Poll: Satisfaction with direction of U.S. at 9-year low

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Satisfaction among Americans with the direction of the United States is at its lowest level in nearly a decade and just a few points off the all-time low, a Gallup poll showed Tuesday.

According to the survey, just 13% of U.S. adults said they're satisfied with the state of the country. That is the lowest figure since 11% expressed satisfaction in late 2011, almost three years into former President Barack Obama's first term.

The all-time Gallup low for satisfaction, 7%, was recorded in October 2008.

Satisfaction had been as high as 45% in February, about a month before the full impact of the coronavirus pandemic arrived in the United States.

The decline has been fueled mostly by dissatisfied Republicans, Gallup said. In February, 80% of Republicans said they were satisfied, but that figure was just 20% in the new survey.

Seven percent of Democrats and 12% of independents said they're satisfied.

"Notably, even with Republicans highly dissatisfied with the state of the nation, they continue to overwhelmingly approve of the job Trump is doing as president (91%)," Gallup wrote. "Consequently, their dissatisfaction may have more to do with what is going on in the country -- the coronavirus and its effect on economic activity, the focus on matters of race -- than the administration's handling of it."

Gallup polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., for the survey, which has a margin of error of 4 points.