Was 2011 a good year? More Democrats than Republicans say 'yes.'

Among the American public, Republicans and Democrats diverge markedly in how they view the year now ending and prospects for 2012, a new Associated Press-GfK poll found. 

The survey also identifies a sharp partisan divide over how Republicans and Democrats view President Obama’s job performance and who will win the 2012 presidential election.

The divisions in the year-end snapshot echo the sharp partisan divide that kept Congress deadlocked for much of 2011.

Some 68 percent of Americans characterize 2011 as a bad year, while 29 percent chalk it up as good year, according to the AP poll. Democrats have a significantly more rosy view of the year now ending, with 40 percent calling it a good one.

The partisan divide is also noticeable in how adult Americans view prospects for 2012. Some 62 percent of those surveyed are optimistic about how 2012 will turn out for the United States, and 78 percent are bullish on their own family’s prospects in the new year. The poll found that Democrats are “more optimistic than either Republicans or independents,” but it did not provide a precise breakout by respondents' political affiliation.

Republicans and Democrats are each bullish about their own party’s prospects in the 2012 presidential election. Three-quarters of Democrats say Mr. Obama will win reelection, the AP says, while an equal proportion of Republicans say he will not. One side is sure to be disappointed.

When it comes to the 2012 election, the new polling data include much for Obama and his team to worry about. His overall job approval fell to a new low of 44 percent, the AP poll shows, while 54 percent disapprove of his performance. 

In an especially troubling statistic for the White House, independent voters, who play a decisive role in elections, give Obama a dismal 38 percent approval rating. Some 59 percent of independents disapprove of the job he is doing. In the AP poll, 33 percent identify themselves as independents, versus 25 percent who say they are Republicans and 27 percent who identify as Democrats.

Not surprisingly, there is a sharp partisan split over the president’s approval ratings, the AP data show. Among Democrats, 78 percent approve of Obama’s performance. Among Republicans, his approval is stuck at 12 percent.

Of course, Americans do agree on some topics. For example, there is a general consensus that inflation in 2012 will remain under control, with only 18 percent saying they expect prices to rise at a faster clip in the new year. 

The AP-GfK poll of 1,000 adults was conducted Dec. 8-12 . The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.