The Future of the Youth Vote in American Politics:
A study of the political attitudes of youth voters and their perception of
immigration reform and the Republican Party
Alexandra Lawford Pender
American University
Capstone Project
Presented to the Faculty of the School of Communication in Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Political Communication
Advisor: Professor Leonard Steinhorn
April 28, 2014
© Copyright 2014 Alexandra Pender
To obtain permission to use material,
Please send e-mail to pender.alex@gmail.com
2
Acknowledgements
I would first like to thank all 417 survey participants who took my online survey, which
is the basis for my research. Without you I wouldn’t have a capstone. I would also like to
thank my friends, family, and colleagues at KIND for not only passing on my survey but
for listening to me during this capstone process—I know it was a long road. Especially,
Professor Steinhorn and our capstone cohort for helping me throughout this process by
bouncing off ideas, narrowing down topics, and answering questions that came up during
the survey and writing phases. I would also like to thank Assen Assenov and Angel
Bogushev, from the American University Center for Teaching, Research and Learning,
for teaching me how to establish survey weights and how to transfer my data into SPSS.
Thank you everyone. I appreciate it more than you will ever know.
3
Executive Summary
The following capstone looks at this youth voting trend in the United States and
examines how the changing demographics of America could impact the political
landscape in future elections. First, the capstone gives a brief introduction to the topic
and these changing demographics. It then looks at these voting trends and identifies what
issues matter most to youth voters, in particular Latino youth voters and the issue of
immigration reform. The study concentrates extensively on the perception youth voters
have of the Republican Party and the growing demographic changes within the
Democratic Party.
The main research for the capstone is centered on an online survey that was
distributed to youth voters, ages 18-29, between March 19, 2014 - March 30, 2014. The
results of the survey are important to the discussion of why immigration reform shouldn’t
be considered a partisan issue and addresses what Republicans have to do in order to win
over youth voters and Latino youth voters for future elections.
4
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………….3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY………………………………………………………….........4
INTRODUCTION.………………………………………………………………………..6
Current Political Environment…………………………………………………….7
Overview of Demographics……………………………………………………….9
HISTORY/BACKGROUND…………………………………………………………….13
Youth Voting Trends……………………………………………….....................13
Latino Youth Voting Trends……………………………………………………..17
The Republican Party & Latino Voters………………………………………….20
Politics of Immigration Reform……………………………………………….....24
METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………………………....27
RESULTS & DISCUSSION………………………………………………………….....31
Overall results………………………………………………………………........31
Responses to immigration issues…………………………………………….......36
Responses to Republican Party Perception……………………………………....40
CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………......45
WORKS CITED………………………………………………………………………....48
APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………............53
Survey Topline……………………………………………………………….......53
Frequency Charts…………………………………………………………….......59
CROSSTAB APPENDIX ……………………………………………………………….95
5
Introduction
On January 2013, following the 2012 Presidential Election, Senator John McCain
(R-AZ) stated on CNN during an interview with Wolf Blitzer, “I’m not sure if it’s quote
‘politics,’ but it’s certainly the realization that if we continue to polarize the Latino slash
Hispanic vote that the demographics indicate that our chances for being in the majority
are minimal.”1 After the 2012 Presidential Elections all eyes were on the Republican
Party and how they were going to address another loss and the growing gap in voter
demographics. Two of these voter groups that have received a lot of attention are young
voters (ages 18-29) and minority voters (particularly Latinos). Both of these groups voted
in record numbers for President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party starting in 2008
and continued this trend in 2012. The Pew Hispanic Research Center conducted a study
of the Latino vote after the election and concluded that Latino youth, just as the majority
of youth nationwide, supported Obama over Romney, and did so by a wider margin (74%
versus 23% for Latino youth compared with 60% versus 37% among all youth).2
Through my research I want to examine this trend among the youth vote,
specifically looking at how these generational differences are influencing the Latino vote,
which is one of the fastest growing demographics in the country.3 By looking at these
historical voting trends of youth voters and Latino youth voters I want to examine:
 What makes these voters lean towards these Democratic candidates;
 What issues are most prevalent between these two voting groups; and
1
CNN Live Video, “John McCain: Without Backing Immigration Reform, 'Our Chances Of Being In The
Majority Are Minimal,” Mediaite, January 28, 2014 http://videos.mediaite.com/video/John-McCainWithout-Backing-Imm.
2
Mark Hugo Lopez and Paul Taylor, “Latino Voters in the 2012 Election,” Pew Research Center,
November 7, 2012, http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/11/07/latino-voters-in-the-2012-election/.
3
William Frey, “American Reaches Its Demographic Tipping Point,” Brookings Institute, August 26, 2011
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2011/08/26-census-race-frey.
6
 If they differ at all.
Many Republican strategists have pointed to the need to target Latino voters and use
immigration reform as a symbolic platform to win over this demographic.4 In
considering the above questions, I plan to focus my research on determining if
immigration reform alone will be enough to win over the Latino youth vote, or if it is too
late for Republicans to win over these demographics. Overall, I want my study to look at
the growing impact of this generation of youth voters and how it will impact the political
environment into the future.
Current Political Environment
The focus for Republicans right now seems to be how the party can reframe or
rebrand their image in order to win a national election in 2016. This is a big task to
undertake for any political strategist, but can be particularly challenging with the current
political environment. According to a January 2014 Gallup poll, the number of
Americans who identify with the Republican Party fell to 25%, the lowest it has been
since Gallup started recording this statistic twenty-five years ago.5 While people who
identify with the Republican Party are at an all-time low, the number of Americans who
identify as Independents is at an all-time high. According to this poll, 42% of Americans
now identify themselves as Independents.6 This poses the question, what is the driving
force behind independent voters? A recent Pew survey on the Millennial generation
(Americans born between 1980-2000) found that young voters have stopped identifying
4
Henry Barbour, Sally Bradshaw, Ari Fleischer, Zori Fonallesas, and Glenn McCall, “The Growth and
Opportunity Project,” The Republican National Committee, 2013, http://goproject.gop.com/, P.15.
5
Jeffery Jones, “Record-High 42% of Americans Identify as Independents: Republican Identification
lowest in at least 25 years,” Gallup, January 8, 2014, http://www.gallup.com/poll/166763/record-highamericans-identify-independents.aspx.
6
Ibid.
7
with both the Republican and Democratic Parties and consider themselves Independents.7
Actually, 50% of this generation identifies as Independent, with 27% identifying as
Democrat and only 17% Republican.8
Additionally, the general public trust in the U.S. government is at a low of 19%.9
With these statistics and growing animosity towards political parties and general distrust
in the government, one must ask, why is this happening? Many people turn to the
growing partisan divide in Congress and among the American people. According to the
Pew Research Center, which has been tracking the polarization of political values since
1987, the partisan gap among political values in our country has been widening for
decades. The study asked about 48 political values between 1987 and 2002 and found
that there was a 10-point difference between Republicans and Democrats; today that gap
has widened to 18.10 This trend is also widening among members of Congress. Most
representatives are elected from districts dominated by a single party, whose supporters
have grown less moderate over time.11 Because of this it is not surprising that the
congressional parties are now growing further and further apart ideologically. 12 These
figures speak to the changes we are slowly starting to see among party identification in
young voters and where the two dominate political parties are heading. While we might
7
Pew Research Center Report, “Millennials in Adulthood: Detached from Institutions, Networked with
Friends,” Pew Research Center, March 7, 2014, http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-inadulthood/2/#chapter-1-political-trends
8
Ibid.
9
Pew Research Center Report, “Public Trust in Government: 1958-2013,” Pew Research Center, October
18, 2013, http://www.people-press.org/2013/10/18/trust-in-government-interactive/
10
Pew Research Center Report, “Partisan Polarization Surges in Bush, Obama Years,” Pew Research
Center, June 4, 2012, http://www.people-press.org/2012/06/04/partisan-polarization-surges-in-bush-obamayears/
11
Nate Silver, “As Swing Districts Dwindle, Can a Divided House Stand?” The New York Times,
December 27, 2012, http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/as-swing-districts-dwindle-can-adivided-house-stand/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
12
Drew Desilver, “Partisan polarization, in Congress and among public, is greater than ever,” Pew
Research Center, July 17, 2013, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/07/17/partisan-polarization-incongress-and-among-public-is-greater-than-ever/.
8
not see a drastic change in 2016, understanding the youth vote and the demographic
changes happening in America is essential to looking at how presidential elections will
play out in the future.
Democrats have been successful at winning the presidency in 2008 and 2012 with
President Obama. Republicans were successful during the 2010 Midterms at winning
back the House of Representatives. This division between a more liberal Senate and
more conservative House has caused political deadlock in Congress for the past four
years. In addition to Congress being disliked and polarized, they aren’t passing as many
laws as the general public wants. The historical “do-nothing Congress” of 1948 passed
more laws than the current 113th Congress, who to date, have only passed a total of 55
bills into law.13 These numbers are continuing to raise tension within these political
parties because of the continuing distrust from the American people. While the majority
of America blames congress as a whole for the current political deadlock, Republicans
and Democrats are already looking towards 2016 and how, knowing all the information
above, they are going to win a national election.
Overview of demographics
While Republicans have been successful at winning local elections in
conservative held districts, the makeup of the country as a whole is changing and
Republicans are falling behind. The New York Times came out with the following
statistics that show the current racial makeup of the country as a whole, the Democratic
13
Bill Viser, “The Congress going down as least productive,” The Boston Globe, December 4, 2013
http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2013/12/04/congress-course-make-history-leastproductive/kGAVEBskUeqCB0htOUG9GI/story.html.
9
Party, and the Republican Party.14 House districts represented by Democrats are 51.1%
White, 16% Black, and 22.5% Hispanic; Republican represented districts are 74.7%
white, 8.5% Black, and 11.1% Hispanic.15 While Republicans can win local elections
with these primarily white demographics this is not the overall make up of country. A
Brookings analysis of the 2010 Census Survey concluded that 49.8% of infants are
members of a race-ethnic minority—more than a quarter are Hispanic, 13.6% Black, and
4.2% Asian.16 Looking at these numbers it is clear that the demographic makeup of our
country is drastically changing from just a decade ago and will continue to grow in the
coming years. So, what does this mean for the political make up of America?
The graph below, compiled by the Brookings Institute, shows the latest numbers
from the 2010 Census broken down by age and race-ethnic profiles.17 As shown, the
younger generation of America is more ethnically diverse than older Americans. This
significantly impacts the current voting trends among youth voters and among youth
Latino voters, and poses the questions of how the growing non-white population in the
United States will vote in the coming years and how is this going to play out in the
American political demographics.
14
The New York Times Editors, “Racial Makeup of Red and Blue America,” The New York Times, July
12, 2013, http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/12/racial-makeup-of-red-and-blue-america/.
15
Ibid.
16
Frey, “American Reaches Its Demographic Tipping Point,” Brookings Institute.
17
Ibid.
10
William H. Frey: Brookings Institute Image
Issues matter to all voters and especially young voters. Even though there is this
growing trend of Independent voters among youth, their social views have started to
become more liberal than previous generations.18 The following study examines the
historical voting trends of both youth voters overall, as well as Latino youth voters, and
also identifies how and why the Republican Party is trying to reframe their image among
these groups. Immigration reform will also be key in this discussion. As young voters
are leaning more liberal ideologically, it will be interesting to see where immigration
reform stacks up against other social and economic issues.
This paper begins with a background of the youth voting trends and Latino youth
voting trends in the United States and how it has progressed and changed over the years.
It will then look at the history and background of the Democratic and Republican Parties
through the 2008 and 2012 Presidential Elections, and how the electorate of the United
States has shifted. Following that, the Capstone will look at the background of
immigration reform and why it has become a growing partisan issue in American politics.
The current political environment of immigration reform is essential to understanding
because of the potential implications it could have for the Republican Party come 2016.
18
Pew Research Center. “Millennials in Adulthood.”
11
The Capstone then explains the methodology of the survey of youth voters ages 18-29
that was performed March 19, 2014 to March 30, 2014. The capstone project concludes
with the results from the survey and discussion of the findings, concluding with the
implications for the future of immigration reform and the Republican Party.
12
History/Background
Youth Voting Trends
Getting youth voters to become politically engaged early on matters. The
American Voter, by Angus Campbell, was the first definitive research done of the
traditional U.S. voter and found that a person’s voter turnout in past elections is strongly
related to their future turnout.19 This idea has been studied by political scientists for
years and recent research suggests that voting once actually increases the likelihood of
voting in the next election by as much as 50%.20 This habit-forming voting is critically
important to young people because as they learn about the political process and vote at a
young age, they are more likely to do so when they are older.
The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement
(CIRCLE) suggests that, “young people are a major subset of the electorate and their
voices matter: 46 million young people ages 18-29 years old are eligible to vote, while 39
million seniors are eligible to vote.”21 While these numbers are staggering, the youth
vote has not always been a key target demographic for candidates because of the low
voter turnout of youth. Only 39.9% of the youth population in 1988 turned out to vote,
that number increased to 48.6% in 1992 when Bill Clinton (D) won the presidency from
predecessor George H. W. Bush (R).22 From 1992 to 2000 the youth vote dropped back
down to 35% and didn’t make a comeback until 2004.
19
Angus Campbell, et al, The American Voter, (John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1960) p.92-93.
Alan Gerber, et al, “Voting may be habit-forming: Evidence from a randomized field experiment,”
American Journal of Political Science, (2003), vol. 47(3), p.540.
21
CIRCLE, “Youth Voting,” The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement,
July 17, 2013, http://www.civicyout h.org/quick-facts/youth-voting/.
22
Paul Taylor and Mark Hugo Lopez. “Six take-aways from the Census Bureau’s voting report,” Pew
Research Center, May 8, 2013, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/05/08/six-take-aways-from-thecensus-bureaus-voting-report/.
20
13
The 2004 election cycle was a pivotal year for the youth vote. Voters ages 18-29
saw a dramatic increase in 2004 when it went from 40% in 2000 to 49% by 2004—that is
an increase of 4.3 million new youth voters in just four years.23 By 2008 that number
increased again, bringing the total number of youth voters to over 22 million, or 51% of
the total youth voting population.24 Although the youth vote declined again in 2012 to
45% it was still instrumental in electing President Obama for a second term. In fact, this
growing trend of youth voters supporting the Democratic Party has been ongoing since
the 2008 election cycle.
Over the past two Presidential elections, the youth vote has not only been
instrumental in voter turnout, but has become a key base for Democrats. In the 2012
elections, youth voters chose Obama over Romney by 60% to 37%, a 23-point margin.25
Among this demographic, young women tend to turnout at a higher rate than young men
by almost 7%, and young voters with more education (some college or higher) tend to
vote at much higher rates as well—56% versus 29%.26 How youth voted in the past
elections matter because it gives a baseline of how they will most likely vote in future
elections.27
Past voting records aren’t the only determining factor. Understanding how youth
voters today feel about politics in general will also help determine how they identify
themselves and what issues matter most to them. A March 2014 Pew Research Center
study looked at the millennial generation as a whole. While their research covers a wider
23
CIRCLE Staff, “The Youth Vote in 2012,” CIRCLE, May 10, 201, http://www.civicyouth.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/05/CIRCLE_2013FS_outhVoting2012FINAL.pdf.
24
CIRCLE Staff, “Young Voters in the 2008 Presidential Election,” CIRCLE, December 19, 2008,
http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/FactSheets/FS_08_exit_polls.pdf.
25
CIRCLE Staff, “The Youth Vote in 2012.”
26
Ibid.
27
Gerber, “Voting may be habit-forming,” p.540.
