November 2012 Public Opinion Survey
1. Using a grade A to F, please grade the current Congress’s performance in the following areas:
- Dealing with key issues facing the country
|
A |
2% |
|
B |
5% |
|
C |
15% |
|
D |
24% |
|
F |
54% |
Overall Grade = D (0.75)
- Keeping excessive partisanship in check
|
A |
1% |
|
B |
3% |
|
C |
13% |
|
D |
18% |
|
F |
64% |
Overall Grade = D- (0.60)
- Conducting its business in a careful, deliberate way
|
A |
2% |
|
B |
5% |
|
C |
18% |
|
D |
24% |
|
F |
51% |
Overall Grade = D (0.82)
- Holding its members to high standards of ethical conduct
|
A |
1% |
|
B |
6% |
|
C |
17% |
|
D |
25% |
|
F |
51% |
Overall Grade = D (0.83)
- Controlling the influence of special interest groups
|
A |
2% |
|
B |
3% |
|
C |
14% |
|
D |
19% |
|
F |
62% |
Overall Grade = D- (0.65)
2. Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?
|
Approve |
9% |
|
Disapprove |
91% |
3. Using a grade A to F, please grade citizens’ performance in the following areas:
- Following what is going on in Congress
|
A |
4% |
|
B |
8% |
|
C |
27% |
|
D |
35% |
|
F |
25% |
Overall Grade = D+ (1.31)
- Contacting members of Congress on issues that concern them
|
A |
4% |
|
B |
9% |
|
C |
34% |
|
D |
33% |
|
F |
20% |
Overall Grade = D+ (1.44)
- Voting in congressional elections and presidential elections
|
A |
5% |
|
B |
16% |
|
C |
38% |
|
D |
27% |
|
F |
14% |
Overall Grade = C- (1.70)
- Being able to get to the core facts on issues before Congress
|
A |
2% |
|
B |
7% |
|
C |
30% |
|
D |
36% |
|
F |
24% |
Overall Grade = D+ (1.26)
4. Is it better for Congress to pass legislation quickly and efficiently, or take the time to consider issues thoroughly and carefully?
|
Pass legislation quickly and efficiently |
17% |
|
Take the time to consider issues thoroughly and carefully |
83% |
5. Would you say that most Americans typically agree on what Congress should do, or are there usually wide differences of opinion?
|
Agree on what Congress should do |
21% |
|
Wide differences of opinion |
79% |
6. Should members of Congress stand up for their principles no matter what, or compromise with their opponents in order to get something done?
|
Stand up for their principles |
38% |
|
Compromise to get something done |
61% |
7. Do you believe that the delays in Congress are due to serious differences on the issues, or that members just like to bicker and score political points?
|
Serious differences on the issues |
29% |
|
Like to bicker and score political points |
71% |
8. How much of an impact does the work of Congress have on your life?
|
A great deal |
50% |
|
Some |
38% |
|
Little |
9% |
|
None |
3% |
9. Over the last decade, has the power of the President been about right, too much, or too little?
|
About right |
40% |
|
Too much |
43% |
|
Too little |
17% |
10. Over the last decade, has the power of the Congress been about right, too much, or too little?
|
About right |
24% |
|
Too much |
56% |
|
Too little |
20% |
11. Who should take the lead in the following areas?
- setting the national agenda?
|
President |
36% |
|
Congress |
9% |
|
President and Congress |
55% |
- determining the federal budget?
|
President |
11% |
|
Congress |
26% |
|
President and Congress |
63% |
- deciding to go to war?
|
President |
18% |
|
Congress |
19% |
|
President and Congress |
63% |
12. Do members of Congress listen and care about what people like you think?
|
Yes, most of the time |
1% |
|
Sometimes |
31% |
|
No, not very often |
67% |
13. When voting on issues in Congress, is it more important for members of Congress to reflect the opinions of the people back home, or use their own best judgment?
|
Reflect the opinions of people back home |
77% |
|
Use their best judgment |
23% |
14. What do you think is the main thing that influences what members of Congress do in office?
|
Personal self interest |
36% |
|
Interests of the people in their state or district |
9% |
|
Interests of the country as a whole |
5% |
|
Special interests |
49% |
15. How well do you think members of Congress understand the views and interests of people in their state or district?
|
Very well |
5% |
|
Somewhat |
60% |
|
Not at all |
35 % |
16. To do their jobs well, how important is it for members of Congress to spend a lot of time back home with their constituents?
|
Very important |
58% |
|
Somewhat important |
39% |
|
Not important |
3% |
17. In the past two years, have you contacted your Representative in the U.S. House or one of your U.S. Senators?
|
Yes |
56% |
|
No |
44% |
18. If you were giving advice to your members of Congress, how would you rate the importance of each of the following for communicating with the people back home?
