Nearly 8 In 10 Voters Say The United States Is In A Political Crisis, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Optimism Sinks For Freedom Of Speech Being Protected In The U.S.
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In the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 79 percent of voters say the United States is in a political crisis, while 18 percent say it is not, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea-ack) University national poll of registered voters released today.
Democrats (93 - 6 percent), independents (84 - 14 percent), and Republicans (60 - 35 percent) say the United States is in a political crisis.
"The Kirk assassination lays bare raw, bipartisan concerns about where the country is headed," said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED VIOLENCE
Seventy-one percent of voters think politically motivated violence in the United States today is a very serious problem, 22 percent think it is a somewhat serious problem, 3 percent think it is a not so serious problem, and 1 percent think it is not a problem at all.
This is a jump from Quinnipiac University's June 26 poll when 54 percent thought politically motivated violence in the United States today was a very serious problem, 37 percent thought it was a somewhat serious problem, 6 percent thought it was a not so serious problem, and 2 percent thought it was not a problem at all.
Nearly 6 in 10 voters (58 percent) think it will not be possible to lower the temperature on political rhetoric and speech in the United States, while 34 percent think it will be possible.
A majority of voters (54 percent) think political violence in the United States will worsen over the next few years, while 27 percent think it will remain about the same, and 14 percent think it will ease.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Fifty-three percent of voters say they are pessimistic about freedom of speech being protected in the United States, while 43 percent say they are optimistic.
This is a reversal from six months ago, when 54 percent of voters said they were optimistic and 43 percent said they were pessimistic about freedom of speech being protected in the United States, in Quinnipiac University's March 13 poll.
In Quinnipiac University's January 29 poll, 57 percent of voters said they were optimistic and 38 percent said they were pessimistic about freedom of speech being protected in the United States.
DEMOCRACY
Voters 53 - 41 percent think that the system of democracy in the United States is not working.
Democrats (74 - 21 percent) and independents (61 - 32 percent) think the system of democracy in the United States is not working, while Republicans (74 - 22 percent) think it is working.
"From a perceived assault on freedom of speech to the fragility of the democracy, a shudder of concern and pessimism rattles a broad swath of the electorate. Nearly 80 percent of registered voters feel they are witnessing a political crisis, seven in ten say political violence is a very serious problem, and a majority say this discord won't go away anytime soon," added Malloy.
POLITICAL DISCOURSE
A vast majority of voters (82 percent) think the way people talk about politics these days is contributing to violence in the United States, while 15 percent think it is not.
"When asked if political discourse is contributing to violence, a rare meeting of the minds...Republicans, Democrats, and independents in equal numbers say yes, it is," added Malloy.
GUN VIOLENCE
When it comes to gun violence, 83 percent of voters think political leaders are more interested in blaming others, while 10 percent think they are more interested in finding solutions.
PRESIDENT TRUMP
Thirty-eight percent of voters approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president, while 54 percent disapprove, largely unchanged from Quinnipiac University's August 27 poll.
Voters were asked about Trump's handling of seven issues:
- immigration issues: 41 percent approve, while 55 percent disapprove, with 4 percent not offering an opinion;
- foreign policy: 40 percent approve, while 53 percent disapprove, with 7 percent not offering an opinion;
- trade: 39 percent approve, while 54 percent disapprove, with 7 percent not offering an opinion;
- the economy: 39 percent approve, while 56 percent disapprove, with 5 percent not offering an opinion;
- gun violence: 38 percent approve, while 54 percent disapprove, with 9 percent not offering an opinion;
- the Russia - Ukraine war: 33 percent approve, while 56 percent disapprove, with 11 percent not offering an opinion;
- the Israel - Hamas conflict: 31 percent approve, while 56 percent disapprove, with 13 percent not offering an opinion.
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.
One third of voters (33 percent) approve of the way Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is handling his job as Secretary of Health and Human Services, while 54 percent disapprove, and 13 percent did not offer an opinion.
This compares to Quinnipiac University's June 11 poll when 38 percent approved, 53 percent disapproved, and 9 percent did not offer an opinion.
Thirty-nine percent of voters are either very confident (17 percent) or somewhat confident (22 percent) in medical information cited by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while 57 percent are either not so confident (11 percent) or not confident at all (46 percent).
VACCINES
Voters 67 - 26 percent support having vaccine requirements for children attending public schools.
Democrats (91 - 6 percent) and independents (70 - 23 percent) support vaccine requirements for children attending public schools. Republicans are mixed, with 46 percent opposing them and 44 percent supporting them.
