According to The Harris Poll, the US military again leads the list of institutions in which most Americans express “great confidence.” Small business, at 45 percent, is hard on the heels of the military, at 47 percent. And, if you combine the “great confidence” and “some confidence” percentages, small business moves ahead. Harris notes, too, that this is the “fourth year in a row that the [overall] Index has fallen.” The 2006 poll showed the overall confidence index at 52, while in 2002 it was 65 and has dropped each year since. Harris called the spike in 2002, the “rallying round the flag” index.
The U.S. conducted a series of airstrikes against Islamic State camps in Syria on Oct. 28, as the Pentagon continues its efforts to thwart the militant group from making a comeback.