HIT & RUN BLOG

On Wednesday the Supreme Court struck down a decades-old cap on the total amount an individual can contribute during an election cycle to federal candidates or political committees combined. The decision did not change the current $5,200 cap someone can give an individual candidate, but lifted the cap on the total amount an individual could donate across candidates and committees during an election cycle.

Chief Justice John Roberts writing in the majority explained: “The First Amendment safeguards an individual's right to participate in the public debate through political expression and political association” and that, “the government may no more restrict how many candidates or causes a donor may support than it may tell a newspaper how many candidates it may endorse.”

Critics of the decision argue strict government regulation of campaign donations is necessary to ensure the wealthy and powerful do not hijack democracy. In the dissenting opinion Justice Breyer wrote: “Where enough money calls the tune…the general public will not be heard” and that the decision “undermines, perhaps devastates, what remains of campaign finance reform.”

As demonstrated in the latest Reason-Rupe poll, the public is also concerned about political corruption, despite the campaign finance laws already in place. On average Americans think 75 percent of elected officials are corrupted by campaign money and lobbyists and 70 percent use their political power to help their friends and hurt enemies.

Yet, the question remains: who is to blame for corruption and political favoritism?

While Americans support campaign finance regulation in various forms, the latest Reason-Rupe poll finds the public places more blame on the politicians themselves who play favorites than the money potentially incentivizing their behavior.

When asked which is a more serious problem, 63 percent said “elected officials enacting policies and spending taxpayer money that benefits the special interests they favor” is worse than “special interest groups spending private money on campaigns to elect the politicians they favor.” Thirty-percent said campaign donations were the more serious problem.

This suggests that Americans believe the point at which the problem occurs is not when a special interest group sends money to a politician, but rather the moment the politician decides to use government power to grant special favors to interest groups.

Although the public holds the politicians themselves primarily accountable for favoritism rather than interest groups, the debate continues over what reforms would more effectively curb bad behavior in politicians.

Some argue for curbing the political donations that incentivize bad behavior and playing favorites. Others contend campaign finance regulations are just a band aid for a larger problem: these politicians would have less ability to play favorites in the first place if we limited what they were able to use government to do. Both reforms come with costs; the former necessarily curbs speech and free expression in the process of regulating donations. Limiting government’s power also constrains its ability to be used as a tool to address societal ills.

As the 2014 midterms are approaching, the latest Reason-Rupe national poll finds 40 percent of Americans plan to vote for the Democratic candidate running in their district while 36 percent plan to vote Republican. However, when asked which party they want controlling Congress, a strong plurality (43 percent) opted for neither Republican nor Democrats to control government. With neither major political parties controlling Congress, divided government and hence gridlock would continue.

COMPLETE POLL RESULTS

While millennials would vote similar to older cohorts on Election Day, if given the choice 54 percent would actually prefer neither party to control Congress, 31 would favor Democratic control and 11 would opt for Republican control. Most of the shift among young people occurs among those who lean Republican, not Democratic.

Among independents—the group often used as a barometer for the median voter—fully 60 percent want neither the Democrats nor Republicans to control Congress. If they had to choose between only those two parties, they are evenly split with 33 percent who say they’d vote for the Republican candidate, 30 percent for the Democratic candidate, with the remainder voting for another party’s candidate or are undecided. This reflects what the Pew Research Center has documented showing that since 2009 political independents have surpassed Democrats as the most likely political group.

Election 2016

While the 2016 presidential election is still a few years away, many are already sizing up potential candidates. Not surprisingly, Hillary Clinton leads among Democrats with 64 percent who plan to vote for her. Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren come in a distant second and third with 11 percent and 6 percent respectively. Gov. Andrew Cuomo garners 2 percent and Gov. Brian Schweitzer follows with 1 percent.

Indicative of the current Republican Party today, Republican candidates split into basically a 5-way tie. Coming in first is former governor Mike Huckabee with 15 percent, Rep. Paul Ryan at 12 percent, Sen. Rand Paul at 11 percent, former governor Jeb Bush at 11 percent, and Gov. Chris Christie at 10 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio tie at 6 percent each, Gov. Scott Walker at 5 percent, and Gov. Bobby Jindal at 1 percent.

Reason-Rupe also asked Democrats and independents which Republican they preferred, finding that Chris Christie has the greatest appeal among Democrats while independents opt for Rand Paul.  Not surprisingly, Hillary Clinton won out when Republicans and independents were asked which Democrat they preferred.

Nationwide telephone poll conducted March 26-30 2014 interviewed 1003 adults on both mobile (503) and landline (500) phones, with a margin of error +/- 3.6%. Princeton Survey Research Associates International executed the nationwide Reason-Rupe survey. Columns may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Full poll results, detailed tables, and methodology found here. Sign up for notifications of new releases of the Reason-Rupe poll here.

The latest Reason-Rupe national poll finds president Obama’s approval underwater with 43 percent who approve and 51 who disapprove of his job performance. Specifically regarding the president’s handling of the situation in Ukraine, approval slides six points to 37 percent, while 40 percent disapprove and 21 percent don’t know enough to say.

COMPLETE POLL RESULTS

Presidential approval continued to slide throughout 2013 particularly in the wake of IRS political targeting, NSA surveillance revelations, and the inauspicious launch of the Affordable Care Act’s federal health insurance exchange website. However, since December of 2013, attitudes have remained steady through the spring.

A particularly noticeable slide in presidential approval has occurred since 2013 among millennials (young Americans 18-29) a crucial Obama constituency. Last spring 62% of millennials approved of President Obama’s job performance, a similar share who voted to reelect him in 2012. However, approval has slid 11 points to 51 percent today among millennials.

Continuing a long-term trend that began in the middle of the Bush administration, 60 percent of Americans say the country is heading in the wrong direction, while 30 percent say the right direction. Briefly in 2009 when President Obama first took office, he assuaged concerns of the country’s trajectory. However, concerns quickly ricochet back to levels found during the Bush administration.

