CBS NEWS POLL

For release: Thursday, February 18, 2016

7:00 AM EST
Appointing the Next Supreme Court Justice, President Obama, and the Economy
February 12-16, 2016
The U.S. Supreme Court
With an unexpected vacancy on the Supreme Court as a result of Justice Antonin Scalias death, its
unclear if he will be replaced before the November election. 47% would like to see the next justice
appointed by President Obama before the election in November, while nearly as many, 46%, would like
to see the new justice appointed by whoever is elected in November.
Views are highly partisan: 82% of Republicans would like to see the next president appoint Justice
Scalias replacement, while 77% of Democrats want President Obama to make that appointment.
Next Supreme Court Justice Should be Appointed
Total
Reps Dems Inds
By President Obama before November election
47%
15% 77% 46%
By whoever wins November election
46
82
19
43
Approval of the Supreme Court has ticked up a few points since last year, and is now at its highest level
since the question was first asked in 2012. 49% approve, 37% disapprove.

Now
49%
37
14

Approve
Disapprove
Dont know

U.S. Supreme Court Job Rating

6/2015
6/2013
41%
44%
40
40
19
16

7/2012
41%
41
18

Democrats are more apt to approve of the job the Court is doing than Republicans, although not by
much.

Approve
Disapprove
Dont know

U.S. Supreme Court Job Rating

Total
Reps Dems Inds
49%
46% 55% 45%
37
44
31
38
14
11
14
17

The President
Americans continue to be split over the job President Obama is doing: 47% approve, (including 84% of
Democrats), while 45% disapprove (including 86% of Republicans).

Approve
Disapprove

Now
47%
45

President Obamas Overall Job Rating

1/2016
2/2015
2/2014
46%
44%
41%
47
46
51

2/2013
52%
38

47% approve of how he is handling the economy, similar to last month. 40% now approve of the job he
is doing handling foreign policy, his highest rating in nearly a year, though more Americans still
disapprove (49%).

Economy
Foreign policy

President Obamas Ratings on Issues

---------- Now ---------------- 1/2016
Approve
Disapprove
Approve
47%
47
45%
40%
49
34%

------Disapprove
49
52

The Economy and Direction of the Country

Just under half of Americans think the economy is in good shape; slightly more think its bad. 26% think
its improving, 32% think it is getting worse, and 41% think its not changing.

Good
Bad

Now
48%
51

Condition of the Economy

1/2016
1/2015
1/2014
49%
53%
37%
49
46
61

1/2013
32%
66

By nearly two to one, Americans see the country as off on the wrong track rather than headed in the
right direction.

Now
1/2016
12/2015
10/2015
2/2015

Direction of the Country

Right direction
Wrong track
31%
62
27%
65
24%
68
26%
64
37%
56

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----This poll was conducted by telephone February 12-16, 2016 among a random sample of 2,007 adults nationwide.
Data collection was conducted on behalf of CBS by SSRS of Media, PA. Phone numbers were dialed from
samples of both standard land-line and cell phones.
The poll employed a random digit dial methodology. For the landline sample, a respondent was randomly
selected from all adults in the household. For the cell sample, interviews were conducted with the person who
answered the phone.
Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish using live interviewers.
The data have been weighted to reflect U.S. Census figures on demographic variables.
The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus two percentage points.
The error for subgroups may be higher and is available by request. The margin of error includes the effects of
standard weighting procedures which enlarge sampling error slightly. This poll release conforms to the Standards
of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

CBS News National Poll

Appointing the Next Supreme Court Justice, President Obama, and the Economy
February 12-16, 2016
Q1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President?

Approve
Disapprove
Don't know/No answer

* TOTAL RESPONDENTS *
Total Rep
Dem Ind
%
%
%
%
47
11
84
42
45
86
12
44
8
4
4
15

Jan16a
%
46
47
7

Q2. Do you feel things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have pretty
seriously gotten off on the wrong track?
Right direction
Wrong track
Don't know/No answer

31
62
6

7
90
3

60
33
7

25
67
8

27
65
8

Q3. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling foreign policy?
Approve
Disapprove
Don't know/No answer

40
49
11

10
85
5

70
20
10

36
48
16

34
52
13

Q4. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the economy?
Approve
Disapprove
Don't know/No answer

47
47
6

12
84
4

80
16
5

44
48
8

45
49
6

Q5. How would you rate the condition of the national economy these days? Is it very good, fairly good, fairly
bad or very bad?
Very good
Fairly good
Fairly bad
Very bad
Don't know/No answer

7
41
30
21
2

2
21
43
34
1

13
59
17
9
2

6
39
31
21
3

5
44
31
18
1

Q6. Do you think the economy is getting better, getting worse, or staying about the same?
Better
Worse
Same
Don't know/No answer
Q7.-Q58. RELEASED SEPARATELY

26
32
41
2

9
51
39
1

45
14
40
1

23
32
42
2

24
29
46
1

Q59. Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Supreme Court is handling its job?
* PARTIAL RESPONDENTS *
Total Rep
Dem Ind
%
%
%
%
49
46
55
45
37
44
31
38
14
11
14
17

Approve
Disapprove
Don't know/No answer

Jun15b
%
41
40
19

*Partial sample of 951 respondents interviewed 2/14-2/16/2016

Q60. As you may know, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away. Would you like to see the next
Supreme Court justice appointed by President Obama before the election in November or appointed by the
President who will be elected in November?
Appointed by President Obama
Appointed by President elected in 2016
Don't know/No answer

47
46
7

15
82
3

77
19
5

*Partial sample of 951 respondents interviewed 2/14-2/16/2016

Total Respondents
Total Republicans
Total Democrats
Total Independents
Total Sample for q59+q60

Unweighted
2,007
586
605
816
951

Weighted

548
634
825

46
43
11