconi.

May 06, 2010

NORTH AMERICA

Americans No Less Worried About Healthcare Costs

Despite the passage of highly publicized healthcare legislation into law in March, Americans are no less concerned about paying the costs of a serious illness or accident, or normal healthcare costs, than they were last year. Sixty-one percent are worried about the former, and 48% are worried about the latter.

May 7, 2010

Few Americans Oppose National Day of Prayer

Most Americans either support or are not bothered by the annual National Day of Prayer, which President Obama proclaimed will be celebrated on May 6 this year. Those who say religion is important in their lives widely support the day, while the majority of those who say religion is not important say it doesn't matter to them, rather than opposing it outright.

May 5, 2010

U.S. Job Creation Best since November 2008

Gallup's Job Creation Index finds current job market conditions nationwide to be the best they have been since November 2008.

May 6, 2010

United We Stand ... on Technology

While the U.S. public dissatisfaction with the state of the nation and federal government is very high, the satisfaction with news media, churches and religious institutions is in the low 30s or 20s, but the satisfaction with technology companies outranks all other institutions.

May 5, 2010

The New Demography of American Motherhood

The demography of motherhood in the United States has shifted strikingly in the past two decades. Compared with mothers of newborns in 1990, today's mothers of newborns are older and better educated. They are less likely to be white and less likely to be married.

May 6, 2010

"Socialism" Not So Negative, "Capitalism" Not So Positive

‘Socialism’ is a negative for most Americans, but certainly not all Americans. "Capitalism" is regarded positively by a majority of public, though it is a thin majority. Among certain segments of the public -- notably, young people and Democrats -- both "isms" are rated about equally. And while most Americans have a negative reaction to the word "militia," the term is viewed more positively by Republican men than most other groups.

May 4, 2010

U.S Catholics Show Mixed Views on Pope

Results of a new Zogby Interactive survey show mixed results among American Catholics' evaluations of Catholic Church leaders. Both Pope Benedict XVI and American Catholic Bishops receive largely negative ratings in their handling of the sexual abuse situation with the church. However, pluralities approve of the overall job performance of both the Pope and Bishops. In addition, a clear majority of American Catholics believe Pope Benedict XVI should continue to serve as Pope.

May 05, 2010

The Flu Season That Wasn't

Despite initial concerns about the rampant spread of H1N1 heading into the 2009-2010 cold and flu season, flu reports have been consistently lower throughout this flu season compared with the last according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. April marks the sixth consecutive month in which fewer American adults in Gallup's tracking have reported having the flu the prior day compared with the corresponding months' estimates from one year ago.

May 6, 2010

Approval for Congress Steady in United States

Only one-in-four Americans are satisfied with the way the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate are doing their jobs, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 24 per cent of respondents approve of the performance of Congress.

May 03, 2010

LATIN AMERICA

Brazil’s Lula Heads to Retirement with High Numbers

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva remains particularly popular in Brazil, according to a poll by Ibope. 76 per cent of respondents rate their president’s performance as good or very good.

May 04, 2010

AUSTRALASIA

Australians Want Immigrants in Specific Regions

People in Australia believe their government should provide incentives for new migrants to settle in specific regions of the country which need and can cope with higher populations, according to a poll by Essential Research. 55 per cent of respondents agree with this view.

May 07, 2010

MULTI-COUNTRY POLLS/ GLOBAL POLLS

Many See Drug Trafficking Widespread, Rising in Latin America

Gallup surveys suggest illicit drug trafficking is common in communities throughout much of Latin America, including in some of the most well-developed countries such as Chile and Costa Rica. At least half of residents in Brazil, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Panama, Venezuela, and Uruguay say illicit drug trafficking or drug sales are taking place in their neighborhoods.

May 7, 2010

Colombia Eclipses Mexico in Murders Close to Home

Despite frequent news of drug war-related deaths in Mexico, Gallup polls show the average Mexican is less likely than those in several other Latin American countries to say a close friend or relative was murdered in the past year. Five percent of Mexicans interviewed in August 2009 said someone close to them was murdered in the past 12 months -- about average for the region.

May 5, 2010

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