American Public Opinion Polls: Attitudes of American Jews
(September 2012)
Where would you place yourself on this scale?
| Liberal | 26.6% |
| Lean Liberal | 20.4% |
| Moderate, Middle of the Road | 33.9% |
| Lean Conservative | 11.3% |
| Conservative | 7.4% |
In politics today, do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent?
| Republican | 15.8% |
| Democrat | 54.8% |
| Independent | 26.8% |
If the presidential election was being held today, for whom would you most likely vote?
| Mitt Romney | 24.1% |
| Barack Obama | 64.9% |
| Undecided | 9.9% |
Do you approve or disapprove of President Obama's selection of Joeseph Biden as his vice-presidential running mate?
| Approve Strongly | 31.8% |
| Approve Somewhat | 40.8% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 16.4% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 10.3% |
Do you approve or disapprove of Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate?
| Approve Strongly | 13% |
| Approve Somewhat | 22.4% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 21.9% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 41.4% |
How important to you is the choice of the vice-presidential running mate in deciding who you will vote in the 2012 presidential election?
| Very important | 17.4% |
| Somewhat important | 48.9% |
| Not too important | 25.5% |
| Not at all important | 7.8% |
Among the following list of choices, what is the most important issue to you in deciding how you will vote in the 2012 presidential election?
| National Security | 2.6% |
| Economy | 61.5% |
| Health Care | 16.1% |
| U.S.-Israeli Relations | 4.5% |
| Immigration | 1.1% |
| Energy Security | 0.8% |
| Taxes | 2.4% |
| Social Security | 3.0% |
| Iran's Nuclear Program | 1.3% |
| Church-State Issues | 2.2% |
| Abortion | 4.7% |
Among the following list of choices, what is the second most important issue to you in deciding how you will vote in the 2012 presidential election?
| National Security | 10.3% |
| Economy | 19.7% |
| Health Care | 34.5% |
| U.S.-Israeli Relations | 4.2% |
| Immigration | 1.8% |
| Energy Security | 3.4% |
| Taxes | 11.0% |
| Social Security | 8.8% |
| Iran's Nuclear Program | 1.4% |
| Church-State Issues | 3.0% |
| Abortion | 2.0% |
Among the following list of choices, what is the third most important issue to you in deciding how you will vote in the 2012 presidential election?
| National Security | 14.2% |
| Economy | 9.1% |
| Health Care | 16.9% |
| U.S.-Israeli Relations | 6.1% |
| Immigration | 4.4% |
| Energy Security | 6.6% |
| Taxes | 14.8% |
| Social Security | 15.4% |
| Iran's Nuclear Program | 4.7% |
| Church-State Issues | 2.4% |
| Abortion | 5.5% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling National Security?
| Approve Strongly | 39.8% |
| Approve Somewhat | 37.0% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 12.6% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 10.5% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling the Economy?
| Approve Strongly | 18.9% |
| Approve Somewhat | 44.1% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 14.8% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 22.0% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling Health Care?
| Approve Strongly | 37.1% |
| Approve Somewhat | 30.4% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 11.2% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 20.9% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling U.S.-Israel Relations?
| Approve Strongly | 18.7% |
| Approve Somewhat | 42.3% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 17.6% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 21.1% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling Immigration?
| Approve Strongly | 21.6% |
| Approve Somewhat | 44.7% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 15.5% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 17.9% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling Energy Security?
| Approve Strongly | 18.7% |
| Approve Somewhat | 48.7% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 17.7% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 12.0% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling Taxes?
| Approve Strongly | 29.4% |
| Approve Somewhat | 37.2% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 17.6% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 15.3% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling Social Security?
| Approve Strongly | 29.4% |
| Approve Somewhat | 38.7% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 17.5% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 13.8% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling Iran's Nuclear Program?
| Approve Strongly | 18.8% |
| Approve Somewhat | 41.8% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 19.9% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 18.7% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling Church-State Issues?
| Approve Strongly | 27.6% |
| Approve Somewhat | 40.0% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 16.3% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 15.1% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling Abortion?
| Approve Strongly | 48.5% |
| Approve Somewhat | 31.8% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 9.8% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 8.8% |
Do you think the Republican or Democratic Party is more likely to make the right decision in dealing with the following:
Republican Party | Democratic Party | |
| National Security | 32.5% | 66.1% |
| Economy | 31.6% | 66.3% |
| Health Care | 25.5% | 72.4% |
| U.S.-Israeli Relations | 38.6% | 59.5% |
| Immigration | 30.2% | 68.0% |
| Energy Security | 26.8% | 70.6% |
| Taxes | 27.0% | 71.0% |
| Social Security | 28.5% | 69.9% |
| Iran's Nuclear Program | 36.9% | 61.2% |
| Church-State Issues | 23.1% | 74.9% |
| Abortion | 17.3% | 80.1% |
What is your opinion of the way the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is handling the U.S.-Israel relationship?
Very Favorable | 16.9% |
| Somewhat Favorable | 50.8% |
| Somewhat Unfavorable | 25.8% |
| Very Unfavorable | 5.4% |
How concerned are you about the prospect of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons?
| Very Concerned | 55.4% |
| Somewhat Concerned | 32.4% |
| Not Too Concerned | 10.1% |
| Not Concerned At All | 2.1% |
| No Response | n/a |
How likely do you think it is that a combination of diplomacy and sanctions can stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons?
| Very Likely | 7.1% |
| Somewhat Likely | 28.4% |
| Somewhat Unlikley | 37.8% |
| Very Unlikely | 26.4% |
If diplomacy and sanctions fail, would you support or oppose the United States taking military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons?
| Support Strongly | 28% |
| Somewhat Support | 36.1% |
| Oppose Somewhat | 23.9% |
| Oppose Strongly | 11.0% |
If diplomacy and sanctions fail, would you support or oppose Israel taking military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons?
| Support Strongly | 37.2% |
| Somewhat Support | 35.3% |
| Oppose Somewhat | 17.7% |
| Oppose Strongly | 8.7% |
Compared to one year ago, do you think prospects for Arab-Israeli peace have increased, decreased, or stayed the same?
| Increased | 7.6% |
| Decreased | 35.9% |
| Stayed the same | 55.0% |
Who do you think is mostly to blame for the failure to achieve an Arab-Israeli peace?
| The Israelis | 4.3% |
| The Palestinians | 43.6% |
| The Israelis and the Palestinians are equally to blame | 43.4% |
| Someone else | 7.9% |
Do you think of yourself as...
| Orthodox | 8.3% |
| Conservative | 26.6% |
| Reconstructionist | 1.6% |
| Reform | 32.2% |
| Just Jewish | 27.4% |
How important is being Jewish in your own life?
| Very important | 36.1% |
| Somewhat important | 30.4% |
| Not too important | 16.7% |
| Not at all important | 14.3% |
Aside from special occasions such as weddings and Bar Mitzvahs, how often do you attend services at a Jewish temple or synagogue?
| More than once a week | 4.0% |
| Once a week | 10.6% |
| Once or twice a month | 11.8% |
| A few times a year | 25.7% |
| Once a year or less | 14.9% |
| Never | 31.8% |
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Caring about Israel is a very important part of my being a Jew.
| Approve Strongly | 38.7% |
| Approve Somewhat | 31.9% |
| Disapprove Somewhat | 12.5% |
| Disapprove Strongly | 14.6% |
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