The Times Poll : On Politics and Bosnia

NATIONAL MOOD

President Clinton’s approval score has slipped below 50%, down from the 56% he enjoyed after the Oklahoma City bombing. But support for the GOP Congress has declined as well. Ominously, a majority of Americans once again thinks the economy is in recession.

Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Clinton is handling . . .

foreign Bosnian his job the economy affairs policy Approve 49% 46% 42% 35% Disapprove 45% 47% 49% 43% Don’t know 6% 7% 9% 22%

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Do you approve or disapprove of the program the Republican congressional leadership is trying to pass?

Now March, ’95 Approve 36% 43% Disapprove 43% 33% Don’t know 21% 24%

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Who do you think has better ideas for how to solve the problems this country currently faces? Clinton: 35% Republicans in Congress: 41% Both/neither: 16% Don’t know: 8% ****

Do you think we are in an economic recession? (% answering “yes”) Jan., ‘93: 71% Jan., ‘95: 44% Now: 53% ****

U.S. ROLE IN BOSNIA

Most know little about our Bosnia policy and doubt U.S. involvement there is our national interest. Still, if it came to saving U.N. peacekeepers, a sizable number would back using U.S. ground troops.

How well do you feel you understand the goals and objectives of U.S. policy toward Bosnia? Well: 38% Not well: 58% Don’t know: 4% ****

Do you think it is in the national interest of the United States to be involved in the conflict in Bosnia? Yes: 26% No: 61% Depends: 5% Don’t know: 8% ****

Would you favor or oppose using U.S. ground troops in Bosnia to help evacuate U.N. peacekeeping forces stationed there if those U.N. peacekeepers were attacked by the Bosnian Serbs? Favor even if chance American lives lost: 47% Favor only if no chance American lives lost: 23% Oppose no matter what: 22% Don’t know: 8% ****

The Times Poll interviewed 1,109 adults nationwide by telephone June 9-11. Telephone numbers were chosen from a list of all exchanges in the nation. Random-digit dialing techniques were used so that listed and non-listed numbers could be contacted. The sample was weighted slightly to conform to census figures for sex, race, age and education. The margin of sampling error for the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points; for certain subgroups the error margin may be somewhat higher.