14
age range, ages 18-33, it is still a vital look into how the bulk of this generation feels on a
number of very important issues and topics. In the introduction to the study, Pew
concludes that the millennial generation is unattached from organized politics and
religion and is the most racially diverse.28 Millennials view Democrats more favorably
than Republicans and have expanded the age gap in 2008 to more than 21 points and 16
points in 2012.29 However, even though this generation is voting for Democratic
candidates, half of Millennials consider themselves politically independent, surpassing
any other generation.30
Outside of party identification there is also self-identification, where people fall
on the political ideological spectrum between liberal views and conservative views. The
Pew study found that Millennials today are the only generation in which liberals
significantly outnumber conservatives.31 This is evident in how Millennials see
themselves on a number of issues. For example, 68% support same-sex marriage, more
than any other generation today.32 They are also the least likely to identify as a patriotic
person (49%) or a religious person (36%).33 In terms of immigration, Millennials are also
the most supportive, with 55% of the group supportive of undocumented immigrants
being allowed to stay in the U.S. and apply for citizenship and only 16% saying they
should not be allowed to stay legally.34 Pew Research Center compiled the below chart
to show the cross-generational differences of this issue:
28
Pew Research Center, “Millennials in Adulthood,” p. 4.
Ibid, p.11-12.
30
Ibid, p.4.
31
Ibid, p.11.
32
Ibid, p.31.
33
Ibid, p.14.
34
Ibid, p.33.
29
15
Image Credit: Pew Research Center35
When comparing the issues of marriage equality and immigration, Millennials
tend to have a much more liberal outlook than older generations. However, when it
comes to abortion and gun control it is less clear where the majority of Millennials stand
as they tend to view both of these issues close to the national trend among all generations
and is much more spread out.36
One of the most staggering figures to come out of the study were how the political
views of Millennials differ across the racial and ethnic lines. As stated, 51% of
Millennials identify as Independent, and the remainder of the population falls between
24% Republican and 19% Democrat, yet according to the study 47% of non-white
Millennials identify as Independent, 37% Democrat, and only 9% Republican.37 This is a
huge difference in the youth vote and the continuing diverse population in the U.S. Pew
concluded that these partisanship patterns are linked to the views and job approval of
35
Ibid, p.33
Ibid, p.34.
37
Ibid, p.15.
36
16
President Obama: “34% of white Millennials approve of the job Obama is doing as
president, compared with 33% of Gen Xers, 37% of Boomers and 28% of Silents. By
contrast 67% of non-white Millennials give Obama high marks for the job he’s doing as
president.”38 With Millennials being the most diverse generation to date this will
continue to shape and change the way politics is talked about and understood.
Latino Youth Voting Trends
The results from the 2012 exit polls showed that Latinos voted for President
Obama over Romney by 71% to 27%.39 It also concluded that Obama’s national vote
among Latino voters was the highest seen by a Democratic candidate since 1996, when
President Bill Clinton won 72% of the Latino vote.40 The Latino vote has not only
become a highly sought after demographic because of its Democratic Party voting trends,
but also because of the increase in the Latino population in the U.S. and the increase in
potential Latino voters in the coming years.41 However, what is interesting to point out is
that research has shown that while the Latino population is on the rise, actual voter
turnout is relatively low by comparison.42 According to the U.S. Census Bureau the
Latino population has surged 43%, rising to 50.5 million in 2010 from 35.3 million in
2000, constituting 16% of the nation’s total population of 308.7 million people.43 With
the last U.S. census conducted in 2010, these numbers are the most accurate tallies of the
population so far. Due to this ongoing population growth, Latinos comprise a greater
38
Ibid, p.15.
Lopez, “Latino Voters in the 2012 Election,” p.1-19.
40
Ibid.
41
Mark Lopez, Seth Motel, and Eileen Patten, “A Record 24 Million Latinos Are Eligible to Vote, But
Turnout Rate Has Lagged That of Whites, Blacks,” Pew Hispanic Center, October 1, 2012,
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/10/01/a-record-24-million-latinos-are-eligible-to-vote/ p.1-15.
42
Ibid.
43
Sudeep Reddy, “Latinos Fuel Growth in Decade,” The Wall Street Journal, March 25, 2011,
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704604704576220603247344790
39
17
share of the nation’s eligible voters than they did just a few years ago, 11.0% this year, up
from 9.5% in 2008 and 8.2% in 2004.44
Even with a record 12.2 million Latinos casting their vote in 2012, there was also
an estimated 2.5 million Latino’s who were registered but didn’t cast a ballot.45 These
figures continue to grow, there is an additional 8.6 million Latinos eligible to vote but
have not registered, bringing the total number of potential Latino voters to 11.1 million,
almost the same number as Latino’s who voted in 2012.46 The Latino voting population
has become an untapped source for the Latino electorate and is one of the reasons
Republicans have started rebranding their image to appeal to these millions of potential
voters.
It is clear in the research above that the Latino population and voter numbers play
a significant role in making the demographic a target for any political party. As a next
step, it is important to consider what will drive Latino voters to the polls and what issues
will garner the highest political participation. In the 2012 election, Latino voters rated
immigration reform as the second most important U.S. issue, rating the economy first. 47
With immigration such a high priority among this demographic, and with immigration
reform currently stalled in the House, the immigration issue is something Republicans
need to consider if they are attempting to engage with the Latino voter population.
There has been a long and tumultuous relationship between U.S. immigration
policy and U.S. public opinion on immigration, especially when dealing with the Latino
44
Lopez, “A Record 24 Million Latinos Are Eligible to Vote,” p. 1-15.
Gabriel Sanchez, “The Untapped Potential of the Latino Electorate,” Latino Decisions, January 15, 2013,
http://www.latinodecisions.com/blog/2013/01/15/the-untapped-potential-of-the-latino-electorate/.
46
Ibid.
47
Matt Barreto, “New Poll: Immigration Policy stance directly tied to winning the Latino vote,” Latino
Decisions, March 5, 2013, http://www.latinodecisions.com/blog/2013/03/05/new-poll-immigration-policystance-directly-tied-to-winning-the-latino-vote/
45
18
vote.48 It is important to point out that not all Latinos feel the same way about the
immigration issue, just like not all Republicans or all Democrats feel the same way about
the issue. In 2013 with immigration reform on the horizon more Latino voters started
paying attention.49 Today, 58% of Latino voters rate immigration reform as the most
important issue they want Congress and the President to address.50 Going even further to
how immigration reform is now being perceived by Latino voters, 78% say Congress
should focus on immigration reform and the economy at the same time.51 There is no
denying that immigration reform is an important issue for the Latino community, whether
it is a personal tie or a political belief, the Latino voice plays a pivotal role in the debate.
What is not clear is how Latino voters will vote in future elections. While
President Obama got the majority of the Latino vote in the past, research shows that this
number could, and will potentially, change based on the candidates stance on the issues,
not their party affiliation.52 Among Latinos who voted for Obama in 2012, 61% said they
would consider voting for a Republican candidate if they backed a pro-citizenship agenda
within immigration reform and another 43% said they would consider voting for a
Republican candidate if the GOP takes a leadership role in passing immigration reform.53
These numbers clearly point out the importance immigration reform plays among the
Latino community and why the GOP is reframing and targeting Latino voters.
48
Thomas Espenshade and Katherine Hempstead, Contemporary American Attitudes Toward U.S.
Immigration, International Migration Review, (1996), p. 535-570.
49
Barreto, “New Poll: Immigration Policy stance directly tied to winning the Latino vote.”
50
Ibid.
51
Ibid.
52
Ibid.
53
Matt Barreto, “What the GOP has to gain—and lose—among Latinos when it comes to immigration
reform,” Latino Decisions, March 21, 2014, http://www.latinodecisions.com/blog/2014/02/17/latinoprinciples-of-immigration-reform/.
19
The Republican Party and Latino Voters
Looking at the GOP and the party’s stance on immigration issues, it is important
to understand why they are trying to rebrand and reframe their message to voters. During
a press conference, after the Senate introduced their Comprehensive Immigration Reform
bill on April 18, 2013, Senator McCain stated, “Republicans have got to compete for the
Latina/o voters. Right now we are not competitive because right now we are slacking on
immigration reform. We have to pass this piece of Legislation.” Currently there are two
groups with differing goals within the Republican Party (or GOP), the ‘gubernatorial
wing’ and the ‘federal wing’.54 The gubernatorial wing of the party is seen to be
successful and growing while the federal wing has been marginalizing itself among the
American public.55 According to Barbour’s report to the GOP, understanding these two
differing sides is vital to understanding the future of the party.
Barbour’s main suggestion is that the Republican Party must stop this
marginalization and come together as one on the issues, particularly at targeting the
Latino vote, “If Hispanic Americans hear that the GOP doesn’t want them in the United
States, they won’t pay attention to our next sentence. It doesn’t matter what we say about
education, jobs, or the economy; if Hispanics think that we do not want them here, they
will close their ears to our policies”.56 The GOP is currently working on this inclusion
and acceptance among their party but as the Barbour study demonstrates, the majority of
America views Republicans as a party that is not reflective of the average American.57
54
Barbour, “The Growth and Opportunity Project,” p.15.
Ibid.
56
Ibid.
57
Ibid.
55
20
This is where immigration reform has taken a central place in the GOP’s
reframing of the party. Immigration has historically been a very controversial issue for
American politics.58 American values and culture play a vital role in understanding how
immigration has historically been perceived and how it could influence American
perceptions.59 Additionally, party affiliation and religion play an important role in how
American values can affect their perception of an issue, particularly Latino Americans.60
Jones’s research was the largest study ever fielded on immigration, policy, and religious
and cultural changes in the U.S. The study examines how Latino Americans view
immigration reform and how religion plays into their views of reform and party
affiliation. Nearly half (45%) of Americans say the Republican Party’s position on
immigration has hurt the party in recent elections.61 Less than 1-in-10 (7%) Americans
say that the Republican Party’s stance on immigration has helped them in recent
elections; while more than 4-in-10 (42%) say it has not made a difference.62
As pointed out from other research studies, Latino voters have continually
expressed that the Republican Party’s stance on immigration has become a litmus test,
“measuring whether the Party is meeting them with a welcoming mat or a closed door”.63
Ted Brader’s 2008 study looks at the different time frames and how certain group cues
can frame a political attitude on immigration. For example, when the cost of immigration
58
Robert Jones, Cox, D., Navarro-Rivera, J., Dionne, E.J., Galston, W. “Citizenship, Values, & Cultural
Concerns: What Americans Want From Immigration Reform,” Public Religion Research Institute and
Governance Studies at Brookings, (2013),
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2013/03/21%20immigration%20survey%20jones
%20dionne%20galston/citizenship%20values%20and%20cultural%20concerns.pdf, p. 1-61.
59
Ibid.
60
Ibid.
61
Ibid.
62
Ibid.
63
Barbour, “The Growth and Opportunity Project,” p.15.
21
is highlighted in the media there is more negative and anti-immigration sentiment.64 The
aim of the study was to figure out which features of public debate affect popular support
for immigration. What was concluded was that Latino Americans have a much more
emotional tie to the immigration debate than other demographics.65 The way the news
and political groups portray immigration has a much more significant and cultural tie to
Latinos, which in turn increases the impact of the news story on attitudes and behavior.66
Another important factor to consider is where the information is coming from.
For instance the geographical divides that currently exist in the U.S. play a role in how
immigration is framed by Republicans.67 The “red” states in the U.S. tend to vote more
conservatively, voting for the Republican candidate during elections, while the “blue”
states tend to vote more liberal and for the Democratic candidate.68 Within these red and
blue states, particularly examining the swing states (states that can go either red or blue in
an election), the socioeconomic status of voters tends to also be an important factor when
talking about immigration.69 Within both party coalitions, financially insecure and less
educated people are generally more likely to hold negative views of immigrants and favor
more strict policies than do the financially secure and college graduates.70
In general, the study pointed out that more red states, no matter what their
economic status was, viewed immigration as a negative issue.71 While the research is
limited in looking at the demographics of the population in each of the red states, it is
64
Ted Brader, Valentino, N. A., & Subay, E, “What triggers public opposition to immigration? Anxiety,
group cues, and immigration threat,” American journal of Political Science, vol.52(4), (2008), p.959-978.
65
Ibid.
66
Ibid.
67
Carroll Doherty, “Attitudes toward immigration in red and blue,” Pew Research Center, May 6, 2006,
http://www.pewresearch.org/2006/05/09/attitudes-toward-immigration-in-red-and-blue/.
68
Ibid.
69
Ibid.
70
Ibid.
71
Ibid.
22
clear that the way the immigration debate is being perceived in these states has a much
more negative connotation and must also be a factor to consider when looking at the base
of the Republican Party.
Framing of the issue matters but it even matters more when dealing with
Republicans. A study conducted by Benjamin Knoll noticed that over the course of the
2006 midterm and 2008 primary campaigns, commentators saw a distinct pattern in how
immigration was discussed.72 Republican politicians favored a more disciplinary
approach to immigration reform and tended to refer to unauthorized residents as ‘illegal
immigrants’ or ‘illegal aliens’.73 On the other hand, Democrats were more likely to use
the phrase ‘undocumented immigrants’ or ‘undocumented workers’.74 By using these
different labels, the political elites were attempting to frame the issue to elicit support for
their position. The language used by the Democrats was much more inclusive and
appealing to Latino voters.75 Knoll found that the framing effects were much stronger for
Republicans who consider the issue important. These Republicans were more likely to
indicate support for policy preferences such as deportation when exposed to the term
‘illegal immigrants’ or ‘undocumented Mexicans’.76 Rhetoric among Republicans has
been a difficult message to control, but as the research suggests every detail from
demographic, to culture, to rhetoric, must be considered when dealing with the
immigration debate.77
72
Benjamin Knoll, Redlawsk, D.P., & Howard, S, “Framing Labels and Immigration Policy Attitudes in
the Iowa Caucuses: Trying to Out-Tancredo Tancredo,” Political Behavior Journal, (2011), p. 433-454.
73
Ibid.
74
Ibid.
75
Ibid.
76
Ibid.
77
Barbour, “The Growth and Opportunity Project,” p.15.
23
Politics of Immigration Reform
Starting in the spring of 2013 the Senate came together to form a bipartisan “Gang
of 8” that developed the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration
Modernization Act” (S.744) that was passed on June 27, 2013.78 This comprehensive
immigration reform bill focused heavily on border security but also went beyond what
other bills have done in the past to address the 11.1 million undocumented immigrants
living the US.79 Two issues that were heavily addressed and debated were both a
pathway to citizenship and a version of the Dream Act, allowing citizenship to
undocumented students and young military members who were brought to the U.S. as
infants.80 In the past, both of these issues either did not appear in a comprehensive bill or
were voted down in session. While the bill passed in the Senate, the House has been
inactive in coming up with its own immigration bill and by November 2013, Speaker
Boehner stated “we have no intention of ever going to conference on the Senate bill.”81
While immigration reform is currently stalled in Congress it is still very much an
issue the public is concerned with. A Pew Research study found that 75% of Americans
believe immigration policy needs at least major changes, with 35% saying it needs to be
“completely rebuilt.”82 In another New York Times report 63%— crossing party and
religious lines— favors legislation to create a pathway to citizenship for immigrants
78
Immigration Policy Center, “A Guide to S.744: Understanding the 2013 Senate Immigration Bill,” July
10, 2013, http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/special-reports/guide-s744-understanding-2013-senateimmigration-bill.
79
Ibid.
80
Ibid.
81
Greg Sargent, “John Boehner just put immigration reform on life support,” The Washington Post,
November 13, 2013, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/11/13/john-boehner-justput-immigration-reform-on-life-support/.
82
Pew Research Center Report, “Immigration: Key Data Points from Pew Research,” Pew Research
Center, September 24, 2013, http://www.pewresearch.org/key-data-points/immigration-tip-sheet-on-u-spublic-opinion/.
