CBS News Monthly Poll #2, March 2009

This poll, fielded March 20-22, 2009, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and issues such as the economy, the financial institutions bailout, insurance company AIG bonuses, and foreign policy. Views were sought on the condition of the national economy, and the level of confidence in Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner's handling of the financial crisis. Respondents were also asked their views on companies receiving federal bailout money, whether they approved of the federal government providing money to banks and other financial institutions, whether the media, President Obama, and Congress was spending to much time on the bonuses paid to AIG executives, and whether Congress was spending the right amount of time trying to solve the nation's economic problems. Several additional questions addressed AIG including whether AIG could have found a way not to pay bonuses to their executives, whether the federal government should try to recover the money used for bonuses, how many of the executives respondents thought would return the bonuses, and whether the federal government should give additional financial assistance to AIG if needed. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and voter registration status and participation history.