CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, October 2010

This poll, fielded October 1-5, 2010 is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the economy, whether the stimulus package impacted the economy, whether the banks and automobile companies should have been allowed to fail, and what they thought about the cost of Social Security and Medicare. In addition, respondents were asked for their opinions of the United States House of Representatives, their district's representative, the Tea Party movement, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Respondents were also asked how much attention they paid to the 2010 election campaign, how likely it was that they would vote in the 2010 election for Congress and whether they would vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate, and what they thought was the most important problem facing the nation at that time. Respondents were queried about Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner, and Sarah Palin, whether they were aware of the Republican's "Pledge to America" and if they support that pledge. Finally respondents were asked whether they voted in the 2008 presidential election and for whom they voted, whether they voted in the 2006 election for the United States House of Representatives and the party of the candidate they chose, what was the most recent election of any kind that they participated in, and whether they were currently registered to vote. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, employment status, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.