Control of Congress Matters Most to Tea Partiers, Republicans; Proportion of Republicans saying party in power matters has surged since 2002.
Byline: Lydia Saad
Synopsis: Two-thirds of Republicans, compared with barely half of Democrats, say the issue of which party controls Congress matters a great deal to them -- perhaps a key reason that Republicans are more motivated than Democrats to vote this year.
PRINCETON, NJ -- In Gallup polling conducted barely a week before the midterm elections, 49% of Americans say the issue of which party controls Congress matters a great deal to them, a sentiment that rises to 70% among Tea Party supporters, 67% among Republicans, and 63% among conservatives. Just over half of Tea Party opponents, as well as liberals and Democrats, say the political leadership of Congress matters greatly to them.
Among registered voters who attach a great deal of importance to the political balance in Congress, 55% say they intend to vote for the Republican candidate in their own district, while 43% would vote for the Democrat. Among those who think the party in the majority is less important, the plurality (48%) intend to vote Democratic.
Majority Power Relevance Is Up From '02
More Americans care a great deal about the political balance in Congress than did so eight years ago: the current 49% is up from 40% in 2002. The increase is mainly the result of a 20-point surge in concern among Republicans, as the proportions of independents and Democrats saying party control matters a great deal to them have changed little.
As a result of these differential party trends, Republicans are now more likely than Democrats to rate control of Congress as highly important, whereas in 2002 the two parties had the same views on the measure.
Bottom Line
Republicans are more engaged in the 2010 midterms than Democrats, a finding evident in Gallup's enthusiasm measure all year and, more recently, in voter turnout measures. Precisely why that is so is another question, perhaps answered in part by the finding that Republicans are more likely to believe the outcome of the elections is highly relevant. In other words, Republicans perceive that more is at stake. If that motivation indeed translates into higher turnout, Republicans will likely get what they want on Tuesday in the form of a strong Republican majority in the House.
Explore more Gallup data relating to the upcoming congressional midterm elections, including Gallup's...
To continue reading
Request your trial