The Week in Polls: Getting Real About Sequester Fears

Lawmakers brace for budget cuts, plus more polls.

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

1 / 8

Bracing for Change - Lawmakers brace for sequester cuts, President Obama praised for minimum wage increase proposal, plus more polls. — Britt Middleton and Joyce Jones

Playing Chicken - While Washington lawmakers play a dangerous game of chicken over the sequester set to take place on March 1, Americans are divided about whether the automatic spending cuts to domestic programs and the defense budget should happen. In a Pew Research Center/USA Today survey released Feb. 20, 40 percent said they should, while 49 percent said they should be delayed. If no deal is reached, 49 percent would blame congressional Republicans. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

2 / 8

Playing Chicken - While Washington lawmakers play a dangerous game of chicken over the sequester set to take place on March 1, Americans are divided about whether the automatic spending cuts to domestic programs and the defense budget should happen. In a Pew Research Center/USA Today survey released Feb. 20, 40 percent said they should, while 49 percent said they should be delayed. If no deal is reached, 49 percent would blame congressional Republicans. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

71554414

3 / 8

Saving for a Rainy Day - On the whole, Americans have taken control over their personal finances, with 55 percent of people saying they have more money in their emergency savings than they have in credit card debt, according to a Bankrate.com survey published Feb. 25.(Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

Obama Says - "This is not my bill, and there are aspects of the agreement that I might prefer to be stronger," Obama said in a statement. "But the agreement does represent welcome and significant bipartisan progress."   (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

4 / 8

Raising Wage - In his State of the Union address, Obama proposed increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 an hour. A majority of Americans agree with him. In a USA Today/Pew Research Center poll released Feb. 20, 71 percent backed the measure, including 87 percent of Democrats, 68 percent of independents and 50 percent of Republicans. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Sequester Fatigue - There's little Americans can do about the automatic federal spending cuts scheduled for March 1, and they're getting tired of hearing about it. A Pew Research Center poll released Feb. 25 found that just 25 percent are following news about it, compared to 40 percent in December 2012. (Photo: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

5 / 8

Sequester Fatigue - There's little Americans can do about the automatic federal spending cuts scheduled for March 1, and they're getting tired of hearing about it. A Pew Research Center poll released Feb. 25 found that just 25 percent are following news about it, compared to 40 percent in December 2012. (Photo: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

ADVERTISEMENT
Step Up Your Makeup Game - Do you think your favorite celebrity has flawless skin? Make sure to Google that person without makeup. The cameras and lights are on you and its your chance to shine. Don't put the makeup on yourself, get a professional to do it. (Photo: George Doyle/Getty Images)

6 / 8

Growing Up Too Fast? - In a recent poll of girls aged 8-18 conducted by the Renfrew Center Foundation, 20 percent said they had negative feelings about themselves when they're not wearing make-up and 27 percent said they rarely or never leave the house without it. The study also found that girls are experimenting with cosmetics earlier now than ever before, with 65 percent reported starting between the ages of 8 and 13. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

Everybody's Working for the Weekend - Among the most difficult conditions to bear in the workplace, 33 percent of Americans said on-the-job stress was the worst, according to a Gallup poll released Nov. 12. Twenty-eight percent said they were dissatisfied with the amount of money they make. (Photo: GettyImages)

7 / 8

A Viscious Cycle - Many turn to payday loans to help avoid issues like long-term debt, borrowing from friends and family and cutting back on other expenses, but a survey from the Pew Charitable Trusts found that these loans can cause more problems for borrowers than good. Only 14 percent of loan borrowers said they could afford to pay back an average $400 payday loan out of their monthly budgets. Fifty-eight percent said they have trouble meeting their monthly expenses at least half the time. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

Can They Just Get Along? - As Americans watch Obama and congressional Republicans engaged in high stakes budget battles, many believe the president is more unifying. In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey published Feb. 26, 48 percent said the president emphasizes unifying themes, while 68 percent said the Republican Party is more partisan. (Photos from left: Dennis Brack-Pool/Getty Images, AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

8 / 8

Can They Just Get Along? - As Americans watch Obama and congressional Republicans engaged in high stakes budget battles, many believe the president is more unifying. In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey published Feb. 26, 48 percent said the president emphasizes unifying themes, while 68 percent said the Republican Party is more partisan. (Photos from left: Dennis Brack-Pool/Getty Images, AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)