24
living in the U.S. illegally.83 More people in the U.S. than ever before believe
something needs to be done about our immigration system. Although the current
bill and stalled piecemeal bills, like the Dream Act, could potentially still move
forward because of the huge bipartisan support it has gained over the years. 84
While Democrats have high numbers of Latino support, the current inaction on
immigration reform is hurting the party. Democrats are also starting to see the blame for
this inaction on immigration reform. With the issue of immigration reform not resolved,
President Obama is starting to receive a lot of push back from Latino voters because of
it.85 The National Council of La Raza, the largest Latino advocacy organization in the
U.S., recently called President Obama “deporter-in-chief” because of the historical
number of deportations that have been carried out under his presidency.86 Many Latino
voters are taking notice of this failure to act on immigration from both Republicans and
Democrats. It was also recently reported that Latinos now make up the largest
demographic group in California, composing 39% of the state.87 The following statement
was recently published by The Guardian:
“Sosa [a political consultant in California] agreed with Reagan’s famous claim
that Latinos were Republicans who just didn’t know it yet — a reference to their
social values and immigrant work ethic — but said both parties were now
83
Julia Preston, “In Report, 63% Back Way to Get Citizenship,” The New York Times, November 25,
2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/25/us/in-report-63-back-way-to-get-citizenship.html?_r=1&.
84
Russell Berman and Molly Hooper, “House Republicans crafting DREAM Act-like immigration bill,”
The Hill, July 11, 2013, http://thehill.com/homenews/house/310591-house-gop-crafting-gop-version-ofdream-act.
85
Reid Epstein, “National Council of La Raza leader calls Barack Obama ‘deporter-in-chief’,” Politico,
March 4, 2014, http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/national-council-of-la-raza-janet-murguia-barackobama-deporter-in-chief-immigration-104217.html#ixzz2yW6ceV4T.
86
Ibid.
87
Rory Carroll, “Latinos now California’s largest demographic group,” The Guardian, April 9, 2014,
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/usa/latinos-now-california-s-largest-demographic-group-1.1317300.
25
alienating them. Tea Party-tinged xenophobia sabotaged GOP outreach, he said.
“Calling illegal workers an alien invasion which brings third world diseases like
tuberculosis and leprosy, that’s a turn-off.” Democrats pocketed Latino votes and
took them for granted, said Sosa, but the clock was running out. Twice they voted
for Obama and twice they were disappointed. “That says disrespect. So why vote
for his candidates? Come the next election, it’ll make you want to stay at home.”88
Democrats, while ahead, still have a lot of ground to make up among Latino voters,
particularly youth voters who are continuing to make up higher percentages of the
population as whole.
If immigration reform is not addressed by 2016 in the next round of Presidential
Elections, you can almost guarantee that it will be one of the most contested and debated
issues throughout the campaign. Where youth voters and Latino voters fall on this issue
can help determine candidates’ positions and the political landscape for the 2016 race.
88
Ibid.
26
Methodology
The following analysis is performed on a web-based survey constructed and
administered by the survey site Qualtrics and analyzed in SPSS. The survey was
administered from March 19, 2014 - March 30, 2014. Registered U.S. voters ages 18-29
were asked to participate. The survey was distributed online via e-mail, Facebook, and
Twitter. There were a total of 417 respondents, but only 317 were formally completed
and qualified for the survey.
Since the survey was distributed online and was completely anonymous it cannot
be tracked where respondents accessed the survey. Concerning the distribution process
of the survey, initially the survey was e-mailed to 100 personal contacts. The link to the
survey was shared 14 times through Facebook and it was re-tweeted 18 times through
Twitter. Latino organizations also shared the survey via social media. For example,
VotoLatino retweeted the survey twice to their 29,000 followers, Latino USA on NPR
retweeted the survey to their 17,000 followers, and League of United Latin American
Citizens (LULAC) retweeted it to their nearly 6,000 followers.
The study is classified as a convenience study because of how the data was
collected. It was not a random sampling but respondents participated either through
personal contacts and/or online. A convenience study was chosen because of the low
cost and quick response rate that was needed. Due to this, the study doesn’t demonstrate
a scientifically accurate representation of the population. However, extra effort was made
to make the data as scientifically accurate as possibly by weighting the survey when
needed—as explained below for gender representation.
27
The demographics of the sample were skewed due to the limitations of the
convenience study. The sample skewed heavily female: 62% were female while only
38% male. It was also heavily concentrated of respondents from the Mid-Atlantic states,
with 26% from Virginia, 13% from Washington, DC, 10% from New York, 9% from
Massachusetts, and 7% from Maryland.89 Due to these skewed results the study was then
weighted in SPSS to reflect the proper gender proportions of registered youth voters in
the U.S. First, the correct proportion was determined for the gender in the survey. The
below figures show the percentage of the sample population calculated from the most
recent estimates from the 2012 census population90 and the 2012 census registered voter
population:91
1. Total male and female citizen population 18-29.
Total Male Population ages 18-29=
Total Female Population ages 18-29=
2. Percentage of males and females 18-29 who are registered to vote.
% Registered Male =
% Registered Female=
26,910,137
25,848,104
55%
61%
3. Total number of males 18-29 and females 18-29 who are registered to vote
Male= .55 x 26,910,137
14,800,575
Female= .61 x 25,848,104
15,767,343
4. Total Registered Voters Population between ages 18-29
14,800,575 + 15,767,343 =
5. Percentage of 18-29 year old registered voters = New weight
Male = 14,800,575 / 30,567,918 =
Female = 15,767,343 / 30,567,918 =
30,567,918
48%
52%
89
See appendix for full figures, p.91-92.
The United States Census Bureau, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Single Year of Age
and Sex for the United States, States, and Puerto Rico Commonwealth: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012: 2012
Population Estimates,
http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk.
91
The United States Census Bureau, Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2012 - Detailed
Tables, http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications/p20/2012/tables.html (Table 1.
Reported Voting and Registration, by Sex and Single Years of Age: November 2012).
90
28
After finding the correct sample population percentages and taking the percentages of the
respondent population the following formula was used to determine the correct weight for
the study.92
New Weight Formula
Men = .48 / .382 =
1.26
Female = .52 / .618 =
0.84
The total figures from above are shown below. Once this new weight was applied to the
study it gave a proportionate total to the sample population being studied for gender.
Male Registered
Voters (18-29)
Female Registered
Voters (18-29)
Totals
2012
Population
Census
Figures
Survey
Respondents
Survey Weight
48%
38%
x 1.26%
52%
62%
x .84
100%
100%
-
New Survey
Frequency
152
165
317
Since the study is also looking at Latino youth voters, there was a focus on
obtaining a proportional number of Latino participants reflective of the sample
population as well. While the survey was heavily skewed “White” with 74.8%, the
survey still managed to get nearly 14% Latino respondents, which is close to the 2012
Latino youth voters turnout figures of 18%.93 African-American respondents are
underrepresented in the survey with only 5% participating in the study and only 2%
92
Pu-Shih Daniel Chen and Shimon Sarraf, “Creating Weights to Improve Survey Population Estimates,”
Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, (2007), p.13.
http://cpr.iub.edu/uploads/Creating%20Weights%20to%20Improve%20Estimates%20AIR%202007.pdf.
93
Pew Research Center Report, “Young Voters Supported Obama Less, But May Have Mattered More,”
Pew Research Center, November 26, 2012, http://www.people-press.org/2012/11/26/young-voterssupported-obama-less-but-may-have-mattered-more/.
29
Asian American.94 For this reason, when discussing the race / ethnicity crosstabs in the
survey I will be concentrating only on Latino and White respondents. Although this
convenience study doesn’t exactly show scientific population proportions for youth
voters, it does give a general snapshot of the generation. By using SPSS, a data analysis
tool, the survey results go deeper in the overall numbers to determine how people
answered specific questions based on their age, sex, party identification, and specifically
race. These crosstabs gave a more in-depth look at the results and allowed the analysis to
be that much more targeted.
94
See appendix p.94.
30
Results & Discussion
The below results from the sample survey are helpful in determining the general
perception youth respondents have towards politics in general, political attitudes, and the
issue of immigration. The results are broken down into three categories, the overall
results, responses to the immigration issue, and responses to the Republican Party
perception.
Overall Results
Overall 54% of all youth respondents consider themselves Democrats, 20%
Republicans, 18% Independents, and 6% Libertarians.95 However, when looking at the
general political ideology of all respondents, 55% identified as liberal or extremely
liberal, 30% moderate, and only 16% conservative.96 This aligns with the notion that
more youth voters today have more liberal leaning ideologies and vote for Democratic
Candidates.97 Also, when asked how often respondents pay attention to political news
and events 47% answered “daily” and 21% saying “at least 1-3 times a week”.98 While
we must consider that the majority of respondents are from the Virginia, Maryland, and
Washington, DC region, this could also indicate a larger trend that young respondents in
these areas pay attention to political news at much higher rates. Another important
indicator for how respondents vote was when asked, “Which of the following sentences
best describes your voting behavior?” 31% said “mostly vote Democrat” but at the same
time 31% also said it “depends on the issues the candidate supports”, making it possible
95
See appendix p.62.
See appendix p.63.
97
Pew Research Center Report, “Millennials in Adulthood.”
98
See appendix p.59.
96
31
for respondents to be more open to voting based on the issue instead of party
identification.99
The majority of respondents (90%) was unmarried, didn’t have children (98%),
and was highly educated, with 85% saying they have graduated with a college degree or
higher.100 Most respondents are either in school, 27%, or working full-time, 66%.
The study also looked at where youth respondents are getting their news. The
survey broke the question down between eight of the top news consumption sources
today; broadcast news stations (like ABC, NBC, and CBS), MSNBC, Fox, CNN, social
media sites (like Facebook and Twitter), comedy news sources (like The Daily Show and
Colbert Report), online news sources (Politico, The Hill, Buzzfeed), and traditional print
publications (like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal). Overwhelmingly
respondents answered they got their news either “often” or “all the time” from online
sources at 64%, or social media at 71%.101 The top two sources where respondents
“never” get their news from were MSNBC at 40% and Fox at 58%.102 This indicates that
more youth are turning to online news sources rather than print or TV. It also indicates
that of the eight sources given the least two watched are in fact the two most biased
liberal and conservative stations103, reinforcing the Pew study that Millennials are much
more ideologically independent.
Confidence in addressing the nation’s challenges was another indicator of where
respondents view President Obama, Congressional Republicans, and Congressional
99
See appendix p.71.
See appendix p.93.
101
See appendix p.60-62.
102
See appendix p.60.
103
Mark Jurkowita, et al, “The Changing TV News Landscape,” The State of the News Media Annual
Report, (2013), http://stateofthemedia.org/2013/special-reports-landing-page/the-changing-tv-newslandscape/.
100
32
Democrats. As indicated in Graph#1 below, the majority of respondents are “not
confident at all” in Congressional Republicans ability to address these challenges and are
only “somewhat confident” in Congressional Democrats. President Obama’s ratings are
somewhat more spread out but the most staggering numbers are that only 10% of
respondents selected “very confident” for any of the choices and of that 10%, none
choose Congressional Republicans. These numbers indicate that there is little to no
confidence in the current politicians in elected office.
Graph #1
Confidence in addressing the nation's
challenges
70%
60%
58%
54%
50%
37%
40%
30%
26%
28%
31%
President Obama
29%
Congressional Republicans
Cogressional Democrats
20%
16%
11%
10%
8%
0%
0%
Not Confident Somewhat
Confident
Confident
2%
Very
Confident
Now, turning to the most important issues facing the nation. As shown in Graph
#2 below, 76% of respondents viewed economy/jobs to be a “very important issue”
compared to only 30% who thought the same about immigration reform. While
immigration reform didn’t see the huge spike in a 5 scale rating, 82% of respondents did
33
give it a 3 or higher. Just as the economy/jobs received 0 respondents rating as not
important at all so did immigration reform. This gives hope to the issue that while it may
not be the most important, respondents do rank it among the most important issues
Congress should be addressing.
Graph #2
Scale of Importance: Economy/Jobs vs.
Immigration
76%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
26%
30%
20%
Economy / Jobs
Immigration
14%
10%
0%
26%
20%
30%
0%0%
0 = not
important
3%
0%
1
2%
3%
2
3
4
5 = very
important
Respondents were also asked to rate education, the environment, internal affairs,
healthcare, and marriage equality. As shown in Graph #3, of all the issue choices,
respondents rated immigration reform the least important and were much more diverse in
their answer choices. 35% of respondents rated marriage equality for same sex couples
above immigration. Education was also rated among the top issues with 70% of
respondents saying it is “very important”.
34
Graph #3
Total Issue Importance Scale
35%
Marriage Equality
30%
Immigration
44%
Healthcare
5 = very important
4
33%
International Affairs
3
2
34%
Enviroment
1
70%
Education
0 = not important
76%
Economy / Jobs
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Alignment on social issues and economic issues was also examined in ordered to
determine if there was a difference the political ideology of youth respondents. The first
question asked, “Which ideology do you most align with on social issues, such as
marriage equality, abortion, and religion in schools?” As shown in Graph #4, 75% of
respondents said they are either “liberal” or “extremely liberal” on social issues.
However, when asked “which ideology do you most align with on economic issues, such
as taxes, the minimum wage, and the role of government in our economy,” the responses
were much more diverse. Only 44% said they are “liberal” or “extremely liberal”, 24%
of respondents said they were “moderate” and 32% said they are “conservative” or
“extremely conservative” on these issues. These figures indicate that while youth
respondents are much more liberal leaning on the social issues, economic issues draw a
35
higher moderate or conservative response. This gives a good look into where youth
respondents do identify with the Republican Party and shows where the party’s strongest
focus should be.
Graph #4
Political Ideology on Social Issues vs.
Economic Issues
80%
75%
70%
60%
50%
44%
32%
40%
24%
30%
Economic Issues
17%
20%
Social Issues
8%
10%
0%
Extremely Liberal
/ Liberal
Moderate
Extremely
Conservative /
Conservative
Response to Immigration Issues
Respondents were then asked, “Do you think immigration reform should be a top
concern for the nation right now?” As seen in Graph #5 below, nearly 65% of all
respondents thought that while it is important, other issues come first. Crosstab #1
breaks down this issue by how respondents identified by race or ethnicity. 104 65% of
Latino respondents thought it was a very important issue that the nation should address
now compared it to 69% of White respondents who thought it was important but other
issues come first. This indicates that immigration reform, while important for a large
104
See crosstab appendix p.95.
36
population of the country, is more important to Latino youth respondents. Latino
respondents also rated immigration reform higher on the scale of importance question.
As indicated in Crosstab #2, 79% of Latino respondents rated immigration reform as a 5
“very important” and only 22% of White respondents rated it “very important”.105 These
numbers give the issue of immigration reform a 57-point gap in how Latino versus White
rated it by importance.
Graph #5
Do you think immigration reform should be a top
concern for the nation right now?
65%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
22%
20%
7%
6%
10%
0%
Yes, it is very
important
Yes, it is
No, not important
Don't know
important but
at all
enough about the
there are other
issue
issues that come
first
Next respondents were asked, “If there were a bill in Congress that reformed the
immigration system by increasing border security and offering a pathway to citizenship
for the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the US, would you support it?”
59% of respondents said “yes” with only “10% saying “no”, the remaining 31% didn’t
105
See crosstab appendix p.96.
37
know if they would support or not.106 Crosstab #3 breaks down this issue even further
by party identification.107 Nearly 69% of Democrats support the bill, 47% of
Republicans, and 56% Independents. Only 19% of Republican respondents said they
would not support the bill. Alternatively, 28% of Democrat respondents and 34%
Republican respondents said they didn’t know if they would support. While there is a
majority of support from both parties many youth respondents still don’t know if they
would support it but they also didn’t say they would not. Overall, this leads us to believe
that immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship would be supported across both
political parties when talking about youth voters. This opening of support should give
Republicans and Democrats the confidence in the support they would get when taking
this issue on in Congress.
