State and National Public Survey, February 1997

January 1, 1997

February 1-3, 1997
N=438 Registered Voters
Margin of Error: +/-5 %

We are interested in how people are getting along financially these days. Would you say that you (and your family living there) are: 39% better off, 27% worse off financially than you were a year ago, 34% 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, 9% worse off, 49% just about the same as now, 9% 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: 41% good times financially, 31% bad times, 28% don't know or no answer

Looking ahead, which would you say is more likely--that in the state as a whole: 35% we'll have continuous good times during the next five years or so, 42% that we will have periods of widespread unemployment or depression, or what, 23% 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: 57% good, 22% bad time for people to buy major household items, 21% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Bill Clinton is doing as president? 7% excellent, 45% good, 34% only fair, 12% poor, 2% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job John Chafee is doing as U.S. Senator? 7% excellent, 45% good, 24% only fair, 7% poor, 17% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Jack Reed is doing as U.S. Senator? 9% excellent, 38% good, 15% only fair, 5% poor, 33% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Patrick Kennedy is doing as U.S. Representative? 8% excellent, 39% good, 26% only fair, 11% poor, 16% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Robert Weygand is doing as U.S. Representative? 4% excellent, 22% good, 14% only fair, 5% poor, 55% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Lincoln Almond is doing as governor? 6% excellent, 33% good, 38% only fair, 14% poor, 9% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Jeff Pine is doing as attorney general? 10% excellent, 40% good, 25% only fair, 10% poor, 15% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Jim Langevin is doing as secretary of state? 9% excellent, 32% good, 19% only fair, 1% poor, 39% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Nancy Mayer is doing as general treasurer? 16% excellent, 44% good, 20% only fair, 4% poor, 16% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job John Harwood is doing as Speaker of the House? 0% excellent, 20% good, 23% only fair, 16% poor, 41% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Paul Kelly is doing as Senate Majority Leader? 1% excellent, 19% good, 23% only fair, 14% poor, 43% 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? 51% right direction, 41% wrong track, 18% don't know or no answer

The Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation has proposed to acquire the Roger Williams Medical Center and create the state's first for-profit hospital. Should the state approve or disapprove this acquisition? 33% approve, 41% disapprove, 26% don't know or no answer

Do you support legislation that would bar a profit-making hospital from taking over a non-profit hospital in Rhode Island? 48% support, 33% oppose, 19% don't know or no answer

Would you support the construction in Rhode Island of a stadium for the New England Patriots if it were built primarily with private funds? 78% yes, 18% no, 4% don't know or no answer

Would you support the construction in Rhode Island of a stadium for the New England Patriots if some public funds were required? 42% yes, 46% no, 12% don't know or no answer

How important do you think it is that government records generally be accessible to the public and that meetings of public bodies be open to the public? 82% very important, 12% somewhat important, 1% not very important, 5% don't know or no answer

Do you think that secrecy in government currently is a problem in Rhode Island? 75% yes, 15% no, 10% 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? 13% Republican, 28% Democrat, 49% Independent, 5% Other, 5% don't know or no answer