CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, July 2009

This poll, fielded July 24-28, 2009, is a 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 foreign policy and health care. Opinions were solicited about the most important problem facing the country, whether the country was moving in the right direction, the condition of the national economy, and the Republican and Democratic parties. Respondents were asked about the federal government's stimulus package, including its effect on the creation of new jobs, the federal budget deficit, and the national and local economy. A series of questions addressed the health care system in the United States, whether respondents thought they would benefit from the health care legislation under consideration in Congress, the effects of this legislation on the federal budget deficit and the economy, and the likelihood that a health care reform bill would be signed into law by the end of the year. Views were sought on specific health care reform proposals, such as taxing employer-paid health insurance benefits, raising taxes on Americans with high incomes, and requiring health insurance companies to provide coverage regardless of pre-existing medical conditions. Respondents were also polled on whether they believed it was the federal government's responsibility to guarantee health insurance for all Americans and the possible effects of a government-created universal health care system on the quality of health care, health care costs, taxes, jobs, and the number of uninsured Americans. Information was collected on the financial situation of the respondent's household, whether they had health insurance coverage, the source of their insurance coverage, and the affordability of basic medical care under their health insurance plan. Additional topics addressed police treatment of minorities, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and whether women should be allowed to participate in military combat and serve in combat zones. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, household income, employment status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, religious preference, the presence of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 in the household, whether respondents had a child under the age of 18 years, and whether they considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.