Who is to blame was a key question in the survey because I wanted to know, “If a
pathway to citizenship doesn’t pass within immigration reform, who is to blame?” As
shown below in Graph #6, of all the choices 49% said that all three, President Obama,
Congressional Republicans, and Congressional Democrats, are to blame for this inaction.
These figures reinforce the notion that government, as a whole, is to blame for the
nation’s problems, in particular the inaction on immigration reform. Alternatively, this
question was also broken down by race/ethnicity as shown in Crosstab #4.108 Latino
respondents actually would blame all three at a much higher rate than White respondents,
63% to 48%. What is interesting is where respondents based on party identification
place the blame. As shown in Crosstab #5, 39% of Democrat respondents placed the
blame on Republicans in Congress, the same percent that would place the blame on all
106
See appendix p.69.
See crosstab appendix p.97.
108
See crosstab appendix p.98.
107
38
three.109 However, Republican and Independent respondents consistently placed the
blame on all three at much higher rates—57% and 62% respectively. These numbers
indicate the Democrat respondents are much more critical of Republicans in Congress
than any other race or party identification. It will be much harder for Republicans to
reach across party lines if immigration reform is not passed.
Graph #6
Who is to blame if pathway to citizenship in immigration
reform isn’t passed?
49%
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
24%
16%
2%
1%
6%
3%
Another demographic question that was asked of respondents was if they knew
someone who is currently undocumented or came to the U.S. illegally. Overall, 45% of
respondents said “no” while 43% said “yes” and 12% “didn’t know”.110 In addition,
respondents were also asked to identify which sentence best described their families
immigration to the U.S. The majority, 46%, said they “trace their background to distant
immigrant relatives,” 26% said “1 or more of their grandparents came to the US from
another country,” 18% said “I was born in America to immigrant parents,” and 4% said
109
110
See crosstab appendix p.99.
See appendix p.88.
39
“I immigrated here with my family”.111 This question was asked to see how respondents
identify themselves with an immigration background, only 6% said they didn’t know or
not applicable, indicating this larger trend that the majority of respondents identify with
this diversity of family migration. If you look at Crosstab #6, overwhelmingly 93% of
Latino respondents know someone who is currently undocumented in the U.S. while only
33% of White respondents do.112 This also indicates that the immigration issue is much
more personal to Latino respondents than any other race/ethnic background.
Republican Party Perception
The survey also explored how respondents feel about the Republican Party on a
number of issues. Specifically, I wanted to determine if respondents would be more open
to listening to a Republican candidate if they supported different degrees of the
immigration reform debate. I did this by asking two important questions, first “Let's say a
Republican Presidential candidate would be willing to consider a pathway to citizenship
for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., but only after passing
legislation to tighten border security first. Which of the following best describes your
reaction.” Among the answer choices, 59% of respondents said “it would make me more
open to listening to him or her”, 9% said “it would make me less open to listening” and
25% said it wouldn’t really make a difference.113 Looking further into this question I
then referenced them with party identification. As shown in Crosstab #7, over 61% of
Democrats and 64% of Independents said it would make them more open to listening.114
111
See appendix p.89.
See crosstab appendix p.100.
113
See appendix p.72.
114
See crosstab appendix p.101.
112
40
Of the already Republican respondents, 59% said it would also make them more open,
only 8% said less open to listen, and 24% said it wouldn’t really make a difference.
I then asked that same question only about “supporting legislation like the Dream
Act” and got a much higher response rate for being more open to listening to a
Republican candidate. Overwhelmingly 79% of all respondents said that if a Republican
candidate supported legislation like the Dream Act they would be more open to listen to
them.115 When breaking out the question by party identification, as shown in Crosstab
#8, 88% of Democrats and 86% Independents said it would make them more open to
listening to a Republican candidate.116 Of the already Republican respondents, 59%
again said it would make them more open to listen but 18% said it would make them less
open to listen. From these numbers, this response among Republican participants might
be because this second question doesn’t talk about border security like the first question
does.
Overall, these numbers are a welcome sign for Republican candidates on the issue
of immigration reform. Among youth respondents, these figures indicate that if
Republicans were open to supporting a pathway to citizenship or the Dream Act, they
would get Democrats and Independents to be more open to listening to what they have to
say. This is incredibly important for the Republican Party. Especially when looking at
how respondents ranked how accepting they think the Republican Party is of different
demographics.
The survey explored how accepting respondents thought the Republican Party
was and how the Democratic Party was towards gays / lesbians, immigrants, minorities,
115
116
See appendix p.72.
See crosstab appendix p.102.
41
women, and youth. The results were then broken out into the two graphs below to show
the percentage of respondents who viewed the political parties as “very accepting” or
“accepting” versus who viewed the political parties as “not very accepting” or “not at all
accepting”. As you see in Graph #7 the majority of all respondents viewed the
Democratic Party as being accepting of all demographics, with 98% of respondents
saying they are the most accepting towards gays / lesbians. By contrast, in Graph #8
you can then see that 86% of respondents viewed the Republican Party as not accepting
of gays / lesbians.
Graph #7
Party Viewed as Very Accepting /
Accepting
100%
98%
90%
91%
90%
84%
90%
80%
63%
70%
53%
60%
Republicans
Democrats
50%
32%
40%
30%
20%
12%
14%
10%
0%
When looking at immigrants, 84% of respondents thought the Democratic Party
was accepting, while 82% said the Republican Party was not. Minorities also got the
highest level of acceptance from the Democratic Party at 90% and again with only 32%
42
saying the Republicans are accepting of minorities. The figures get a little better for
women and youth but are still outperformed by the Democrats perception of being
accepting of all demographics. These figures are so clear across the board of all youth
respondents and reflect the notion brought up in Barbour’s Growth & Opportunity
Project that if Republicans aren’t perceived as open or inclusionary then people would
stop listening to them all together.
Graph #8:
Party Viewed as Not Very Accepting / Not
Accepting at all
100%
90%
86%
82%
80%
65%
70%
60%
Democrats
33%
40%
30%
14%
20%
10%
Republicans
44%
50%
8%
3%
7%
9%
0%
Thinking about these acceptance levels above, I also asked respondents if they
supported marriage equality legislation for same sex couples. In all, 89% of respondents
supported it and only 6% did not.117 When breaking this question down by party
identification, as shown in Crosstab #9, 99% of Democrats support this legislation and
117
See appendix p. 70.
43
95% of Independents.118 Among the already Republican respondents, 61% support it
while 21% do not and 18% don’t know. There is a general overall support among these
young voters across all party’s to support marriage equality, however it is still much more
divided among the Republican respondents. While the survey mostly talks about
immigration reform issues as a way for Republicans to become more accepting, marriage
equality is another big issue that can’t be ignored for much longer.
118
See crosstab appendix p.103.
44
Conclusion
As shown in the results from the survey youth respondents differ greatly on a
number of issues by race/ethnicity and party identification. However, they also tend to
agree on a number of issues as well. This growing liberal idealism on social issues was
represented throughout the survey. The politics of immigration reform and where the
Republican Party stands in the eyes of youth voters was particularly interesting to
examine. While there is no way of knowing which way voters will lean come 2016, the
survey gives a good overview of where youth voters currently stand on a number of
issues.
There is no denying it; the economy/jobs are the top concern for all youth voters.
However, when talking about Latino youth voters, so is immigration reform. Time and
time again throughout the survey Latino respondents consistently ranked immigration
issues at a higher importance than any other race/ethnic demographic. When talking
about the youth vote in general respondents were much more eager to support some type
of immigration bill that addresses a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented. This
then raises the question of why this is still such a partisan issue in Congress. If both
Republicans and Democrats want to appeal to the youth vote, particularly the Latino
youth vote, then addressing immigration reform is a clear way to accomplish this.
Immigration reform should not be a partisan issue, as seen from the results, it is a
multicultural and bipartisan issue that a number of youth respondents care about.
While there is this partisan deadlock in Congress, youth respondents were much
more open to listening to candidates if they supported varying degrees of immigration
reform. And while they were typically liberal leaning on a number of social issues, many
45
youth voters consider themselves conservative on economic and fiscal issues. This is the
opening that the Republican Party needs to capitalize on.
So what does this mean for the Republican Party? The main concern the party
has is shown perfectly in Graphs #7 and #8. They have a clear perception problem
among youth respondents. The majority of youth, even Republican youth, view the party
as not accepting of minorities, gays/lesbians, immigrants, women and even youth—while
the Democratic Party is consistently viewed as accepting of all of these demographics.
Republicans need to find an opening to win over one, if not all, these demographics and
shatter this perception. Otherwise, they are going to have trouble in future presidential
elections. If Republicans can win over this perception problem and still maintain their
economic and fiscal background then they have a strong chance to also win over the
youth vote. They have this opportunity with immigration reform.
As the U.S. electorate continues to grow and become more diverse with the
population changes we are seeing, the Republican Party can no longer rely on their
primarily white voting base. 119 They must expand and become more open to listening
and passing legislation, like immigration reform, to start getting a foot in the door with
these voters. As Barbour states in his report, “Our Party has an incredible opportunity on
our hands, but we must seize it enthusiastically… It is time to smartly change course,
modernize the Party, and learn once again how to appeal to more people, including those
who share some but not all of our conservative principles.”120 From the findings of the
survey, I believe there is a strong incentive for Republicans to concentrate on the issue of
119
120
Frey, “America Reaches Its Demographic Tipping Point.”
Barbour, “Growth and Opportunity Project,” p.1-4.
46
immigration reform. Never before has there been such a strong bipartisan support for the
issue as there is today.121
The future of American politics will be determined by the demographic make-up
of the country and what issues matter most to them. Youth voters today are the first
generation to show signs of change among many issues. Marriage equality and
immigration reform are just two examples of this change in this growing voter age gap.
Diversity among the electorate is another. One thing is clear among all U.S. voters is that
they are tired of this partisanship divide in Congress as evident by an only 13% approval
rating.122 Both Democrats and Republicans need to come together on these issues to not
only get the government working again but to bridge this partisan gap. The youth vote,
and the diversity it brings with it, will be instrumental in the coming years at shaping this
political dialogue and landscape.
121
Frank Newport and Joy Wilke, “Immigration Reform Proposals Garner Broad Support in U.S.:
Democrats, Republicans agree on many potential immigration measures,” Gallup Politics, June 19, 2013,
http://www.gallup.com/poll/163169/immigration-reform-proposals-garner-broad-support.aspx
122
Justin McCarthy, “No Improvement for Congress’ Job Approval Rating: Approval down slightly from
15% in March,” Gallup Politics, April 10, 2014, http://www.gallup.com/poll/168428/no-improvementcongressional-approval.aspx.
47
Works Cited
Barbour, Henry, Sally Bradshaw, Ari Fleischer, Zori Fonallesas, and Glenn McCall. “The
Growth and Opportunity Project.” The Republican National Committee. 2013.
http://goproject.gop.com/
Barreto, Matt. “New Poll: Immigration Policy stance directly tied to winning the Latino
vote.” Latino Decisions. March 5, 2013.
http://www.latinodecisions.com/blog/2013/03/05/new-poll-immigration-policystance-directly-tied-to-winning-the-latino-vote/
Barreto, Matt. “What the GOP has to gain—and lose—among Latinos when it comes to
immigration reform.” Latino Decisions. March 21, 2014.
http://www.latinodecisions.com/blog/2014/02/17/latino-principles-ofimmigration-reform
Berman Russell and Molly Hooper. “House Republicans crafting DREAM Act-like
immigration bill.” The Hill. July 11, 2013.
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/310591-house-gop-crafting-gop-version-ofdream-act
Brader, Ted, Valentino, N. A., & Subay, E. “What triggers public opposition to
immigration? Anxiety, group cues, and immigration threat.” American journal of
Political Science. (2008) Vol.52(4).
Campbell, Angus et al. The American Voter. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons,
1960.
Carroll, Rory. “Latinos now California’s largest demographic group.” The Guardian.
April 9, 2014. http://gulfnews.com/news/world/usa/latinos-now-california-slargest-demographic-group-1.1317300
Chen, Pu-Shih Daniel and Shimon Sarraf. “Creating Weights to Improve Survey
Population Estimates.” Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research.
(2007).
http://cpr.iub.edu/uploads/Creating%20Weights%20to%20Improve%20Estimates
%20AIR%202007.pdf.
CIRCLE Staff. “The Youth Vote in 2012.” The Center for Information & Research on
Civic Learning and Engagement. May 10, 2010. http://www.civicyouth.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/05/CIRCLE_2013FS_outhVoting2012FINAL.pdf
CIRCLE Staff. “Youth Voting.” The Center for Information & Research on Civic
Learning and Engagement. July 17, 2013. http://www.civicyout h.org/quickfacts/youth-voting/
48
CIRCLE Staff. “Young Voters in the 2008 Presidential Election.” The Center for
Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. December 19, 2008.
http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/FactSheets/FS_08_exit_polls.pdf.
CNN Live Video. “John McCain: Without Backing Immigration Reform, 'Our Chances
Of Being In The Majority Are Minimal,” Mediaite, January 28, 2014
http://videos.mediaite.com/video/John-McCain-Without-Backing-Imm
Desilver, Drew. “Partisan polarization, in Congress and among public, is greater than
ever.” Pew Research Center. July 17, 2013. http://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2013/07/17/partisan-polarization-in-congress-and-among-public-is-greaterthan-ever/
Doherty, Carroll. “Attitudes toward immigration in red and blue.” Pew Research Center.
May 6, 2006. http://www.pewresearch.org/2006/05/09/attitudes-towardimmigration-in-red-and-blue/.
Epstein, Reid. “National Council of La Raza leader calls Barack Obama ‘deporter-inchief’.” Politico. March 4, 2014. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/nationalcouncil-of-la-raza-janet-murguia-barack-obama-deporter-in-chief-immigration104217.html#ixzz2yW6ceV4T.
Espenshade, Thomas and Katherine Hempstead. Contemporary American Attitudes
Toward U.S. Immigration. International Migration Review. (1996).
Frey, William. “American Reaches Its Demographic Tipping Point.” Brookings Institute.
August 26, 2011. http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2011/08/26census-race-frey
Gerber, Alan, et al. “Voting may be habit-forming: Evidence from a randomized field
experiment.” American Journal of Political Science. (2003). Vol. 47(3).
Immigration Policy Center. “A Guide to S.744: Understanding the 2013 Senate
Immigration Bill.” July 10, 2013. http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/specialreports/guide-s744-understanding-2013-senate-immigration-bill
Jones, Jeffery. “Record-High 42% of Americans Identify as Independents: Republican
Identification lowest in at least 25 years.” Gallup. January 8, 2014.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/166763/record-high-americans-identifyindependents.aspx
Jones, Robert. Cox, D., Navarro-Rivera, J., Dionne, E.J., Galston, W. “Citizenship,
Values, & Cultural Concerns: What Americans Want From Immigration Reform.”
Public Religion Research Institute and Governance Studies at Brookings. (2013).
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2013/03/21%20immigra
49
tion%20survey%20jones%20dionne%20galston/citizenship%20values%20and%2
0cultural%20concerns.pdf
Jurkowita, Mark, Paul Hitlin, Amy Mitchell, et al. “The Changing TV News Landscape.”
The State of the News Media Annual Report. (2013).
http://stateofthemedia.org/2013/special-reports-landing-page/the-changing-tvnews-landscape/
Knoll, Benjamin, Redlawsk, D.P., & Howard, S. “Framing Labels and Immigration
Policy Attitudes in the Iowa Caucuses: Trying to Out-Tancredo Tancredo.”
