Poll: US Voters Support Women In Combat
HAMDEN, CT - American voters support 67 – 29 percent allowing women “to serve in ground units that engage in close combat,” with voters in military households supporting the move 61 – 36 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
There is no gender gap as men support women in combat 69 – 29 percent and women support it 66 – 29 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey finds. Support ranges from 81 – 17 percent among voters 18 – 34 years old to 55 – 38 percent among voters over 55 years old.
On energy policy, American voters:
· Support by a narrow 48 – 45 percent building new nuclear plants, but oppose 58 – 38 percent building new plants in their town or city;
· Support 67 – 28 percent new offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico;
· Oppose 56 – 38 percent releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
“Americans have become accustomed to women in the armed forces, and apparently are ready for them to serve in combat units. It will be interesting to see how the public feels if, God forbid, there is combat with large numbers of women casualties,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
“Some might find it surprising that despite the spike in gasoline prices American voters don’t think tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a smart idea. They apparently are buying the argument that the current situation is not so serious that the big pool of petroleum the country has set aside for emergencies should be used. And there is strong support for lifting the ban on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.”
By a narrow 40 – 37 percent margin, American voters would vote for a Republican rather than a Democrat in the 2012 congressional elections. Another 20 percent are undecided.
The GOP lead in the generic ballot stems from its 36 – 27 percent margin among independent voters, whose strong swing to the GOP in 2010 was a major reason for the Republican landslide.
The three-point GOP lead in the 2012 ballot comes along with a slightly higher – although still strongly negative – rating for Republicans in Congress: Voters disapprove 55 – 34 percent of the job Republicans are doing and disapprove 58 – 31 percent of the job Democrats are doing.
“We have a long way to go and the wrangling over the federal budget and possible government shutdown certainly will have an unknown effect on public opinion. But at this point the Republicans are doing slightly better on the generic congressional ballot,” Brown said.
There is no partisan split on the petroleum reserve issue with 54 percent of Republicans, 54 percent of Democrats and 60 percent of independent voters against tapping the reserve.
On nuclear power, 25 percent of voters are “very concerned” that the United States could have a nuclear crisis similar to what occurred in Japan; 37 percent are “somewhat concerned;” 24 percent are “not very concerned” and 13 percent are “not at all concerned.”
“The thing that comes through on nuclear power is the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) effect is alive and well in public opinion,” said Brown.
Voters oppose 52 – 34 percent cutting federal funding to National Public Radio. Republicans support a cutoff 44 – 38 percent. Backing NPR are Democrats 69 – 20 percent and independent voters 48 – 37 percent. Men oppose the cutoff 50 – 40 percent and women oppose the idea 53 – 28 percent.
In an open-ended question, allowing for any answer, 47 percent of voters say the economy is the most important problem facing the nation today, followed by 13 percent who cite the budget, with 6 percent each for “war,” “healthcare” and “politicians.”
From March 22 – 28, Quinnipiac University surveyed 2,069 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.2 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio and the nation as a public service and for research.
2. If the 2012 election for the U.S. House of Representatives were being held today, would you vote for the Republican candidate, or the Democratic candidate in your district?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk
Republican 40% 86% 3% 36% 44% 36% 45% 8%
Democrat 37 1 87 27 34 40 31 85
SMONE ELSE(VOL) 2 1 - 4 2 2 2 -
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) 1 - - 2 1 1 1 1
DK/NA 20 12 9 31 18 22 21 6
AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL.........
18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con
Republican 36% 41% 42% 35% 44% 48% 12% 29% 65%
Democrat 42 35 36 40 37 37 76 41 16
SMONE ELSE(VOL) - 3 2 2 2 3 1 2 2
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) 2 1 - 1 - - - - 1
DK/NA 20 20 19 22 17 13 11 27 17
EDUCATION.... WHITE.............
Union NoColl Coll BrnAgn
HsHlds Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath
Republican 30% 40% 41% 61% 56% 45%
Democrat 50 35 42 19 23 30
SMONE ELSE(VOL) 1 2 3 1 2 1
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) 2 1 1 - - 1
DK/NA 18 22 14 19 18 23
4. Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling their job?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk
Approve 31% 11% 62% 24% 28% 34% 27% 60%
Disapprove 58 81 28 66 64 53 63 24
DK/NA 11 9 10 11 8 13 10 17
AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL.........
18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con
Approve 39% 31% 26% 33% 29% 29% 58% 30% 19%
Disapprove 47 60 64 53 64 66 34 56 73
DK/NA 13 9 10 14 7 6 8 14 8
EDUCATION.... WHITE.............
Union NoColl Coll BrnAgn
HsHlds Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath
Approve 36% 30% 34% 19% 21% 29%
Disapprove 55 58 58 74 70 61
DK/NA 9 12 7 7 9 10
TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling their job?
APPROVE.......
High Low
Mar 31 Mar 03 Jan 18 Nov 17 Sep 09 Mar 4 Nov 17
2011 2011 2011 2010 2010 2009 2010
Approve 31 33 33 27 30 45 27
Disapprove 58 57 58 66 60 45 66
DK/NA 11 10 9 7 10 10 7
5. Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling their job?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk
Approve 34% 57% 18% 32% 34% 34% 35% 23%
Disapprove 55 32 74 58 58 53 55 61
DK/NA 11 11 8 11 8 13 10 16
AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL.........
18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con
Approve 38% 34% 30% 33% 32% 39% 20% 27% 47%
Disapprove 51 56 59 55 59 55 75 62 42
DK/NA 11 10 11 12 9 6 5 12 11
EDUCATION.... WHITE.............
Union NoColl Coll BrnAgn
HsHlds Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath
Approve 28% 36% 30% 45% 39% 35%
Disapprove 64 53 62 46 50 51
DK/NA 7 11 9 9 11 14
TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling their job? (*High also 34 Mar 03, 2011 & Mar 2010)
APPROVE.......
High Low
Mar 31 Mar 03 Jan 18 Nov 17 Sep 09 Mar 31 Oct 08
2011 2011 2011 2010 2010 2011* 2009
Approve 34 34 30 27 29 34 25
Disapprove 55 54 57 63 59 55 64
DK/NA 11 12 13 10 12 11 11
7. What do you think is the most important problem facing the country today?
Tot
Economy Total 47%
Economy general 16
Unemployment/jobs 26
Stock market 1
Cost of living 3
Business leaving/
Outsourcing 1
Budget Total 13%
