The national mood about the economy is one thing, but what states have the best, and worst, confidence about the direction of the economy?

How do Americans feel about their standard of living today compared to this time in 2008?

Heading into the election year, we speak to Frank Newport at Gallup about how Obama's economic policies are faring in the American public, and why the economy will be the biggest issue in 2012.

We asked Gallup's editor-in-chief Frank Newport about whether Americans are pessimistic about the future, and how that compares to Americans of decades past.