March 1, 2012 - New Jersey Same-Sex Marriage Support At New High, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Back Holding Referendum More Than 2-1 Word format Support for same-sex marriage in New Jersey climbs to a new high, 57 - 37 percent, but voters split 48 - 47 percent on whether Gov. Christopher Christie did the right thing in vetoing same- sex marriage legislation, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Voters support 67 - 28 percent Gov. Christie's proposal to let them decide the same-sex marriage issue by placing it on the ballot for a November referendum, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Support for same-sex marriage is 61 - 32 percent among women and 51 - 44 percent among men. White Catholics support the move 52 - 43 percent while white Protestants are opposed 50 - 42 percent. Voters who attend religious services weekly oppose same-sex marriage 54 - 39 percent while those who attend services less frequently support the measure 66 - 29 percent. Given three options for same-sex couples: 47 percent support same-sex marriage; 34 percent support same-sex civil unions; 13 percent say there should be no legal recognition. "So the New Jersey State Legislature passed same-sex marriage and Gov. Christopher Christie vetoed it. What's left, for now anyway, is a political issue," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "The numbers are all over the lot. Voter support for same-sex marriage goes up every time we ask, but about half of them think Christie was right to veto it. By better than 2-1, they like the governor's proposal for a referendum." "Only a small percentage thinks there should be no legal recognition of same-sex relationships, but a fair number prefer the state's current legalization of civil unions. And they approve Christie's conditional-veto proposal to ensure that civil unions provide enough protection," Carroll added. New Jersey voters approve 50 - 43 percent of the way Christie is handling education and say 60 - 32 percent his proposal to limit teacher tenure is a good idea. Opinions on other education questions are: By a 57 - 25 percent margin, voters have a favorable opinion of public school teachers; By a 46 - 31 percent margin, voters have an unfavorable opinion of the New Jersey Education Association. Voters in union households are favorable 42 - 37 percent; Voters oppose school vouchers 50 - 44 percent; Voters oppose expanding charter schools 52 - 41 percent; Voters say 72 - 24 percent that merit pay for good teachers is a good idea. Judicial Nominations New Jersey voters know little about issues surrounding the governor's nomination of two Supreme Court judges: 69 percent say they have not read or heard about the nominations of Phil Kwon and Bruce Harris; Asked if they approve of Kwon's nomination, 80 percent have no opinion; 81 percent have no opinion of Harris' nomination; 62 percent have no opinion on whether the State Bar Association has too much influence over judicial appointments. "The appointment of two justices to the seven-member Supreme Court matters a lot, but most voters aren't interested. Political insiders, including pollsters, also are watching the governor's potential squabble with the Bar Association. Again, most voters couldn't care less," Carroll said. From February 21 - 27, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,396 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia 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. 28. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Christopher Christie is handling education? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Approve 50% 79% 25% 54% 56% 45% Disapprove 43 16 68 39 38 48 DK/NA 7 5 7 7 6 7 Union HAVE KIDS.... Philly HsHlds <18 PubSch Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Approve 40% 50% 51% 34% 46% 64% 47% 60% Disapprove 54 45 44 61 46 32 47 34 DK/NA 6 5 4 5 9 4 6 6 COLLEGE DEG AGE IN YEARS..... ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME Yes No 18-49 50-64 65+ <30K 30-50 50-100 >100 Approve 44% 53% 48% 51% 52% 44% 47% 54% 49% Disapprove 49 40 47 42 39 48 44 42 45 DK/NA 7 6 5 7 9 9 9 4 5 TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Christopher Christie is handling education? Mar 01 Aug 17 Jun 21 Apr 21 Feb 10 Dec 21 2012 2011 2011 2011 2011 2010 Approve 50 44 41 44 47 45 Disapprove 43 52 55 52 48 49 DK/NA 7 5 4 4 5 6 29. Is your opinion of New Jersey's public school teachers favorable, unfavorable, or haven't you heard enough about them? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favorable 57% 48% 67% 56% 58% 56% Unfavorable 25 34 14 28 29 23 Hvn't hrd enough 14 14 16 13 11 16 REFUSED 4 5 2 3 2 5 Union HAVE KIDS.... Philly HsHlds <18 PubSch Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Favorable 68% 59% 60% 56% 56% 57% 63% 55% Unfavorable 18 30 32 28 25 29 23 24 Hvn't hrd enough 10 9 6 12 16 10 12 16 REFUSED 3 2 2 4 3 4 2 4 COLLEGE DEG AGE IN YEARS..... ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME Yes No 18-49 50-64 65+ <30K 30-50 50-100 >100 Favorable 65% 53% 61% 59% 51% 47% 58% 56% 64% Unfavorable 23 27 25 26 24 22 24 27 26 Hvn't hrd enough 10 16 12 13 20 25 13 15 8 REFUSED 2 5 2 3 6 6 5 3 2 TREND: Is your opinion of New Jersey's public school teachers favorable, unfavorable, or haven't you heard enough about them? Mar 01 Jan 19 Apr 21 Feb 10 Dec 21 Nov 11 June 17 2012 2012 2011 2011 2010 2010 2010 Favorable 57 57 64 62 57 56 56 Unfavorable 25 23 16 17 23 24 26 Hvn't hrd enough 14 17 17 18 18 19 16 REFUSED 4 3 3 3 2 1 2 30. Is your opinion of the state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, favorable, unfavorable, or haven't you heard enough about it? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favorable 31% 16% 47% 27% 31% 31% Unfavorable 46 71 22 53 52 41 Hvn't hrd enough 22 13 29 20 16 28 REFUSED 1 - 2 1 1 1 Union HAVE KIDS.... Philly HsHlds <18 PubSch Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Favorable 42% 26% 25% 40% 32% 22% 34% 25% Unfavorable 37 50 53 37 42 62 41 53 Hvn't hrd enough 19 22 21 23 25 15 24 21 REFUSED 2 1 1 - 1 - 1 2 COLLEGE DEG AGE IN YEARS..... ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME Yes No 18-49 50-64 65+ <30K 30-50 50-100 >100 Favorable 35% 28% 31% 33% 27% 29% 32% 34% 29% Unfavorable 51 43 48 47 44 36 36 48 55 Hvn't hrd enough 13 28 21 19 28 34 32 17 15 REFUSED 1 1 1 1 1 1 - - 2 TREND: Is your opinion of the state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, favorable, unfavorable, or haven't you heard enough about it? Mar 01 Jan 19 Apr 21 Feb 10 Dec 21 Nov 11 Jun 17 2012 2012 2011 2011 2010 2010 2010 Favorable 31 29 30 27 27 21 24 Unfavorable 46 44 45 44 48 46 50 Hvn't hrd enough 22 25 24 28 25 32 25 REFUSED 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 31. Some people say that public school teachers who do an outstanding job should be rewarded with additional pay, so called merit pay. Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Good idea 72% 76% 71% 71% 74% 71% Bad idea 24 20 26 26 23 25 DK/NA 4 4 3 4 4 4 Union HAVE KIDS.... Philly HsHlds <18 PubSch Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Good idea 65% 80% 79% 70% 73% 70% 73% 73% Bad idea 33 18 19 26 23 27 23 24 DK/NA 3 2 2 4 4 3 4 4 TREND: Some people say that public school teachers who do an outstanding job should be rewarded with additional pay, so called merit pay. Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea? Mar 01 Jan 19 Apr 21 Feb 10 Nov 11 Jan 21 2012 2012 2011 2011 2010 2010 Good idea 72 66 69 68 67 66 Bad idea 24 30 27 27 28 31 DK/NA 4 5 4 4 5 3 32. Governor Christie wants to limit teacher tenure. Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Good idea 60% 79% 45% 63% 62% 59% Bad idea 32 13 46 29 31 33 DK/NA 8 8 9 7 7 9 Union HAVE KIDS.... Philly HsHlds <18 PubSch Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Good idea 53% 64% 68% 47% 55% 81% 57% 66% Bad idea 40 30 25 46 35 16 35 26 DK/NA 7 6 7 7 10 3 9 8 TREND: Governor Christie wants to limit teacher tenure. Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea? Mar 01 Jan 19 Apr 21 Feb 10 2012 2012 2011 2011 Good idea 60 59 62 62 Bad idea 32 33 32 30 DK/NA 8 8 6 7 33. Do you favor or oppose providing parents with tax money in the form of school vouchers to help pay for their children to attend private or religious schools? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Favor 44% 62% 29% 46% 47% 42% Oppose 50 33 67 48 48 52 DK/NA 6 6 4 6 5 6 Union HAVE KIDS.... Philly HsHlds <18 PubSch Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Favor 39% 50% 45% 37% 40% 50% 50% 49% Oppose 56 44 47 57 55 44 46 45 DK/NA 5 6 7 6 6 6 5 6 TREND: Do you favor or oppose providing parents with tax money in the form of school vouchers to help pay for their children to attend private or religious schools? Mar 01 Jan 19 Apr 21 Feb 10 Nov 24 Jul 03 2012 2012 2011 2011 2009 2001 Favor 44 44 39 43 43 50 Oppose 50 49 56 52 54 43 DK/NA 6 7 6 5 3 7 34. As you may know, charter schools are operated by private or non-profit organizations. The schools are paid for with tax dollars. Do you think there should be an expansion of charter schools in New Jersey or not? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes 41% 53% 33% 39% 42% 40% No 52 40 61 53 51 53 DK/NA 7 7 5 8 7 7 Union HAVE KIDS.... Philly HsHlds <18 PubSch Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Yes 32% 45% 42% 41% 38% 46% 36% 46% No 59 50 52 50 55 47 58 46 DK/NA 8 5 5 10 7 7 6 8 TREND: As you may know, charter schools are operated by private or non-profit organizations. The schools are paid for with tax dollars. Do you think there should be an expansion of charter schools in New Jersey or not? Mar 01 Jan 19 Apr 21 Feb 10 Jan 21 Nov 24 2012 2012 2011 2011 2010 2009 Yes 41 41 36 41 40 38 No 52 51 56 50 52 55 DK/NA 7 8 8 8 8 7 35. Have you heard or read anything about Governor Christie's nominations of Phil Kwon and Bruce Harris to the New Jersey Supreme Court? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes 28% 32% 27% 29% 35% 23% No 69 66 70 70 63 75 DK/NA 2 2 3 2 2 2 36. Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Christie's nomination of Phil Kwon to the New Jersey Supreme Court, or is that something you don't have an opinion on? HrdOfNomsQ35 Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Approve 13% 21% 8% 12% 17% 9% 37% 3% Disapprove 7 4 11 6 8 6 18 2 No opinion 80 75 81 82 75 85 45 95 REFUSED - 1 - - - - - - 37. Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Christie's nomination of Bruce Harris to the New Jersey Supreme Court, or is that something you don't have an opinion on? HrdOfNomsQ35 Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Approve 12% 21% 7% 10% 16% 8% 34% 3% Disapprove 7 3 11 6 8 6 18 3 No opinion 81 76 82 83 76 86 49 94 REFUSED - - - - - - - - 38. Do you think the New Jersey State Bar Association has too much influence over judicial appointments, too little influence over judicial appointments, or about the right amount of influence, or is that something you don't have an opinion on? HrdOfNomsQ35 Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Too much 19% 28% 6% 24% 25% 14% 25% 18% Too little 3 3 4 2 4 2 4 2 Right amount 16 12 19 17 17 14 24 12 No opinion 62 58 70 57 54 69 47 68 REFUSED - - - - - - - - 39. Would you support or oppose a law that would allow same-sex couples to get married? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Support 57% 36% 71% 59% 51% 61% Oppose 37 58 23 35 44 32 DK/NA 6 5 6 7 5 7 WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS Philly Prot Cath Weekly Less Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Support 42% 52% 39% 66% 67% 60% 56% 52% 48% Oppose 50 43 54 29 25 35 37 44 43 DK/NA 7 5 7 5 8 5 7 3 9 COLLEGE DEG AGE IN YEARS..... ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME Yes No 18-49 50-64 65+ <30K 30-50 50-100 >100 Support 70% 48% 67% 58% 40% 47% 53% 56% 65% Oppose 26 45 30 35 51 44 42 37 31 DK/NA 4 7 3 6 9 10 5 6 4 TREND: Would you support or oppose a law that would allow same-sex couples to get married? Mar 01 Jan 19 Nov 25 Apr 23 Dec 7 Nov 8 2012 2012 2009 2009 2006 2006 Support 57 52 46 49 44 41 Oppose 37 42 49 43 50 50 DK/NA 6 6 6 8 5 9 40. Do you think same-sex couples should be allowed legally to marry, should be allowed legally to form civil unions but not marry, or should not be allowed to obtain legal recognition of their relationships? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Marry 47% 29% 61% 51% 45% 49% Civil unions 34 45 24 36 33 34 No recognition 13 20 10 10 16 11 DK/NA 6 6 6 4 6 5 WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS Philly Prot Cath Weekly Less Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Marry 36% 43% 31% 56% 54% 50% 49% 44% 42% Civil unions 40 40 44 28 29 31 37 30 41 No recognition 18 12 18 11 9 13 10 22 12 DK/NA 6 6 6 5 7 6 4 4 6 COLLEGE DEG AGE IN YEARS..... ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME Yes No 18-49 50-64 65+ <30K 30-50 50-100 >100 Marry 61% 39% 59% 46% 31% 36% 40% 49% 58% Civil unions 29 36 28 37 39 30 35 37 32 No recognition 6 18 11 12 19 27 16 10 9 DK/NA 3 7 3 6 10 7 9 5 2 TREND: Do you think same-sex couples should be allowed legally to marry, should be allowed legally to form civil unions but not marry, or should not be allowed to obtain legal recognition of their relationships? Mar 01 Apr 23 2012 2009 Marry 47 42 Civil unions 34 30 No recognition 13 20 DK/NA 6 8 41. As you may know Governor Christie recently vetoed a same-sex marriage bill passed by the state legislature. Do you think Governor Christie did the right thing or the wrong thing? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Right thing 48% 74% 30% 46% 56% 42% Wrong thing 47 24 66 47 40 53 DK/NA 5 2 4 7 5 5 WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS Philly Prot Cath Weekly Less Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Right thing 63% 55% 62% 41% 41% 42% 54% 54% 56% Wrong thing 34 40 32 55 55 52 45 42 38 DK/NA 3 5 6 4 4 6 1 4 5 COLLEGE DEG AGE IN YEARS..... ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME Yes No 18-49 50-64 65+ <30K 30-50 50-100 >100 Right thing 38% 55% 41% 47% 61% 56% 56% 49% 42% Wrong thing 58 40 55 48 34 39 42 46 55 DK/NA 4 5 3 5 5 6 3 5 3 42. Governor Christie says he is prepared to strengthen the state's civil union law. Do you think that is a good idea or bad idea? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Good idea 58% 70% 49% 60% 62% 55% Bad idea 25 17 35 22 24 26 DK/NA 17 13 17 18 14 19 WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS Philly Prot Cath Weekly Less Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Good idea 63% 64% 61% 58% 55% 54% 66% 52% 69% Bad idea 19 19 20 27 31 28 22 27 16 DK/NA 18 17 19 15 14 18 13 21 15 COLLEGE DEG AGE IN YEARS..... ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME Yes No 18-49 50-64 65+ <30K 30-50 50-100 >100 Good idea 56% 60% 59% 58% 59% 51% 60% 57% 64% Bad idea 27 24 28 24 22 30 26 27 22 DK/NA 16 17 13 18 19 19 14 15 13 43. Governor Christie thinks New Jersey voters should decide the issue of same-sex marriage in a referendum in November. Do you think that is a good idea or a bad idea? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Good idea 67% 84% 49% 71% 68% 65% Bad idea 28 15 44 23 28 29 DK/NA 5 1 6 6 4 6 WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS Philly Prot Cath Weekly Less Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Good idea 75% 72% 64% 68% 62% 64% 74% 70% 67% Bad idea 21 23 28 28 33 31 24 23 27 DK/NA 4 5 7 4 5 5 2 7 6 COLLEGE DEG AGE IN YEARS..... ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME Yes No 18-49 50-64 65+ <30K 30-50 50-100 >100 Good idea 64% 68% 69% 68% 62% 58% 62% 71% 68% Bad idea 32 26 26 28 33 37 32 24 28 DK/NA 4 6 5 4 5 6 6 5 4 Demographic Summary