Political Behavior Journal. (2011).
Lopez, Mark Hugo and Paul Taylor. “Latino Voters in the 2012 Election.” Pew Research
Center. November 7, 2012. http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/11/07/latinovoters-in-the-2012-election/
Lopez, Mark, Seth Motel, and Eileen Patten. “A Record 24 Million Latinos Are Eligible
to Vote, But Turnout Rate Has Lagged That of Whites, Blacks,” Pew Hispanic
Center, October 1, 2012, http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/10/01/a-record-24million-latinos-are-eligible-to-vote/
McCarthy, Justin. “No Improvement for Congress’ Job Approval Rating: Approval down
slightly from 15% in March.” Gallup Politics. April 10, 2014.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/168428/no-improvement-congressionalapproval.aspx
The New York Times Editors. “Racial Makeup of Red and Blue America.” The New
York Times. July 12, 2013.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/12/racial-makeup-of-red-and-blueamerica/
Newport, Frank and Joy Wilke. “Immigration Reform Proposals Garner Broad Support in
U.S.: Democrats, Republicans agree on many potential immigration measures.”
Gallup Politics. June 19, 2013. http://www.gallup.com/poll/163169/immigrationreform-proposals-garner-broad-support.aspx
Pew Research Center Report. “Immigration: Key Data Points from Pew Research.” Pew
Research Center. September 24, 2013. http://www.pewresearch.org/key-datapoints/immigration-tip-sheet-on-u-s-public-opinion
Pew Research Center Report. “Millennials in Adulthood: Detached from Institutions,
Networked with Friends.” Pew Research Center. March 7, 2014.
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/2/#chapter1-political-trends
50
Pew Research Center Report. “Public Trust in Government: 1958-2013.” Pew Research
Center. October 18, 2013. http://www.people-press.org/2013/10/18/trust-ingovernment-interactive/
Pew Research Center Report. “Partisan Polarization Surges in Bush, Obama Years.” Pew
Research Center. June 4, 2012. http://www.people-press.org/2012/06/04/partisanpolarization-surges-in-bush-obama-years/
Pew Research Center Report. “Young Voters Supported Obama Less, But May Have
Mattered More.” Pew Research Center. November 26, 2012. http://www.peoplepress.org/2012/11/26/young-voters-supported-obama-less-but-may-havemattered-more/
Preston, Julia. “In Report, 63% Back Way to Get Citizenship.” The New York Times.
November 25, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/25/us/in-report-63-backway-to-get-citizenship.html?_r=1&
Sanchez, Gabriel. “The Untapped Potential of the Latino Electorate.” Latino Decisions.
January 15, 2013. http://www.latinodecisions.com/blog/2013/01/15/the-untappedpotential-of-the-latino-electorate/.
Sargent, Greg. “John Boehner just put immigration reform on life support.” The
Washington Post. November 13, 2013.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/11/13/john-boehnerjust-put-immigration-reform-on-life-support/
Silver, Nate. “As Swing Districts Dwindle, Can a Divided House Stand?” The New York
Times. December 27, 2012
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/as-swing-districts-dwindlecan-a-divided-house-stand/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
Sudeep Reddy. “Latinos Fuel Growth in Decade.” The Wall Street Journal. March 25,
2011.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704604704576220603247
344790
Taylor, Paul and Mark Hugo Lopez. “Six take-aways from the Census Bureau’s voting
report.” Pew Research Center. May 8, 2013. http://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2013/05/08/six-take-aways-from-the-census-bureaus-voting-report/
The United States Census Bureau. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Single
Year of Age and Sex for the United States, States, and Puerto Rico
Commonwealth: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012: 2012 Population Estimates.
http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src
=bkmk.
51
The United States Census Bureau. Voting and Registration in the Election of November
2012 - Detailed Tables. (Table 1. Reported Voting and Registration, by Sex and
Single Years of Age: November 2012).
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications/p20/2012/tables.
html
Viser, Bill. “The Congress going down as least productive.” The Boston Globe.
December 4, 2013.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2013/12/04/congress-course-makehistory-least-productive/kGAVEBskUeqCB0htOUG9GI/story.html
52
Appendix
Topline
Question 1: Are you between the ages of 18 – 29?
1. YES
2. NO (End Survey)
Question 2: Are you currently registered to vote in the United States?
1. Yes
2. No (End Survey)
Question 3: Do you plan to vote in the 2016 Presidential Elections?
1. Yes
2. No
3. Haven’t decided yet
Question 4: How often do you pay attention to political news and events?
1. Never or seldom
2. 1 or 2 days a week
3. 3 or 4 days a week
4. Nearly every day
5. Every day
Question 5: Please select how often you get news from the following news sources:
Never
Sometimes
Often
All the time
Broadcast news stations
(ABC, NBC, CBS)
MSNBC
Fox
CNN
Social Media (ex:
Facebook, Twitter etc.)
Comedy News (ex: The
Daily Show, Colbert
Report etc.)
Online news sources
(Politico, The Hill,
Buzzfeed etc.)
Traditional newspaper
publications (New York
Times, Wall Street
Journal etc.)
53
Political Ideology
Question 6: Do you consider yourself:
1. Democrat
2. Republican
3. Independent
4. Libertarian
5. Tea Party
6. Other ____
Question 7: Where do you fall on the political ideological spectrum?
1. Extremely Liberal
2. Liberal
3. Moderate
4. Conservative
5. Extremely Conservative
Question 8: Do you have confidence in President Obama’s ability to address the nation’s
challenges?
1.Not confident at all
2. Somewhat confident
3. Confident
4. Very confident
Question 9: Do you have confidence in Congressional Republican’s ability to address the
nation’s challenges?
1.Not confident at all
2. Somewhat confident
3. Confident
4. Very confident
Question 10: Do you have confidence in Congressional Democrat’s ability to address the
nation’s challenges?
1.Not confident at all
2. Somewhat confident
3. Confident
4. Very confident
54
Issues
Question 11: On a scale of 0=not important to 5=Very important, please rate the
following issues
Not at all
important
0
1
2
3
4
Very
Important
5
No
opinion
Economy / Jobs
Education
Environment
Foreign Policy Issues
Healthcare
Immigration
Marriage Equality for same
sex couples
Question 12: Which ideology do you most align with on social issues, such as marriage
equality, abortion, and religion in schools?
1. Extremely Liberal
2. Liberal
3. Moderate
4. Conservative
5. Extremely Conservative
Question 13: Which ideology do you most align with on economic issues, such as taxes,
the minimum wage, and the role of government in our economy?
1. Extremely Liberal
2. Liberal
3. Moderate
4. Conservative
5. Extremely Conservative
Question 14: Do you think Immigration Reform should be a top concern for the nation
right now?
1. Yes, it is very important
2. Yes, important but there are other issues that come first
3. No, not important at all
4. Don’t know enough about the issue
Question 15: If there were a bill in Congress that reformed the immigration system by
increasing border security and offering a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million
undocumented immigrants currently in the US, would you support it?
1. Yes
2. No
3. Don’t know
55
Question 16: Think about the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the
United States. Which statement best represents what you believe:
1. We need to figure out a pathway to citizenship for them.
2. They should be allowed to stay and work in the United States but not obtain
citizenship.
3. Since they came here illegally, they should be deported.
Question 17: If a pathway to citizenship doesn’t pass within immigration reform, who is
to blame?
1. Democrats in Congress
2. Republicans in Congress
3. President Obama
3. All three are to blame
4. None of them are to blame
5. Don’t know
6. Other ___________
Question 18: Do you support marriage equality legislation for same sex couples?
1. Yes
2. No
3. Don’t know
Perception of GOP
Question 19: Which of the following sentences best describes your voting behavior?
1. I only vote for Democrats
2. I only vote for Republicans
3. I mostly vote for Democrats
4. I mostly vote for Republicans
5. Depends on what issues the candidate supports
6. Other _______________________________
Question 20: Let's say a Republican presidential candidate would be willing to consider
pathways to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United
States, but only after passing legislation to tighten border security first. Which of the
following best describes your reaction:
1. It would make me more open to listening to him or her
2. It would make me less open to listening to him or her
3. It wouldn’t really make a difference
4. I don’t know
Question 21: Let's say a Republican presidential candidate would be willing to support
legislation like the Dream Act which gives undocumented high school students and
military service members a pathway to citizenship. Which of the following best describes
your reaction:
1. It would make me more open to listening to him or her
56
2. It would make me less open to listening to him or her
3. It wouldn’t really make a difference
4. I don’t know
Question 22:How accepting do you think the Republican Party is towards the following
demographics?
Very
Accepting
Not very
Not
Don’t
Accepting
Accepting
Accepting at know
all
Gays/Lesbians
Immigrants
Minorities
Women
Youth
Question 23: How accepting do you think the Democrat Party is towards the following
demographics?
Very
Accepting
Not very
Not
Don’t
Accepting
Accepting
Accepting at know
all
Gays/Lesbians
Immigrants
Minorities
Women
Youth
Question 24: In one word, how would you describe the Republican Party?
SHORT ANSWER
Question 25: In one word, how would you describe the Democrat Party?
SHORT ANSWER
Demographic Information
Question 26: Who did you vote for in the 2012 Presidential Election?
1. Barack Obama
2. Mitt Romney
3. Other _____
4. Didn’t vote
5. Wasn’t old enough at the time
Question 27: Do you know someone personally (friend, family, or co-worker) who is
currently undocumented or came to the US illegally?
1. Yes
2. No
3. Don’t know
57
Question 28: If applicable, what sentence below best describes what generation of your
family immigrated to the US?
1. I immigrated here with my family
2. I was born in America to immigrant parents
3. 1 or more of my grandparents came to the US from another country
4. I trace my background to distant immigrant relatives
5. I don’t know
6. Not applicable
Question 29: What State do you live in?
______________
Question 30: What is your marital status?
1. Married
2. Single
3. Divorced or legally separated
4. Widowed
5. Other___________
Question 31: What is the highest level of education you’ve completed?
1. Some high school or less
2. High school graduate
3. Some college or technical school degree
4. College graduate
5. Some graduate or professional school
6. Masters, M.D., or doctorate
Question 32: Which best describes your situation right now?
1. I’m a student
2. I’m looking for my first job
3. I’m currently working
4. I’m between jobs
Question 33: How would you identify yourself?
1. White
2. African American or black
3. Hispanic or Latino
4. Asian American
5. Native American
6. Mix
7. Other _____________
Question 34: What is your sex?
1. Male
2. Female
58
Frequency Tables
Are you between the ages of 18 – 29?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Yes
Percent
317
Valid Percent
100.0
Percent
100.0
100.0
Are you currently registered to vote in the United States?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Yes
Missing
System
Total
Percent
Valid Percent
314
99.1
3
.9
317
100.0
Percent
100.0
100.0
Do you plan to vote in the 2016 Presidential Elections?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Yes
No
Haven't decided yet
Total
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
299
94.3
94.3
94.3
5
1.6
1.6
95.9
13
4.1
4.1
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
How often do you pay attention to political news and events?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Never or seldom
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
6
1.9
1.9
1.9
Less than once a month
12
3.7
3.7
5.6
Once a month
11
3.6
3.6
9.1
2-3 times a month
38
12.1
12.1
21.2
Once a week
42
13.2
13.2
34.4
2-3 times a week
58
18.1
18.1
52.6
Daily
150
47.4
47.4
100.0
Total
317
100.0
100.0
59
Please select how often you get news from the following news sources:-Broadcast
News stations (ABC, NBC, CBS)
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Never
Valid Percent
Percent
65
20.4
20.6
20.6
147
46.2
46.7
67.3
Often
77
24.2
24.5
91.8
All the time
26
8.1
8.2
100.0
314
98.9
100.0
3
1.1
317
100.0
Sometimes
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
Please select how often you get news from the following news sources:-MSNBC
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Valid Percent
Percent
Never
123
38.9
39.8
39.8
Sometimes
140
44.2
45.3
85.1
Often
34
10.9
11.1
96.2
All the time
12
3.7
3.8
100.0
310
97.7
100.0
7
2.3
317
100.0
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
Please select how often you get news from the following news sources:-Fox
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Never
Total
Valid Percent
Percent
181
57.0
58.4
58.4
Sometimes
83
26.2
26.9
85.3
Often
30
9.4
9.6
95.0
All the time
16
4.9
5.0
100.0
309
97.5
100.0
8
2.5
317
100.0
Total
Missing
Percent
System
60
Please select how often you get news from the following news sources:-CNN
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Never
Valid Percent
Percent
48
15.2
15.7
15.7
150
47.3
48.7
64.4
Often
76
24.1
24.8
89.2
All the time
33
10.5
10.8
100.0
308
97.1
100.0
9
2.9
317
100.0
Sometimes
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
Please select how often you get news from the following news sources:-Social
Media (ex: Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Missing
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Never
14
4.4
4.4
4.4
Sometimes
78
24.5
24.9
29.3
Often
109
34.3
34.8
64.1
All the time
112
35.4
35.9
100.0
Total
312
98.5
100.0
5
1.5
317
100.0
System
Total
Please select how often you get news from the following news sources:-Comedy
News (ex: The Daily Show, Colbert Report, etc.)
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Never
Percent
21.9
22.4
22.4
135
42.6
43.7
66.2
Often
71
22.4
23.0
89.1
All the time
34
10.6
10.9
100.0
309
97.5
100.0
8
2.5
317
100.0
Total
Total
Valid Percent
69
Sometimes
Missing
Percent
System
61
Please select how often you get news from the following news sources:-Online
News sources (ex: Politico, The Hill, Buzzfeed, etc)
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Missing
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Never
39
12.5
12.6
12.6
Sometimes
73
22.9
23.2
35.7
Often
94
29.8
30.1
65.9
All the time
107
33.8
34.1
100.0
Total
314
98.9
100.0
3
1.1
317
100.0
System
Total
Please select how often you get news from the following news sources:-Traditional
Newspaper Publications (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, etc.)
