Recently shaken by the government shutdown and debt ceiling negotiations, Americans’ confidence in the economy has already begun to rebound after lawmakers reached a deal to avoid defaulting on the nation’s debt. According to Gallup’s most recent Economic Confidence Index, Americans responded positively to news that the shutdown had ended, leading to the first improvement in economic confidence since September 15. But despite the gains, 69 percent of Americans still say the economy is getting worse while just 27 percent say it’s getting better. And the index, though improved, is still significantly lower than it was in May and early June when it peaked for the year. Overall, Americans’ perception of where the economy is headed was damaged by nearly a month’s worth of economic uncertainty but appears to have rebounded quickly. More here.