Congressional approval remains dismal with 17 percent who approve and 74 percent disapprove. These low numbers can be explained in part by the fact that Americans think an overwhelming share of their elected officials use their power to hurt their enemies and help their friends and are corrupted by special interests.

Nationwide telephone poll conducted March 26-30 2014 interviewed 1003 adults on both mobile (503) and landline (500) phones, with a margin of error +/- 3.6%. Princeton Survey Research Associates International executed the nationwide Reason-Rupe survey. Columns may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Full poll results, detailed tables, and methodology found here. Sign up for notifications of new releases of the Reason-Rupe poll here. 

Americans don’t paint a pretty picture of their public servants in the new national Reason-Rupe poll. Americans tell Reason-Rupe that 75 percent of all politicians are “corrupted” by campaign donations and lobbyists.  And they say 70 percent of politicians use their political power to help their friends and hurt their enemies.

No wonder just 17 percent approve of the job Congress is doing.  Or that President Obama’s approval rating is just 43 percent, with 51 percent disapproving.

And while the Supreme Court just struck down limits on campaign contributions to federal candidates, the new Reason-Rupe poll finds Americans are actually more concerned about how elected officials misuse their power and taxpayer money once they’re in office than they are worried about campaign contributions. 

Asked, which is a “more serious” problem — “special interest groups spending private money on campaigns to elect the politicians they favor” or “elected officials enacting policies and spending taxpayer money that benefit the special interests they favor” — 63 percent of Americans said officials enacting policies and spending taxpayer money for special interests was a more serious problem.

Similarly, Americans say they are “more bothered” by politicians abusing political power than they are by some of the personal issues most often associated with political downfalls.  Seventy percent of Americans say they would be “most bothered” by a politician who used his or her political power to bully someone, while 14 percent would be most bothered by a politician using drugs, and 11 percent would be most bothered by a politician who cheated on his/her spouse.

The Reason-Rupe national poll conducted live interviews with 1,003 Americans on mobile (503) and landline (500) phones from March 26-30, 2014.  The margin of error is plus or minus 3.6 percent.  Princeton Survey Research Associates International executed the nationwide Reason-Rupe survey.

Paying NCAA Basketball Players

With the Final Four approaching, just 42 percent of Americans say college athletes should be paid. However, when they learn the NCAA makes over $700 million a year from the television broadcast rights to the NCAA basketball tournament, 50 percent of Americans tell Reason-Rupe that college basketball players should receive a share of the television revenue. And 64 percent of Americans say college athletes should receive some of the revenue when their jerseys are sold or likenesses are used in video games or on merchandise.

Flight 370 Conspiracy Theories

With Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 still missing, there are no shortages of theories about what happened.  Reason-Rupe finds 35 percent of Americans think a mechanical problem caused the plane to crash, 22 percent believe the pilots crashed the plane intentionally, 12 percent feel it was destroyed by terrorists, 9 percent say the plane landed safely and is in hiding, 5 percent believe the disappearance is related to supernatural or alien activity, and 3 percent think it was shot down by a foreign government.

Trusting the IRS, NSA and Facebook

The NSA topped Facebook when Americans were asked who is most likely to violate their privacy. Thirty-six percent of Americans said the NSA was most likely to violate their trust, 26 percent said Facebook, 18 percent said the IRS and 12 percent said Google.

But when it comes to whom the public would trust the most with their personal information, 35 percent said the Internal Revenue Service, 18 percent said the NSA, 10 percent said Google and just 5 percent said they trust Facebook the most with their privacy.

Tax Returns and Government Waste

Americans may trust the IRS more than Facebook, but with the April 15 deadline for filing federal income tax returns approaching, they’re reminded of how much money they send to the government. Asked open-ended how much of every tax dollar is wasted, the median answer was half, 50 cents.

This time of year also reminds Americans of the overly complicated tax code. Sixty-two percent of Americans say they’d favor switching to a flat tax.  When asked open-ended what they’d set the flat tax to, Americans said 15 percent (median).

Affordable Care Act

Fifty-three percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of the Affordable Care Act, while 36 percent have a favorable view of the law in this Reason-Rupe poll.

Forty-three percent of Americans say they will blame the federal health care law if their health care premiums increase or their health care plan changes in the next year. Twenty-six percent say they’ll blame health insurance companies, 17 percent would blame the economy and 5 percent would blame their employers.

Minimum Wage

Reason-Rupe finds 67 percent of Americans favor increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. 

Fifty-one percent would still support raising the minimum wage, even if they had to pay higher prices as a result. However, just 39 percent of Americans would still favor raising the minimum wage if it caused companies to lay off or hire fewer workers.

When it comes to paying for a higher minimum wage, 38 percent say companies would raise their prices, 32 percent say companies would lay off workers, 18 percent say they’d reduce executive salaries, and 6 percent say firms would accept smaller profits.

Forty percent of Americans say raising the minimum wage would have no impact on the number of jobs available, 38 percent say it would decrease the number of jobs, and 20 percent believe it would increase the number of jobs.

2014 Elections

If the 2014 elections were held today, 40 percent of Americans said they’d vote for the Democrat in the congressional district and 36 percent would vote for the Republican. When it comes to controlling Congress, 29 percent of Americans would like Democrats to take control, 24 would like Republicans to control Congress and 43 percent wish neither major party would be in control of Congress.

Republican Party Presidential Primary

Mike Huckabee          15%

Paul Ryan                  12%

Rand Paul                  11%

Jeb Bush                   11%

Chris Christie             10%

Ted Cruz                   6%

Marco Rubio              6%

Democratic Party 2016 Presidential Primary

Hillary Clinton           64%

Joe Biden                 11%

Elizabeth Warren       6%

Energy Subsidies and Keystone Pipeline

Americans favor building the Keystone Pipeline by a 61-32 margin, Reason-Rupe finds.  Fifty-eight percent of Americans support giving subsidies to wind, solar and hydrogen energy companies. Just 31 percent of Americans favor giving subsidies to oil, gas and coal companies.