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Never
Valid Percent
Percent
70
22.1
22.3
22.3
110
34.8
35.1
57.3
Often
77
24.4
24.5
81.9
All the time
57
18.0
18.1
100.0
315
99.3
100.0
2
.7
317
100.0
Sometimes
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
Do you consider yourself:
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Democrat
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
170
53.5
53.5
53.5
Republican
62
19.6
19.6
73.1
Independent
57
18.0
18.0
91.1
Libertarian
18
5.8
5.8
97.0
Other
10
3.0
3.0
100.0
Total
317
100.0
100.0
62
Do you consider yourself: -TEXT
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
309
97.5
97.5
97.5
1
.4
.4
97.9
1
.3
.3
98.1
California Green Party
1
.4
.4
98.5
Farther Left than Left
1
.4
.4
98.9
I hate politics
1
.4
.4
99.3
no identification
1
.3
.3
99.6
Socialist
1
.4
.4
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Anarchist
Anarchist with communist
sympathies
Total
Where do you fall on the political ideological spectrum?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Extremely Liberal
Valid Percent
Percent
37
11.8
11.8
11.8
135
42.6
42.8
54.6
Moderate
94
29.7
29.7
84.3
Conservative
44
13.8
13.8
98.1
6
1.9
1.9
100.0
316
99.7
100.0
1
.3
317
100.0
Liberal
Extremely Conservative
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
Do you have confidence in President Obama’s ability to address the nation’s challenges?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Not confident at all
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
83
26.2
26.2
26.2
117
37.0
37.0
63.2
Confident
92
29.0
29.0
92.2
Very Confident
25
7.8
7.8
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Somewhat confident
Total
63
Do you have confidence in Congressional Republican’s ability to address the nation’s
challenges?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Not confident at all
Valid Percent
Percent
182
57.5
57.9
57.9
Somewhat confident
98
31.0
31.2
89.2
Confident
34
10.7
10.8
100.0
315
99.2
100.0
3
.8
317
100.0
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
Do you have confidence in Congressional Democrat’s ability to address the nation’s
challenges?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Not confident at all
Somewhat confident
Confident
Very confident
Total
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
89
27.9
27.9
27.9
172
54.3
54.3
82.3
52
16.3
16.3
98.5
5
1.5
1.5
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
On a scale of 0=not important to 5=Very important, please rate the following issuesEconomy / Jobs
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
2
5
1.6
1.6
1.6
3
10
3.2
3.2
4.8
4
63
19.7
19.7
24.5
Very Important- 5
239
75.5
75.5
100.0
Total
317
100.0
100.0
64
On a scale of 0=not important to 5=Very important, please rate the following issuesEducation
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Not at all Important- 0
3
.8
.8
.8
2
5
1.7
1.7
2.5
3
22
7.0
7.0
9.5
4
66
20.7
20.7
30.2
Very Important- 5
221
69.8
69.8
100.0
Total
317
100.0
100.0
On a scale of 0=not important to 5=Very important, please rate the following issuesEnvironment
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Not at all Important- 0
Percent
1.6
1.6
1.6
1
13
4.1
4.1
5.7
2
29
9.0
9.1
14.8
3
67
21.1
21.2
36.0
4
92
29.1
29.3
65.2
108
34.0
34.2
99.5
2
.5
.5
100.0
315
99.5
100.0
2
.5
317
100.0
No Opinion
Total
Total
Valid Percent
5
Very Important- 5
Missing
Percent
System
65
On a scale of 0=not important to 5=Very important, please rate the following issuesInternational Affairs
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Valid Percent
Percent
Not at all Important- 0
1
.4
.4
.4
1
7
2.3
2.3
2.7
2
29
9.3
9.3
12.0
3
58
18.3
18.3
30.3
4
113
35.5
35.6
65.9
Very Important- 5
105
33.2
33.3
99.2
3
.8
.8
100.0
316
99.7
100.0
1
.3
317
100.0
No Opinion
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
On a scale of 0=not important to 5=Very important, please rate the following issuesHealthcare
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Not at all Important- 0
3
1.1
1.1
1.1
1
4
1.3
1.3
2.4
2
17
5.3
5.3
7.7
3
54
17.0
17.0
24.6
4
96
30.2
30.2
54.8
139
44.0
44.0
98.8
4
1.2
1.2
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Very Important- 5
No Opinion
Total
66
On a scale of 0=not important to 5=Very important, please rate the following issuesImmigration
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Valid Percent
Percent
1
10
3.3
3.3
3.3
2
45
14.3
14.3
17.7
3
81
25.6
25.6
43.3
4
82
26.0
26.0
69.3
Very Important- 5
94
29.8
29.9
99.2
3
.8
.8
100.0
316
99.7
100.0
1
.3
317
100.0
No Opinion
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
On a scale of 0=not important to 5=Very important, please rate the following issuesMarriage Equality for same sex couples
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Not at all Important- 0
18
5.7
5.7
5.7
1
23
7.3
7.3
13.0
2
27
8.5
8.5
21.5
3
58
18.1
18.1
39.6
4
78
24.5
24.5
64.1
110
34.8
34.8
98.9
3
1.1
1.1
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Very Important- 5
No Opinion
Total
67
Which ideology do you most align with on social issues, such as marriage equality, abortion,
and religion in schools?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Valid Percent
Percent
Extremely Liberal
123
38.7
38.8
38.8
Liberal
115
36.2
36.3
75.0
Moderate
53
16.8
16.9
91.9
Conservative
21
6.6
6.6
98.5
5
1.5
1.5
100.0
316
99.7
100.0
1
.3
317
100.0
Extremely Conservative
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
Which ideology do you most align with on economic issues, such as taxes, the minimum wage,
and the role of government in our economy?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Extremely Liberal
Valid Percent
Percent
31
9.8
9.9
9.9
105
33.2
33.6
43.4
Moderate
76
23.8
24.1
67.5
Conservative
70
22.0
22.2
89.7
Extremely Conservative
32
10.2
10.3
100.0
314
99.1
100.0
3
.9
317
100.0
Liberal
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
Do you think Immigration Reform should be a top concern for the nation right now?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Yes, it is very important
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
71
22.4
22.4
22.4
206
64.9
64.9
87.3
21
6.6
6.6
93.9
19
6.1
6.1
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Yes, it is important but there
are other issues that come
first
No, not important at all
Don't know enough about
the issue
Total
68
If there were a bill in Congress that reformed the immigration system by
increasing border security and offering a pathway to citizenship for the 11
million undocumented immigrants currently in the US, would you support it?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Yes
187
59.1
59.1
59.1
No
32
10.2
10.2
69.3
Don't know
97
30.7
30.7
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Total
Think about the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States.
Which statement best represents what you believe:
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
We need to figure out a
pathway to citizenship for
209
66.0
66.0
66.0
42
13.4
13.4
79.3
35
11.1
11.1
90.5
30
9.5
9.5
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
them
They should be allowed to
stay and work in the US but
not obtain citizenship
Since they came here
illegally, they should be
deported
Don't know
Total
If a pathway to citizenship doesn’t pass within immigration reform, who is to blame?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Democrats in Congress
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
5
1.7
1.7
1.7
76
23.8
23.8
25.6
2
.7
.7
26.2
154
48.5
48.5
74.7
None of them are to blame
19
6.1
6.1
80.8
Don't know
51
16.2
16.2
97.0
Other
10
3.0
3.0
100.0
Total
317
100.0
100.0
Republicans in Congress
President Obama
All three are to blame
69
If a pathway to citizenship doesn’t pass within immigration reform, who is to blame?-TEXT
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
308
97.2
97.2
97.2
1
.3
.3
97.5
All Americans
1
.4
.4
97.9
All of Congress
1
.3
.3
98.1
Congress in general
1
.3
.3
98.4
1
.3
.3
98.7
1
.3
.3
98.9
1
.3
.3
99.2
1
.3
.3
99.5
1
.3
.3
99.7
1
.3
.3
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
A government where
compromise is seen as
weakness
Democrats and Republicans
in Congress
Depends on an outcome and
the events preceding
More information needed to
answer question
The white supremacist
xenophobic system they all
belong to
Uneducated public and
lobbying and politicians
focused on saving their
careers rather than public
good
US Population
Total
Do you support marriage equality legislation for same sex couples?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Yes
281
88.7
88.7
88.7
No
20
6.4
6.4
95.1
Don't know
16
4.9
4.9
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Total
70
Which of the following sentences best describes your voting behavior?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Valid Percent
Percent
I only vote for Democrats
52
16.4
16.5
16.5
I only vote for Republicans
14
4.5
4.5
21.0
I mostly vote for Democrats
97
30.6
30.7
51.7
I mostly vote for Republicans
44
13.9
14.0
65.7
97
30.5
30.6
96.3
Other
12
3.7
3.7
100.0
Total
316
99.6
100.0
1
.4
317
100.0
Depends on what issues the
candidate supports
Missing
Percent
System
Total
Which of the following sentences best describes your voting behavior? -TEXT
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
310
97.9
97.9
97.9
AnarchoCapitalist
1
.4
.4
98.3
I still love Ralph Nader
1
.4
.4
98.7
1
.4
.4
99.1
1
.4
.4
99.5
1
.3
.3
99.7
1
.3
.3
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
I support mostly libertarian
candidates But will vote
based on issues the
candidate supports
I vote third party or not at all
If candidate aligns with my
values and issues I care
about I will support
regardless of party
Voting is mostly pointless all
politicians serve money and
the system is broken
Total
71
Let's say a Republican presidential candidate would be willing to consider pathways to
citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, but only
after passing legislation to tighten border security first. Which of the following best describes
your reaction:
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
It would make me more open
to listening to him or her
It would make me less open
to listening to him or her
It wouldn't really make a
difference
I don't know
Total
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
186
58.7
58.7
58.7
28
8.7
8.7
67.4
78
24.5
24.5
91.9
26
8.1
8.1
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Let's say a Republican presidential candidate would be willing to support legislation like the
Dream Act, which gives undocumented high school students and military service members a
pathway to citizenship. Which of the following best describes your reaction:
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
It would make me more open
to listening to him or her
It would make me less open
to listening to him or her
It wouldn't really make a
difference
I don't know
Total
Missing
Total
System
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
249
78.4
78.6
78.6
15
4.8
4.8
83.4
41
13.0
13.0
96.4
11
3.6
3.6
100.0
316
99.7
100.0
1
.3
317
100.0
72
How accepting do you think the Republican Party is towards the following
demographics? -Gays / Lesbians
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Very Accepting
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
3
.8
.8
.8
34
10.7
10.7
11.5
Not very Accepting
168
53.1
53.1
64.6
Not Accepting at all
105
33.2
33.2
97.9
7
2.1
2.1
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Accepting
Don't know
Total
How accepting do you think the Republican Party is towards the following
demographics? -Immigrants
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Very Accepting
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
7
2.3
2.3
2.3
37
11.8
11.8
14.0
Not very Accepting
153
48.3
48.3
62.4
Not Accepting at all
108
33.9
33.9
96.3
12
3.7
3.7
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Accepting
Don't know
Total
How accepting do you think the Republican Party is towards the following
demographics? -Minorities
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Very Accepting
19
6.0
6.0
6.0
Accepting
81
25.6
25.6
31.5
Not very Accepting
146
46.0
46.0
77.5
Not Accepting at all
61
19.3
19.3
96.8
Don't know
10
3.2
3.2
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Total
73
How accepting do you think the Republican Party is towards the following
demographics? -Women
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Very Accepting
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
41
13.0
13.0
13.0
Accepting
126
39.6
39.6
52.6
Not very Accepting
112
35.4
35.4
87.9
Not Accepting at all
28
8.9
8.9
96.8
Don't know
10
3.2
3.2
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Total
How accepting do you think the Republican Party is towards the following
demographics? -Youth
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Very Accepting
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
59
18.7
18.7
18.7
139
44.0
44.0
62.6
Not very Accepting
85
26.9
26.9
89.5
Not Accepting at all
18
5.6
5.6
95.1
Don't know
16
4.9
4.9
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Accepting
Total
How accepting do you think the Democrat Party is towards the following demographics? Gays / Lesbians
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Total
Valid Percent
Percent
Very Accepting
145
45.8
45.9
45.9
Accepting
163
51.4
51.5
97.5
Not very Accepting
5
1.5
1.5
98.9
Don't know
3
1.1
1.1
100.0
316
99.7
100.0
1
.3
317
100.0
Total
Missing
Percent
System
74
How accepting do you think the Democrat Party is towards the following demographics? Immigrants
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Very Accepting
Valid Percent
Percent
77
24.2
24.3
24.3
190
60.0
60.2
84.5
Not very Accepting
41
13.0
13.0
97.5
Not Accepting at all
2
.5
.5
98.0
Don't know
6
2.0
2.0
100.0
316
99.7
100.0
1
.3
317
100.0
Accepting
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
How accepting do you think the Democrat Party is towards the following demographics? Minorities
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Valid Percent
Percent
Very Accepting
117
37.0
37.1
37.1
Accepting
168
53.0
53.1
90.2
Not very Accepting
23
7.2
7.2
97.3
Not Accepting at all
2
.7
.7
98.0
Don't know
6
2.0
2.0
100.0
316
99.7
100.0
1
.3
317
100.0
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
How accepting do you think the Democrat Party is towards the following demographics? Women
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Total
Valid Percent
Percent
Very Accepting
135
42.5
42.6
42.6
Accepting
152
47.9
48.1
90.7
Not very Accepting
20
6.4
6.4
97.1
Not Accepting at all
2
.7
.7
97.7
Don't know
7
2.3
2.3
100.0
316
99.7
100.0
1
.3
317
100.0
Total
Missing
Percent
System
75
How accepting do you think the Democrat Party is towards the following demographics? Youth
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Valid Percent
Percent
Very Accepting
149
46.9
47.0
47.0
Accepting
137
43.3
43.4
90.4
Not very Accepting
20
6.2
6.2
96.7
Don't know
10
3.3
3.3
100.0
316
99.7
100.0
1
.3
317
100.0
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
In one word, how would you describe the Republican Party?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
11
3.4
3.4
3.4
'merica
1
.4
.4
3.8
Adapting
1
.4
.4
4.2
Adversarial
1
.4
.4
4.6
Afraid
1
.4
.4
5.0
Aggravating
1
.3
.3
5.3
anachronistic
1
.3
.3
5.6
Annoying
1
.3
.3
5.8
anti-conservative
1
.4
.4
6.2
anti-progressive
1
.3
.3
6.5
antiquated
3
.9
.9
7.4
Antiquated
2
.5
.5
7.9
archaic
1
.4
.4
8.3
Archaic
1
.4
.4
8.7
Arrogant
3
.9
.9
9.7
Awesome
1
.3
.3
9.9
Awful
1
.3
.3
10.2
backward
1
.3
.3
10.5
Backward
1
.3
.3
10.7
backwards
1
.3
.3
11.0
Backwards
3
1.1
1.1
12.1
badass
1
.4
.4
12.5
76
behind
1
.3
.3
12.7
Behind
1
.3
.3
13.0
Bigoted
2
.7
.7
13.6
Blind
1
.3
.3
13.9
broken
1
.3
.3
14.2
bullish
1
.4
.4
14.6
Calculating
1
.4
.4
15.0
cautious
1
.3
.3
15.2
Cautious
1
.3
.3
15.5
Changing
1
.3
.3
15.8
Chaotic.
1
.4
.4
16.2
Chickenhawks
1
.4
.4
16.6
Child-molesters.
1
.4
.4
17.0
Close minded
1
.3
.3
17.2
close-minded
2
.7
.7
17.9
Close-Minded
1
.3
.3
18.1
Closed Minded
1
.3
.3
18.4
Closed-minded
2
.5
.5
18.9
Closedminded
1
.3
.3
19.2
clueless
1
.4
.4
19.6
Committed
1
.4
.4
20.0
conceeded
1
.4
.4
20.4
Confused
3
.9
.9
21.3
Conserative
1
.3
.3
21.6
conservative
14
4.4
4.4
26.0
Conservative
15
4.6
4.6
30.6
1
.3
.3
30.9
1
.4
.4
31.3
Consistent
1
.3
.3
31.5
Constitutional
1
.4
.4
31.9
Contentious
1
.4
.4
32.3
Convicted
1
.3
.3
32.6
dangerous
1
.3
.3
32.8
dated
2
.5
.5
33.4
Dated
1
.3
.3
33.6
CONSERVATIVE
conservative/small
government
77
Deluded
1
.3
.3
33.9
delusional
1
.4
.4
34.3
Democrats
1
.4
.4
34.7
Destructive
1
.4
.4
35.1
Dicks
1
.4
.4
35.5
Discombobulated
1
.4
.4
35.9
disgruntled
1
.4
.4
36.3
disjointed
1
.3
.3
36.6
Disjointed
1
.4
.4
37.0
Divdided
1
.3
.3
37.2
divided
2
.7
.7
37.9
Divided
5
1.7
1.7
39.6
Economists
1
.3
.3
39.9
Economy-driven
1
.3
.3
40.1
Efficient
1
.4
.4
40.5
Elephant
1
.4
.4
40.9
elephants
1
.4
.4
41.3
Elitist
1
.3
.3
41.6
Enclosed
1
.3
.3
41.9
evolving
1
.4
.4
42.3
exclusive
1
.4
.4
42.6
exclusory
1
.3
.3
42.9
Extreme
2
.7
.7
43.6
Extremists
1
.4
.4
44.0
Fearful
1
.4
.4
44.4
Fickle
1
.4
.4
44.8
Fiscally Conservative
1
.3
.3
45.0
frusterating
1
.4
.4
45.4
Frustrating
3
.9
.9
46.4
Great
1
.3
.3
46.6
greedy
1
.3
.3
46.9
Growing
1
.4
.4
47.3
Hateful
1
.3
.3
47.5
Honest
1
.3
.3
47.8
Hypocrites
1
.4
.4
48.2
78
Hypocritical, pretend to
support small government,
but not when the government
1
.3
.3
48.5
ignorant
3
.8
.8
49.3
Ignorant
3
.9
.9
50.2
illogical
1
.4
.4
50.6
Inadequate
1
.4
.4
51.0
Incapable
1
.4
.4
51.4
Inchoate
1
.4
.4
51.8
individualistic
1
.3
.3
52.1
inflexible
1
.3
.3
52.3
Inflexible
1
.3
.3
52.6
Intelligent
1
.4
.4
53.0
intolerant
2
.5
.5
53.5
Irritating
1
.3
.3
53.8
Limited
1
.4
.4
54.2
Logical
3
1.1
1.1
55.2
lol
1
.3
.3
55.5
Misguided
1
.3
.3
55.8
Misinterpreted
1
.3
.3
56.0
Misunderstood
1
.3
.3
56.3
Misunderstood.
