Maurice Carroll, Director,
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute
(203) 582-5334
Rubenstein Associates, Inc.
Public Relations
Contact: Pat Smith (212) 843-8026
FOR RELEASE: DECEMBER 14, 2011
NEW YORKERS NIX MAYOR ON OCCUPY WALL STREET,
QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FINDS;
VOTERS BACK LIVING WAGE 4 – 1
New York City voters disapprove 51 – 42 percent of the way Mayor Michael Bloomberg
handled the Occupy Wall Street protestors and give the Police Department a 50 – 46 percent
positive grade for the way they handled the protests, according to a Quinnipiac University poll
released today. Voters approve 52 – 43 percent of the way the protests have been conducted.
Republicans give Mayor Bloomberg a split 50 – 48 percent approval rating on handling
the protests, while disapproval is 53 – 40 percent among Democrats and 51 – 41 percent among
independent voters, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Men
disapprove 55 – 40 percent while women tip against the mayor 47 – 44 percent. White voters
also edge against Bloomberg 49 – 46 percent while disapproval is 54 – 40 percent among black
voters and 55 – 38 percent among Hispanic voters.
There is almost no gender gap in approval of the way police handled the protests, but
there is a wide racial gap as white voters approve 60 – 37 percent while black voters disapprove
59 – 36 percent. Hispanic voters are divided 47 – 50 percent.
Bloomberg gets an overall 49 – 42 percent job approval rating, virtually unchanged from
his 47 – 42 percent score October 19. White voters approve 55 – 38 percent while disapproval is
46 – 41 percent among black voters with Hispanic voters split 44 – 43 percent.
“The Occupy Wall Street protestors outscored Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the eyes of
New York City voters: The mayor gets a slightly negative grade for the way he handled the
situation while the protestors get a slightly positive grade,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
“New Yorkers like Mayor Mike personally and they sort of like his policies, but his job
approval meanders far below those heady days late in his second term. Voters continue to think
that he’s lost his focus in this third term.”
-more-
Quinnipiac University Poll/December 14, 2011 – page 2
Voters like Bloomberg as a person 64 – 24 percent and like most of his policies 52 – 43
percent. But voters say 50 – 44 percent that the mayor has lost his focus in his third term.
New York City voters approve 44 – 41 percent of the way police handled the media
during the Occupy Wall Street protests.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly gets a 66 – 24 percent job approval rating, 72 – 18
percent among white voters, 55 – 35 percent among black voters and 70 – 21 percent among
Hispanic voters. The Police Department gets an overall 62 – 33 percent job approval rating.
New York City voters agree 68 – 24 percent with the views of the Occupy Wall Street
protestors and say 81 – 15 percent that it’s OK for them to protest.
Voters say 73 – 20 percent that the federal government should pursue policies that reduce
the income gap, and support 75 – 19 percent tougher regulations on banks and Wall Street firms.
“Pretty much the whole city has followed the protest story. New Yorkers say they
understand the message and more than two-thirds of them agree with it,” Carroll said. “They’d
like to see tougher regulation of banks and brokers. And they want to see a reduction in the
income gap between rich and poor.”
Living Wage
The “Living Wage” proposal currently before the New York City Council is a “good
idea,” voters say 74 – 19 percent. Support is 56 – 39 percent among Republicans, 83 – 11
percent among Democrats and 67 – 25 percent among independent voters.
Voters say 81 – 17 percent, including 60 – 39 percent among Republicans, that it is the
government’s responsibility to make sure workers are paid a decent wage.
New York City voters reject 56 – 36 percent the argument that a “Living Wage” bill
would drive jobs out of the city. Women reject the argument 62 – 30 percent while men reject it
by a narrower 49 – 44 percent.
“True to its image as a liberal town, New York gives big support to the City Council plan
to require a “Living Wage” by companies that do business with the city. Does the government
have an obligation to mandate a living wage? Overwhelmingly, voters say yes,” Carroll said.
From December 7 – 12, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,242 registered voters with a
margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public
opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia
and the nation as a public service and for research.
For more data or RSS feed– http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or
follow us on Twitter.
