John Zogby and our very own blogger Zeljka Buturovic recently published an article in the National Review analyzing the political tendencies of self-described libertarians.  They suggest that overall, libertarians can be seen as a part of the conservative coalition.  For example, even while libertarians describe their ideology as “libertarian” (as opposed to progressive, liberal, conservative, or very conservative), when asked to identify their ideology on a 1-9 scale (with 1 being very liberal and 9 being very conservative), they are similar to those who call themselves conservative or very conservative. From the article:

We at Zogby ask two questions about ideology: a qualitative one, where people can choose a political label — progressive, liberal, moderate, conservative, very conservative, or libertarian — and a quantitative one, in which we ask them to position themselves on a 1–9 ideological scale, where 1 is extremely liberal and 9 is extremely conservative.

In all our surveys, almost all our respondents answer both questions. Our December 2009 survey results are typical. First, we found 2 percent of likely voters describing their ideology as “libertarian.” Second, over 90 percent of these self-described libertarians were willing to position themselves on a continuum between Left and Right — although they were free to say they were “something else” or “not sure.” Of those who answered the question, 89 percent chose 5 or higher, with most choosing 6, 7, or 8. Here are the average scores for various ideological groups on our 1–9 scale in our December survey:

	Average ideological score on a 1-9 scale
Progressive	1.7
Liberal	2.8
Moderate	4.8
Conservative	7.1
Very conservative	8.3
Libertarian	6.4
Total

What are your opinions on libertarians and libertarianism? Can it (or should it) be considered a separate political movement or political philosophy?

Katy John Zogby, politics politics

In celebration of Presidents Day, a recent Zogby poll asked respondents to write in their selection for the greatest US President.  Abraham Lincoln took first place overall, with 22% of our respondents naming him  as the greatest President. Rounding out the top three were Ronald Reagan, with 19% of the vote, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, with 16% of the vote.

Partisan differences were quite clear on this poll. Among Republicans only, Ronald Reagan is the top choice, with 40%  of Republicans naming him as the greatest President.  Among Democrats only, Franklin D. Roosevelt is the winner, with 28% of the vote among Democrats. Independents largely mirrored the overall vote in choosing Lincoln, with 23% of Independents naming him the greatest President.

Who do you think is the greatest President and why? Do any of these results surprise you?

Katy Uncategorized history, holidays, politics

Results of a new Zogby poll on cloture, health care reform, and partisanship show sharp differences between Republicans, Democrats, and Independents on each of these issues. Cloture stands out as one area that is especially partisan: eliminating the 60 vote cloture rule is supported by 32% of Americans, 52% of Democrats, 11% of Republicans, and 28% of Independents.  You can read our full release and additional numbers from this poll here.

Do you support any revisions to the current cloture rules? Do you think Republicans would be more likely to eliminate the 60 vote rule if they held the majority in Congress?

Katy Uncategorized politics

One year into Obama’s presidency, a majority of Americans are proud to have Obama as President.  A Zogby poll conducted just before Obama’s recent State of the Union Address found that 51% of Americans overall, along with 88% of Democrats, 45% of Independents, and 11% of Republicans, said they were proud to have Obama as President.  The full press release can be read here.

What do you think – are you proud or ashamed to have Obama as President? Can one be proud to have Obama as President while still disapproving of the job he is doing?

Katy politics Obama, politics, zogby

Massachusetts:  When a Hunch Is Not a Poll

by John Zogby

You all know the story of the seven blind men and the elephant. It all depends what you feel and how you sense it. I have seen some blogs following my discussion on Sean Hannity’s Radio Show yesterday (January 18, linked above) where he asked what I “think” is going to happen in Massachusetts. I told  him I didn’t know. I don’t think that the polls that are out have gotten to measure the full impact of President’s visit. But I also think that the Democrats have a better get-out-the-vote operation. There are lots of variables but at the moment I thought Martha Coakley “might win” by less than a point.

That, my friends, is a hunch. I have not polled Massachusetts on this race and I have stated that Coakley has run an arrogant, aloof campaign – while Scott Brown has defied expectations.

In the full interests of truth: I have no idea what is going to happen. Actually no one does. Some have data that suggests – that often enough has been me. Others have no data and still suggest. This time that is me.

I am so proud of my record over the years. I am so gratified that so many people care what I think. But this particular time it is based on a hunch. We will see.