Police Conduct

Reason-Rupe finds 78 percent of Americans have a favorable view of the police. However, with protests over police shootings in places like Albuquerque, 50 percent of Americans say police officers are not generally held accountable for misconduct, while 46 percent say police are held accountable. Sixty-six percent of blacks and 64 percent of Hispanics say the police are not held accountable for misconduct.

Nearly nine in 10 Americans, 88 percent, believe citizens should be allowed to videotape uniformed police officers while they are making arrests or performing other parts of their jobs.

Full Poll

Poll results and additional Reason-Rupe poll resources are available here. This is the latest in a series of Reason-Rupe public opinion surveys dedicated to exploring what Americans really think about government and major issues.  This Reason Foundation project is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation.

Contact

Emily Ekins, Director of Polling, Reason Foundation, (310) 574-2961

Kristen Kelley, Communications Specialist, Reason Foundation, (443) 722-5592

• Toplines
• Press Release
• Questionnaire
• Methodology
• Detailed Tables

• Reason-Rupe April 2014 National Telephone Poll

• Toplines
• Press Release
• Questionnaire
• Methodology
• Detailed Tables
• Video

Americans Say 75 Percent of Politicians Are Corrupted, 70 Percent Use Political Power to Hurt Enemies

Flight 370 conspiracy theories; college basketball players should share NCAA revenue; distrust of NSA and Facebook; concerns about police misconduct

Americans don’t paint a pretty picture of their public servants in the new national Reason-Rupe poll. Americans tell Reason-Rupe that 75 percent of all politicians are “corrupted” by campaign donations and lobbyists.  And they say 70 percent of politicians use their political power to help their friends and hurt their enemies.

No wonder just 17 percent approve of the job Congress is doing.  Or that President Obama’s approval rating is just 43 percent, with 51 percent disapproving.

And while the Supreme Court just struck down limits on campaign contributions to federal candidates, the new Reason-Rupe poll finds Americans are actually more concerned about how elected officials misuse their power and taxpayer money once they’re in office than they are worried about campaign contributions. 

Asked, which is a “more serious” problem — “special interest groups spending private money on campaigns to elect the politicians they favor” or “elected officials enacting policies and spending taxpayer money that benefit the special interests they favor” — 63 percent of Americans said officials enacting policies and spending taxpayer money for special interests was a more serious problem.

Similarly, Americans say they are “more bothered” by politicians abusing political power than they are by some of the personal issues most often associated with political downfalls.  Seventy percent of Americans say they would be “most bothered” by a politician who used his or her political power to bully someone, while 14 percent would be most bothered by a politician using drugs, and 11 percent would be most bothered by a politician who cheated on his/her spouse.

The Reason-Rupe national poll conducted live interviews with 1,003 Americans on mobile (503) and landline (500) phones from March 26-30, 2013.  The margin of error is plus or minus 3.6 percent.  Princeton Survey Research Associates International executed the nationwide Reason-Rupe survey.

Paying NCAA Basketball Players

With the Final Four approaching, just 42 percent of Americans say college athletes should be paid. However, when they learn the NCAA makes over $700 million a year from the television broadcast rights to the NCAA basketball tournament, 50 percent of Americans tell Reason-Rupe that college basketball players should receive a share of the television revenue. And 64 percent of Americans say college athletes should receive some of the revenue when their jerseys are sold or likenesses are used in video games or on merchandise.

Flight 370 Conspiracy Theories

With Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 still missing, there are no shortages of theories about what happened.  Reason-Rupe finds 35 percent of Americans think a mechanical problem caused the plane to crash, 22 percent believe the pilots crashed the plane intentionally, 12 percent feel it was destroyed by terrorists, 9 percent say the plane landed safely and is in hiding, 5 percent believe the disappearance is related to supernatural or alien activity, and 3 percent think it was shot down by a foreign government.

Trusting the IRS, NSA and Facebook

The NSA topped Facebook when Americans were asked who is most likely to violate their privacy. Thirty-six percent of Americans said the NSA was most likely to violate their trust, 26 percent said Facebook, 18 percent said the IRS and 12 percent said Google.

But when it comes to whom the public would trust the most with their personal information, 35 percent said the Internal Revenue Service, 18 percent said the NSA, 10 percent said Google and just 5 percent said they trust Facebook the most with their privacy.

Tax Returns and Government Waste

Americans may trust the IRS more than Facebook, but with the April 15 deadline for filing federal income tax returns approaching, they’re reminded of how much money they send to the government. Asked open-ended how much of every tax dollar is wasted, the median answer was half, 50 cents.

This time of year also reminds Americans of the overly complicated tax code. Sixty-two percent of Americans say they’d favor switching to a flat tax.  When asked open-ended what they’d set the flat tax to, Americans said 15 percent (median).

Affordable Care Act

Fifty-three percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of the Affordable Care Act, while 36 percent have a favorable view of the law in this Reason-Rupe poll.

Forty-three percent of Americans say they will blame the federal health care law if their health care premiums increase or their health care plan changes in the next year. Twenty-six percent say they’ll blame health insurance companies, 17 percent would blame the economy and 5 percent would blame their employers.

Minimum Wage

Reason-Rupe finds 67 percent of Americans favor increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. 

Fifty-one percent would still support raising the minimum wage, even if they had to pay higher prices as a result. However, just 39 percent of Americans would still favor raising the minimum wage if it caused companies to lay off or hire fewer workers.

When it comes to paying for a higher minimum wage, 38 percent say companies would raise their prices, 32 percent say companies would lay off workers, 18 percent say they’d reduce executive salaries, and 6 percent say firms would accept smaller profits.

Forty percent of Americans say raising the minimum wage would have no impact on the number of jobs available, 38 percent say it would decrease the number of jobs, and 20 percent believe it would increase the number of jobs.

2014 Elections

If the 2014 elections were held today, 40 percent of Americans said they’d vote for the Democrat in the congressional district and 36 percent would vote for the Republican. When it comes to controlling Congress, 29 percent of Americans would like Democrats to take control, 24 would like Republicans to control Congress and 43 percent wish neither major party would be in control of Congress.

