Recent poll results find that many Americans are pessimistic about the economy in the short term, and almost equal doubtful about the ability of elected officials to help things improve.

In a recent survey by Rasmussen Reports, 39 percent of adults expect the economy to be stronger in one year than it is today, compared to 31 percent who say it will be weaker. Another 15 percent said that things will probably be the same as they are today.

Rasmussen noted that people identifying themselves as investors in the survey tended to be far more optimistic, with 46 percent expecting a stronger economy in one year, compared to 33 percent of non-investors.

The findings are actually consistent with recent predictions by economists that 2009 will be another year of economic struggle before a turnaround starts to take shape in 2010. This poll actually found Americans to be optimistic about the longer-term direction of the economy, with 62 percent saying it would be stronger in five years.

A separate Rasmussen poll found that Americans also have little faith in their elected officials to help end the recession. According to that survey, only 17 percent think that lawmakers will listen to taxpayers over lobbyists in crafting the economic stimulus plan, while 38 percent predicted that lawmakers would vote on the bill without actually knowing its full details.

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