<\/a>Do you think that the country is headed in the right direction? When asked that question in public-opinion polls, Invariably, a majority of\u00a0 respondents answer \u201cNO.\u201d The question is bad enough in itself, but the transgression is compounded by the fact that it is often presented on the heels of questions like, \u201cDo you think that the President is currently doing a good job?\u201d<\/p>\n When the second question has been asked about President Obama, pundits have been quick to point out that an overwhelming majority of the people think that the country is moving in the wrong direction. This holds true now, even when the president\u2019s popularity and job approval are nudging towards 50%<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a recent Occasional Planet poll* the overwhelming plurality of respondents said the country is not<\/u> moving in the right direction.<\/p>\n <\/a>Figure \u2018A\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Comments from respondents included thoughts like:<\/p>\n In order to get a better sense of what is a more reliable answer about whether the country is moving in the right direction, we need to drill down on two levels. First, we need learn more from the respondents who said that the country is moving in the wrong direction. Is the country moving too far to the right, or to the left, or someplace else? Second, we need to see the breakdown to the answers by political party. The answers to the questions are revealed, at least in part, in Figures \u2018B<\/strong>\u2019 and \u2018C<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n\n