"Keep mandatory vaccines in place for public school kids, say a large majority of voters. That sentiment is expressed as voters give a clear thumbs down to the overall recommendations by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.," said Malloy.
DEMOCRATIC & REPUBLICAN PARTIES
Thirty percent of voters have a favorable opinion of the Democratic party, while 54 percent have an unfavorable opinion, and 10 percent haven't heard enough about it.
This is the lowest favorability rating for the Democratic party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking voters this question in 2008. The previous low was in January of this year when 31 percent of voters had a favorable opinion, 57 percent had an unfavorable opinion, and 9 percent hadn't heard enough about it.
In today's poll, 38 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of the Republican party, while 51 percent have an unfavorable opinion, and 7 percent haven't heard enough about it.
ECONOMY
Given a list of four economic issues and asked which one worries voters the most right now, 53 percent say the price of food and consumer goods, 28 percent say the cost of housing or rent, 8 percent say their job situation, and 7 percent say the stock market.
This compares to Quinnipiac University's April 9 poll when 47 percent of voters said the price of food and consumer goods, 20 percent said the cost of housing or rent, 17 percent said the stock market, and 6 percent said their job.
Forty-two percent of voters say they have cut spending on non-essential items compared to one year ago, while 14 percent say they have increased spending, and 43 percent say there is no change in their spending on non-essential items compared to one year ago.
DEATH PENALTY
Given a choice between the death penalty or life in prison with no chance of parole for people convicted of murder, 55 percent of voters prefer life in prison with no chance of parole, while 35 percent prefer the death penalty.
RUSSIA - UKRAINE WAR
When voters were asked how confident they are that Russia and Ukraine will agree to a permanent cease fire in the near future, 24 percent say they are either very confident (5 percent) or somewhat confident (19 percent), while 72 percent of voters say they are either not so confident (33 percent) or not confident at all (39 percent).
Voters 64 - 26 percent think supporting Ukraine is in the national interest of the United States, with 10 percent not offering an opinion.
ISRAEL
A plurality of voters (47 percent) think supporting Israel is in the national interest of the United States, while 41 percent think supporting Israel is not in the national interest of the United States, with 12 percent not offering an opinion.
This compares to Quinnipiac University's December 20, 2023 poll when voters 69 - 23 percent thought supporting Israel was in the national interest of the United States, and 8 percent did not offer an opinion.
Twenty-one percent of voters have a favorable opinion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while 49 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him, and 28 percent haven't heard enough about him.
1,276 self-identified registered voters nationwide were surveyed from September 18th - 21st with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points, including the design effect.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Doug Schwartz, Ph.D. since 1994, conducts independent, non-partisan national and state polls on politics and issues. Surveys adhere to industry best practices and are based on probability-based samples using random digit dialing with live interviewers calling landlines and cell phones.
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Poll Questions
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Question 1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 38% 86% 3% 30% 46% 32% Disapprove 54 10 93 61 46 61 DK/NA 8 5 5 9 8 7 -
Question 1a. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president? COMBINED WITH: (If approve/disapprove q1) Do you strongly or somewhat approve/disapprove?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve strongly 30% 71% 1% 21% 35% 26% Approve smwht 8 13 2 8 10 5 Disapprove smwht 5 5 4 6 5 5 Disapprove strongly 49 5 89 55 41 56 DK/NA 9 6 5 10 9 8 -
Question 2. Is your opinion of the Democratic party favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about it?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favorable 30% 5% 70% 25% 22% 37% Unfavorable 54 88 21 53 61 48 Hvn't hrd enough 10 4 7 14 10 10 REFUSED 6 2 2 8 6 5 -
Question 3. Is your opinion of the Republican party favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about it?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favorable 38% 86% 5% 27% 42% 34% Unfavorable 51 8 87 59 45 56 Hvn't hrd enough 7 3 5 9 8 6 REFUSED 4 3 3 5 5 4 -
Question 4. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is handling his job as Secretary of Health and Human Services?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 33% 71% 4% 28% 38% 28% Disapprove 54 11 91 61 50 58 DK/NA 13 18 6 12 12 14 -
Question 5. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Kash Patel is handling his job as Director of the FBI?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 33% 70% 6% 26% 36% 29% Disapprove 49 10 79 58 47 51 DK/NA 18 20 15 16 17 19 -
