The Transportation Security Administration takes a lot of flak in the press, with every misstep widely chronicled. It also has become the butt of jokes for many standup comics. But for all that negative attention, what does the general public really think of the agency that protects travelers?

According to the Gallup organization, which conducted a new consumer poll on TSA, the results "indicate that the average American has a more positive than negative impression of the TSA, even if the average American is not totally confident in the effectiveness of its procedures."

In the survey of more than 1,000 adults, 54 percent said they believe the TSA is doing a good or excellent job, while 42 percent rated it as fair or poor, and 4 percent had no opinion.

Asked how effective TSA's screening procedures are at preventing terrorism aboard U.S. aircraft, most of the opinion was in the middle: 44 percent rated it somewhat effective, while 32 percent judged it to be very effective. only 9 percent thought TSA was extremely effective at stopping terrorists, while 13 percent rated it relatively or totally ineffective.

Persons in the youngest age group of those surveyed — age 18 to 29 — tended to give the agency higher positive ratings than older individuals. "These differences may partly reflect substantial differences in flying frequency, with 60 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds reporting having flown within the last year, compared with 33 percent of those 65 years and older," Gallup said.