State and National Public Survey, September 1994

January 1, 1994

September 20-24, 1994
General Election N=527 Likely Voters
Margin of Error: +/- 4 %

If the election for U.S. Senate were being held right now and the candidates were Republican John Chafee and Democrat Linda Kushner, would you vote for: 55% Chafee, 24% Kushner, 21% don't know or no answer

If the election for U.S. House were being held right now and the candidates were Republican Kevin Vigilante and Democrat Patrick Kennedy, would you vote for: 32% Vigilante, 52% Kennedy, 16% don't know or no answer (First Congressional District Voters Only)

If the election for U.S. House were being held right now and the candidates were Republican John Elliot and Democrat Jack Reed, would you vote for: 16% Elliot, 56% Reed, 28% don't know or no answer (Second Congressional District Voters Only)

If the election for governor were being held right now and the candidates were Republican Lincoln Almond, Democrat Myrth York, or Cool Moose party Robert Healey, Jr., would you vote for: 38% Almond, 37% York, 4% Healey, 21% don't know or no answer

If the election for lieutenant governor were being held right now and the candidates were Republican John Feroce, Democrat Robert Weygand, and Independent Jeffrey Johnson, would you vote for: 12% Feroce, 47% Weygand, 9% Johnson, 32% don't know or no answer

If the election for attorney general were being held right now and the candidates were Republican Jeff Pine, Democrat Sara Quinn, and Independent Anthony Almonte, would you vote for: 67% Pine, 14% Quinn, 4% Almonte, 15% don't know or no answer

If the election for secretary of state were being held right now and the candidates were Republican Barbara Leonard and Democrat James Langevin, would you vote for: 45% Leonard, 29% Langevin, 26% don't know or no answer

If the election for general treasurer were being held right now and the candidates were Republican Nancy Mayer and Democrat Richard James, would you vote for: 54% Mayer, 16% James, 30% don't know or no answer

Is your opinion of John Chafee favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough yet to have an opinion? 55% favorable, 20% not favorable, 12% undecided, 12% not heard enough, 1% no answer

Is your opinion of Linda Kushner favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough yet to have an opinion? 19% favorable, 12% not favorable, 20% undecided, 48% not heard enough, 1% no answer

Is your opinion of Kevin Vigilante favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough yet to have an opinion? 34% favorable, 13% not favorable, 16% undecided, 36% not heard enough, 1% no answer (First Congressional District Voters Only)

Is your opinion of Patrick Kennedy favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough yet to have an opinion? 57% favorable, 27% not favorable, 9% undecided, 6% not heard enough, 1% no answer (First Congressional District Voters Only)

Is your opinion of Lincoln Almond favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough yet to have an opinion? 53% favorable, 18% not favorable, 17% undecided, 10% not heard enough, 2% no answer

Is your opinion of Myrth York favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough yet to have an opinion? 47% favorable, 14% not favorable, 18% undecided, 19% not heard enough, 2% no answer

How familiar are you with the legislative activities of Senator John Chafee? 17% very familiar, 57% somewhat familiar, 23% not very familiar, 3% don't know or no answer

How active do you believe John Chafee has been in introducing bills in the U.S. Senate? 29% very active, 45% somewhat active, 7% not very active, 19% don't know or no answer

Can you name a bill that John Chafee has introduced in the U.S. Senate? 30% yes, 61% no, 9% don't know or no answer

Do you think John Chafee is an effective Senator? 68% yes, 14% no, 18% don't know or no answer

Do you trust John Chafee? 60% yes, 23% no, 17% don't know or no answer

Do you believe it is more important for John Chafee to address local or national issues? 48% local issues, 14% national issues, 31% both (vol. only), 7% don't know or no answer

Compared to a year ago, do you think John Chafee is more effective as a legislator, about the same, or less effective? 17% more effective, 54% about the same, 15% less effective, 14% don't know or no answer

Would you say that over the past year, Rhode Island's economy has gotten better, stayed about the same, or gotten worse? 19% gotten better, 40% stayed about the same, 35% gotten worse, 6% don't know or no answer

What about the next 12 months or so? Do you expect the Rhode Island economy to get better, stay about the same, or get worse? 36% get better, 38% stay the same, 16% get worse, 10% don't know or no answer

