The higher level of satisfaction measured in the Jan. 2-15 Gallup poll comes at a time when Americans' evaluations of the U.S. economy are the best they have been in nearly two decades, perhaps because of continued low unemployment and record stock values.

Americans are typically more satisfied with the state of the nation when their political party affiliation matches that of the sitting president. Consistent with this pattern, 72% of Republicans are currently satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S., compared with 14% of Democrats. Thirty-seven percent of independents are satisfied.

The five-percentage-point increase in overall satisfaction this month is primarily attributable to higher ratings among Republicans. Since last month, there has been a 14-point increase in Republicans' satisfaction.

Meanwhile, the percentage of independents who are satisfied is unchanged since December, and Democrats show a statistically nonsignificant two-point increase.

Since Gallup began measuring national satisfaction in 1979, 37% of Americans, on average, have been satisfied, meaning the current figure is just above the historical average. The highest satisfaction level Gallup has measured was 71% in February 1999.