• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, September 6, 2011

According to a recent Gallup Poll, Americans view four industries more positively now than they did in August 2001: the Internet industry, electric and gas utilities, and the computer and movie industries. The current 72% positive rating for the computer industry is the highest such rating of any industry since Gallup began tracking business sectors in 2001.

Americans' views of a number of sectors have worsened dramatically between 2001 and 2011, The images of the federal government and the real estate industry have dropped the most over the past decade. The percentage of Americans rating the government positively has declined 24 points since 2003, and the real estate industry's positive ratings have fallen 23 points since 2001. Other sectors with double-digit drops include the banking sector, education, accounting, and healthcare.

Americans view the computer industry the most positively and the federal government the least positively when asked to rate 25 business and industry sectors. All five of the top-rated sectors this year are related to either computers or food

The sectors Americans view most negatively have all had well-publicized problems in recent years. 17% of Americans have a positive view of the federal government, the lowest of any sector tested this year, while 63% have a negative image. Only one sector, oil and gas, has a higher negative percentage, 64%. Other poorly ranked sectors include real estate, healthcare, banking, and the legal field.

Overall View of Selected Business Sectors (% of U.S. Consumers)
Industry	% Positive	% Neutral	% Negative	Change in Positive Since 2001
Computer	72	16	10	5
Restaurant	61	25	12	-1
Internet	56	26	16	12
Farming & Agriculture	57	22	19	-2
Grocery	52	24	24	-5
Retail	44	33	22	-3
Travel	42	35	21	-8
Accounting	36	42	19	-11
Publishing	38	38	22	-9
Automobile	42	25	32	-3
Telephone	39	30	31	0
Movie	38	23	37	5
Sports	37	25	36	-1
Television & Radio	39	21	40	-3
Electric & Gas utilities	38	20	40	7
Advertising & PR	32	29	37	-6
Pharmaceutical	36	20	43	-3
Airline	29	30	39	-8
Education	35	18	47	-15
Legal	29	24	45	0
Banking	30	21	47	-17
Healthcare	27	18	55	-10
Real estate	23	23	52	-23
Oil & Gas	20	15	64	-4
Federal government	17	20	63	-24
Source: Gallup, August 2011

Gallup has asked Americans each August since 2001 to indicate whether they have positive or negative views of a list of business and industry sectors. The results range from a +62 net positive rating for the computer industry to a -46 net positive rating for the federal government.

The positive and the negative ratings for the federal government this year are the worst since Gallup began measuring its image in 2003.

Ratings of the Federal Government (% of Consumers; 2003-2011)
Year	Very/Somewhat Positive	Very/Somewhat Negative
2003	41%	35%
2004	34	39
2005	33	45
2006	25	50
2007	21	57
2008	18	60
2009	29	54
2010	26	58
2011	17	63
Source: Gallup, August 2011

The report makes the following observations about the changes in its concluding remarks:

• The deterioration in Americans' views of the federal government began in 2004, correlated with a downturn in President George W. Bush's job approval rating and rising concerns about the Iraq war and the economy. Views turned slightly more positive in 2009 during Barack Obama's first year as president, but dropped back down last year and again this year, reflecting rising concerns over the economy as well as the increase in government spending and power, says the report.
• The continuing high ratings for the computer and Internet industries likely reflect the global success of such American companies as Google, Apple, and Facebook, the technology industry's apparent success even in this time of economic uncertainty, and the increasingly major role that technology plays in Americans' lives. It is less clear why food-related sectors such as the restaurant industry, farming and agriculture, and the grocery industry do so well in the eyes of Americans, but it could reflect the United States' relatively noncontroversial and efficient food supply system.
• At the other end of the spectrum, poorly rated sectors have been associated with various well-publicized political or economic problems in recent years. Americans' frustration with politicians and Washington, exacerbated by the contentious debt ceiling negotiations, comes through in the federal government's all-time low image rating. The oil and gas industry has never done well in these image assessments, which is likely tied to swings in gas prices and the overall high price of gas.
• The bad image of the real estate industry most likely reflects the housing crisis that has beset the country in recent years, and the poor image of the healthcare industry may reflect the rising cost of healthcare and uncertainly about access issues. Americans continue to view banks poorly, which clearly reflects lingering concerns from the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent failure of many banks around the country. Lawyers and the legal field have never had positive images.

For complete top line metrics, please access the PDF file here, or for more from the summary release, go here.