- Holding on-line town hall meetings
|
Very Important |
31% |
|
Somewhat helpful |
54% |
|
Not Useful |
15% |
- Developing a good website
|
Very Important |
41% |
|
Somewhat helpful |
49% |
|
Not Useful |
10% |
- Sending out postal mailings on legislative issues
|
Very Important |
25% |
|
Somewhat helpful |
53% |
|
Not Useful |
22% |
- Sending out email updates on issues
|
Very Important |
39% |
|
Somewhat helpful |
52% |
|
Not Useful |
9% |
- Using social media like Facebook or Twitter
|
Very Important |
17% |
|
Somewhat helpful |
50% |
|
Not Useful |
33% |
- Using online questions and surveys
|
Very Important |
43% |
|
Somewhat helpful |
49% |
|
Not Useful |
8% |
- Holding public meetings in the state or district
|
Very Important |
57% |
|
Somewhat helpful |
39% |
|
Not Useful |
4% |
- Hosting telephone town meetings
|
Very Important |
17% |
|
Somewhat helpful |
47% |
|
Not Useful |
36% |
19. Please tell me whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with the following statements:
- My members of Congress try to keep me informed of what they are doing in Washington.
|
Strongly agree |
8% |
|
Somewhat agree |
30% |
|
Somewhat disagree |
34% |
|
Strongly disagree |
28% |
- Information from my members of Congress is trustworthy.
|
Strongly agree |
7% |
|
Somewhat agree |
36% |
|
Somewhat disagree |
34% |
|
Strongly disagree |
22% |
- It’s easy for me to find out what’s happening in Congress.
|
Strongly agree |
10% |
|
Somewhat agree |
37% |
|
Somewhat disagree |
36% |
|
Strongly disagree |
16% |
- It’s easy for me to express my views to my U.S. Representative and Senators.
|
Strongly agree |
15% |
|
Somewhat agree |
40% |
|
Somewhat disagree |
28% |
|
Strongly disagree |
16% |
20. How big a problem is incivility in Congress?
|
Major problem |
65% |
|
Minor problem |
30% |
|
Not a problem |
5% |
21. Do you feel the tone of the debate in Congress has over the past several years gotten considerably worse, somewhat worse, or is basically unchanged?
|
Considerably worse |
52% |
|
Somewhat worse |
27% |
|
Basically unchanged |
20% |
|
Somewhat better |
1% |
|
Considerably better |
1% |
22. How much of the blame for the incivility in Congress would you place on each of the following?
- party leaders
|
Major factor |
65% |
|
Somewhat of a factor |
31% |
|
Not a factor |
3% |
- the increased incivility in society generally
|
Major factor |
33% |
|
Somewhat of a factor |
53% |
|
Not a factor |
14% |
- members of Congress themselves
|
Major factor |
70% |
|
Somewhat of a factor |
28% |
|
Not a factor |
1% |
- the voters who elected them
|
Major factor |
24% |
|
Somewhat of a factor |
47% |
|
Not a factor |
28% |
- the media
|
Major factor |
51% |
|
Somewhat of a factor |
37% |
|
Not a factor |
12% |
- political campaigns
|
Major factor |
54% |
|
Somewhat of a factor |
41% |
|
Not a factor |
5% |
23. Do you think the civility in Congress over the next few years will improve, stay about the same, or get worse?
|
Improve |
14% |
|
Stay about the Same |
55% |
|
Get worse |
31% |
24. How much of a difference can ordinary voters make in reducing the incivility in Congress by contacting legislators about their behavior and voting for candidates who are more civil?
|
Big difference |
30% |
|
Some difference |
46% |
|
No difference |
24% |
25. Would uncivil behavior and not treating others in a respectful way be a reason for you to vote against a certain candidate?
|
Yes |
64% |
|
No |
31% |
|
Maybe |
4% |
