The Week in Polls: Obama's Approval Ratings Rise

M. Obama in 2016?, POTUS's popularity climbs, and more.

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Lines in the Sand - After days of playing "show me yours; no, show me yours," President Obama and congressional Republicans have each made opening offers and resoundingly rejected the other's. While some American voters know what kind of deal they'd like to see reached, others aren't sure what the fiscal cliff is. Obama is up, Congress is down, Americans are divided on same-sex marriage and more. — Joyce Jones and Britt Middleton(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Obama Rising - Since winning a second term in November, Obama's job approval ratings have been on a high. In a new Associated Press/GfK poll published Dec. 7, his approval rating is at 57 percent, the highest since the killing of Osama bin Laden, and 47 percent of Americans say the country is on the right track.    (Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Obama Rising - Since winning a second term in November, Obama's job approval ratings have been on a high. In a new Associated Press/GfK poll published Dec. 7, his approval rating is at 57 percent, the highest since the killing of Osama bin Laden, and 47 percent of Americans say the country is on the right track.   (Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Michelle Obama 2016? - The first lady has repeatedly denied any interest in running for president, but might she give the U.S. Senate some consideration? A Public Policy Polling survey released Dec. 5 found that Obama leads incumbent freshman Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) by 51 to 40 percent in a hypothetical match up for 2016.  (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Michelle Obama 2016? - The first lady has repeatedly denied any interest in running for president, but might she give the U.S. Senate some consideration? A Public Policy Polling survey released Dec. 5 found that Obama leads incumbent freshman Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) by 51 to 40 percent in a hypothetical match up for 2016. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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The Digital Divide - Got a question? Google's got the answer. In fact, 94 percent of teachers in a recent Pew daily numbers report said their students were more likely to use Google or other search engines over "traditional" resources such as textbooks and online databases. (Photo: Google)

How Do I Get Started? - Fantasy leagues can be started at work, home or with strangers online. Sites such as NFL, Yahoo Sports and ESPN allow fans to play using their rules and structure, or fantasy players can start their own league using host sites such as Flea Flicker or My Fantasy League. Players should familiarize themselves with the scoring rules and roster settings first, then join a pre-managed league online or design a custom league.(Photo: Andersen Ross/Getty Images)

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Say What? - If the term "fiscal cliff" doesn't ring a bell to you, you're not alone. In a Pew Research Center poll published Nov. 29, just 25 percent of Americans said they understand "very well" what would happen if automatic spending cuts and tax increases take effect in January, 32 percent said they understand it "fairly well" and 42 percent said they understand the impact "not too well." (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Ethically Challenged - Car salesmen have always had a bad rep, deserved or not, for being untrustworthy. Next in line are members of Congress. A new survey from Gallup found that just 10 percent of Americans rated congressional lawmakers' level of honesty and ethical standards as high or very high, just two points higher than car salesmen's.  (Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

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Ethically Challenged - Car salesmen have always had a bad rep, deserved or not, for being untrustworthy. Next in line are members of Congress. A new survey from Gallup found that just 10 percent of Americans rated congressional lawmakers' level of honesty and ethical standards as high or very high, just two points higher than car salesmen's. (Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

Let's Make a Deal - As Democrats and Republicans in Washington cling to their principles on spending cuts and tax increases, Americans increasingly want them to negotiate a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. A Gallup poll published Dec. 4 found that 62 percent say they want leaders to compromise on an agreement, while 25 percent said they should stick to their guns.  (Photo: Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

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Let's Make a Deal - As Democrats and Republicans in Washington cling to their principles on spending cuts and tax increases, Americans increasingly want them to negotiate a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. A Gallup poll published Dec. 4 found that 62 percent say they want leaders to compromise on an agreement, while 25 percent said they should stick to their guns. (Photo: Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

National Support - Support for marriage equality has continued to grow in recent years and is currently at its highest levels, according to a Gallup poll released on Dec. 5. Fifty-three percent of adults said same-sex marriage should be recognized by law as valid with the same rights as traditional marriage. Forty-six percent of respondents said they opposed it because of religious beliefs and/or interpretation of biblical passages dealing with same-sex relations. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Religious Restraints - While the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to announce whether it will hear a case involving California's ban on same-sex marriage, Americans on the whole (53 percent) support legalizing same-sex marriage, according to a Gallup poll released Dec. 6. Forty-six percent of people said they opposed it because of their religious beliefs and/or interpretation of biblical passages dealing with same-sex relations. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Blame Game - If congressional lawmakers and the White House take Americans over the fiscal cliff, there'll be plenty of blame to go around, but most of it will be placed on the GOP. In a Pew Research Center poll released on Dec. 4 on who'd be at fault, 53 percent of Americans said Republicans would be more to blame, compared to 27 percent who pointed the finger at Obama.  (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Blame Game - If congressional lawmakers and the White House take Americans over the fiscal cliff, there'll be plenty of blame to go around, but most of it will be placed on the GOP. In a Pew Research Center poll released on Dec. 4 on who'd be at fault, 53 percent of Americans said Republicans would be more to blame, compared to 27 percent who pointed the finger at Obama. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Best of the Best? - Nicknamed "the show about nothing," Seinfeld apparently means a whole lot to TV fans. The show was ranked as the best sitcom ever in a recent 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll, garnering 22 percent of the vote. The Honeymooners came in second (20 percent), followed by Friends (16 percent) and Cheers (14 percent). (Photo: NBC)

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Best of the Best? - Nicknamed "the show about nothing," Seinfeld apparently means a whole lot to TV fans. The show was ranked as the best sitcom ever in a recent 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll, garnering 22 percent of the vote. The Honeymooners came in second (20 percent), followed by Friends (16 percent) and Cheers (14 percent). (Photo: NBC)

State of Cain - Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain is not impressed by the president's call to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 and says it would affect "a very small percentage" of Americans. "Ten-ten is no nine-nine-nine," he said, referring to his campaign proposal to replace the federal tax code with a flat 9 percent personal, corporate and national income tax.  (Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Herman Cain Redux? - Herman Cain hasn't announced any plans to seek elective office again, but if there is an interest, he may want to consider the U.S. Senate. According to a survey from Public Policy Polling, the Black Republican would trounce incumbent GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss in a primary race by a margin of 50 to 36 percent. (Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)