More Citizens Think U.S. On Right Track, Poll Finds

More Americans think the country is on the high road, a perception that is starting to pay political dividends for President Clinton and congressional incumbents, according to a poll released Thursday.

“A near majority of Americans (49 percent) are satisfied with the way things are going in the country,” said Andrew Kohut, the pollster. “That is nearly twice as many as felt that way just a year ago - and the first time since the heady days immediately following victory in the Gulf that most of the public is happy with the country’s direction.”

The poll of 1,213 adults by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center said support for incumbents in Congress is at the highest point in a decade, while fascination with a third political party has dimmed.

The good news is helping President Clinton as well. His approval rating, 59 percent, is close to the 62 percent rating enjoyed by President Reagan at the same point in his second term.

“This is quite an accomplishment, given that Reagan achieved reelection in a 59 percent landslide, while Clinton failed to win a majority,” the Pew study said.

But while 64 percent of the respondents associate the president with the phrase “able to get things done,” only 47 percent describe him as “trustworthy” and 45 percent think he is someone who “keeps his promises.”

The percentage of Americans who believe their congressional representative deserves re-election rose to 66 percent, which is higher than similar polls conducted in 1990, 1994 and 1996.

Those thinking that America needs a third political party, however, tumbled to 47 percent, down from 58 percent a year ago. That percentage will continue to fall, predicts Washington pollster Frank Luntz, as long as the economy prospers and citizens stay uninterested in politics.

“It’s a trend. The angry voter is rapidly becoming a thing of the past,” says Luntz, who worked for Ross Perot in 1992.