Americans appear to have mixed feelings when it comes to the trade-offs between a free market economy and the need for government regulation of business, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Dec. 21.

Seventy percent of those surveyed believe a free market economy is better than a government-managed one, but voters believe by 52 percent to 36 percent that there is a need for more government regulation of big business, a sentiment no doubt bolstered by the many accounts of the kinds of financial dealings in recent year that didn't get on regulators' radar and contributed to the recent crisis. Forty-eight percent fear the government will do too much in reacting to the country's current economic woes and 41 percent say the government will do too little.

Sixty-five percent believe that government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors.

In our plastic-addicted society, 60 percent of Americans believe that credit cards are a very or somewhat important part of the economy and 51 percent are worried that if Congress requires credit card companies to reduce the interest they charge, the cards will be harder to get, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Dec.18-19. That balances off against the 80 percent who believe credit card companies are taking unfair advantage of consumers with the rates they are charged at a time when the Fed has been pushing rates down.

The Census Bureau says that in 2006 there were 173 million cardholders in 2006 carrying 1.4 billion cards, a number expected to grow to 181 million people holding 1.6 billion cards in 2010. The Rasmussen poll says 85 percent of those surveyed believe cards tempt people to buy things they cannot afford.

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.

Voters oppose President Bush's decision to provide up to $17.4 billion in loans to General Motors and Chrysler by 49 percent to 38 percent with 13 percent undecided, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Dec. 19-20. They also say by 51 percent to 44 percent that the automakers are not very or at all likely to pay them back.

They render a split decision on whether the companies will be able to show by March 31 that they have taken the necessary steps to ensure their financial viability, with 50 percent saying not very or at all likely, and 47 percent answering somewhat or very likely. They don't believe - by 50 percent to 42 percent - that the automakers will be able to gain significant union concessions.

Americans have high expectations of Barack Obama once he takes office and they also have a long list of priorities of the issues they want him to address, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted Dec. 11-14. And, of course, while high expectations reflect a level of confidence in a leader, they also carry the political risk of what happens if he does not meet them.

Seventy-percent of Americans expect Obama to improve the U.S. image abroad, 68 percent expect him to bring about health care reform, 67 percent say he will implement policies to deal with global warming, 64 percent believe he will end U.S. involvement in Iraq and 46 percent believe he will improve the economy. But the issue of the economy stands out because it is the only one of these goals in which a majority (52 percent) don't believe Obama will achieve it.

There are some significant partisan divides when it comes to these expectations. On all five, the gap between Democrats and Republicans in terms of having faith in Obama on these issues ranges from 26 points (global warming) to 47 points (the economy). Independents believe in Obama more than Republicans (though much less than Democrats), but on the economy, only 39 percent expect him to be able to improve it compared to 68 percent of Democrats

Americans are more worried about the state of the economy, and its impact on them, than they have been in decades. A Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted Dec. 11-14 says concerns about job security are at their highest in 33 years of polling, and holiday spending plans are being curtailed to an extent not see for 23 years.

Sixty-six percent of those surveyed are worried about maintaining their standard of living compared to 51 percent in December 2007. And 63 percent believe the country is in the throes of a long-term economic decline. The same percentage says they have been hurt financially by the current recession. Fifty-one percent have been hurt by the drop in the stock market compared to 43 percent in October.

Americans' bleak view of the economy and their personal finances - the most negative in 15 years - has them cutting back spending, according to a Pew Research Center poll conducted Dec. 3-7. Ninety-two percent of the public says the economy is only fair or poor and 61 percent feel the same about their personal finances.

Seventy-three percent plan are scaling back holiday spending. Sixty-two percent are cutting back on vacations compared to 48 percent who said last September they were doing so. Fifty-eight percent are eating out less often. Significant numbers are also delaying purchase of a major home item, delaying home purchases or improvements or delaying buying a new car.

Registered voters disapprove of proposals to provide federal loans to automakers by 48 percent to 43 percent with 9 percent undecided, according to a Marist poll conducted Dec. 9-10. Democrats backed federal assistance by 53 percent to 36 percent, while Republicans opposed it by 61 percent to 33 percent, and independents were also against the idea, 51 percent to 40 percent.

A Pew Research Center survey conducted Dec. 3-7 said only 39 percent of Americans said it was right for the government to spend billions on assistance to automakers. Along partisan lines, only 31 percent of Republicans held that view, 38 percent of independents and 45 percent of Democrats.

Barack Obama continues to enjoy a post-election honeymoon with the public even as more than three-quarters say he will take office facing bigger challenges than most recent presidents, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted Dec. 5-8. That finding is in synch with other polls about how Americans are feeling about Obama during this transition.

An Associated Press-GfK poll conducted Dec. 3-8 found almost three-quarters of Americans approve of the way Obama has been preparing his administration.

While Obama has repeatedly said he has tried to walk the line between showing he'd be ready to hit the "ground running" while recognizing there can only be one president at a time, three-quarters of Americans in the Journal/NBC poll say he has had the "right level of involvement" in terms of policymaking in the face of the serious challenges facing the country.

About two-thirds are generally pleased with the appointments to his administration that Obama has made so far.

Nearly three-quarters of registered voters are feeling good about the election of Barack Obama, according to a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll conducted Dec. 6-8. Seventy-four percent say they feel hopeful, optimistic or proud about his election while 22 percent describe themselves as disappointed, pessimistic or afraid.

The positive feeling is nearly universal among Democrats, shared by 71 percent of independents and 32 percent of Republicans. Those surveyed said by 59 percent to 32 percent that they had a good idea of where Obama wants to lead the country. Twenty-six percent believe he will be able to accomplish many of the things he promised in the campaign, 44 percent say he will achieve some of them, while 27 percent say he will accomplish few or none of them.

Obama's selection of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State and retention of Robert Gates as Defense Secretary had an approval rating of 65 percent and 75 percent, respectively.