Americans support Barack Obama's intention to move a large stimulus package, even as much as $800 billion, by 56 percent to 42 percent, according to a CNN/Opinion Research poll conducted Dec. 19-21. Seventeen percent believe it will help the economy a lot and another 50 percent say it will help somewhat, while 31 percent believe it won't help much or at all.

Although the crisis in the financial industry generating much discussion about whether regulators and congressional oversight committees were asleep at the switch, Americans split at 39 percent each about whether overall there was too much or too little regulation of business and industry. Twenty percent said the amount of regulation was just right.