Americans satisfied with military

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PRINCETON, N.J., Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Americans say they're most satisfied with the country's military preparedness and least satisfied with its economic situation, Gallup said Tuesday.

Overall, half or more of Americans are satisfied with four of the areas tested in Gallup's Mood of the Nation poll released Tuesday, signifying a generally negative mood concerning the country, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said.

Americans said they were most satisfied with the nation's military strength and preparedness, security from terrorism and the quality of the environment, and least satisfied with the economy and how the country addresses poverty and homelessness.

As President Obama's second term begins, the public's satisfaction with the military and anti-terrorism efforts is higher than in January 2005, when George W. Bush was inaugurated for his second presidential term.

Americans' satisfaction with the economic situation fell by 27 percentage points since 2005 to 20 percent now from 47 percent in 2005. Gallup said the drop reflected the impact of the 2008 housing crisis and financial recession.

The only other area experiencing a double-digit decline over the past eight years was crime -- down 16 percentage points to 41 percent now -- which could reflect the impact of the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., in December, Gallup said. Satisfaction with the nation's gun policies also was lower now than in 2005.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews with 1,011 adults conducted Jan. 7-10. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.