Americans' Attitudes On Economic Issues Have Shifted, Per Franklin & Marshall College Poll With Hearst Television

Americans' Attitudes On Economic Issues Have Shifted, Per Franklin & Marshall College Poll With Hearst Television

Healthcare an Increased Concern, with 56% of Those Dissatisfied Citing Cost

LANCASTER, Pa., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the G-20 Summit commences in nearby Pittsburgh, Lancaster-based Franklin & Marshall College announced findings of a new Franklin & Marshall College Poll, produced in partnership with Hearst Television.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090924/NY81332 )

Among the findings:
-- Americans' attitudes on economic and governance issues have shifted
noticeably. Half say the "economy/personal finances/cost of living"
remains the #1 "problem" facing them and their families - down from 65
percent (of registered voters) in October 2008. The second greatest
problem cited - "healthcare/insurance" - jumped to 19 percent from 9
percent in October 2008. "Government/politicians" ballooned as a
"problem" from 1 percent in October 2008 to 5 percent today, while
"gasoline/oil/energy prices" evaporated as a "problem" - to zero today
from 4 percent in October 2008 and 22 percent in June 2008.
-- Additionally, only 54 percent say these "problems" can be solved
with the help of government, down from 68 percent in October 2008.
-- On the healthcare issue, a substantial number (88%) of Americans say
they have healthcare coverage provided by their employer, or a private
plan, or a government plan such as Medicare, Medicaid or SCHIP, while
12 percent indicate they do not have coverage. However, one in five
(19%) Americans went without coverage at some point during the last
year.
-- Americans support the president's healthcare reform proposals over
Republican proposals in Congress by a roughly two to one margin (47%
to 21%). Still, a third (32%) of respondents could not say who has
better ideas.
-- While more than three in four (79%) Americans favor healthcare
reform, paradoxically, a nearly identical number (78%) say the
current healthcare system is meeting their needs "very well" or
"pretty well," with only 21 percent saying the current system is
not meeting their needs. Among those who are dissatisfied with the
current system, cost is overwhelmingly cited (56%) as a primary
concern.
-- When asked how the U.S. healthcare system compares to that of
other industrialized nations, 36 percent say it is "above
average," 29 percent say "average," and 30 percent say "below
average." The cost of healthcare (18%) and the availability of
health insurance coverage (19%) were significant problems for
about one in five adults during the past year.
-- The healthcare debate continues to influence Americans' attitudes
toward the administration. A slim majority (51%) of registered
Americans believe President Obama is doing an "excellent" or "good"
job, while nearly as many (47%) believe he is doing a "fair" or "poor"
job. A large majority (74%) of Democrats indicate the president is
doing an "excellent" or "good" job, versus 25 percent who say he is
doing an "only fair" or "poor" job.
-- The president's job performance ratings among Republicans are
substantially lower (13% "excellent" or "good" and 83% "only fair"
or "poor") and among Independents are more divided (47%
"excellent" or "good" and 54% "only fair" or "poor").

-- Also, roughly half (51%) of registered Americans approve of the
president's handling of the situation in Afghanistan; 29 percent
disapprove. In addition, 54 percent say they personally favor the U.S.
military operation in Afghanistan, while 36 percent oppose.

Complete results can be found at http://politics.fandm.edu/.

These results are based on interviews conducted September 15-21, 2009. The interviews were conducted at the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin and Marshall College under the direction of the poll's Director Dr. G. Terry Madonna, Head Methodologist Berwood Yost, Project Manager Jennifer Harding, and Research Associate Bradly Nankerville. The data included in this release represent the responses of 1,046 adults in the United States, and 900 of them are registered to vote. Telephone numbers for the survey were generated using random digit dialing, and respondents were randomly selected from within each household. Survey results were weighted (age, education, race, region, and gender) using an iterative weighting algorithm. The sample error for adults is +/- 3 percentage points and for registered adults is +/- 3.3 percentage points.

This is the fourth national poll in a series produced at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., with Hearst Television; the partnership, whose first poll was in June 2008, was forged out of a longstanding regional relationship between Franklin & Marshall and Hearst station WGAL-TV, the NBC affiliate serving the Lancaster/Harrisburg TV market.

This is the first Franklin & Marshall College Poll to focus on health care policy, an area of academic strength for the College. Contributors to the poll included Senior Associate Dean of the Faculty, Vice Provost for Planning and Institutional Research and Professor of Economics Alan Caniglia, Professor of Economics Sean Flaherty and The Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government Joseph Karlesky. The Franklin & Marshall College Poll has assessed the views of the residents and voters of Pennsylvania since 1992.

Hearst Television Inc., formerly known as Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc., is a leading local media company comprising 29 television stations and two radio stations. The Company's television stations reach approximately 18% of U.S. TV households, making it one of America's largest television station groups. It also owns more than three dozen websites and multicasts more than two dozen digital channels providing news, weather and entertainment programming. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst Corporation. The Company's Web address is www.hearsttelevision.com.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090924/NY81332
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN5
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Hearst Television Inc.

CONTACT: Dr. G. Terry Madonna, Director of the Center for Politics and
Public Affairs, Director, Franklin and Marshall College Poll, Professor of
Public Affairs, Franklin & Marshall College, +1-717-291-4052 Office, +1-717
575-2164 Cell, +1-717 358-4666 Fax, terry.madonna@fandm.edu; or For Hearst
Television Inc.: Tom Campo, Campo Communications, LLC, +1-212-590-2464,
tom@campocommunications.com

Web Site: http://www.hearsttelevision.com/

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