Satisfaction with U.S. condition at 11%

PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Americans' satisfaction with conditions nationally tumbled to 11 percent, the lowest level since December 2008, Gallup reported Thursday.

Results of the August poll indicate satisfaction is down 5 percentage points from July's 16 percent.

Gallup said the decline was a likely response to recent negotiations to raise the federal debt ceiling and concern about the national economy amid a volatile stock market. The downing of a U.S. military helicopter in Afghanistan in which 30 U.S. servicemen died also could have contributed to the drop.

The latest figures continue a long slump in national satisfaction, which has been below 30 percent since September 2009, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said.

Economy-related issues were the most commonly mentioned specific problems, the poll indicated. Thirty-one percent of Americans cited the economy in general, 29 percent said unemployment or jobs, and 17 percent said the federal debt and deficit. The top non-economic problem is dissatisfaction with government and political leaders, mentioned by 14 percent of Americans.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews conducted with 1,008 adults Thursday through Sunday. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.