The Week in Polls: Aug. 18

Americans are concerned about the nation's future.

Barack Obama - President Obama's job approval rating dropped to 40 percent during the week of Aug. 8-14, his lowest weekly average in a Gallup poll. In addition, Obama's three-day average fell below 40 percent for the first time since taking office to a new low of 39 percent for Aug. 11-13.(Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Barack Obama - President Obama's job approval rating dropped to 40 percent during the week of Aug. 8-14, his lowest weekly average in a Gallup poll. In addition, Obama's three-day average fell below 40 percent for the first time since taking office to a new low of 39 percent for Aug. 11-13.(Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The Purpose of Government - A Gallup poll published Sept. 28 found that Americans are divided over what role government should play. Thirty-five percent prefer an activist government that tries to improve citizens’ lives and 37 percent say government should provide basic government functions.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Congress - Congress’s approval rating has reached an historic low of 13 percent, according to a Gallup poll. At 84 percent, Americans’ disapproval of Congress is just one percent higher than it was last December, when partisan bickering over the federal budget threatened a government shutdown.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Republican Presidential Field - Despite being the perceived frontrunner, Mitt Romney doesn’t generate much enthusiasm among Republican voters. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, however, got a score of 23 in Gallup’s most recent “positive intensity” poll, coming in second to Herman Cain (25) but ahead of Michele Bachmann (20). Romney has hovered at around 15 since June.(Photo: AP Photo/Jim Cole)

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Republican Presidential Field - Despite being the perceived frontrunner, Mitt Romney doesn’t generate much enthusiasm among Republican voters. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, however, got a score of 23 in Gallup’s most recent “positive intensity” poll, coming in second to Herman Cain (25) but ahead of Michele Bachmann (20). Romney has hovered at around 15 since June.(Photo: AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Rick Perry - In a new Rasmussen poll, Gov. Rick Perry leads his rivals by a long shot. In a survey of likely Republican voters, Perry received 29 percent of support, while Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann earned 18 percent and 13 percent, respectively.(Photo: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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Rick Perry - In a new Rasmussen poll, Gov. Rick Perry leads his rivals by a long shot. In a survey of likely Republican voters, Perry received 29 percent of support, while Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann earned 18 percent and 13 percent, respectively.(Photo: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

National Conditions - Americans are deeply dissatisfied with the state of the union. According to a new Gallup poll, their satisfaction with the way things are going in the United States is the lowest it’s been since December 2008, at 11 percent.(Photo: AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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National Conditions - Americans are deeply dissatisfied with the state of the union. According to a new Gallup poll, their satisfaction with the way things are going in the United States is the lowest it’s been since December 2008, at 11 percent.(Photo: AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Support for the Troops - A majority of Americans don’t think that military troops receive enough support when they return to the States after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. A Pew Research Center survey found that 62 percent say that the federal government provides inadequate support and 49 percent say that the American people don’t give them enough support. In addition, 65 percent and 58 percent of members of post-9/11 veteran households, respectively, say the government and American people don’t provide enough support to returning troops. (Photo: AP Photo/David Goldman)

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Support for the Troops - A majority of Americans don’t think that military troops receive enough support when they return to the States after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. A Pew Research Center survey found that 62 percent say that the federal government provides inadequate support and 49 percent say that the American people don’t give them enough support. In addition, 65 percent and 58 percent of members of post-9/11 veteran households, respectively, say the government and American people don’t provide enough support to returning troops. (Photo: AP Photo/David Goldman)