The Week in Polls: Feb. 9

Confidence in Obama and the economy are on the rise.

Americans Weigh In - Congress loses a popularity contest, the number of interracial marriages in the United States reaches all-time high, President Obama gets kudos for fiscal cliff dealings, plus more national polls. – Joyce Jones and Britt Middleton

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Confidence in President Obama and the economy are on the rise, plus more polls of the week. — Joyce Jones

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Washington Insiders - Americans are split over whether presidential candidates should have extensive experience working on or with Capitol Hill. According to a Pew Research Center poll published Feb. 6, 26 percent of Americans say they would be more likely to support a candidate with extensive Washington, D.C., experience, while 25 percent said they’d be less likely.(Photo: Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

Photo By Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images

Obama Job Approval - In an ABC News/Washington Post poll released Feb. 6, 50 percent of Americans said they approve of President Obama’s job performance and that he deserves a second term. This is the highest rating he’s received since last spring. In addition, Obama’s approval rating on handling the economy was 44 percent, its best in 13 months.(Photo: Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)

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Obama Job Approval - In an ABC News/Washington Post poll released Feb. 6, 50 percent of Americans said they approve of President Obama’s job performance and that he deserves a second term. This is the highest rating he’s received since last spring. In addition, Obama’s approval rating on handling the economy was 44 percent, its best in 13 months.(Photo: Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)

Mitt Romney - Fifty-two percent of respondents in an ABC News poll released Feb. 6 said that the more they learn about White House hopeful Mitt Romney, the less they like him. An even larger majority, 66 percent, said that he is not paying his fair share of taxes, including close to half of the Republicans who participated in the survey.(Photo: Marc Piscotty/Getty Images)

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Mitt Romney - Fifty-two percent of respondents in an ABC News poll released Feb. 6 said that the more they learn about White House hopeful Mitt Romney, the less they like him. An even larger majority, 66 percent, said that he is not paying his fair share of taxes, including close to half of the Republicans who participated in the survey.(Photo: Marc Piscotty/Getty Images)

U.S. Economic Confidence - U.S. Economic Confidence: For the fifth consecutive month, Americans’ confidence in the economy has improved, at 36 on the Gallup Economic Confidence Index, its highest since last May, according to a survey released Feb. 7.(Photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

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U.S. Economic Confidence - U.S. Economic Confidence: For the fifth consecutive month, Americans’ confidence in the economy has improved, at 36 on the Gallup Economic Confidence Index, its highest since last May, according to a survey released Feb. 7.(Photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

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Small Business Hiring - Twenty-two percent of U.S. small businesses say they expect to increase the number of jobs at their companies this year, according to a Wells Fargo/Gallup poll published Feb. 7, the highest since January 2008.(Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

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Small Business Hiring - Twenty-two percent of U.S. small businesses say they expect to increase the number of jobs at their companies this year, according to a Wells Fargo/Gallup poll published Feb. 7, the highest since January 2008.(Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Birth-Control Mandate - According to results of a Public Policy Polling survey published Feb. 7, 56 percent of voters, including 53 percent of Catholic voters, support the Obama administration’s birth-control mandate requiring all U.S. employers to offer health plans that provide birth-control measures. In addition, 40 percent said they’re less likely to support Mitt Romney because of his pledge to roll back the mandate.(Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Birth-Control Mandate - According to results of a Public Policy Polling survey published Feb. 7, 56 percent of voters, including 53 percent of Catholic voters, support the Obama administration’s birth-control mandate requiring all U.S. employers to offer health plans that provide birth-control measures. In addition, 40 percent said they’re less likely to support Mitt Romney because of his pledge to roll back the mandate.(Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Republicans and Government - In a Pew Research Center poll released Feb. 2, 57 percent of lower-income Republican and Republican-leaning voters said the government does too little for poor people; 18 percent said it does too much.(Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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Republicans and Government - In a Pew Research Center poll released Feb. 2, 57 percent of lower-income Republican and Republican-leaning voters said the government does too little for poor people; 18 percent said it does too much.(Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Energy and the Environment - Americans are divided on environmental protection along party lines: 58 percent of Democrats say it’s a top priority, according to a Pew Research survey released Feb. 3, compared to 27 percent of Republicans. By contrast, 55 percent of Republicans and 57 percent of Democrats say the nation’s energy problems are important.(Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

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Energy and the Environment - Americans are divided on environmental protection along party lines: 58 percent of Democrats say it’s a top priority, according to a Pew Research survey released Feb. 3, compared to 27 percent of Republicans. By contrast, 55 percent of Republicans and 57 percent of Democrats say the nation’s energy problems are important.(Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)