We are interested in how people are getting along financially these days. Would you say that you (and your family living there) are: 33% better off, 32% worse off financially than you were a year ago, 35% don't know or no answer

Now looking ahead--do you think that a year from now you (and your family living there) will be: 33% better off financially, 8% worse off, 47% just about the same as now, 12% don't know or no answer

Now turning to business conditions in the state as a whole--do you think that during the next twelve months we'll have: 36% good times financially, 31% bad times, 33% don't know or no answer

Looking ahead, which would you say is more likely--that in the state as a whole: 28% we'll have continuous good times during the next five years or so, 42% that we will have periods of widespread unemployment or depression, 30% don't know or no answer

About the big things people buy for their homes--such as furniture, a refrigerator, stove, television, and things like that. Generally speaking, do you think now is a: 52% good, 24% bad time for people to buy major household items, 24% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Bill Clinton is doing as president? 6% excellent, 28% good, 40% only fair, 22% poor, 4% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job John Chafee is doing as U.S. Senator? 8% excellent, 42% good, 29% only fair, 8% poor, 13% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Claiborne Pell is doing as U.S. Senator? 10% excellent, 29% good, 32% only fair, 14% poor, 15% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Bruce Sundlun is doing as governor? 2% excellent, 17% good, 32% only fair, 41% poor, 8% don't know or no answer

Generally speaking, would you say things in Rhode Island are going in the right direction, or have they gotten off on the wrong track? 34% right direction, 53% wrong track, 13% don't know or no answer

How much of the time do you think you can trust Rhode Island government to do what is right? 1% just about always, 12% most of the time, 63% only some of the time, 17% never, 7% don't know or no answer

As far as you are concerned, what is the most important problem facing the state of Rhode Island today? Open-ended responses coded as 37% unemployment and jobs, 15% the economy, 9% ethics and corruption, 5% politicians and government, 5% taxes, 4% government spending, 3% education, 3% crime, 3% the business climate, (all others under 3%)

What do you like the most about Rhode Island? Open-ended responses coded as 19% beaches and ocean, 15% family ties, 14% location and geography, 9% quality of life, 8% size, 5% people, 4% weather, 3% diversity, 1% historic area, 7% other, 15% don't know

What do you dislike the most about Rhode Island? Open-ended responses coded as 27% politics and politicians, 9% the economy, 7% government, 7% roads and driving, 6% corruption, 5% taxes, 4% quality of life, 4% state's reputation, 4% people, 3% crime, 2% weather, 7% other, 15% don't know

What is the biggest difference between Rhode Island and other states? Open-ended responses coded as 18% size, 14% corruption, 8% government and politics, 5% the economy, 4% negative attitudes, 4% high taxes, 2% bad roads, 2% close-knit community, 2% poorness, 1% high cost, 1% uncleanliness, 1% location, 1% weather, 1% coastline, 10% other, 4% no difference, 2% not familiar with other states, 13% don't know, 7% no answer

Shall a gambling facility and/or activity be established in the town of West Greenwich? 39% yes, 45% no, 16% don't know or no answer

Shall a gambling facility and/or activity be established in the city of Providence? 28% yes, 62% no 10% don't know or no answer

Shall a gambling facility and/or activity be established in the city of Pawtucket? 16% yes, 71% no 13% don't know or no answer

Shall a gambling facility and/or activity be established in the town of Lincoln? 25% yes, 61% no, 14% don't know or no answer

Shall a gambling facility and/or activity be established in the town of Coventry? 24% yes, 61% no, 15% don't know or no answer

Should House and Senate approval be required for the establishment of any gambling casino in Rhode Island? 63% yes, 27% no, 10% don't know or no answer

Should public officials with a financial stake in a casino be required to disclose their holdings? 87% yes, 6% no, 7% don't know or no answer

A constitutional amendment will be on the ballot to reduce the size of the House from 100 to 75 members and the Senate from 50 to 38 members in the year 2003. This measure also would raise the pay of legislators from $300 to $10,000 a year and bar new members from getting legislative pensions. Current members could opt for the higher pay or their pensions, but not both. Do you: 49% favor, 30% oppose this amendment, 21% don't know or no answer

Regardless of how you vote, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or something else? 14% Republican, 23% Democrat, 53% Independent, 8% Other, 2% don't know or no answer