Poll Hub

Our brand-new NPR/PBS NewsHour Poll asked Americans to rate Republicans and Democrats on a wide array of key issues. The results provide deeper insight into how voters may choose their local candidates in November's midterm elections. Pluralities view the GOP as more equipped to deal with big issues such as the economy and crime while Democrats are favored on issues like climate change and abortion that, historically, have been less of a factor in election outcomes. We explore whether the past will be prologue this time around.

New Jersey has joined the growing list of U.S. states legalizing marijuana. And, it turns out, a surprising number of Americans of every stripe support the idea. So this begs the question, why is buying or using weed still a Federal crime and why are the odds of changing that so slim?

Finally, Mary Griffith helps Lee get through this week's fun fact. It turns out, cartoon pets are not his expertise.

Happy Earth Day! In honor of today, we're looking at climate change from two perspectives.

First, going carbon neutral. According to a recent Pew survey, Americans largely favor taking steps towards becoming carbon neutral. Other polls show a majority of Americans -- in some cases majorities of Democrats and Republicans -- are willing to make sacrifices to address global warming, but a majority also think it may not be enough.

Then, Katherine Hayhoe, Chief Scientist at the Nature Conservancy, as well as Professor of Political Science at Texas Tech, joins us to talk about faith and climate science. As a Christian and a scientist, she has a fascinating perspective on the interconnected nature of faith and climate change. You can find out more about her work here, by following her on Twitter @KHayhoe, or by getting her book “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.” 

Finally, our fun fact is about another changing climate -- fast food! Why are polls misaligned with sales?

A new Gallup poll shows that for the first time since 2016, Americans are worried "a great deal" about crime. Republicans say crime is flourishing in Democrat-led cities, but the stats say otherwise: The states with the highest murder rates voted for Donald Trump in 2020. Still, crime overall is still on the rise and Democrats recognize the political peril it provides. What do polls say about how big a deal it could be in the 2022 midterms?

Baseball fans were forced to wait a week for opening day due to the labor battle between the players and the team owners. Let's just say polls show the fans aren't happy about this. But is that really the biggest problem baseball faces?

It is hard to be left-handed in a world designed for right-handed people, or is it? We have one lefty on our team who wants to be heard -- and he's raising his (left) hand.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed into law the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill which bans some classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity. But, is this what Americans want? Harvard University professor Michael Bronski (@MichaelBronski) joins us to discuss the new law, recent polls, and to give his perspective about what may really be going on with this law and others like it.

Then, parents are allegedly angry with the treatment of their kids' education during the pandemic and there's some polling to back that up. But, jumping to the conclusion that this may benefit Republicans in the 2022 midterms is not necessarily supported by the evidence. Our resident parent expert (and parent...and Executive Producer) Mary Griffith joins to discuss.

Finally, just in time for the boys of spring returning, Lee's fun fact is all about baseball in another era.

Our latest America Now: National Outlook Index is out, and it shows Americans have turned slightly more pessimistic about the US with the index at 6.4. The biggest factor is concern about the economy, with the economic index at 5.4. Other parts of the index are fairly steady, and we discuss how the index is reflecting the mood of the country.

Congress seems to finally agree on something! The Senate unanimously passed a bill to make Daylight Savings Time permanent. But, do Americans agree? We look into what Americans see as the benefits and the dangers of this change.

Have you ever woken up from an amazing dream, but just can't seem to remember it? This week's fun fact shows you may not be alone.

Make sure to check out the entire America Now: National Outlook Index here: maristpoll.com/america-now-index/

Congress has been unpopular among Americans for a long time, and the current approval rating of 18% isn't anywhere near the historic low. But, it's half what it was a year ago and one group is most responsible for the decline. Who are they and why are they losing the love?

Then, we're looking at the relationship between the elderly and tech. S. Jay Olshansky, Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, joins to discuss new studies that show adults 65 and older have a strong desire to use technology but lack the know-how to do so. Yet, thanks to the pandemic, that's changing fast.

Our fun fact this week is all about the daily newspaper, and it's so good, we went back to 1937 just to find it!

See S. Jay Olshansky's work here: http://www.sjayolshansky.com/sjo/Background.html or twitter @sjayolshansky.

About Poll Hub

Each week, Poll Hub goes behind the science to explain how polling works, what polls really show, and what the numbers really mean. Poll Hub is produced by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, home of America’s leading independent college public opinion poll, the Marist Poll.

Lee Miringoff (Director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion), Barbara Carvalho (Director of the Marist Poll), and Jay DeDapper (Director of Innovation at the Marist Poll) dig deep to give you a look at the inner workings of polls and what they tell us about our world, our country, and ourselves.

