From time to time Gallup tries to measure the mood of the country. They ask if we are satisfied with the direction of the nation. They ask this question several times a year, sometimes monthly, sometimes more, sometimes less. I have summarized each year’s data from 1992 through 2007.
Year | Satisfied | Not Satisfied | No Opinion | President |
2007 | 28 | 70 | 2 | Bush II |
2006 | 31 | 66 | 2 | Bush II |
2005 | 38 | 59 | 2 | Bush II |
2004 | 43 | 56 | 2 | Bush II |
2003 | 46 | 52 | 2 | Bush II |
2002 | 52 | 44 | 3 | Bush II |
2001 | 55 | 42 | 3 | Bush II |
2000 | 60 | 37 | 3 | Clinton |
1999 | 59 | 38 | 3 | Clinton |
1998 | 60 | 37 | 4 | Clinton |
1997 | 49 | 48 | 3 | Clinton |
1996 | 39 | 57 | 4 | Clinton |
1995 | 32 | 65 | 3 | Clinton |
1994 | 33 | 64 | 3 | Clinton |
1993 | 28 | 69 | 3 | Clinton |
1992 | 21 | 77 | 3 | Bush I |
Avg. | 42 | 55 | 3 | All |
George H. W. Bush (Bush I) served as president in 1992 and passed an unhappy nation to Bill Clinton (Clinton I?). Clinton had troubles of his own, but managed to improve the our mood by 286%. George W. Bush (Bush II) has steadily eroded the mood of the nation so that he approaches his father’s low water mark.
On average, the county has been more unsatisfied (55%) than satisfied (42%). In fact in only five of the past twelve years have we been more happy than unhappy. Those years were the last three of Clinton and the first two of Bush II.
Do you think this is just a normal condition for us? Is it possible for us to be satisfied for long periods of time? What will it take for us to rebound under the next president? How high can we go? Because our two parties are so polarized are we stuck in a situation where only 50% of the nation can be happy at one time, when its party is in power?
Are you satisfied? What will it take to make you happy with the direction of the country?