Ask the Expert: Factors Behind the Partisan Gap
Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Research, answers questions about the factors behind the growing partisan gap in American politics.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Research, answers questions about the factors behind the growing partisan gap in American politics.
Going into the first of three presidential debates on Oct. 3, the number of registered voters who regard Barack Obama favorably is 10 points higher than it is for Mitt Romney.
Roughly 18% of Americans are white Evangelical Protestants, but they make up nearly four-in-ten members of core Republican groups.
Six-in-ten or more Republicans, Democrats and independents who know about the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that allows unlimited independent expenditures on political ads agree the new rules have had a negative impact on the 2012 presidential campaign.
When it comes to American views on government and social values, the average partisan gap has nearly doubled over the last 25 years — from 10 percentage points in 1987 to 18 percentage points.
There is a 35 point gap between Republicans who believe that government regulation of business usually does more harm than good and the number of Democrats who share that view.
The partisan divide over federal government funding for alternative energy research has widened. While Democratic support has remained high at 83%, Republican support has dropped to 53%, a 29 point decline from April 2009.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans who are aware of the new rules on independent expenditures that resulted from the Supreme Court’s “Citizens United” decision in 2010 say they are having a negative impact on the 2012 presidential campaign.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Democrats say that what bothers them most about the tax system is their belief that wealthy people are not paying their fair share; only 38% of Republicans agree.
Nearly nine-in-ten (89%) Republicans favor allowing more oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters compared to about half of Democrats — a gap of 39 points.
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