CBS News/New York Times National Poll, August #1, 2011

This poll, fielded August 2011, and the first of four, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the economy, and whether he showed strong leadership qualities during the debt ceiling negotiations. Respondents were also asked for their opinions on how the Republicans and the Democrats in Congress have handled negotiations on the debt ceiling, whether members of Congress deserve re-election, and how they felt about the ability of Congress to address issues affecting the country. Further information was collected regarding the debt ceiling negotiations, including whether respondents were relieved that a debt ceiling agreement had been reached, whether respondents felt the measures in the debt ceiling agreement would improve the economy, and whether the negotiations had impacted the image of the United States throughout the world. Additional topics included John Boehner's job performance, the national economy, raising taxes, whether the government should prioritize spending cuts vs. job creation, the Tea Party movement, and the amount of influence the Tea Party movement has within the Republican Party. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and voter registration status.