Poll Tracker

Testing how patient Americans would be with Obama as far as when they'd start holding him responsible for the country's economic conditions, 13 percent said in six months to a year, 25 percent said in one to two years, 18 percent said in two to three years and 23 percent gave him more than three years. There is a lot of skepticism about how much the economic stimulus package will help the economy with almost half saying it will help only a little in the next two to four years.

The poll provided some insight into the question of whether the stimulus package would revive consumer spending. Most - 34 percent - said they would save any extra money they received, 31 percent would pay overdue bills, 19 percent would spend it and 13 percent would invest it.

As for Congress, Americans disapprove of the job it's doing by 54 percent to 31 percent, although that's down from 68 percent to 23 percent in early January. Forty-nine percent view the Democrat Party positively, 18 percent are neutral and 31 percent have negative perceptions. That compares to 26 percent who have positive views of the GOP, 24 percent who feel neutral and 47 percent who have negative views.

Despite all the talk of the need for bipartisanship, 79 percent say the same partisan divide exists that has in the past. Forty-one percent blame Republicans in Congress for almost all or a major part of it, 24 percent blame Democrats and 11 percent blame the Obama administration. Over half say both parties are equally at fault when it comes to the unwillingness to find common ground, but those who blame one side or the other, blame the Republicans more than the Democrats by a 29 percent to 14 percent margin. Fifty-six percent believe that Republicans in Congress have opposed Obama's proposals because to gain political advantage compared to 30 percent who said they were standing up for principle.