Ipsos-Reid/Cook Political Report: Americans Weigh Importance of Economy and Foreign Policy Issues Equally

Washington, DC (January 10, 2002) - Voters indicate that economic issues remain as important to them personally as foreign policy issues and the war on terrorism, according to the inaugural Ipsos-Reid/Cook Political Report National Poll. A majority of registered voters rate both the economy (52%) and foreign policy and the war on terrorism (50%) as very important to them personally. About 2 in 5 registered voters (42%) say that domestic issues such as health care, the environment, and energy are very important to them personally.

Americans remain strongly supportive of President Bush's performance as President. Overall, 77 % of registered voters approve of the way he is handling his job as President - with the majority of Americans (53%) saying they strongly approve of his performance. Americans give President Bush high marks on his handling of the economy, and domestic issues like health care, education, the environment, and energy, but reserve their highest praise for his handling of foreign policy and the war on terrorism. Eighty-five percent of registered voters approve of President Bush's handling foreign policy issues and the war on terrorism, with 64% saying they strongly approve. By comparison, 66% approve of his handling of the economy, with 30% saying they strongly approve; and 62% approve of his handling of domestic issues like health care, education, the environment, and energy, with 25% saying they strongly approve. "President Bush continues to enjoy strong job approval ratings on his handling of the war on terrorism, and broad support that is not so strongly held regarding his performance on the economy and domestic issues. Those later job performance measures are the ones to watch in assessing Bush's political standing" reports Thomas Riehle, President of Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs.

The majority of registered voters (61%) say that they like President Bush both as a person and agree with his policies as President. Only 10% say they dislike President Bush as a person but agree with his policies as President; 16% say they like George Bush as a person but diagree with his policies as President; and 10% both dislike the President as a person and disagree with his policies.

Results are based on a survey of a representative sample of 1,000 adults nationwide (including 786 registered voters), conducted January 4-6. The margin of error for 1,000 adults is +/- 3.1% and for 786 registered voters is +/- 3.6%.

The survey was conducted by Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs, the Washington, D.C.-based division of Ipsos-Reid, which is part of the world's fourth largest polling and market research organization, the Ipsos group, based in Paris. Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs is a non-partisan, objective public affairs research organization made up of Democratic and Republican campaign and political polling veterans. It was established in Washington in August 2001, and it is led by Thomas Riehle, who has more than 15 years of experience as a political pollster in Washington. The Ipsos-Reid/Cook Political Report poll is conducted the first and third week of every month, as part of Ipsos-Reid's weekly omnibus polling service.

The political survey is designed in conjunction with Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report. Founded in 1984, The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan newsletter that analyzes elections for the U.S. House, Senate, governor and President as well as domestic American political trends. The New York Times has called the publication, "a newsletter that both parties consider authoritative" while the dean of the Washington political press corps, the Washington Post's David Broder has called Charlie Cook, its editor and publisher, "perhaps the best political handicapper in the nation." Cook also writes two weekly columns that appear in National Journal magazine and CongressDaily/AM and on nationaljournal.com, and serves as a political analyst for Cable News Network's show "Inside Politics." Researched and written by a staff of five based in Washington, D.C., the Cook Political Report's subscribers are primarily the lobbyists and managers for the political action committees of the nation's major corporations, trade associations and labor unions as well as by news organizations, foreign governments and others with an interest in detailed, impartial information and analysis of Congressional, gubernatorial and presidential elections.

To view the complete media release and tables, please download the PDF file.

To view the latest poll results and research from Ipsos-Reid U.S. Public Affairs please go to: http://www.ipsos-reid.com/us/media/content/pre_rel.cfm

Contact: Thomas Riehle, President Ipsos-Reid U.S. Public Affairs Telephone 202.463.7300 Cell 202.494.8595 [email protected]