Republican Party Presidential Primary

Mike Huckabee          15%

Paul Ryan                  12%

Rand Paul                  11%

Jeb Bush                   11%

Chris Christie             10%

Ted Cruz                    6%

Marco Rubio               6%

Democratic Party 2016 Presidential Primary

Hillary Clinton           64%

Joe Biden                 11%

Elizabeth Warren       6%

Energy Subsidies and Keystone Pipeline

Americans favor building the Keystone Pipeline by a 61-32 margin, Reason-Rupe finds.  Fifty-eight percent of Americans support giving subsidies to wind, solar and hydrogen energy companies. Just 31 percent of Americans favor giving subsidies to oil, gas and coal companies.

Police Conduct

Reason-Rupe finds 78 percent of Americans have a favorable view of the police. However, with protests over police shootings in places like Albuquerque, 50 percent of Americans say police officers are not generally held accountable for misconduct, while 46 percent say police are held accountable. Sixty-six percent of blacks and 64 percent of Hispanics say the police are not held accountable for misconduct.

Nearly nine in 10 Americans, 88 percent, believe citizens should be allowed to videotape uniformed police officers while they are making arrests or performing other parts of their jobs.

 Full Poll

Poll results and additional Reason-Rupe poll resources are available here. This is the latest in a series of Reason-Rupe public opinion surveys dedicated to exploring what Americans really think about government and major issues.  This Reason Foundation project is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation.

Contact

Emily Ekins, Director of Polling, Reason Foundation, (310) 574-2961

Kristen Kelley, Communications Specialist, Reason Foundation, (443) 722-5592

Reason-Rupe April 2014 National Telephone Poll

APRIL 2014 TOPLINE RESULTS

Click Here for Highlights

RELEASED: APRIL 3, 2014

The Reason-Rupe April 2014 Poll interviewed 1,003  adults on both mobile (503) and landline (500) phones, including 274 respondents without landlines from March 26-30, 2014 from the continental United States and the District of Columbia using live telephone interviews. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.6%. For questions asked only of Form A respondents (n=526), the margin of error is +/- 5.0%. For Form B respondents (n=477), the margin of error is +/- 5.2%. Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) conducted the survey. Interviews were done in English by Princeton Data Source. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. When feasible, answer choices within questions were rotated or randomized. For more methodological information, please visit http://reason.com/reason-rupe-poll-methodology.

The poll questionnaire, crosstabs, and analysis can be found at reason.com/poll

Don’t know and Refused responses are voluntary.

Due to rounding, accumulated responses may not total 100%.

Responses less than 1% are denoted by a “*”.

POLITICS

1.   Generally speaking, would you say things in this country are heading in the right direction or in the wrong direction?

• Right direction..................................... 30%

• Wrong direction................................... 60%

• Neither (VOL.)........................................ 4%

• Don’t Know............................................. 4%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

2.   Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president? 

• Approve................................................ 43%

• Disapprove........................................... 51%

• Don’t Know............................................. 4%

• Refused.................................................. 2%

• Total................................................... 100%

3.   Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the situation in Ukraine?

• Approve................................................ 37%

• Disapprove........................................... 40%

• Don’t Know........................................... 21%

• Refused.................................................. 2%

• Total................................................... 100%

4.   Do you approve or disapprove of the job the U.S. Congress is doing?

• Approve................................................ 17%

• Disapprove........................................... 74%

• Don’t Know............................................. 8%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

5.   If the elections for U.S. Congress were being held TODAY, would you vote for the Republican Party’s candidate or the Democratic Party’s candidate for Congress in your district?

• Republican Party’s candidate.............. 36%

• Democratic Party’s candidate............. 40%

• Other (VOL.) .......................................... 8%

• Don’t Know........................................... 14%

• Refused.................................................. 2%

• Total................................................... 100%

6.   Which of the following outcomes would you most want to see happen as a result of the Congressional elections being held later this year?

• Republicans control Congress.............. 24%

• Democrats control Congress............... 29%

• Neither Republicans nor Democrats
control Congress.................................. 43%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

7.   If you were voting today in the 2016 Democratic primary for president, would you vote for…

                              Dem    Ind       Rep      Total

Hillary Clinton       64%     37%     24%     45%

Joe Biden               11%     7%       9%       10%

Elizabeth Warren  6%       1%       4%       5%

Andrew Cuomo     2%       3%       6%       4%

Brian Schweitzer   1%       0%       4%       2%

None of these        5%       36%     41%     23%

DK/Refused           11%     15%     12%     12%

8.   If you were voting today in the 2016 Republican primary for president, would you vote for…

                             Rep         Ind     Dem      Total

Mike Huckabee   15%         3%        4%         8%

Paul Ryan             12%         8%        7%         9%

Rand Paul            11%       11%        5%         8%

Jeb Bush               11%         6%        6%         8%

Chris Christie       10%         8%      15%       12%

Ted Cruz                6%         3%        2%         4%

Marco Rubio          6%         3%        3%         4%

Scott Walker          5%         0%        2%         3%

Bobby Jindal          1%         4%        3%         2%

None of these      11%       42%      36%       27%

DK/Refused          13%       13%      16%       15%

Total                  100%     100%    100%     100%

9.   What percentage of politicians, from zero to one hundred, do you think use their power to help their friends and hurt their enemies? (ASKED OF FORM A)

• MEAN................................................... 66%

• MEDIAN................................................ 70%

• Don’t Know............................................. 7%

• Refused.................................................. 2%

• Total................................................... 100%

10. What percentage of politicians, from zero to one hundred, do you think are corrupted by campaign donations and lobbyists? (ASKED OF FORM B)

• MEAN................................................... 70%

• MEDIAN................................................ 75%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. 2%

• Total................................................... 100%

11. Which of the following would bother you the most if you found out a politician did it?

• Used his or her political power to bully someone  70%

• Used drugs........................................... 14%

• Was unfaithful to his/her spouse......... 11%

• Don’t Know............................................. 4%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

12. Which of the following do you think is a more serious problem?

• Special interest groups spending private money on campaigns to elect the politicians they favor 30%

• Elected officials enacting policies and spending taxpayer money that benefit
the special interests they favor........... 63%

• Neither are a problem (VOL.)................ 1%

• Don’t Know............................................. 5%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

MINIMUM WAGE

13. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Do you favor or oppose raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour?

