Ipsos/ Reuters Poll: April 2011

Washington, D.C. - Ipsos' latest poll carried out on behalf of Reuters and published today shows that public optimism is on the decline as gas prices increase. This appears to have 'contaminated' other indicators, including the President's approval ratings.

Gas prices are the one economic indicator that have an immediate direct and measurable impact on voter pocketbooks; this is why it is so potent a force when it comes to politics and affecting national attitudes. The good news for Obama is that as - or when - gas prices decrease, public optimism will also recover fairly rapidly. Just as paying more at the gas station rapidly deflates public optimism, a drop in gas prices allows this optimism to recover as quickly.

The public's concern about nuclear energy has increased notably as a result of the situation in Japan, with almost half (47%) of the American public now opposed to producing electricity via nuclear energy (an increase of eight points from 39% in 2009). Support for the other main energy sources has remained stable over the same time period.

Key figures are below:

• A quarter (25%) now think things are heading 'in the right direction', down from 31% last month.
• Obama's ratings have also dropped again, down to 46% (from 49% last month and 51% in February) and are back to their pre-midterm lows.
• Obama's ratings are relatively unchanged among Republicans and Independents, but have dropped 7 points (from 80% to 73%) among Democrats.
• The situation in Japan has impacted on American attitudes towards nuclear energy: while support for the other main energy sources remains relatively stable (trend from mid-2009), support for nuclear energy has dropped to 49% (down from 56% in July 2009). Nearly half (47%) now oppose producing electricity via nuclear energy, up from two in five (39%) in 2009.
• Everyone agrees that gas prices have gone up (96%) -- but people are pretty unchanged in terms of how they're coping with it. In April 2005, three in five (58%) people said they were 'reducing the amount of driving' they do as a result of increasing energy prices. About the same proportion (62%) say the same today.

More data and full technical details are available in the topline document attached.

For more information on this news release please contact:

Clifford Young Managing Director, Public Sector Practice Ipsos Public Affairs 312.375.3328 [email protected]

Julia Clark Director Ipsos Public Affairs 202.463.3623 [email protected]

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