Since the government shutdown last October, Americans’ confidence in the economy has been on the rise. The shutdown caused a dramatic plunge in economic confidence but it bounced back quickly, with subsequent improvement bringing it back to levels last seen before the government gridlock. According to a recent release from Gallup, however, those gains stalled in February. The level of confidence in current conditions and perceptions of whether the economy is getting better or worse saw no change from the month before. But, rather than signaling a coming slowdown, Gallup feels that – with federal fiscal matters temporarily resolved – confidence should have a chance for significant improvement, especially as the seasons change. Last spring and summer saw a surge in confidence and, if this year follows the same pattern, economic confidence could reach positive levels this year, surpassing previous highs. Gallup’s Economic confidence Index is based on Gallup Daily tracking interviews conducted with more than 13,000 U.S. adults throughout each month. More here.