• Favor.................................................... 67%

• Oppose................................................. 32%

• Don’t Know............................................. 2%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

14. Do you think raising the minimum wage would decrease the number of jobs, increase the number of jobs, or have no impact on the number of jobs?

• Decrease the number of jobs.............. 38%

• Increase the number of jobs................ 20%

• Have no impact on the number of jobs........... 40%

• Don’t Know............................................. 2%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

15. What about if raising the minimum wage caused some employers [To lay off workers or hire fewer workers]? Would you favor or oppose raising the minimum wage?

• Favor.................................................... 39%

• Oppose................................................. 58%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

16. What about if raising the minimum wage caused some employers [To raise prices]? Would you favor or oppose raising the minimum wage?

• Favor.................................................... 51%

• Oppose................................................. 46%

• Don’t Know............................................. 2%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

17. How do you think MOST companies would PRIMARILY pay for a higher minimum wage? Would they pay higher wages by…

• Charging higher prices........................ 38%

• Laying off some workers or hiring fewer workers 32%

• Reducing CEO and executive salaries. 18%

• Reducing company profits..................... 6%

• Some other way (VOL.).......................... 3%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

TAXES

18. Would you favor or oppose changing the federal tax system to a flat tax, where everyone pays the same percentage of his or her income?

• Favor.................................................... 62%

• Oppose................................................. 33%

• Don’t Know............................................. 4%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

19. If a flat tax were implemented, what percentage of income, from zero to 100, do you think Americans should pay in federal taxes? (ASKED OF THOSE WHO FAVOR FLAT TAX)

• MEAN................................................... 18%

• MEDIAN................................................ 15%

• Don’t Know........................................... 10%

• Refused.................................................. 2%

• Total................................................... 100%

20. For every dollar you pay in federal taxes, about how many cents do you think are wasted by the government? (ASKED OF FORM A)

• MEAN................................................... 54%

• MEDIAN................................................ 50%

• Don’t Know............................................. 7%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

21. Do you think the amount of money you personally paid in income taxes in 2013 improved society more, less, or about the same than if you had instead given that amount of money to charity?

• More.................................................... 17%

• Less....................................................... 35%

• About the same.................................... 41%

• Did not pay any income taxes (VOL.).... 2%

• Don’t Know............................................. 4%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

22. Do you think the amount of money you paid in income taxes in 2013 improved society more, less, or about the same than if you had instead invested that amount of money in private businesses?

• More.................................................... 17%

• Less....................................................... 33%

• About the same.................................... 40%

• Did not pay any income taxes (VOL.).... 3%

• Don’t Know............................................. 6%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

23. Do you think it is morally acceptable for [the middle class] to try to reduce the amount they have to pay in taxes, even if it means bending the rules?

• Yes, morally acceptable....................... 21%

• No, not morally acceptable................. 77%

• Don’t Know............................................. 1%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

24  Do you think it is morally acceptable for [the wealthy] to try to reduce the amount they have to pay in taxes, even if it means bending the rules?

• Yes, morally acceptable....................... 15%

• No, not morally acceptable................. 83%

• Don’t Know............................................. 1%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

25. If you could designate your tax money to go to specific federal or state government programs, what would be your top one or two choices? (ASKED OF FORM B)

• Education............................................. 29%

• Help for the poor ................................ 13%

• Infrastructure....................................... 10%

• National Defense................................... 7%

• Health Care............................................ 7%

• Health Children/Youth........................... 4%

• Helping Seniors...................................... 3%

• Other ................................................... 29%

• Total .................................................. 100%

FOREIGN POLICY

26. Would you say President Obama’s handling of foreign policy has been better or worse than former President George W. Bush’s handling of foreign policy, or are they about the same?

• Better................................................... 35%

• Worse................................................... 32%

• About the same.................................... 31%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

27. When it comes to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, would you prefer the United States to continue imposing economic sanctions, send US military troops and assets to Ukraine, or stay out of it altogether?

• Continue imposing economic sanctions 31%

• Send US military troops and assets to Ukraine 8%

• Stay out of it altogether....................... 58%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

28. If Russia attempts to invade additional parts of Ukraine, would you favor or oppose [sending US troops to Ukraine]

• Favor.................................................... 20%

• Oppose................................................. 76%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

29. If Russia attempts to invade additional parts of Ukraine, would you favor or oppose [Sending US military aid and weapons to Ukraine]

• Favor.................................................... 33%

• Oppose................................................. 62%

• Don’t Know............................................. 4%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

30. If Russia attempts to invade additional parts of Ukraine, would you favor or oppose [Imposing stricter economic sanctions]

• Favor.................................................... 61%

• Oppose................................................. 32%

• Don’t Know............................................. 6%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

31. If an elected official believes it was a good idea for the United States to fight the war in Iraq that started in 2003, would you be more likely or less likely to take that person’s advice on how the US should deal with Russia, or would it make no difference?

• More Likely............................................ 8%

• Less Likely............................................ 31%

• No difference....................................... 57%

• Don’t Know............................................. 4%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

HEALTH CARE

32. As you probably know, the federal health care law signed in 2010 is being implemented. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the federal health care law? Is that a very or somewhat (favorable/unfavorable) opinion?

• NET FAVORABLE.................................. 36%

• NET UNFAVORABLE............................. 53%

• Very favorable..................................... 16%

• Somewhat favorable............................ 20%

• Somewhat unfavorable........................ 16%

• Very unfavorable................................. 37%

• Don’t Know............................................. 9%

• Refused.................................................. 2%

• Total................................................... 100%

33. If your health care plan changes, or if your insurance premiums increase in the next year, do you think you’ll blame…

• The federal health care law................ 43%

• The health insurance company............ 26%

• The economy........................................ 17%

• Your employer....................................... 5%

• Other (VOL.) .......................................... 4%

• Don’t Know............................................. 4%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

ENERGY

34. The federal government provides subsidies to oil, gas and coal companies. Do you favor or oppose these subsidies?

• Favor.................................................... 31%

• Oppose................................................. 62%

• Don’t Know............................................. 5%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

35. The federal government provides subsidies to wind, solar and hydrogen companies. Do you favor or oppose these subsidies?

