Poll; Obama favored to fix economy

PRINCETON, N.J., April 10 (UPI) -- Americans trust President Obama the most, and Republicans the least, to do the right things to improve the U.S. economy, a Gallup poll indicates.

The survey, released Wednesday, found 57 percent of those questioned said they had a "great deal" or "fair amount" of confidence in the president's ability "to recommend the right thing for the economy."

That's up from 50 percent the past two years, but below his 71 percent rating in 2009, the first year of his first term.

Some 48 percent of those polled expressed the same positive belief in Democrats overall while 42 percent supported Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Americans have the least faith in Republican economic skills. Only 39 percent said they believe the GOP had programs to brighten the economy.

Faith in the president's economic abilities had an ideological split. Some 90 percent of Democrats had confidence in Obama, while only 24 percent of Republicans did. Independents were split: 51 percent had a great deal or fair amount of confidence in him while 47 percent said they had little or no confidence in the president.

There also was an evident gender gap. Sixty-two percent of women said they had a great deal or fair amount of confidence in Obama, while only 52 percent of men did.

The survey was conducted April 4-7 of 1,005 adults in all 50 states. Gallup said there was 95 percent confidence in the results and the margin of error was 4 percent.