1
.4
.4
56.7
Myopic
1
.4
.4
57.1
narrow
1
.3
.3
57.4
Narrow minded
1
.3
.3
57.6
Nearsighted
1
.3
.3
57.9
Not supportive
1
.3
.3
58.1
obsolete
1
.4
.4
58.5
obstinate
1
.3
.3
58.8
Obstinate
1
.3
.3
59.1
obstructionist
1
.3
.3
59.3
obstructionists
1
.3
.3
59.6
Obstructionists
1
.3
.3
59.9
Obstructive
1
.3
.3
60.1
can help rich old white men
like them.
79
Obtuse
1
.4
.4
60.5
OccasionalRacists
1
.4
.4
60.9
old
3
.9
.9
61.9
Old
8
2.6
2.6
64.5
OLD
1
.4
.4
64.9
Old-fashion
1
.4
.4
65.3
old-school
1
.4
.4
65.7
older
2
.5
.5
66.2
Oldschool
1
.3
.3
66.5
One dimensional
1
.3
.3
66.8
Out dated
1
.3
.3
67.0
Out of Date
1
.3
.3
67.3
Out of touch
1
.3
.3
67.5
out-of-touch
1
.4
.4
67.9
outdated
3
.9
.9
68.9
Outdated
7
2.1
2.1
71.0
Pale
1
.4
.4
71.4
Patriotic
2
.5
.5
71.9
polarized
1
.3
.3
72.2
Practical
1
.3
.3
72.5
pragmatic
1
.3
.3
72.7
Pressed
1
.4
.4
73.1
principled
1
.4
.4
73.5
Privilegeforever
1
.3
.3
73.8
Prudent
1
.4
.4
74.2
Racist
1
.3
.3
74.4
Reactionary
2
.7
.7
75.1
Realistic
1
.4
.4
75.5
Realists
1
.4
.4
75.9
Regressive
1
.3
.3
76.2
republican
1
.4
.4
76.6
Responsible
2
.7
.7
77.2
rich
2
.7
.7
77.9
Right
1
.4
.4
78.3
Rude
1
.3
.3
78.5
80
Scared
1
.3
.3
78.8
Scary
1
.4
.4
79.2
scattered
1
.4
.4
79.6
Selective
1
.3
.3
79.9
Self-centered
1
.3
.3
80.1
Self-defeating
1
.3
.3
80.4
self-sabotagers
1
.4
.4
80.8
self-sufficient
1
.3
.3
81.1
selfish
1
.3
.3
81.3
Selfish
5
1.6
1.6
82.9
sellout
1
.3
.3
83.2
Smart
1
.4
.4
83.6
Split
1
.4
.4
84.0
Stagnant
1
.3
.3
84.2
stagnate
1
.3
.3
84.5
Stagnating
1
.4
.4
84.9
Stale
1
.4
.4
85.3
static
2
.5
.5
85.8
Static
1
.4
.4
86.2
Stodgy
1
.4
.4
86.6
straight-laced
1
.3
.3
86.9
Strict
1
.4
.4
87.3
Strong-willed
1
.4
.4
87.7
stubborn
6
1.9
1.9
89.5
Stubborn
6
1.9
1.9
91.4
Stuck
2
.7
.7
92.1
Tight
1
.3
.3
92.3
traditional
3
.8
.8
93.1
Traditional
5
1.7
1.7
94.8
Transitioning
1
.4
.4
95.2
Troubled
1
.4
.4
95.6
Trying
1
.4
.4
96.0
Tyrannical
1
.4
.4
96.4
Unaccepting
1
.4
.4
96.8
unadapted
1
.4
.4
97.2
81
uncompromising
1
.4
.4
97.6
Uncompromising
1
.4
.4
98.0
uneasy
1
.3
.3
98.3
Unreasonable
1
.4
.4
98.7
unstable
1
.3
.3
98.9
Visionary
1
.3
.3
99.2
volatile
1
.3
.3
99.5
White
2
.5
.5
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Total
In one word, how would you describe the Democrat Party?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
14
4.4
4.4
4.4
Trying
1
.3
.3
4.6
#rosecoloredglasses
1
.3
.3
4.9
Accepting
5
1.6
1.6
6.5
Aggressive
1
.4
.4
6.9
Ambitious
2
.7
.7
7.5
Annoying
1
.4
.4
7.9
anti-liberal
1
.4
.4
8.3
archaic
1
.4
.4
8.7
arrogant
1
.4
.4
9.1
balanced
1
.3
.3
9.4
Better
2
.7
.7
10.1
boring
1
.3
.3
10.3
broad
1
.3
.3
10.6
Careless
1
.3
.3
10.9
Change
3
1.1
1.1
11.9
clueless
1
.4
.4
12.3
Coalition
1
.4
.4
12.7
Cocksuckers.
1
.4
.4
13.1
Cocky
1
.3
.3
13.4
community
1
.3
.3
13.6
compassionate
1
.3
.3
13.9
Compassionate
4
1.2
1.2
15.1
complacent
1
.4
.4
15.5
82
Complacent
1
.4
.4
15.9
Compromising
1
.4
.4
16.3
Conceeded
1
.4
.4
16.7
Conformists
1
.3
.3
17.0
Confused
1
.3
.3
17.2
Conservative
1
.3
.3
17.5
Controlling
1
.4
.4
17.9
Controversial
1
.4
.4
18.3
corporate
1
.4
.4
18.7
Cowardly
1
.3
.3
18.9
Crooks
1
.3
.3
19.2
Dated
1
.3
.3
19.5
decent
1
.4
.4
19.9
Decent
1
.4
.4
20.3
Deceptive
1
.3
.3
20.5
Delusional
2
.7
.7
21.2
dependent
1
.3
.3
21.5
development
1
.3
.3
21.7
Dillusional
1
.4
.4
22.1
disappointing
1
.3
.3
22.4
Disconnected
1
.3
.3
22.6
Disheveled
1
.4
.4
23.0
disjointed
1
.3
.3
23.3
disorganized
1
.3
.3
23.6
Disunity
1
.4
.4
24.0
Ditto.
1
.4
.4
24.4
diverse
1
.3
.3
24.6
Diverse
1
.3
.3
24.9
Donkey
1
.4
.4
25.3
donkeys
1
.4
.4
25.7
Dreamers
2
.7
.7
26.4
Dumbasses
1
.3
.3
26.6
Educated
1
.4
.4
27.0
Emotional
2
.7
.7
27.7
Equality
1
.4
.4
28.1
83
evolving
1
.4
.4
28.5
Evolving
1
.3
.3
28.7
Extreme
1
.3
.3
29.0
fair
1
.3
.3
29.3
Fair
1
.4
.4
29.7
Fake
1
.4
.4
30.1
favorable
1
.3
.3
30.3
Fiscally and Socially Liberal
1
.3
.3
30.6
flailing
1
.3
.3
30.9
flexible
1
.3
.3
31.1
Fluffy
1
.3
.3
31.4
Forward
1
.3
.3
31.7
Freethinking
1
.3
.3
31.9
Frustrated
1
.3
.3
32.2
Frustrating
2
.7
.7
32.8
growing
1
.4
.4
33.2
guarded
1
.3
.3
33.5
helping
1
.3
.3
33.8
Hesitant
2
.7
.7
34.4
Hindered
1
.4
.4
34.8
Hopeful
1
.3
.3
35.1
idealist
1
.3
.3
35.4
idealistic
3
.8
.8
36.2
Idealistic
3
.8
.8
37.0
inclusive
2
.5
.5
37.5
ineffective
2
.7
.7
38.1
Ineffective
4
1.2
1.2
39.3
Ineffectual
1
.4
.4
39.7
Irresponsible
1
.3
.3
40.0
Irritating
1
.3
.3
40.3
Justice
1
.3
.3
40.5
lackluster
1
.4
.4
40.9
Lackluster
1
.3
.3
41.2
lame
1
.4
.4
41.6
lazy
2
.5
.5
42.1
84
Lazy
1
.3
.3
42.4
Left
1
.4
.4
42.8
Less-evil
1
.3
.3
43.0
liberal
15
4.8
4.8
47.8
Liberal
16
4.9
4.9
52.7
liberal/big government
1
.4
.4
53.1
lol
1
.3
.3
53.4
lost
1
.3
.3
53.6
Lost
1
.4
.4
54.0
malaise
1
.3
.3
54.3
Meh
1
.3
.3
54.6
Messy
1
.3
.3
54.8
middleclass
1
.3
.3
55.1
Misinformed
1
.4
.4
55.5
Mislead
1
.3
.3
55.8
Misleading
1
.4
.4
56.2
Misplaced
1
.4
.4
56.6
moderate
1
.3
.3
56.8
Moderate
1
.4
.4
57.2
Modern
1
.3
.3
57.5
Naive
3
1.1
1.1
58.5
Neoliberal
1
.4
.4
58.9
not sure
1
.3
.3
59.2
Not unified
1
.3
.3
59.5
Notsupereffective
1
.3
.3
59.7
obsequious
1
.3
.3
60.0
open
3
.8
.8
60.8
Open
8
2.4
2.4
63.2
open-minded
2
.5
.5
63.7
Open-minded
1
.3
.3
64.0
Open.
1
.3
.3
64.2
Oppressive
1
.4
.4
64.6
optimistic
1
.3
.3
64.9
Optimistic
2
.7
.7
65.6
Other
1
.4
.4
66.0
85
Out of date
1
.3
.3
66.2
Out of touch
1
.3
.3
66.5
passive
1
.3
.3
66.8
Passive
1
.3
.3
67.0
paternal
1
.4
.4
67.4
persistant
1
.4
.4
67.8
persisting
1
.4
.4
68.2
Poor
1
.4
.4
68.6
Popular.
1
.4
.4
69.0
positive
1
.3
.3
69.3
Pragmatic
1
.4
.4
69.7
Preferable
1
.4
.4
70.1
progressive
6
2.0
2.0
72.1
Progressive
18
5.8
5.8
77.9
pussies
1
.4
.4
78.3
pussy's
1
.4
.4
78.7
quick to act
1
.3
.3
78.9
QuietNerds
1
.4
.4
79.3
Reactive
1
.4
.4
79.7
Real
1
.3
.3
80.0
realistic
1
.3
.3
80.3
Realistic
1
.3
.3
80.5
Reasonable
1
.4
.4
80.9
Reckless
1
.3
.3
81.2
resourceful
1
.3
.3
81.5
Scattered
1
.3
.3
81.7
self-righteous
1
.3
.3
82.0
sellout
1
.3
.3
82.3
Slack
1
.3
.3
82.5
Slightly more accepting
1
.3
.3
82.8
Socialist
2
.7
.7
83.4
Socialists
1
.3
.3
83.7
spineless
3
.8
.8
84.5
Spineless
2
.7
.7
85.2
Stagnant
1
.3
.3
85.4
86
Stale
1
.4
.4
85.8
struggling
1
.4
.4
86.2
Struggling
2
.5
.5
86.8
stubborn
1
.3
.3
87.0
Stubborn
1
.4
.4
87.4
Stupid
1
.3
.3
87.7
stymied
1
.3
.3
87.9
Thieves
1
.4
.4
88.3
Timid
3
.8
.8
89.1
Tired
1
.3
.3
89.4
Tolerant
2
.7
.7
90.1
Toothless
1
.4
.4
90.5
Transformation
1
.3
.3
90.7
Two-faced
1
.4
.4
91.1
Tyrannical
1
.4
.4
91.5
Uncompromising
1
.4
.4
91.9
Understanding
1
.3
.3
92.2
unfocused
1
.3
.3
92.5
unified
1
.4
.4
92.8
Uninspired
1
.3
.3
93.1
uninspiring
1
.3
.3
93.4
Unorganized
1
.3
.3
93.6
Unrealistic
4
1.3
1.3
95.0
Unregulated
1
.3
.3
95.2
Unsuccessful
1
.4
.4
95.6
Very Supportive
1
.3
.3
95.9
visionary
2
.7
.7
96.6
weak
3
.9
.9
97.5
Weak
3
.8
.8
98.3
Well-intentioned
1
.3
.3
98.5
Whiny
1
.4
.4
98.9
wishful
1
.4
.4
99.3
Wreckless
1
.4
.4
99.7
younger
1
.3
.3
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Total
87
Who did you vote for in the 2012 Presidential Election?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Barack Obama (D)
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
210
66.2
66.2
66.2
Mitt Romney (R)
76
23.8
23.8
90.1
Other
13
4.0
4.0
94.0
Didn't vote
17
5.3
5.3
99.3
2
.7
.7
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Wasn't old enough at the
time
Total
Who did you vote for in the 2012 Presidential Election? -TEXT
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
307
96.8
96.8
96.8
1
.3
.3
97.1
Gary Johnson
5
1.7
1.7
98.8
Jill Stein
2
.5
.5
99.3
Ron Paul
1
.3
.3
99.6
Ron Paul write in
1
.4
.4
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Absentee ballot didn't arrive
in time to vote
Total
Do you know someone personally (friend, family, or co-worker) who is currently
undocumented or came to the US illegally?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Yes
136
43.0
43.0
43.0
No
142
44.6
44.6
87.7
39
12.3
12.3
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Don't know
Total
88
If applicable, what sentence below best describes what generation of your family immigrated to
the US?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
I immigrated here with my
family
I was born in America to
immigrant parents
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
13
4.2
4.2
4.2
55
17.5
17.5
21.7
84
26.4
26.4
48.1
146
46.0
46.0
94.0
9
2.8
2.8
96.8
10
3.2
3.2
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
1 or more of my
grandparents came to the
US from another country
I trace my background to
distant immigrant relatives
I don't know
Not applicable
Total
What State do you live in?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Alabama
2
.7
.7
.7
Arizona
1
.3
.3
.9
Ca
1
.3
.3
1.2
CA
3
.9
.9
2.1
California
6
2.0
2.0
4.1
Colorado
9
2.8
2.8
6.9
Commonwealth of Virginia
1
.4
.4
7.3
Connecticut
3
.8
.8
8.1
CT
2
.7
.7
8.7
D.C.