Question 6. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Pam Bondi is handling her job as United States Attorney General?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 30% 67% 8% 21% 33% 27% Disapprove 48 11 78 57 45 52 DK/NA 22 22 14 23 22 21 -
Question 7. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Brendan Carr is handling his job as Federal Communications Commission Chairman?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 19% 39% 5% 14% 23% 16% Disapprove 40 7 65 46 36 43 DK/NA 41 53 30 39 41 41 -
Question 8. In general, how satisfied are you with the way things are going in the nation today; are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Very satisfied 13% 31% 1% 7% 16% 10% Smwht satisfied 21 44 4 19 24 19 Smwht dissatisfied 13 13 11 14 15 11 Very dissatisfied 51 11 83 57 42 58 DK/NA 2 1 1 2 2 2 -
Question 9. In your opinion, what is the most urgent issue facing the country today: the economy, climate change, health care, immigration, abortion, racial inequality, crime, preserving democracy in the United States, international conflicts, or gun violence?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Economy 18% 24% 13% 20% 24% 14% Climate change 2 1 2 2 2 2 Health care 7 4 9 8 5 9 Immigration 9 17 5 5 12 6 Abortion 1 4 - - 1 2 Racial inequality 5 1 7 5 3 6 Crime 9 21 2 6 9 10 Preserving democracy 32 14 48 32 26 37 Intl conflicts 4 5 3 5 6 2 Gun violence 6 4 8 8 7 6 SOMETHING ELSE(VOL) 5 5 2 6 6 5 DK/NA 2 2 1 3 2 3 -
Question 10. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling - the economy?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 39% 85% 5% 30% 45% 34% Disapprove 56 12 93 64 51 61 DK/NA 5 3 2 5 4 5 -
Question 11. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling - trade?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 39% 83% 3% 32% 47% 32% Disapprove 54 13 92 60 47 60 DK/NA 7 4 5 8 6 8 -
Question 12. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling - foreign policy?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 40% 85% 4% 31% 47% 33% Disapprove 53 9 91 61 47 59 DK/NA 7 6 6 7 6 8 -
Question 13. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling - immigration issues?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 41% 91% 4% 32% 48% 35% Disapprove 55 7 94 63 48 62 DK/NA 4 2 2 5 4 4 -
Question 14. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling - gun violence?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 38% 82% 4% 29% 44% 32% Disapprove 54 9 91 61 47 60 DK/NA 9 9 5 9 9 8 -
Question 15. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling - the Russia - Ukraine war?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 33% 76% 3% 24% 40% 28% Disapprove 56 14 90 65 50 61 DK/NA 11 10 7 11 10 12 -
Question 16. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling - the Israel - Hamas conflict?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 31% 71% 4% 21% 36% 27% Disapprove 56 14 88 66 52 60 DK/NA 13 15 8 13 13 13 -
Question 17. Do you approve or disapprove of President Trump sending the National Guard and law enforcement from federal agencies, including ICE, to cities in the United States in an effort to reduce crime?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 42% 87% 5% 34% 49% 35% Disapprove 55 9 95 64 48 61 DK/NA 3 5 1 2 3 4 -
Question 18. How confident are you in medical information cited by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; very confident, somewhat confident, not so confident, or not confident at all?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Very confident 17% 39% - 13% 19% 15% Somewhat confident 22 42 8 17 24 20 Not so confident 11 6 12 12 13 8 Not confident at all 46 6 78 53 40 50 DK/NA 5 7 2 4 3 6 -
Question 19. Do you support or oppose having vaccine requirements for children attending public schools?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Support 67% 44% 91% 70% 63% 70% Oppose 26 46 6 23 29 23 DK/NA 7 10 3 7 7 7 -
Question 20. Which punishment do you prefer for people convicted of murder: the death penalty or life in prison with no chance of parole?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Death penalty 35% 61% 12% 34% 43% 29% Life/No parole 55 29 81 58 47 62 DK/NA 10 9 7 8 10 10 -
Question 21. When it comes to gun violence, do you think political leaders in the United States are more interested in blaming others or finding solutions?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Blaming others 83% 70% 92% 87% 81% 84% Finding solutions 10 21 5 6 9 11 DK/NA 7 10 3 7 10 5 -
Question 22. Would you say you are optimistic or pessimistic about freedom of speech being protected in the United States?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Optimistic 43% 76% 20% 36% 45% 41% Pessimistic 53 21 77 61 51 55 DK/NA 3 3 3 3 3 4 -
Question 23. Do you think the system of democracy in the United States is working, or not?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes/Working 41% 74% 21% 32% 51% 32% No 53 22 74 61 44 62 DK/NA 6 5 5 7 5 6 -
Question 23a. (If no/democracy not working q23) Who do you blame more for the system of democracy not working in the United States: the Republicans or the Democrats?
