2017 US Politics - 24% of Americans Believe the US is Heading in the Right Direction (November 22)

As Americans prepare for political debates around the Thanksgiving dinner table (or prepare to avoid them), two thirds continue to believe the US is on off on the wrong track (63%). While only 24% of Americans believe the US is heading in the right direction, partisan differences are stark with 52% of Republicans saying the country is headed in the right direction compared to 6% of Democrats.

Republicans and Democrats also do not see eye-to-eye on the main problem facing the country. More Democrats (24%) say it is healthcare while more Republicans (20%) say it is terrorism.

President Trump’s approval rating has remained steady, with 36% approving of him, but also is highly partisan. Three quarters of Republicans (75%) approve of the president compared to only 8% of Democrats. His strongest issues include employment and jobs (44%), dealing with ISIS/ISIL (44%) and the economy (42%). While Congress continues to debate tax reform, Trump has struggled to raise his approval on taxation (now at 36%, down from 40% last week).

One in five Americans guess that Jeff Session will be the next to resign or be terminated according to our latest ‘Wh-Exit’ poll.

Ipsos’ Generic Ballot Question for 2018 suggests that Democrats continue to enjoy a sizable advantage, up +9 points from Republicans (37% Democrat vs. 28% Republican). Independents are currently also breaking towards Democrats at 26% Dem vs. 14% Repub (with 16% other and 44% not voting).

These are findings from an Ipsos poll conducted for Thomson Reuters November 17-22, 2017. For the survey, a sample of 1,489 Americans, including 587 Democrats, 493 Republicans, 229 Independents ages 18+ were interviewed online.