September 13, 2010 - Many U.S. Voters Say No Citizenship For Immigrant Kids, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Muslims Have Right To Mosque, But It's Inappropriate Word format American voters say 48 - 45 percent that the United States should end the practice of granting citizenship to U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. Voters also say 68 - 24 percent that immigration policy should emphasize stricter enforcement rather than integrating illegal immigrants into U.S. society, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey finds. Democrats favor granting citizenship to children of illegal immigrants 62 - 31 percent. Republicans, by 67 - 27 percent, and independent voters, by 51 - 42 percent, say these children should be denied citizenship. Women split 46 - 46 percent while men oppose this automatic citizenship 51 - 43 percent. And 49 percent of American voters say President Barack Obama does not share their values, compared to 46 percent who say he does. Only 38 percent of American voters have a favorable opinion of Islam, while 40 percent have an unfavorable opinion. But voters say 50 - 27 percent that mainstream Islam is a peaceful religion, rather than a religion which encourages violence to non-Muslims. The Muslim group has the right to build a mosque and cultural center near Ground Zero, American voters say 70 - 25 percent. But voters say 63 - 28 percent that it is wrong to do so. There is no sub-group which says it is "appropriate" to build the mosque near Ground Zero. "Many Americans want to end 'birthright citizenship,' an issue some Republican senators want to explore through congressional hearings," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Voters were told that 'our constitution and current laws' blessed the practice, and the prospect of having to change one or both apparently doesn't faze them," Brown added. "But the support for ending 'birthright citizenship' is not overwhelming, and falls along predictable political lines that are consistent with how the Arizona law aimed at limiting illegal immigration is playing across the country." American voters disapprove 44 - 31 percent of the way President Barack Obama is handling the Ground Zero mosque controversy, with 25 percent undecided. Democrats approve of his handling of the issue 52 - 19 percent, but disapproval is 71 - 10 percent among Republicans and 47 - 28 percent among independent voters. But voters say 43 - 34 percent that President Obama shares their views of mainstream Islam, with Democrats and independent voters agreeing and Republicans objecting. Voters who believe Islam is a peaceful religion say 75 - 11 percent that Obama shares their belief. Voters who believe Islam encourages violence say 77 - 10 percent that he does not share their views. By a wider 60 - 28 percent margin, voters disapprove of the way Obama is handling illegal immigration. Voters now approve 49 - 44 percent of the way Obama is handling the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, compared to a 51 - 41 percent disapproval July 21 - before the leak was stopped. "Illegal immigration and the proposed mosque near Ground Zero are taking a toll on President Barack Obama's standing with American voters," Brown said. "The fact that so many Americans think the President does not share their values might worry the White House. Historically, voters tend to see Democratic presidents as more likely to share their values than Republicans." From August 31 - September 7, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,905 registered voters nationwide with a margin of error of +/- 2.3 percentage points. 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. For more data or RSS feed- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter. 9. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 49% 24% 74% 47% 46% 53% Disapprove 44 68 19 46 48 40 DK/NA 7 7 6 7 7 7 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Approve 57% 47% 47% 54% 47% 41% 74% 61% 26% Disapprove 37 47 45 39 47 52 21 33 66 DK/NA 7 7 8 7 6 7 6 6 8 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Approve 48% 54% 36% 37% 42% Disapprove 45 39 57 55 51 DK/NA 7 7 7 8 6 TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? Sep 13 Jul 21 Jun 1 2010 2010 2010 Approve 49 41 39 Disapprove 44 51 42 DK/NA 7 8 19 10. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling illegal immigration? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 28% 6% 54% 20% 26% 30% Disapprove 60 88 32 66 65 56 DK/NA 12 6 14 14 10 15 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Approve 32% 29% 24% 32% 25% 25% 54% 31% 12% Disapprove 51 62 64 56 63 68 29 57 80 DK/NA 17 9 12 13 13 8 17 12 8 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Approve 25% 35% 14% 14% 21% Disapprove 62 54 78 75 67 DK/NA 13 11 8 11 12 TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling illegal immigration? Sep 13 Jul 21 2010 2010 Approve 28 30 Disapprove 60 58 DK/NA 12 12 20. Would you say that Barack Obama shares your values or not? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes 46% 10% 80% 42% 41% 50% No 49 86 15 51 54 44 DK/NA 6 4 5 7 5 6 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Yes 55% 43% 41% 50% 46% 39% 79% 56% 19% No 41 51 51 43 51 55 17 38 76 DK/NA 5 5 7 7 3 6 5 6 5 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Yes 44% 50% 23% 28% 40% No 50 45 74 68 55 DK/NA 6 5 3 4 5 24. Do you think immigration reform should primarily move in the direction of integrating illegal immigrants into American society or in the direction of stricter enforcement of laws against illegal immigration? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Integrating 24% 7% 39% 24% 23% 24% Stricter enforcement 68 87 50 68 70 66 DK/NA 9 6 11 7 7 10 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Integrating 32% 25% 17% 25% 24% 32% 45% 25% 13% Stricter enforcement 61 67 74 68 70 61 43 66 82 DK/NA 7 9 9 8 6 7 12 10 5 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Integrating 20% 34% 13% 11% 20% Stricter enforcement 71 57 81 82 73 DK/NA 9 9 7 7 7 TREND: Do you think immigration reform should primarily move in the direction of integrating illegal immigrants into American society or in the direction of stricter enforcement of laws against illegal immigration? Sep 13 Jul 21 Jun 1 2010 2010 2010 Integrating 24 22 26 Enforcement 68 69 66 DK/NA 9 8 8 25. As you may know, under our constitution and current laws, all children born in the United States are automatically granted citizenship. Do you think we should continue to grant citizenship to all children born in the US or do you think this should be changed so children of illegal immigrants are not automatically granted citizenship? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Grant citizenship 45% 27% 62% 42% 43% 46% Laws should change 48 67 31 51 51 46 DK/NA 7 6 7 7 6 8 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Grant citizenship 52% 46% 37% 48% 44% 44% 65% 51% 29% Laws should change 43 46 56 47 50 49 28 45 64 DK/NA 4 7 6 5 5 7 7 4 7 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Grant citizenship 43% 50% 35% 31% 38% Laws should change 51 43 58 61 58 DK/NA 6 8 7 8 3 32. Would you say you have a generally favorable or unfavorable opinion of Islam, the muslim religion? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favorable 38% 24% 49% 42% 40% 37% Unfavorable 40 58 28 37 40 39 DK/NA 22 18 23 21 19 24 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Favorable 48% 40% 33% 38% 38% 45% 59% 45% 22% Unfavorable 33 42 43 38 41 41 18 33 59 DK/NA 19 18 25 24 21 14 23 22 19 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Favorable 33% 53% 22% 27% 40% Unfavorable 43 30 58 51 36 DK/NA 24 17 20 22 24 33. Every religion has mainstream beliefs, and also fringe elements or extremists. Thinking of mainstream Islam, do you think mainstream Islam encourages violence against non-Muslims, or is it a peaceful religion? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Encourages violence 27% 40% 15% 28% 27% 26% Peaceful religion 50 39 59 53 54 47 DK/NA 23 21 26 20 19 27 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Encourages violence 17% 28% 33% 28% 27% 21% 11% 21% 41% Peaceful religion 65 51 40 45 57 64 70 56 36 DK/NA 18 22 27 27 16 15 19 23 23 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Encourages violence 29% 19% 40% 35% 22% Peaceful religion 43 68 35 39 53 DK/NA 27 13 24 26 25 34. Do you think President Obama shares your view of mainstream Islam or not? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes 43% 30% 58% 43% 47% 40% No 34 53 18 34 34 34 DK/NA 23 17 24 24 19 26 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Yes 54% 46% 34% 40% 47% 54% 67% 49% 27% No 28 34 39 34 36 33 12 29 51 DK/NA 18 21 26 26 17 13 20 22 22 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn RESPONSE Q33... Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Violnt Peaceful Yes 38% 58% 29% 31% 47% 10% 75% No 38 25 50 46 34 77 11 DK/NA 25 17 21 23 19 14 14 35. Do you think it is appropriate to build a mosque and Islamic center near ground zero, or do you think it would be wrong to do so? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes/Appropriate 28% 10% 41% 31% 32% 24% No/Wrong to do so 63 86 48 61 61 66 DK/NA 9 4 11 8 7 10 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Yes/Appropriate 41% 25% 23% 27% 32% 30% 54% 34% 10% No/Wrong to do so 51 66 70 65 60 62 38 56 85 DK/NA 9 9 7 8 8 7 8 10 5 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn RESPONSE Q33... Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Violnt Peaceful Yes/Appropriate 23% 41% 14% 19% 20% 9% 44% No/Wrong to do so 68 51 79 75 70 90 47 DK/NA 9 8 7 6 10 1 9 36. Regardless of whether you think it is appropriate to build a mosque near ground zero, do you think the Muslim group has the right to build a mosque there, or don't they have that right? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes/Have the right 70% 59% 74% 76% 77% 64% No/Dn't have right 25 36 20 20 19 30 DK/NA 5 5 6 4 4 6 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Yes/Have the right 76% 72% 65% 65% 79% 78% 85% 73% 60% No/Don't have right 21 23 29 30 16 21 12 22 34 DK/NA 3 4 7 5 5 1 3 5 5 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn RESPONSE Q33... Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Violnt Peaceful Yes/Have the right 64% 86% 61% 66% 68% 51% 87% No/Don't have right 31 9 33 29 29 45 11 DK/NA 5 5 6 5 3 4 2 37. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the Ground Zero mosque controversy? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 31% 10% 52% 28% 30% 31% Disapprove 44 71 19 47 48 40 DK/NA 25 19 29 24 22 28 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Approve 35% 31% 29% 34% 32% 31% 53% 37% 13% Disapprove 29 47 52 37 48 56 16 37 68 DK/NA 37 22 19 29 21 12 32 26 19 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn RESPONSE Q33... Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Violnt Peaceful Approve 28% 39% 19% 23% 25% 13% 44% Disapprove 45 40 61 58 54 72 32 DK/NA 27 21 19 20 21 14 24