REGISTERED VOTERS........ DEMOCRACY NOT WORKING Q23 Tot Men Wom Republicans 59% 52% 64% Democrats 15 18 14 BOTH(VOL) 20 23 19 NEITHER(VOL) 4 6 2 DK/NA 1 1 1 -
Question 24. In thinking about people you know who hold political views different than your own, would you say you are mostly able to talk with them about your differences, or would you say you mostly avoid talking with them about your differences?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Talk 49% 54% 37% 52% 54% 45% Avoid 47 44 60 44 43 51 DK/NA 4 2 3 4 3 4 -
Question 25. Would you say the United States is in a political crisis, or not?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes/Crisis 79% 60% 93% 84% 72% 85% No 18 35 6 14 25 11 DK/NA 3 5 1 2 3 3 -
Question 26. Would you describe the state of the nation's economy these days as excellent, good, not so good, or poor?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Excellent 2% 5% 1% 2% 3% 2% Good 33 65 10 26 37 29 Not so good 36 24 47 37 35 36 Poor 27 5 40 34 23 31 DK/NA 2 1 2 1 1 2 -
Question 27. As you think about your financial situation, which one of the following economic issues worries you the most right now: the price of food and consumer goods, your job situation, the stock market, or the cost of housing or rent?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Price of food/goods 53% 59% 56% 46% 50% 55% Your job situation 8 5 11 7 10 6 Stock market 7 9 3 8 7 6 Cost of housing/rent 28 21 27 35 28 28 SOMETHING ELSE(VOL) 2 3 2 2 3 2 DK/NA 2 3 1 2 2 2 -
Question 28. Compared to one year ago, would you say you have cut spending on non-essential items, increased spending on non-essential items, or is there no change?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Cut 42% 27% 52% 47% 37% 47% Increased 14 16 11 13 13 14 No change 43 56 36 39 49 38 DK/NA 1 - 1 - 1 1 -
Question 29. How confident are you that Russia and Ukraine will agree to a permanent cease fire in the near future; very confident, somewhat confident, not so confident, or not confident at all?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Very confident 5% 10% - 5% 8% 3% Somewhat confident 19 35 8 16 20 18 Not so confident 33 27 38 36 30 35 Not confident at all 39 25 52 39 37 40 DK/NA 4 4 2 4 5 4 -
Question 30. Which comes closer to your line of thinking: supporting Ukraine is in the national interest of the United States or supporting Ukraine is not in the national interest of the United States?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom In U.S. interest 64% 50% 82% 66% 61% 67% Not in U.S. interest 26 37 10 27 30 22 DK/NA 10 12 9 8 8 12 -
Question 31. Which comes closer to your line of thinking: supporting Israel is in the national interest of the United States or supporting Israel is not in the national interest of the United States?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom In U.S. interest 47% 75% 36% 37% 48% 46% Not in U.S. interest 41 19 49 53 43 40 DK/NA 12 7 15 11 9 14 -
Question 32. Is your opinion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favorable 21% 47% 4% 14% 22% 19% Unfavorable 49 20 70 58 50 48 Hvn't hrd enough 28 31 26 25 25 30 REFUSED 3 3 1 2 3 2 -
Question 33. How serious a problem do you think that politically motivated violence is in the United States today; a very serious problem, a somewhat serious problem, a not so serious problem, or not a problem at all?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Very serious 71% 72% 74% 70% 66% 77% Smwht serious 22 21 23 24 26 19 Not so serious 3 4 3 2 5 1 Not a problem at all 1 1 - 2 2 - DK/NA 2 2 1 2 1 2 -
Question 34. Do you think that the way people talk about politics these days is contributing to violence in the United States, or don't you think so?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes/Contributes 82% 80% 81% 84% 80% 83% Doesn't contribute 15 17 17 12 17 13 DK/NA 4 3 2 4 4 4 -
Question 35. Over the next few years, do you think political violence in the United States will ease, worsen, or remain about the same?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Ease 14% 26% 6% 12% 14% 15% Worsen 54 39 63 58 51 56 Remain same 27 30 26 26 31 23 DK/NA 5 5 4 4 4 6 -
Question 36. As you may know, there have been calls for lowering the temperature on political rhetoric and speech in the United States. Do you think this will be possible, or not?
REGISTERED VOTERS..................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes/Possible 34% 43% 28% 32% 36% 32% No 58 49 66 61 58 58 DK/NA 8 9 6 7 5 11