1
.4
.4
9.1
DC
13
4.2
4.2
13.4
DC and Massachusetts
1
.3
.3
13.6
District of Columbia
9
2.9
2.9
16.6
1
.4
.4
17.0
1
.3
.3
17.2
District of Columbia by way
of Louisiana
FL
89
Florida
8
2.6
2.6
19.9
Georgia
3
.9
.9
20.8
1
.4
.4
21.2
IL
1
.3
.3
21.5
Kentucky
1
.4
.4
21.9
LA
2
.5
.5
22.4
Louisiana
7
2.1
2.1
24.5
1
.4
.4
24.9
ma
1
.4
.4
25.3
Ma
1
.3
.3
25.6
MA
6
1.9
1.9
27.4
Maine
1
.3
.3
27.7
17
5.4
5.4
33.1
massachusetts
1
.3
.3
33.4
Massachusetts
18
5.7
5.7
39.1
MD
3
.8
.8
39.9
Michigan
1
.3
.3
40.1
Minnesota
3
.8
.8
40.9
Missouri
1
.3
.3
41.2
MN
1
.3
.3
41.5
MT
1
.3
.3
41.7
New Hampshire
1
.3
.3
42.0
New jersey
1
.3
.3
42.3
New Jersey
11
3.4
3.4
45.7
new york
3
.9
.9
46.6
New york
2
.5
.5
47.2
New York
20
6.4
6.4
53.5
New York (currently DC)
1
.4
.4
53.9
nj
1
.3
.3
54.2
Nj
1
.3
.3
54.4
NJ
1
.3
.3
54.7
North Carolina
4
1.3
1.3
56.0
NY
5
1.6
1.6
57.6
Ohio
4
1.2
1.2
58.8
I don't live in a state. I live in
Washington, D.C.
Louisiana but I'm originally
from NY
Maryland
90
pa
1
.3
.3
59.1
pennsylvania
1
.3
.3
59.3
Pennsylvania
6
2.0
2.0
61.3
1
.3
.3
61.6
1
.3
.3
61.9
2
.5
.5
62.4
South Carolina
10
3.0
3.0
65.4
Texas
11
3.6
3.6
69.0
Va
3
.8
.8
69.8
VA
13
4.2
4.2
74.0
Va/Ny
1
.4
.4
74.4
virginia
6
1.9
1.9
76.3
Virginia
60
18.9
18.9
95.2
Virginia.
1
.4
.4
95.6
Washington
2
.7
.7
96.3
Washington DC
3
.9
.9
97.2
Washington DC/Nevada
1
.3
.3
97.5
Washington, D.C.
3
.9
.9
98.4
Washington, DC
5
1.6
1.6
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Registered voter in VA but
currently living abroad
Residency in GA/Live full
time overseas
SC
Total
State Percent’s
AL
0.63%
AZ
0.32%
CA
3.47%
CO
2.52%
CT
1.58%
DC
12.62%
FL
3.15%
91
GA
1.26%
IL
0.32%
KY
0.32%
LA
3.15%
MA
8.52%
MAIN
0.32%
MD
6.62%
MI
0.95%
MN
0.63%
MO
0.32%
MT
0.32%
NC
1.26%
NH
0.32%
NJ
4.73%
NY
9.78%
OH
1.26%
PA
2.52%
SC
4.10%
TX
3.47%
VA
25.55%
92
What is your marital status?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Married
24
7.7
7.7
7.7
Single
286
90.1
90.1
97.7
Divorced or legally separated
3
.8
.8
98.5
Other
5
1.5
1.5
100.0
Total
317
100.0
100.0
What is your marital status? -TEXT
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
312
98.5
98.5
98.5
#noneofyourbusiness
1
.3
.3
98.8
Committed relationship
1
.3
.3
99.1
Domestic Partnership
1
.3
.3
99.3
Engaged
2
.7
.7
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Total
Do you have children?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Yes
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
8
2.4
2.4
2.4
No
310
97.6
97.6
100.0
Total
317
100.0
100.0
What is the highest level of education you’ve completed?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
High school graduate
Some college or technical
school degree
College graduate
Some graduate or
professional school
Masters, M.D., or doctorate
Total
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
8
2.5
2.5
2.5
41
12.8
12.8
15.4
151
47.7
47.7
63.0
59
18.7
18.7
81.7
58
18.3
18.3
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
93
Which best describes your situation right now?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
I'm a student
86
27.2
27.2
27.2
I'm looking for my first job
15
4.8
4.8
31.9
208
65.6
65.6
97.5
8
2.5
2.5
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
I'm currently working
I'm between jobs
Total
How would you identify yourself?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
African American or Black
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
16
5.0
5.0
5.0
8
2.4
2.4
7.4
42
13.4
13.4
20.8
237
74.8
74.8
95.6
11
3.4
3.4
99.1
Other
3
.9
.9
100.0
Total
317
100.0
100.0
Asian American
Hispanic or Latino
White
Mix
How would you identify yourself? -TEXT
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
314
99.1
99.1
99.1
#noneofyourbusiness
1
.3
.3
99.3
Pacific Islander
1
.4
.4
99.7
White Hispanic
1
.3
.3
100.0
317
100.0
100.0
Total
What is your sex?
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Male
152
48.1
48.1
48.1
Female
165
51.9
51.9
100.0
Total
317
100.0
100.0
94
Crosstabulation Appendix
Crosstab #1: Immigration as top concern vs. Race / Ethnicity Identification
Do you think Immigration Reform should be a top concern for the nation right now? * How would you
identify yourself? Crosstabulation
How would you identify yourself?
African
Asian
American
Hispanic
White
Total
Mix
Other
American or Latino
or Black
Yes, it is
Count
very
% identify
important
yourself
Yes, it is
Count
important
Do you think
but there are
Immigration
other issues
Reform should
that come
1
1
28
40
0
1
71
6.3%
14.3%
65.1%
16.9%
0.0%
33.3%
22.4%
13
6
12
164
9
2
206
81.3%
85.7%
27.9%
69.2%
81.8%
66.7%
65.0%
1
0
2
17
1
0
21
6.3%
0.0%
4.7%
7.2%
9.1%
0.0%
6.6%
1
0
1
16
1
0
19
6.3%
0.0%
2.3%
6.8%
9.1%
0.0%
6.0%
16
7
43
237
11
3
317
100.0%
100.0%
% identify
yourself?
be a top concern first
for the nation
No, not
right now?
important at % identify
Count
all
yourself?
Don't know
Count
enough
about the
issue
% identify
yourself?
Count
Total
% identify
100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
yourself?
95
Crosstab #2: Scale of Immigration issue vs. Race / Ethnicity Identification
On a scale of 0=not important to 5=Very important, please rate the following issues-Immigration * How would you
identify yourself? Crosstabulation
How would you identify yourself?
African
On a scale of 0=not
1
Count
important to 5=Very
%
important, please rate
identify
the following issues-
yourself?
Immigration
2
Count
American
Asian
Hispanic
or Black
American
or Latino
1
0
1
8
0
0
10
6.3%
0.0%
2.3%
3.4%
0.0%
0.0%
3.2%
2
0
2
40
0
1
45
12.5%
0.0%
4.7%
16.9%
0.0%
33.3%
14.2%
3
3
3
70
2
1
82
18.8%
37.5%
7.0%
29.7%
18.2%
33.3%
25.9%
9
3
3
63
5
0
83
56.3%
37.5%
7.0%
26.7%
45.5%
0.0%
26.2%
1
2
34
52
4
1
94
6.3%
25.0%
79.1%
22.0%
36.4%
33.3%
29.7%
0
0
0
3
0
0
3
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
1.3%
0.0%
0.0%
0.9%
16
8
43
236
11
3
317
100.0%
100.0%
White
Mix
Other
Total
%
identify
yourself?
3
Count
%
identify
yourself?
4
Count
%
identify
yourself?
Very
Count
Important- %
5
identify
yourself?
No
Count
Opinion
%
identify
yourself?
Total
Count
%
identify
100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
yourself?
96
Crosstab #3: Potential Bill in Congress vs. Party Identification
If there were a bill in Congress that reformed the immigration system by increasing border security and
offering a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the US, would you
support it? * Do you consider yourself: Crosstabulation
Do you consider yourself:
Total
Democrat Republican Independent Libertarian
If there were a bill in
Congress that reformed
Count
Yes
% consider
the immigration system
yourself:
by increasing border
Count
security and offering a
No
% consider
pathway to citizenship for
yourself:
the 11 million
Count
undocumented
immigrants currently in
the...
Don't
know
% consider
118
29
32
7
2
188
69.4%
46.8%
56.1%
36.8%
20.0%
59.1%
4
12
3
9
5
33
2.4%
19.4%
5.3%
47.4%
50.0%
10.4%
48
21
22
3
3
97
28.2%
33.9%
38.6%
15.8%
30.0%
30.5%
170
62
57
19
10
318
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
yourself:
Count
Total
Other
% consider
100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
yourself:
97
Crosstab #4: Who is to blame vs. Race / Ethnicity Identification
If a pathway to citizenship doesn’t pass within immigration reform, who is to blame? * How would you
identify yourself? Crosstabulation
How would you identify yourself?
African
American
or Black
If a pathway to
Democrats in Count
citizenship doesn’t Congress
% ID
pass within
Republicans
Count
immigration
in Congress
% ID
reform, who is to
President
Count
blame?
Obama
% ID
All three are
Count
to blame
% ID
None of them Count
are to blame
Don't know
% ID
Count
% ID
Other
Count
% ID
Total
Count
% ID
Asian
Hispanic
American or Latino
White
Mix
Other
Total
0
0
0
5
0
0
5
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2.1%
0.0%
0.0%
1.6%
6
5
9
55
0
1
76
40.0%
62.5%
20.9%
23.2%
0.0%
33.3%
24.0%
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.8%
0.0%
0.0%
0.6%
4
2
27
113
6
2
154
26.7%
25.0%
62.8%
47.7%
54.5%
66.7%
48.6%
0
0
2
16
1
0
19
0.0%
0.0%
4.7%
6.8%
9.1%
0.0%
6.0%
5
1
3
38
4
0
51
33.3%
12.5%
7.0%
16.0%
36.4%
0.0%
16.1%
0
0
2
8
0
0
10
0.0%
0.0%
4.7%
3.4%
0.0%
0.0%
3.2%
15
8
43
237
11
3
317
100.0%
100.0%
100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
98
Crosstab #5: Who is to blame vs. Party Identification
If a pathway to citizenship doesn’t pass within immigration reform, who is to blame? * Do you consider
yourself: Crosstabulation
Do you consider yourself:
Democrat Republican Independent Libertarian
If a pathway to
Democrats in Count
citizenship
Congress
% Party ID
doesn’t pass
within
Republicans
Count
immigration
in Congress
% Party ID
reform, who is to
President
Count
blame?
Obama
% Party ID
All three are
Count
to blame
% Party ID
None of
Count
them are to
% Party ID
blame
Don't know
Count
% Party ID
Other
Count
% Party ID
Total
Count
Other
Total
0
5
0
0
0
5
0.0%
8.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
1.6%
66
4
5
1
0
76
38.8%
6.5%
8.6%
5.3%
0.0%
23.8%
0
2
0
0
0
2
0.0%
3.2%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.6%
66
35
36
13
5
155
38.8%
56.5%
62.1%
68.4%
50.0%
48.6%
8
5
2
3
0
18
4.7%
8.1%
3.4%
15.8%
0.0%
5.6%
27
10
12
1
2
52
15.9%
16.1%
20.7%
5.3%
20.0%
16.3%
3
1
3
1
3
11
1.8%
1.6%
5.2%
5.3%
30.0%
3.4%
170
62
58
19
10
319
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
% within
Do you
consider
100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
yourself:
99
Crosstab #6: Know someone undocumented vs. Race / Ethnicity Identification
Do you know someone personally (friend, family, or co-worker) who is currently undocumented or came to the
US illegally? * How would you identify yourself? Crosstabulation
How would you identify yourself?
African
Do you know
Yes
Count
someone
% identify
personally
yourself?
(friend,
No
Count
family, or co-
% identify
worker) who
yourself?
is currently
Don't Count
American or
Asian
Hispanic or
Black
American
Latino
White
Mix
Other
Total
6
5
39
79
6
2
137
40.0%
62.5%
92.9%
33.3%
54.5%
66.7%
43.4%
8
2
2
124
4
1
141
53.3%
25.0%
4.8%
52.3%
36.4%
33.3%
44.6%
1
1
1
34
1
0
38
6.7%
12.5%
2.4%
14.3%
9.1%
0.0%
12.0%
15
8
42
237
11
3
316
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
undocumented know % identify
or came to the
yourself?
US
illegally?
Total
Count
% identify
yourself?
100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
100
Crosstab #7: Open to listening to a Republican candidate if supportive of pathway to
citizenship vs. Party Identification
Let's say a Republican presidential candidate would be willing to consider pathways to citizenship for the 11
million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, but only after passing legislation to tighten
border security first. Which of the following best describes your reaction: * Do you consider
yourself: Crosstabulation
Do you consider yourself:
Total
Democrat Republican Independent Libertarian
It would
Count
make me
Let's say a
Republican
presidential
candidate would be
willing to consider
pathways to
citizenship for the 11
more open
%
to listening
consider
to him or
yourself:
immigrants living in
the United States,
but only after
103
37
36
8
2
186
60.6%
58.7%
64.3%
44.4%
22.2%
58.9%
13
5
4
4
2
28
7.6%
7.9%
7.1%
22.2%
22.2%
8.9%
39
15
13
6
4
77
22.9%
23.8%
23.2%
33.3%
44.4%
24.4%
15
6
3
0
1
25
8.8%
9.5%
5.4%
0.0%
11.1%
7.9%
170
63
56
18
9
316
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
her
It would
Count
make me
less open
%
to listening consider
to him or
yourself:
her
million
undocumented
Other
Count
It wouldn't
% within
really make a Do you
difference
consider
yourself:
passing leg...
Count
I don't
know
% within
Do you
consider
yourself:
Count
% within
Total
100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Do you
consider
yourself:
101
Crosstab #8: Open to listening to a Republican candidate if supportive of Dream Act
vs. Party Identification
Let's say a Republican presidential candidate would be willing to support legislation like the Dream Act, which
gives undocumented high school students and military service members a pathway to citizenship. Which of the
following best describes your reaction:* Do you consider yourself: Crosstabulation
Do you consider yourself:
Total
Democrat Republican Independent Libertarian
It would
Count
make me
Let's say a
Republican
presidential candidate
would be willing to
support legislation
like the Dream Act,
which gives
more open
%
to listening
consider
to him or
yourself:
Other
150
36
49
9
5
249
88.2%
59.0%
86.0%
50.0%
55.6%
79.0%
1
11
0
3
0
15
0.6%
18.0%
0.0%
16.7%
0.0%
4.8%
14
13
6
5
3
41
8.2%
21.3%
10.5%
27.8%
33.3%
13.0%
5
1
2
1
1
10
2.9%
1.6%
3.5%
5.6%
11.1%
3.2%
170
61
57
18
9
315
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
her
It would
Count
make me
less open to
listening to
him or her
undocumented high
%
consider
yourself:
Count
school students and
It wouldn't
military service
really make
members a pathway
a difference
%
consider
yourself:
to...
Count
I don't
%
know
consider
yourself:
Count
Total
%
100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
consider
yourself:
102
Crosstab #9: Marriage equality legislation vs. Party Identification
Do you support marriage equality legislation for same sex couples? * Do you consider
yourself: Crosstabulation
Do you consider yourself:
Total
Democrat Republican Independent Libertarian
Count
Yes
% consider
Other
168
37
54
14
8
281
98.8%
60.7%
94.7%
77.8%
88.9%
89.2%
1
13
2
3
0
19
0.6%
21.3%
3.5%
16.7%
0.0%
6.0%
1
11
1
1
1
15
0.6%
18.0%
1.8%
5.6%
11.1%
4.8%
170
61
57
18
9
315
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
yourself:
Do you support
marriage equality
legislation for same sex
Count
No
% consider
yourself:
couples?
Count
Don't
know
% consider
yourself:
Count
Total
% consider
100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
yourself:
103