Closely Followed - Economic Tracking

Topic

Date (s)

Very Closely

Somewhat Closely

oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico

6/14-6/15

54%

33%

offshore drilling incident in the Gulf of Mexico

6/24-6/25

53%

31%

offshore drilling incident off Louisiana’s coast

7/15-7/16

51%

37%

plans to build a mosque near the site of the 9/11 attacks in New York City

7/19-7/20

51%

29%

new airport security measures, including the use of full-body scanners

1/5-1/6

50%

30%

massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico

6/4-6/5

49%

37%

earthquake in Haiti

1/19-1/20

43%

38%

earthquake in Haiti

1/15-1/16

40%

38%

poverty in America today

9/17-9/18

40%

37%

state budget problems

10/19-10/20

39%

38%

state budget problems

7/5-7/6

38%

40%

new immigration law in Arizona

5/17-5/18

37%

38%

Toyota

3/14-3/15

36%

37%

political correctness

10/15-10/16

36%

36%

this year’s World Cup Soccer Tournament

5/29-5/30

36%

26%

proposed cuts in public education funding due to state budget problems

3/4-3/5

35%

40%

FDA recalls of eggs

9/1-9/2

32%

37%

Toyota

2/10-2/11

31%

43%

Toyota

2/4-2/5

31%

41%

economic crisis in Greece and the rest of Europe

5/7-5/8

31%

34%

President Obama’s bipartisan deficit reduction commission

11/30-12/1

31%

30%

new bank regulations and taxes

1/21-1/22

30%

36%

investigations of the foreclosure practices of some of the nation’s largest lenders

10/13-10/14

29%

38%

gun rights ruling handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court

6/28-6/29

29%

25%

federal Food and Drug Administration and alcoholic energy drinks that combine caffeine and alcohol

11/18-11/19

28%

35%

President Obama’s new bipartisan deficit reduction panel

11/12-11/13

27%

33%

drug-related violence in Mexico

3/16-3/17

26%

36%

bullying in schools

4/3-4/4

26%

34%

General Motors

11/18-11/19

26%

33%

new bill working this way through Congress that would impose tighter regulatory control over the U.S. financial syste

6/26-6/27

25%

34%

new Census

3/12-3/13

24%

37%

government student loan program

3/30-3/31

24%

32%

major budget cutbacks in France and Great Britain

10/21-10/22

24%

32%

President Obama’s new bipartisan deficit reduction panel

4/27-4/28

24%

30%

Ben Bernanke

1/25-1/26

24%

28%

major explosion near San Francisco that destroyed a number of homes and killed several of the residents

9/13-9/14

23%

38%

President Obama and nuclear power plants

2/16-2/17

23%

33%

growing problem of bedbugs around the country

8/28-8/29

22%

40%

possible legalization of marijuana

7/21-7/22

22%

33%

plans to build a mosque near the site of the 9/11 attacks in New York City

7/19-7/20

22%

29%

new school nutrition legislation signed into law by President Obama

12/14-12/15

21%

32%

Federal Reserve Board raising a key interest rate

2/20-2/21

21%

31%

financial firm of Goldman Sachs

4/19-4/20

20%

31%

efforts around the country to charge shoppers more if they use disposable paper and plastic bags

1/5-1/6

20%

24%

electric-powered cars introduced by General Motors and Nissan

7/29-7/30

19%

33%

President Obama’s economic meeting this past weekend with other top world leaders

6/28-6/29

19%

30%

law in San Francisco that bans giving away toys with some fast-food kids meals

11/4-11/5

19%

26%

Johnson and Johnson’s recall on infant Tylenol

5/29-5/30

18%

21%

creation of the new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

9/19-9/20

17%

32%

anti-childhood obesity campaign

2/10-2/11

17%

31%

Tiger Woods

3/30-3/31

16%

34%

incident involving two lacrosse players at the University of Virginia

5/15-5/16

15%

32%

new graphic health warnings proposed for cigarette packs and cigarette advertisements

11/14-11/15

14%

36%

Apple computer company

1/29-1/30

12%

27%

a study on the use of computers, MP3 players, and other electronic devices by children

1/23-1/24

12%

22%

merger between Continental Airlines and United Airlines

5/5-5/6

11%

31%

Nobel Prize winners each year

10/5-10/6

11%

29%

new study abut drinking alcohol

11/2-11/3

11%

21%

this year’s World Cup Soccer Tournament

6/22-6/23

11%

18%

Tiger Woods

2/20-2/21

10%

26%

Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien

1/11-1/12

9%

27%

Apple's iPad

4/5-4/6

9%

21%

plans to install Internet-connected computers in the front seat of cars

1/9-1/10

7%

16%

those who are nominated and win major entertainment awards like the Oscars, the Golden Globes and the Grammys

12/16-12/17

7%

16%

Winter Olympic games

1/29-1/30

6%

18%

celebrity news stories

7/11-7/12

6%

18%

France’s new law saying married couples that argue could be subject to criminal prosecution

1/7-1/8

4%

10%