• Favor.................................................... 58%

• Oppose................................................. 36%

• Don’t Know............................................. 6%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

36. Do you favor or oppose building the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry oil from Canada through the Midwest to refineries in Texas?

• Favor.................................................... 61%

• Oppose................................................. 32%

• Don’t Know............................................. 7%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

37. If the Obama administration approves the Keystone XL pipeline plan, would you view the administration more favorably, less favorably, or no differently?

• More favorably.................................... 18%

• Less favorably...................................... 14%

• No differently....................................... 65%

• Don’t Know............................................. 2%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

FLIGHT 370

38. As you probably know, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing on March 8th. Would you say the events surrounding Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 make you more likely to fly, less likely, or doesn’t it have much effect on whether or not you will fly?

• More likely............................................. 1%

• Less likely............................................. 17%

• Not much effect................................... 81%

• Don’t Know............................................. *%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

39. Which of the following do you think most likely happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?

• It crashed due to mechanical problems 35%

• It was crashed intentionally by the pilots.......... 22%

• It was destroyed by terrorists.............. 12%

• It landed safely and is in hiding............. 9%

• It’s linked to supernatural or alien activity 5%

• It was shot down by a foreign government........ 3%

• Other (VOL.) .......................................... 4%

• Don’t Know............................................. 9%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

PRIVACY

40. Which of the following do you trust the most with your personal information?

• The Internal Revenue Service or IRS... 35%

• The National Security Agency or NSA.. 18%

• Google.................................................. 10%

• Facebook................................................ 5%

• None (VOL.) ......................................... 28%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

41. Who do you think is most likely to violate your privacy?

• The National Security Agency or NSA.. 36%

• Facebook.............................................. 26%

• The Internal Revenue Service or IRS... 18%

• Google.................................................. 12%

• None (VOL.) ........................................... 1%

• Don’t Know............................................. 6%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

POLICE

42. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable view of the police? Is that a very or somewhat (favorable/unfavorable) opinion?

• NET Favorable...................................... 78%

• Net Unfavorable................................... 18%

• Very Favorable..................................... 42%

• Somewhat Favorable........................... 36%

• Somewhat Unfavorable....................... 10%

• Very Unfavorable................................... 8%

• None (VOL.) ........................................... 1%

• Don’t Know............................................. 2%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

43. Do you think the public should be allowed to videotape uniformed police officers who are arresting, restraining, or involved in an altercation with people in public?

• Yes........................................................ 88%

• No ........................................................ 10%

• Don’t Know............................................. 1%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

44. Do you think cases of police misconduct, such as the use of excessive force or covering up mistakes, have been increasing, decreasing, or have stayed about the same over the past decade?

• Increasing............................................. 41%

• Decreasing............................................. 9%

• Staying about the same....................... 48%

• Don’t Know............................................. 2%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

45. Do you think police officers are generally held accountable for misconduct, or not?

• Yes........................................................ 46%

• No ........................................................ 50%

• Don’t Know............................................. 4%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

BITCOIN

46. How much have you heard about the digital currency called Bitcoin, a lot, some, a little, or nothing at all?

• A lot........................................................ 8%

• Some.................................................... 11%

• A little................................................... 24%

• Nothing at all....................................... 56%

• Don’t Know............................................. 1%

• Refused.................................................. 0%

• Total................................................... 100%

READ TO ALL: As you may know, Bitcoin is a new online digital currency that is not connected to any particular country’s currency system and is not controlled by any government.

47. Do you think the government should allow people to use Bitcoins to purchase goods and services, or not?

• Allow.................................................... 38%

• Not allow.............................................. 47%

• Don’t Know........................................... 14%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

VIDEO GAMES

48. And, how often do you play video games on a video game console, computer, tablet, or cellular phone: frequently, occasionally, rarely, or never?

• Frequently............................................ 18%

• Occasionally......................................... 17%

• Rarely................................................... 21%

• Never.................................................... 44%

• Don’t Know............................................. *%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

NCAA

52. Should college basketball players be allowed to receive a portion of the revenues generated from NCAA tournaments or should that not be allowed?

• Should be allowed................................ 42%

• Should not be allowed.......................... 50%

• Don’t Know............................................. 7%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

53. Now consider that the NCAA receives over $700 million every year from the television networks broadcasting the NCAA tournament games. In general, college basketball players receive scholarships, which pay for tuition, room and board. Would you say the basketball players in the NCAA tournament should…

• Receive a large portion of the television revenue generated by their games          12%

• Receive a small portion of the television revenue generated by their games          38%

• Receive only a scholarship................... 47%

• Don’t Know............................................. 2%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

54. When a college or company sells a jersey with a college football or basketball player’s number on it, or sells a video game with a player’s likeness in it, do you think that player should receive some of the money from the sale of his likeness or jersey, or should that not be allowed?

• Should be allowed................................ 64%

• Should not be allowed.......................... 32%

• Don’t Know............................................. 4%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

OTHER/DEMOGRAPHIC

READ TO ALL: Next…as I read the following pairs of statements, please tell me which comes closer to your own opinion.

49. Which comes closer to your own opinion?

• “The less government the better”....... 50%

• “There are more things government should be doing”         47%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

50. Which comes closer to your own opinion?

• “We need a strong government to handle today’s complex economic problems”   43%

• “People would be better able to handle today’s problems within a free market with less government involvement”........................................ 54%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

51. Some people think the government should promote traditional values in our society. Others think the government should not favor any particular set of values. Which comes closer to your own view?