ZogbyFeaturedContributor elections politics

There’s been no shortage of interest in the 2010 midterm elections, though they’re still ten months away. Conventional wisdom holds that the party in power usually loses seats in midterm elections while the opposition party (this year, the Republicans) gains.  Do Americans believe the Republicans are going to have a good 2010?

Yes, according to the results of a Zogby poll conducted at the end of December.  We asked our respondents whether  Republicans would have a better 2010, a worse 2010, or whether 2010 would be about the same as 2009. We then asked the same about the Democrats. Overall, 53% of our respondents thought the Republicans would have a better 2010,  while 17% thought they would have a worse 2010, 23% thought 2010 would be about the same as 2009, and 7% were not sure. Republicans were especially optimistic on their party’s outlook, with 89% of them believing the Republican party will have a better 2010.

Meanwhile,  only 13% of Americans thought Democrats would have a better 2010, while 60% thought they would have a worse 2010, 21% thought 2010 would be about the same as 2009, and 6% were not sure. Democrats were somewhat more optimistic than the general public, with 28% believing their party will have a better 2010.

What are your predictions for Democrats and Republicans in the upcoming year? Do you believe it is a given that Republicans will gain seats and Democrats will lose seats in the midterm elections?

Katy Uncategorized parties, politics

“Though impressions are better than they were when George W. Bush was president, most Americans continue to believe that the United States is less respected by the rest of the world.” So begins a section of a report by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press examining people’s beliefs about how the U.S is viewed in the rest of the world. A majority of those surveyed, 56%, believe that the U.S. is less respected by other countries than in the past. However, the percentage of those believing the U.S. is more respected by other countries than in the past (21%) is the highest number in five years.

Not surprisingly, partisan differences are evident on this question.  7% of Republicans feel the U.S. is more respected by other countries than in the past, compared to 30% of Democrats and 21% of Independents.

Do you feel the U.S. is more or less respected by other countries than in the past? Why?

Katy international international, politics

What is America’s place in the world?

It’s a complicated question, but results of a new survey from Pew Research Center for the  People and the Press indicate that the percentage of Americans expressing isolationist views has reached an all-time high. 49% of those surveyed  by Pew agreed that “the U.S. should mind its own business, and let others get along on their own” – the highest percentage on record since Pew and Gallup began asking this question in 1964.

However, not all Americans are equally likely to feel  this way. Pew also interviewed members of the Council on Foreign Relations , an organization whose  members are (from their website) “leaders in government, business, finance, media, academia, and a wide range of nonprofit organizations.”   When asked about US leadership in the world, a plurality of the general public (70%) and CFR members (92%) favor a “shared leadership role” for the U.S. However,  only 19% of the general public believe the U.S. should be “most active” in this shared leadership role. In contrast, 62% of CFR members believe the US should be “most assertive” in this shared leadership role.

What are your feelings on America’s place in the world, and how have they changed (if at all) in recent years? Why do you think opinions on America’s place in the world are different among the general public and leaders, as represented by CFR members?

Katy Uncategorized international, politics

The latest Zogby approval numbers for Obama are out and show Obama’s overall job approval rating at 49%, a number unchanged from the last time we asked about Obama’s job approval three weeks ago on October 19. While ratings of Obama among core supporters such as First Globals™, Democrats, and Liberals remain high, ratings among independents have dipped slightly, from 47% approval on September 28, to 43% on October 19, to 40% on our most recent survey. Pollster John Zogby notes that “inside this poll are warning signs for the President…given his drop among independents, who our polling finds include many conservatives, the President has little slack to give from his base.”

The complete press release can be read here. What are your feelings on these numbers? Should Obama be worried about the decline in approval among independents if his overall approval remains steady?

Katy first globals first globals, John Zogby, Obama, politics, polls, war, zogby

Today, the politics of Afghanistan are Obama’s problem, and what he said during the campaign now gives him much less room to maneuver in Afghanistan, especially politically.

A Zogby Interactive poll of nearly 2,300 likely voters conducted Nov. 4-6 reinforces the dilemma Obama now faces with Afghanistan.

Read John Zogby’s column at Forbes.com that discusses the latest public opinion on the War in Afghanistan and finds several similarities to the Vietnam War.

Paul John Zogby, war elections, John Zogby, Obama, politics, war, zogby