For Women's History Month, the Poll Hub team is looking at what Americans think about the progress of women in society versus what some data shows. It's especially timely since the pandemic has had outsized impacts on women -- especially moms and service industry workers.

Next up, our new poll of New York City residents provided some good news for the new mayor Eric Adams. But his approval rating only tells part of the story. We unpack the data to see what's really happening. You can see the poll here: https://maristpoll.marist.edu/polls/marist-new-york-city-poll-mayor-eric-adams-job-performance-march-2022/

The team wraps up this week's episode with an up-"beat" discussion of musical instruments.

The plethora of post-State of the Union polls underscores the importance of a poll's timing. The Poll Hub team analyzes a handful of polls to compare how the numbers change with just a few days difference in field. Today’s outlier could be tomorrow’s conventional wisdom. 

The Poll Hub team also welcomes Jane McManus, Director of the Marist College Center for Sports Communication, to discuss the results of the Center's latest collaboration with the Marist College Poll. The topics: paying student athletes and sports betting.

This week's fun fact is sure to rile some of you up! We tackle the big debate of cats or dogs.

About Poll Hub

Each week, Poll Hub goes behind the science to explain how polling works, what polls really show, and what the numbers really mean. Poll Hub is produced by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, home of America’s leading independent college public opinion poll, the Marist Poll.

Lee Miringoff (Director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion), Barbara Carvalho (Director of the Marist Poll), and Jay DeDapper (Director of Innovation at the Marist Poll) dig deep to give you a look at the inner workings of polls and what they tell us about our world, our country, and ourselves.

President Joe Biden's State of the Union address is in the rearview mirror, and it's time to look at how Americans view his job performance. According to brand new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll results, Biden enjoys a bump in his approval rating, with 47% saying they approve of his overall job performance, an 8-point increase from last week. Approval of his handling of Ukraine and the economy also saw a boost. The team dives into how the numbers have changed and discuss the impact for the Biden Administration.

Then, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is front and center globally. We are joined by special guest Dr. Greta Uehling, cultural anthropologist, lecturer, and professor at the University of Michigan. Dr. Uehling shares her research about the refugee situation in Ukraine and what she thinks the future holds. If you are interested in finding out more about Dr. Uehling's work, check out her new book titled, "Everyday War: The Conflict over Donbas, Ukraine."

If you are looking for ways to aid the humanitarian effort in Ukraine, our team has compiled some resources for you to explore:

https://www.care.org/

https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/news/msf-assesses-response-ukraine-conflict-escalates

https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-ukraines-media-going
 

More can be found here:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-refugees-donations/

About Poll Hub

Each week, Poll Hub goes behind the science to explain how polling works, what polls really show, and what the numbers really mean. Poll Hub is produced by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, home of America’s leading independent college public opinion poll, the Marist Poll.

Lee Miringoff (Director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion), Barbara Carvalho (Director of the Marist Poll), and Jay DeDapper (Director of Innovation at the Marist Poll) dig deep to give you a look at the inner workings of polls and what they tell us about our world, our country, and ourselves.

The results from our brand new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll do not paint a pretty picture for Joe Biden. His approval rating is the lowest it has ever been in our poll. Majorities think he's failed and hasn't lived up to his campaign promises. Plus, most Americans want Biden to shift his focus from COVID to something else -- the biggest share arguing for inflation to get more attention from the White House.

Then, we've talked to a lot of experts and sorted through a lot of data trying to understand how work has changed with the pandemic. On this episode, we're talking to UCSF Sociologist Dr. Kristen Harknett about her work documenting how shift workers have adapted to the changes. Even as employers complain of having to scramble to fill vacancies, there is new evidence that service workers are not winning any meaningful, long-term gains.

Finally, have you been itching to get back to concerts, or even the opera? We're going back to 1973 to see what inflation has done to ticket prices!

Check out the study here: https://shift.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/COVIDUpdate_Brief_Final.pdf

Follow Kristen on Twitter: @KristenHarknett

About Poll Hub

Each week, Poll Hub goes behind the science to explain how polling works, what polls really show, and what the numbers really mean. Poll Hub is produced by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, home of America’s leading independent college public opinion poll, the Marist Poll.

Lee Miringoff (Director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion), Barbara Carvalho (Director of the Marist Poll), and Jay DeDapper (Director of Innovation at the Marist Poll) dig deep to give you a look at the inner workings of polls and what they tell us about our world, our country, and ourselves.