Gallup Poll: Americans Approve Computer Industry; Federal Government, Not So Much

Americans think well of the computer, restaurant and Internet industries, according to Gallup poll results released Monday.

They do not feel the same way about the federal government, which comes in last place with a -46 net positive rating.

Gallup has been polling Americans on their views on business and industry sectors each August since 2001. Gallup conducted the 2011 update Aug. 11-14.

People were asked to say whether their overall view of various business sectors was very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative.

The computer industry ranked first with 62 points, followed by the restaurant industry with 49 points. The Internet industry came in third place with 40 points, followed by the farming and agriculture industry with 38 points.

The bottom five industries were banking, healthcare, real estate, oil and gas, and federal government. Banking received a -17 net positive rating while federal government received a -46 net positive rating.

The sectors Americans view most negatively have all had well-publicized problems in recent years, Gallup reported. The federal government has been near the bottom of the list in previous years, but is at the absolute bottom this year for the first time, displacing the oil and gas industry.

Of all industries ranked, Americans felt the most neutral about the accounting industry, which ranks eighth overall.