2
1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way - Michael Bloomberg is handling his job as
Mayor?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk Hsp
Approve 49% 57% 46% 49% 47% 50% 55% 41% 44%
Disapprove 42 37 45 39 44 40 38 46 43
DK/NA 9 5 10 13 10 9 7 12 13
ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl 100
Approve 49% 44% 53% 51% 44% 44% 42% 49% 56%
Disapprove 38 46 40 39 49 42 48 44 38
DK/NA 13 10 7 10 7 14 10 7 6
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Approve 62% 64% 64% 69% 75% 61% 60% 68% 72%
Disapprove 25 24 23 24 16 24 32 24 22
DK/NA 12 12 13 6 8 14 8 9 6
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Approve 34% 38% 29% 31% 29% 25% 41% 33% 39%
Disapprove 37 32 29 41 31 38 32 38 26
DK/NA 29 30 41 29 40 38 27 28 35
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Approve 58% 57% 65% 65% 77% 61% 56% 59% 71%
Disapprove 35 38 30 33 19 34 42 38 25
DK/NA 7 4 5 2 4 5 3 3 4
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Very satisfied 5% 5% 11% 6% 5% 7% 2% 4% 9%
Smwht satisfied 41 45 53 41 29 38 42 43 56
Smwht dissatisfied 31 31 23 34 42 30 32 38 23
Very dissatisfied 20 18 12 18 24 23 23 14 12
DK/NA 3 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 1
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Like 75% 57% 68% 64% 56% 64% 58% 60% 69%
Don't Like 18 26 24 23 29 21 32 28 21
DK/NA 7 18 9 13 16 15 10 12 10
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Like 55% 46% 61% 50% 46% 46% 45% 54% 63%
Don't Like 42 51 34 43 42 46 52 43 33
DK/NA 3 4 5 6 12 9 3 2 4
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Lost focus 54% 53% 41% 53% 48% 49% 59% 52% 43%
Kept focus 41 42 52 42 38 39 36 44 54
DK/NA 6 5 7 5 13 12 5 4 4
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Approve 43% 38% 42% 48% 41% 40% 39% 40% 50%
Disapprove 48 56 52 46 51 50 56 55 47
DK/NA 9 6 6 6 8 10 5 5 3
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Very closely 28% 36% 39% 36% 36% 24% 34% 36% 47%
Smwht closely 50 48 50 46 42 50 47 52 43
Not too closely 14 14 8 17 18 18 18 9 9
Not at all 6 2 1 1 4 4 - 3 1
DK/NA 2 1 2 - - 4 1 - -
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Very well 28% 35% 34% 28% 24% 22% 35% 33% 35%
Fairly well 36 42 44 48 41 41 45 46 44
Not too well 25 15 13 17 19 27 13 13 13
Not well at all 11 6 7 6 13 8 6 7 7
DK/NA - 2 1 1 3 2 1 1 1
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Agree 67% 68% 68% 75% 43% 64% 77% 70% 65%
Disagree 24 25 24 16 44 23 19 23 29
DK/NA 10 7 8 8 13 12 5 7 6
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
OK to protest 78% 83% 85% 80% 67% 76% 86% 83% 85%
Shld not protest 17 15 12 16 25 20 13 15 13
DK/NA 5 2 3 3 8 5 1 2 1
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Approve 45% 55% 57% 53% 26% 49% 65% 53% 48%
Disapprove 45 42 39 43 63 42 33 43 50
DK/NA 9 3 4 4 11 9 2 4 2
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Approve 50% 43% 49% 51% 76% 50% 40% 49% 54%
Disapprove 45 54 47 45 19 44 55 48 44
DK/NA 5 4 4 4 5 6 5 3 2
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Approve 43% 44% 37% 49% 62% 47% 42% 45% 46%
Disapprove 47 42 46 37 20 38 47 40 42
DK/NA 10 15 17 14 18 15 11 15 12
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Yes/Should 71% 71% 77% 77% 59% 75% 79% 74% 72%
No/Should not 20 20 19 18 32 18 13 20 25
DK/NA 8 9 4 5 9 7 7 5 3
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Support 72% 74% 76% 79% 62% 67% 80% 80% 79%
Oppose 20 20 19 15 21 20 16 17 18
DK/NA 8 6 5 6 17 13 4 3 3
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Good idea 81% 74% 72% 74% 73% 74% 81% 76% 68%
Bad idea 15 19 20 20 23 18 14 20 26
DK/NA 4 7 8 6 4 8 5 4 6
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Yes 83% 82% 78% 83% 73% 84% 90% 77% 73%
No 15 16 20 15 26 12 8 22 24
DK/NA 2 2 2 2 1 3 2 - 3
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes 100
Yes 32% 32% 32% 43% 60% 31% 33% 35% 45%
No 55 61 58 52 34 59 57 60 51
DK/NA 12 7 10 6 6 10 10 6 4
Union COLLEGE DEG HAVE KIDS.... AGE IN YEARS............
HsHlds No Yes <18 InPubSch 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+
Yes 36% 34% 38% 42% 30% 37% 34% 38% 37%
No 59 55 56 53 64 58 59 53 52
DK/NA 5 11 6 5 6 5 6 9 10
14