• Should promote traditional values...... 47%

• Should not favor any particular set of values 49%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

55. GENDER

• Male..................................................... 49%

• Female................................................. 51%

• Total................................................... 100%

56. AGE

• 18-24.................................................... 13%

• 25-34.................................................... 15%

• 35-44.................................................... 17%

• 45-54.................................................... 19%

• 55-64.................................................... 17%

• 65+....................................................... 18%

• Don’t Know............................................. *%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

57. In politics today, do you consider yourself a:

• Republican........................................... 23%

• Democrat............................................. 31%

• Independent ........................................ 38%

• Or what? ............................................... 8%

• Don’t Know............................................. 1%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

58. Party Identification (DERIVED, Independent Leaners Sorted)

• Democrat............................................. 31%

• Independent-Lean Democrat............... 19%

• Independent ........................................ 10%

• Independent-Lean Republican............. 17%

• Republican .......................................... 23%

• Don’t Know............................................. 1%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

59. Thinking about your overall political philosophy, would you describe yourself as:

• Conservative........................................ 29%

• Moderate............................................. 26%

• Liberal.................................................. 15%

• Libertarian............................................. 4%

• Progressive............................................. 7%

• Or something else? ............................. 14%

• Don’t Know............................................. 3%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

60. Do you consider yourself to be a supporter of the Tea Party movement, or not?

• Supporter............................................. 24%

• Not a supporter.................................... 68%

• Don’t Know............................................. 7%

• Refused.................................................. 1%

• Total................................................... 100%

61. What is the highest level of school you have completed or the highest degree you have received?

• High school or less............................... 41%

• Some college........................................ 31%

• College................................................. 17%

• Post-Grad............................................. 11%

• Don’t Know............................................. *%

• Refused.................................................. *%

• Total................................................... 100%

62. Which of the following BEST describes your current employment status?

• Employed Full-Time............................. 36%

• Employed Part-Time.............................. 8%

•.. Small business owner or self-employed........... 11%

• Taking care of home and family............ 8%

• Retired................................................. 20%

• Student................................................... 6%

• Unemployed........................................... 8%

• Disabled (VOL.)...................................... 4%

• Don’t Know............................................. 0%

• Refused.................................................. 0%

• Total................................................... 100%

63. Race/Ethnicity

• White.................................................... 66%

• African-American................................. 12%

• Hispanic................................................ 13%

• Other...................................................... 7%

• Don’t Know............................................. *%

• Refused.................................................. 2%

• Total................................................... 100%

64. What is your household income category?

• <$30,000.............................................. 28%

• $30,000 but less than $45,000............. 14%

• $45,000 but less than $60,000............. 14%

• $60,000 but less than $75,000............. 10%

• $75,000 but less than $90,000............... 7%

• $90,000 but less than $110,000............. 6%

• $110,000 but less than $150,000........... 5%

• $150,000 but less than $250,000........... 5%

• $250,000 or more.................................. 2%

• Don’t Know............................................. 2%

• Refused.................................................. 5%

• Total................................................... 100%

65. Region

• Northeast............................................. 18%

• Midwest............................................... 22%

• South.................................................... 37%

• West..................................................... 22%

• Total................................................... 100%

66. Community Type

• Rural..................................................... 17%

• Suburban.............................................. 51%

• Urban................................................... 32%

• Total................................................... 100%

The Public Religion Research Institute has produced an interesting “infographic” highlighting results from their Hispanic Values Survey. The survey asked Latino respondents “What is the first word or phrase that comes to your mind when you think about the Republican Party?” What they said might surprise you, especially given that Latinos voted for President Obama over Mitt Romney by a margin of 71 to 27 percent.

According to PRRI's survey, less than half of Hispanic respondents had a negative reaction to the Republican Party, instead most were neutral or positive. Even one of the responses PRRI coded as negative—that Republicans are “rich”—isn’t necessarily a bad thing since Hispanics lead the way in faith in the American Dream and the bootstrapping work ethic it entails. For instance, recent surveys have found 7 in 10 Hispanics cite education and hard work as most important for success and most believe their children will be better off than they were.

It’s worth pointing out that Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush had the greatest success in narrowing the partisan voting gap among Hispanics. Arguably, Reagan and Bush represent different strains of the Republican coalition, but both had charisma, made the effort to reach out, and perhaps even genuinely cared. 

(For more on Hispanic political engagement and mobilization, check out Ricardo Ramirez's Mobilizing Opportunities)

Here are the results, coded as negative and positive by PRRI:

“What is the first word or phrase that comes to your mind when you think about the Republican Party?” 

Positive/Neutral:

• 15% conservative/traditional values
• 27% neutral/no opinion
• 2% small government/fiscal responsibility
• 3% patriotic/strong military
• 6% Other positive
• Total: 53%

Negative:

• 15% Rich/Corporate (is this necessarily bad?)
• 10% Anti-immigrant/Racist/Intolerant
• 5% Old-Fashioned/Out-of-touch
• 3% Obstructionist/Uncompromising
• 15% Other negative
• Total: 48%

Michael Sam, a defensive lineman at the University of Missouri and top N.F.L.  prospect, has just become a household name. While he has been known in the college sports world as an outstanding athlete, his new notoriety comes not solely because of his football talent but because he publically announced on Sunday that he is gay. Though Americans have become increasingly tolerant and supportive of homosexuality, many people can’t help but wonder whether Sam has damaged his career prospects by coming out in advance of the NFL draft.

However, the Reason-Rupe poll findsthat instead Americans don’t really care if their favorite athlete is gay. Seventy-seven percent of Americans say it wouldn’t make a difference and another 10 percent say they would be even more likely to support their favorite athlete. Only 12 percent say they would be less likely to support a favored sports player who came out as gay.

The National Football League has released a statement that echoes the feelings of most Americans: “We admire Michael Sam’s honesty and courage. Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the N.F.L. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014.” But it remains to be seen whether Sam’s announcement will have any impact come draft time. Jason Collins, a former NBA player, announced that he way gay after the last season ended. Now a free-agent, he has yet to be signed by another team, although NBA commission Adam Silver says this isn’t related to his sexual orientation.

But for now, Michael Sam is feeling good. The New York Times reports that for Sam, “coming out to his team was a positive step, on a path that seems as if it will lead to the N.F.L.” The Reason-Rupe telephone poll of 1,003 Americans finds that 25 percent think having an openly gay professional athlete would be a positive development for society while most, 57 percent, say it wouldn’t make much of an impact either way.

