Bloomberg Politics National Poll

SELZER & COMPANY

1,002 U.S. adults ages 18 and over
Includes subset of 628 U.S. adults asked about ISIS and immigration
Margin of error: 3.1 percentage points for full sample,
3.9 percentage points for subset

Study #2129
November 15-17, 2015
November 16-17, 2015
Weighted by age and race

Poll Questions
Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
In general, do you think things in the nation are headed in the right direction, or have they gotten off on
the wrong track?

Nov-15
Sep-15
Apr-15
Dec-14
Jun-14
Mar-14
Dec-13
Sep-13
Jun-13
Feb-13
Dec-12
Sep-12
Jun-12
Mar-12
Sep-11
Jun-11
Mar-11
Dec-10
Oct-10
Jul-10
Mar-10
Dec-09
Sep-09

Right
direction

Wrong
track

23

69

24
31
24
26
30
27
25
32
37
38
33
31
31
20
26
28
27
32
31
34
32
40

66
61
65
64
62
67
68
60
54
55
60
62
61
72
66
63
66
62
63
58
59
52

10
8
11
10
8
6
7
8
9
7
7
7
8
8
8
9
7
6
6
8
9
8

Not sure

The federal deficit

Terrorism

Taxes

The Islamic State,

also known as ISIS

Climate change

Unemployment and
jobs

Other (VOL)
(specify:)

None of these
(VOL)

Not sure

10

14

14

21

11

7
6
11

11
12
14

10
10
9

7
9
4

4
4
3

14
12
15

11
13
7

6
7
5

20
18
21

3
2
4

1
2
1

6
5
6

A decline in real
income for
American workers

Health care

Nov-15
Sep-15
Apr-15
Dec-14

Immigration

Which of the following do you see as the most important issue facing the country right now? (Read list.
Rotate.)

[Note changes in answer options. Percentages given for reference, but not valid for direct comparison.]

Not sure

29
25
24
26

None of these (VOL)

n/a
5
6
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

Other (VOL) (specify:)

28
37
43
45
42
46
42
43
50
49
41

A decline in real income

for American workers

4
2
3
3
1
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

The war in Afghanistan

The situation in the

Middle East

4
7
4
4
3
2
1
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

Climate change

Unemployment and jobs

n/a
11
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

The oil spill in the Gulf

of Mexico

Terrorism

n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
18
17

Gay marriage

Taxes

13
19
14
18
21
12
13

Gas prices

Entitlement spendin on
Social Security and
Medicare

17
9
11
13
10
10
10
12
9
12
9

Government spending

6
4
3
4
4
3
3
3
5
5
n/a

The federal deficit

Health care

Jun-14
Dec-12
Sep-12
Jun-12
Mar-12
Sept-11
Jun-11
Mar-11
Dec-10
Oct-10
Jul-10

Immigration

Which of the following do you see as the most important issue facing the country right now?
(Read list. Rotate.)

n/a
n/a
7
4
11
n/a
4
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

n/a
n/a
n/a
3
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
13

5
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
5
5
7
7
7
7

16
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

3
3
4
2
4
2
2
4
1
1
1

1
1
1
1
1
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

3
5
4
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
3

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing: [ITEM FROM LIST]?
(Begin with as president. Rotate all other options.)

As president

Nov-15
Sep-15
Apr-15
Dec-14
Jun-14
Mar-14
Dec-13
Sep-13
Jun-13
Feb-13
Dec-12
Sep-12
Jun-12
Mar-12
Sep-11
Jun-11
Mar-11
Dec-10
Oct-10
Jul-10
Mar-10
Dec-09
Sep-09

Approve

Disapprove

Not Sure

44

51

46
47
39
43
48
42
45
49
55
53
49
53
48
45
49
51
47
48
52
50
54
56

47
46
52
53
48
55
49
46
40
44
46
44
47
49
44
43
48
45
44
45
41
37

7
7
9
4
4
3
6
5
5
3
5
3
5
6
7
6
5
7
4
5
5
7

Turning now to the conflict involving ISIS, the Islamic State. Do you think the U.S. should or should not
send American troops to Iraq or Syria to fight the Islamic State?
All
n=628
3.9% pts.

44
45
11

Reps
n=230
6.5% pts.

Dems
n=245
6.3% pts.

64
27
9

31
59
11

Should send
Should not send
Not sure

When it comes to the Islamic faith, which of the following is closer to your view? (Rotate options.)
All
n=628
3.9% pts.

Reps
n=230
6.5% pts.

Dems
n=245
6.3% pts.

28

32

17

64

61

76

Islam is an inherently violent religion, which leads its followers to

violent acts
Islam is an inherently peaceful religion, but there are some who twist
its teachings to justify violence
Not sure

Which of the following do you think is the best approach for the U.S. to take with refugees fleeing the civil
war in Syria? (Read list. Do not rotate.)
All
n=628
3.9% pts.

Reps
n=230
6.5% pts.

Dems
n=245
6.3% pts.

28

12

46

11
53
8

11
69
7

9
36
9

Proceed with the plan to resettle 10,000 refugees without religious

screening
Resettle only Christian refugees from Syria
Do not accept any Syrian refugees into the U.S.
Not sure

Given the history between the two nations, do you think it is a good idea or bad idea for the U.S. to enter
into a military coalition with Russia to combat Islamic terrorism?
All
n=628
3.9% pts.

Reps
n=230
6.5% pts.

Dems
n=245
6.3% pts.

53
35
12

59
31
10

50
40
10

Good idea
Bad idea
Not sure

Are you mostly confident or mostly not confident the U.S. has done enough to protect the homeland against
an attack similar to what happened in Paris?
All
n=628
3.9% pts.

Reps
n=230
6.5% pts.

Dems
n=245
6.3% pts.

48
46
6

32
63
6

62
34
4

Mostly confident
Mostly not confident
Not sure

Compared to:
SELZER & COMPANY
1,001 general population age 18 and over
Margin of error: 3.1 percentage points

Study #2126
September 18-21, 2015
Weighted by age and race
Methodology

Nov 18 (Bloomberg) -- The Bloomberg Politics Poll, conducted November 15-17 for Bloomberg Politics by
Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, IA, is based on interviews with 1,002 U.S. adults ages 18 or older. A subset of
interviews with 628 U.S. adults was conducted November 16-17 on topics related to the ISIS and immigration.
Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted households with randomly selected landline and cell phone telephone
numbers supplied by Survey Sampling International. Interviews were administered in English.
Percentages based on the full probability sample may have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 3.1
percentage points, and those based on the subset of 628 U.S. adults may have a maximum margin of error of plus
or minus 3.9 percentage points. This means that if this survey were repeated using the same questions and the same
methodology, 19 times out of 20, the findings would not vary from the percentages shown here by more than plus or
minus 3.1 percentage points. Results based on smaller samples of respondentssuch as by gender or agehave a
larger margin of error. Responses were weighted by age and race to reflect the general population based on recent
census data.
For media inquiries, contact Vidhya Murugesan at vmurugesan@bloomberg.com.
For additional technical information about this study, contact Michelle Yeoman at myeoman@selzerco.com.
Republishing the copyrighted Bloomberg Politics Poll without credit to Bloomberg Politics is prohibited.