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How gloomy Americans are about the direction of the country and President George W. Bush's leadership depends on how much money they make. Twenty-three percent of all Americans said the country is on the right track, a 15-year low, according to a new Bloomberg poll. Among those with higher incomes, 43 percent said the country is on the right path. Three-fifths of Americans disapproved of the job Bush is doing, compared with 38 percent who approved. Among those with household income higher than $100,000, the gap is smaller, with 53 percent disapproving and 46 percent approving. “That's the history of the world and it's also the history of the United States,” said Stephen Hess, a presidential scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington. Public opinion “is always very directly related to how well you're doing and how well you think you're going to do.”

More Info: Wealthier Americans also have a more favorable opinion of Bush's handling of the economy, with 52 percent approving of Bush's record while just 43 percent of all Americans approve. About 2 in 10 U.S. households have income of more than $100,000.

Question: If you had a few more bucks, would you be more optimist about the direction this country is headed?

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