Trust on Issues
Voters Trust GOP More than Democrats on Eight of 10 Key Issues
Friday, March 05, 2010 Email to a Friend ShareThis.Advertisement
Voters now trust Republicans more than Democrats on eight out of 10 key issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports, but the gap between the two parties has grown narrower on several of them.
Although the issue of health care continues to be at the forefront of the national political debate, voters rate health care as number five on the list of 10 important issues. The economy remains the top issue of voter concern as it has been for over two years. The only exception being last September when voters put government ethics and corruption at the top of the list.
Republicans lead Democrats 46% to 41% in terms of voter trust on the economy. In early January 2009, just before President Obama took office, Democrats held a nine-point lead on this issue. More voters who make under $20,000 annually trust Democrats on this issue, but voters in higher income ranges favor Republicans.
Voters trust Democrats more on government ethics and corruption, 35% to 28%. But 27% are not sure who to trust.
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Although Republicans are trusted more than Democrats on the issue of health care, as has been the case since early August, voters are now more evenly divided: 45% place their trust in Republicans, while 42% trust Democrats more. In early February, Republicans led Democrats by 12 points on this issue.
Voters not affiliated with either major political party heavily favor Republicans on health care, 45% to 29%.
Separate polling finds that most voters (64%) expect the health care plan that emerges from Congress to be mostly what Democrats want rather than a truly bipartisan product. Only 18% think the plan will be a bipartisan effort, while another 18% are not sure. These results are nearly identical to those found in October.
In early February, the GOP held double-digit leads over Democrats in terms of trust on the issues of taxes, health care, Social Security, immigration and abortion. But Democrats have gained ground on some of these issues.
Democrats have regained the lead on the issue of education, 41% to 38%. Trust on this issue continues to go back-and-forth between the two parties. Republicans enjoyed a four-point lead in the previous survey.
On taxes, Republicans hold an 11-point lead, down from a 16-point lead in early February. Republicans have led Democrats on this issue for over a year.
Just 23% of voters say they prefer a more active government with more services and higher taxes over one with fewer services and lower taxes. Sixty-six percent (66%) favor less government and lower taxes.
Democrats also have cut into the GOP lead on the issue of immigration. Thirty-nine percent (39%) favor Republicans, while 34% trust Democrats more. In early January, Republicans held a 15-point lead over Democrats.
Sixty-seven percent (67%) of voters think illegal immigrants are a significant strain on the U.S. budget.
Republicans now hold a four-point lead over Democrats on abortion, down from 14 points last month.
Voters trust Republicans more on national security by a 47% to 37% margin, little changed from the previous survey.
Forty-seven percent (47%) of voters now believe it is possible for the United States to win the war in Afghanistan. That’s down from a high of 51% in early December following President Obama’s announcement of his new strategy for the war.
In February, the number of voters not affiliated with either major party increased by half a percentage point as both Republicans and Democrats lost further ground.
Sixty-five percent (65%) of voters think politics in the nation’s capital will become more partisan over the next year. That’s a 13-point jump from the 52% who felt that way just after the president’s State of the Union speech in which he talked about trying to work with Republicans.
Republican candidates lead Democrats by eight points in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot.
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