Polls

Indpendent, UK - Americans have markedly less faith in the ability of the country’s political system to solve problems than they had five years ago, with a large majority now believing that the country is incapable of overcoming its deep divisions, according to a poll by The New York Times and Siena University.

Even in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, when the country was fighting over mask mandates and forced to reckon with questions about racial inequality, a majority of voters still agreed that the country was capable of solving its political problems.  Today, just 33 percent of voters feel the same.

Gallup -  Americans’ confidence in the mass media has edged down to a new low, with just 28% expressing a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in newspapers, television and radio to report the news fully, accurately and fairly. This is down from 31% last year and 40% five years ago.

Meanwhile, seven in 10 U.S. adults now say they have “not very much” confidence (36%) or “none at all” (34%).

When Gallup began measuring trust in the news media in the 1970s, between 68% and 72% of Americans expressed confidence in reporting. However, by the next reading in 1997, public confidence had fallen to 53%. Media trust remained just above 50% until it dropped to 44% in 2004, and it has not risen to the majority level since. The highest reading in the past decade was 45% in 2018, which came just two years after confidence had collapsed amid the divisive 2016 presidential campaign.

The latest 28% confidence reading, from a Sept. 2-16 poll, marks the first time the measure has fallen below 30%.

NY Times -  Americans have markedly less faith in the ability of the country’s political system to solve problems than they had five years ago, with a large majority now believing that the country is incapable of overcoming its deep divisions, according to a poll by The New York Times and Siena University.

Even in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, when the country was fighting over mask mandates and forced to reckon with questions about racial inequality, a majority of voters still agreed that the country was capable of solving its political problems.  Today, just 33 percent of voters feel the same.

 Newsweek -  Vice President J.D. Vance faces an uphill climb to win Pennsylvania in the 2028 presidential election, according to a new poll. The Quinnipiac University survey, conducted between September 25 and 29, shows Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro ahead of Vance in a hypothetical matchup, securing 53 percent of the vote to 43 percent. The poll was conducted on 1,579 self-identified registered voters in Pennsylvania. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points.

Newsweek -  The poll from The Washington Post surveying 1,010 Americans on Wednesday, found 47 percent said they blamed Republicans in Congress or Trump [for the shutdown], while 30 percent said Democrats were to blame. Twenty-three percent said they were unsure of who is responsible.

Meanwhile, 66 percent said they were concerned about the impacts of a shutdown, while 22 percent said they were “not too concerned.” Twelve percent said they were not concerned at all. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

New Republic -  The new Quinnipiac poll has Trump’s approval at an abysmal 38 percent, while 54 percent disapprove. The new Associated Press poll has him at 39 percent approving to 60 percent disapproving. The new Gallup poll has him at 40 percent to 56 percent. Reuters has him at 41 percent, and the new Economist/YouGov poll has him at 39–56.

New Republic  -  According to a fresh Gallup poll this week, 43 percent of Americans regard the Supreme Court as "too conservative," against 36 percent who feel that the Roberts court is an even-tempered administrator of justice. That 43 percent is a new high, per Gallup: "Before the court shifted to a 6-3 conservative advantage after Amy Coney Barrett replaced Ruth Bader Ginsburg in October 2020, no more than 33% had ever characterized it as too conservative." But then, that conservative majority started doing things—like gut Roe—and disapproval followed. Don’t expect things to turn around, by the way. As Matt Ford noted earlier this week, the court is expected to take a rightward lurch during its next term.