Full details on the Reason-Rupe poll can be found here.

In tonight’s State of the Union Address, President Obama will make his case for requiring businesses to increase how much they pay minimum wage workers from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour while indexing future increases to inflation. He will also announce plans to use an executive order to mandate federal contractors for new government contracts pay their minimum wage workers at least $10.10 per hour.

Public opinion polls indicate that such a proposal at first glance will be popular among the general public. For instance, a Reason-Rupe poll found 72 percent of Americans favor raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, while 26 percent are opposed. Support also appears to transcend partisanship, with majorities of Republicans (53 percent) as well as independents (72 percent) and Democrats (87 percent) in favor.

However, once Americans consider costs, support for a minimum wage plummets. If raising the minimum wage were to cause some employers to lay-off or hire fewer workers, 57 percent of Americans would oppose a minimum wage hike and 38 percent would favor.

Additionally, if a minimum wage increase were to harm jobs, Democrats would swing 38 points, such that half would then oppose a wage hike. Likewise, majorities of independents (53 percent) and Republicans (68 percent) would oppose raising the wage floor.

In both scenarios, the fact that Republicans are more likely to oppose raising the minimum wage is partly driven by their belief that doing so would harm employment. Indeed, a majority (54 percent) of Republicans believe raising the minimum wage would reduce jobs; however, this is a view only shared by 39 percent of Americans overall. Instead 69 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of independents believe Congress can raise the minimum wage with no adverse effects on employment.

While most Americans support a higher minimum wage, a majority also don’t believe workers should expect minimum wage jobs to be long-term positions. Instead, 61 percent view minimum wage jobs as stepping-stones to help lower skilled or younger workers gain skills. (It’s relevant to note here that some economists have found minimum wage increases actually disincentivize higher education and training). In contrast, a quarter primarily view minimum wage jobs as long-term positions for established workers to support their families.

Partisans also split on this issue, with majorities of Republicans (77 percent) and independents (56 percent) viewing minimum wage jobs as stepping stones compared to 50 percent of Democrats.

Public attitudes on raising the minimum wage correlates highly with whether Americans accept the premise that government should set a minimum wage in the first place: 73 percent say government should set a minimum wage and 24 percent oppose, nearly identical to the shares supporting a wage increase. Partisan breakdowns are also statistically identical to preferences to raise the minimum wage. This suggests that if Americans accept the initial argument that government should play a role in setting wage floors, then there will be little opposition to raising the floor higher.

Nevertheless, if Americans become convinced that raising the minimum wage will harm employment, they will push back on the initial premise and the proposal to raise the wage.

Read more about Reason-Rupe findings on the minimum wage here.

Nationwide telephone poll conducted Dec 4-8 2013 interviewed 1011 adults on both mobile (506) and landline (505) phones, with a margin of error +/- 3.7%. Princeton Survey Research Associates International executed the nationwide Reason-Rupe survey. Columns may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Full poll results, detailed tables, and methodology found here. Sign up for notifications of new releases of the Reason-Rupe poll here.

While Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has survived his crack-smoking controversy (at least for now), Rep. Trey Radel of Florida has resigned from Congress after being caught buying cocaine from an undercover federal agent in October. “It is my belief that professionally I cannot fully and effectively serve as a United States Representative,” said Radel in his resignation letter. If he was concerned about losing the support of his constituents, he had good reason. 

The December Reason-Rupe poll found that 85 percent of Americans would no longer support a politician they had previously supported if he/she occasionally used cocaine. Only 13 percent of poll respondents said they would still support a politician who used cocaine occasionally.

Americans are much more forgiving on marijuana use. The same Reason-Rupe poll found that a majority of Americans, 52 percent, would continue to support a politician if he or she occasionally used marijuana in his or her personal time while 43 percent would withdraw their support.

The percentage of Americans who would still support an elected official who occasionally used marijuana is roughly the same as those who support legalizing the drug (49 percent). Given that few Americans favor legalizing cocaine, their reaction to Trey Radel is hardly surprising.  Although it’s worth pointing out that while 13 percent said they’d continue to support their elected official if they smoked cocaine, only 4 percent say the drug should be legalized.

The public’s lack of tolerance for cocaine use by their elected officials cuts across party lines but partisan differences emerge when the drug in question is marijuana. Majorities of Democrats (58 percent) and independents (54 percent) would continue to support a politician whom they previously supported if he/she used marijuana occasionally while only 41 percent of Republicans would do the same. Instead, 54 percent of Republicans would retract their support if they discovered their favored politician was caught using marijuana.

As previous Reason-Rupe poll results have shown, younger Americans are considerably more tolerant of drug use in general, so not surprisingly they are more likely than older Americans to say they would continue to support a politician whom they previously endorsed if he or she used marijuana occasionally. For instance, 73 percent of 18-24 year olds would continue to support their favored politicians caught with pot, compared to 35 percent of seniors.

Similarly, those with higher levels of education also are more likely to continue supporting their favored politicians who smoke marijuana. While 48 percent of those with high school diplomas or less would continue to support their favored candidate, nearly two-thirds of post-graduates would do the same.

However, even young people and post-grads make a sharp distinction between marijuana and cocaine. For instance, 65 percent of those under 35 would continue to support a politician who used marijuana from time to time while just 18 percent would continue to support a politician who used cocaine. By comparison, 44 percent of Americans ages 55 and over would continue to support an official who used marijuana while just six percent would continue to support a politician who used cocaine. Similarly for education, while 64 percent of post grads would continue to endorse marijuana-smoking politicians, only 14 percent would do the same for a cocaine user.

Nationwide telephone poll conducted Dec 4-8 2013 interviewed 1011 adults on both mobile (506) and landline (505) phones, with a margin of error +/- 3.7%. Princeton Survey Research Associates International executed the nationwide Reason-Rupe survey. Columns may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Full poll results, detailed tables, and methodology found here. Sign up for notifications of new releases of the Reason-Rupe poll here.