Como se combate o populismo? "Com eleições", responde Fukuyama

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10:00am 02/22/05 U.S. FEB. PRESENT SITUATION 116.4 VS. 112.1
10:00am 02/22/05 U.S. FEB. CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS 95.7 VS. 100.4
10:00am 02/22/05 U.S. FEB. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE FALLS TO 104.0 VS. 105.1

ECONOMIC REPORT: U.S. consumer confidence falls as expected; Present conditions at 5-year high; expectations falter
By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch
Last Update: 10:00 AM ET Feb. 22, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. consumer confidence fell back in February as consumers continued to be concerned about the longer term outlook, the Conference Board said Tuesday.

The board's consumer confidence index dropped to 104.0 in February from an upwardly revised 105.1 in January.

Economists were expecting a 1.1-point decline to about 102.3 from the earlier estimate of 103.4.

"Consumer confidence about current economic conditions, including the labor market, continues to gather momentum," said Lynn Franco, head of the board's consumer research unit. "Despite recent fluctuations, both present and future indicators point toward continued expansion in the months ahead."

The present situation index rose to 116.4 from 112.1, the highest since May 2000. The percentage of consumers that think the economy is "bad" fell to 15.6 percent from 18.1 percent, while the percentage that think conditions are "good" fell to 24.9 percent from 26.1 percent.

The percentage that thinks jobs are plentiful was unchanged at 20.9 percent, while the percentage who thinks jobs are hard to get dropped to 22.6 percent from 24.3 percent.

The expectations index, however, fell to a three-month low of 95.7 from 100.4. Attitudes about job growth and incomes over the next six months deteriorated.