CNN

The public mood is better than it was a year ago on the eve of President Obama's election, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll out Tuesday night.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The number of Americans who think things are going well in the country today is at its highest level in two years, according to a new national poll.

Thirty-seven percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday night say that things are going very well or fairly well in the country. That's the highest number since November 2007, just before the official beginning of the current recession. It also represents a 7-point gain since August and a 12-point gain since October of last year.

Full results (pdf)

While the poll indicates a rise in optimism, 63 percent of those questioned say things are still going badly.

According the survey, feelings of anger and fear have also declined significantly compared a year ago. But large majorities are still angry and scared.

"Americans are more optimistic, less angry and less scared than they were this time last year, on the eve of Barack Obama's election," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But Obama still has a long way to go before the public is in a good mood, and the 2010 midterm elections may hinge on how fast he can accomplish that."

More than three-quarters of people questioned in the poll say that things are going well in their personal lives. And 63% expect the country to be in "good shape" a year from now.

"That's a mixed blessing for the Democrats, because it looks like Americans are growing more likely to blame the party in power if those expectations are not met," adds Holland.

In March, only a third of all Americans said they would blame the Democrats if the economy was not better in a year's time. Now Democrats are as likely to be blamed as the GOP if things don't improve.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted October 30-November 1, with 1,018 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the overall sample.

–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.