On Other Issues, Voters More Likely to Favor GOP Positions
UTICA, New York - Fifty-six percent of people who voted in the mid-term election favor federal spending on infrastructure projects that create jobs, but they are also more likely to side with the Republican position on other key decisions the next Congress may face, according to the latest Zogby Interactive poll.
The poll of 2,185 voters was conducted from Nov. 3-5, 2010.
The finding on voter preference for job-creating infrastructure spending is consistent with our previous findings. For example, in July of this year, 53% of likely voters said that "federal spending targeted to create and maintain employment is a more important concern than the federal deficit."
Some of the poll questions provided competing positions on issues that stated the general position of each party and some rationale for the position. Others provided policy positions and asked voters if they favored or opposed each. Another question provided alternatives for further legislation regarding the healthcare reform bill passed in 2009.
The tables below show the results for all voters, independents, Republicans and Democrats. Not sure responses are not included.
|
Increase spending on infrastructure projects that create jobs |
All Voters |
Independents |
Republicans |
Democrats |
|
Favor |
56% |
52% |
26% |
88% |
|
Oppose |
37% |
40% |
62% |
8% |
|
Increase aid to states in order to prevent layoffs in education |
All Voters |
Independents |
Republicans |
Democrats |
|
Favor |
37% |
36% |
8% |
68% |
|
Oppose |
54% |
57% |
86% |
19% |
|
Increase aid to states in order to prevent layoffs in public safety |
All Voters |
Independents |
Republicans |
Democrats |
|
Favor |
40% |
40% |
14% |
67% |
|
Oppose |
48% |
51% |
76% |
18% |
|
Increased spending to prevent state governments from going into bankruptcy |
All Voters |
Independents |
Republicans |
Democrats |
|
Favor |
25% |
22% |
4% |
48% |
|
Oppose |
63% |
68% |
89% |
33% |
|
Across the board halt to any increased spending for any reason |
All Voters |
Independents |
Republicans |
Democrats |
|
Favor |
41% |
42% |
63% |
18% |
|
Oppose |
47% |
46% |
23% |
71% |
|
Statement |
All |
Independents |
Republicans |
Democrats |
|
There are those who say extending tax cuts for all Americans stimulates the economy by expanding the amount of money people have to spend, this includes those earning over $200K and $250K for couples, suggesting that they would have money to invest. |
53% |
51% |
88% |
19% |
|
There are those who say the tax cuts should just be extended for individual earned income up to $200K and couples' earned income up to $250K with tax cuts not extended on the portion of their income that exceeds those amounts. This argument suggests that people in this income category already benefit from the economy. |
42% |
45% |
9% |
73% |
|
Statement |
All |
Independents |
Republicans |
Democrats |
|
The current social security system is more risky because the government cannot pay all the benefits that it has promised. |
46% |
47% |
78% |
14% |
|
Allowing workers to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes would be too risky because individuals might lose their money if the market performs poorly. |
46% |
46% |
16% |
76% |
|
Statement |
All |
Independents |
Republicans |
Democrats |
|
Continuing to extend unemployment benefits provides no incentive for displaced workers to accept employment and increases the deficit. |
56% |
58% |
84% |
26% |
|
Unemployment benefits used to last for 6 months, now they last for 20, with the economy still uncertain benefits should be extended once again. |
37% |
35% |
10% |
65% |
|
Statement |
All |
Independents |
Republicans |
Democrats |
|
Congress should be about making policy to solve the nation's problems and investigations into the actions, policies and the legitimacy of the Obama administration are unnecessary and time consuming. |
70% |
72% |
47% |
91% |
|
A Republican majority in congress should launch investigations into actions, policies and the legitimacy of the Obama administration. |
25% |
24% |
45% |
7% |
|
Statement |
All |
Independents |
Republicans |
Democrats |
|
Repeal the healthcare reform bill |
48% |
47% |
87% |
8% |
|
Amend the healthcare reform bill to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices with manufacturers |
28% |
31% |
5% |
50% |
|
Do nothing |
10% |
10% |
1% |
19% |
|
Amend the healthcare reform bill to eliminate the individual mandate |
8% |
8% |
5% |
10% |
Pollster John Zogby: "While these results from actual midterm voters show that this was a more conservative electorate, Republicans should not treat this election as a mandate to simply cut all federal spending. They should be ready to work with Democrats on infrastructure spending that creates jobs. They will also be making a big political mistake if they pursue investigations into the Obama Administration."
The interactive poll consisting of 2,185 likely voters was conducted from Nov. 3-Nov. 5, 2010, and has a margin of error of +/-2.2%. A sampling of Zogby International's online panel, which is representative of the adult population of the U.S., was invited to participate. Slight weights were added to region, party, age, race, religion, gender, and education to more accurately reflect the population.