Gallup polls Americans on the economy, elections, and attitudes towards Cuba

     A picture of Fidel Castro is held during a rally honoring the late Cuban leader at the Revolution Plaza in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. Schools and government offices were closed Tuesday for a second day of homage to Fidel Castro, with the day ending in a rally on the wide plaza where the Cuban leader delivered fiery speeches to mammoth crowds in the years after he seized power. Fidel Castro passed away Friday Nov. 25. He was 90. (Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

    A picture of Fidel Castro is held during a rally honoring the late Cuban leader at the Revolution Plaza in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. Schools and government offices were closed Tuesday for a second day of homage to Fidel Castro, with the day ending in a rally on the wide plaza where the Cuban leader delivered fiery speeches to mammoth crowds in the years after he seized power. Fidel Castro passed away Friday Nov. 25. He was 90. (Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

    NewsWorks Tonight host Dave Heller sits down for his weekly conversation with Gallup’s Frank Newport to talk about trends in U.S. opinion.

    Americans are now more bullish on the economy than at any point since Gallup began tracking it on a daily basis back in 2008, just as the Great Recession was starting.

    Americans are fairly optimistic that Trump will want to work with Democrats in Congress to get things done and vice versa.  But the optimism about cooperation is nowhere near as high as it was after Obama was elected in 2008.

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    Gallup’s well-being data confirm that Election Day and the day after were two of the most stressful days in Gallup’s tracking history. Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is typically one of our “happiest” days of the year. This year was no different. Thanksgiving 2016 ranked as our 7th happiest day on record, and the 5th happiest Thanksgiving.

    Next week marks the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. New data show that most Americans do know what happened on that date.

    The death of Cuba’s Fidel Castro’s marks the end of an era that goes back 57 years when he first took over that island country. Cuba has long been considered an enemy of the United States, but Americans attitudes towards Cuba have changed dramatically in recent years — even before Castro’s death.

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