Attitudes of American Jews
(September 2016)
American Jewish Committee, "2016 AJC Survey of American Jewish
Opinion," AJC. Conducted August 8-28, 2016.
Where would you place yourself on this scale?
| Liberal |
39% |
| Lean Liberal |
12% |
| Moderate, Middle of the Road |
23% |
| Lean Conservative |
8% |
| Conservative |
16% |
In politics today, do you consider yourself...?
| Republican |
18% |
| Democrat |
51% |
| Independent |
26% |
| Green |
2% |
| Libertarian |
1% |
If the presidential election were held today, for whom would you most likely vote?
| Hillary Clinton |
61% |
| Donald Trump |
19% |
| Gary Johnson |
6% |
| Jill Stein |
3% |
| Will not vote |
8% |
How important to you is the choice of the vice-presidential candidate in deciding whom you will vote for in the 2016 presidential election?
| Very Important |
19% |
| Somewhat Important |
36% |
| Not Too Important |
28% |
| Not Important At All |
16% |
Seats in the House of Representatives and, in some states, Senate seats and/or governorships will also be on the ballot. If the election were held today, would you vote the straight party line, or split your ticket and vote for the candidate of one party for president and another party for other offices?
| Straight Party Line |
54% |
| Split Ticket |
39% |
| No Opinion |
7% |
Among the following choices, what do you think are the most important issues in deciding how you will vote in the 2016 presidential election?
| Foreign Policy |
10% |
| Immigration |
4% |
| Healthcare |
9% |
| Economy/Jobs |
29% |
| Terrorism and National Security |
16% |
| Climate Change |
9% |
| Federal Deficit |
2% |
| Taxes |
3% |
| Race Relations |
4% |
| Other |
12% |
Among the following choices, what do you think is the second most important issue in deciding how you will vote in the 2016 presidential election?
| Foreign Policy |
12% |
| Immigration |
6% |
| Healthcare |
13% |
| Economy/Jobs |
22% |
| Terrorism and National Security |
15% |
| Climate Change |
8% |
| Federal Deficit |
3% |
| Taxes |
5% |
| Race Relations |
8% |
| Other |
6% |
How much confidence do you have in Congress?
| A Great Deal |
2% |
| A Lot |
4% |
| Some |
29% |
| Very Little |
43% |
| None |
17% |
| No Opinion |
5% |
How much confidence do you have in Television news?
| A Great Deal |
6% |
| A Lot |
13% |
| Some |
35% |
| Very Little |
28% |
| None |
13% |
| No Opinion |
5% |
How much confidence do you have in the Police?
| A Great Deal |
29% |
| A Lot |
32% |
| Some |
30% |
| Very Little |
4% |
| None |
2% |
| No Opinion |
2% |
What role do you think the U.S. should play in solving international problems?
| The Leading Role |
26% |
| A Major Role, But Not The Lead |
58% |
| A Minor Role |
10% |
| No Role At All |
4% |
Recently, the U.S., along with five other countries, reached a deal on Iran's nuclear program. Do you approve or disapprove of this agreement?
| Approve strongly |
16.4% |
| Approve somewhat |
34.2% |
| Disapprove somewhat |
19.8% |
| Disapprove strongly |
27.4% |
When children in our country grow up, will they be better off, worse off, or neither better nor worse off than their parents?
| Better Off |
29% |
| Worse Off |
39% |
| Neither Better Nor Worse |
27% |
How would you characterize the U.S.-Israel relationship today?
| Very Good |
16% |
| Fairly Good |
57% |
| Fairly Poor |
17% |
| Very Poor |
8% |
Which of the two major party candidates for President would be better at handling terrorism?
| Hillary Clinton |
58% |
| Donald Trump |
22% |
| Neither |
11% |
| No Opinion |
9% |
Which of the two major party candidates for President would be more likely to unite the country?
| Hillary Clinton |
55% |
| Donald Trump |
11% |
| Neither |
25% |
| No Opinion |
8% |
Which of the two major party candidates for President would be more likely to promote US-Israel relations?
| Hillary Clinton |
57% |
| Donald Trump |
22% |
| Neither |
9% |
| No Opinion |
10% |
Which of the two major party candidates for President would be more likely to effectively deal with Iran?
| Hillary Clinton |
58% |
| Donald Trump |
19% |
| Neither |
12% |
| No Opinion |
10% |
Is anti-Semitism currently a problem on the American college campus?
| Yes, A Serious Problem |
23% |
| Yes, Somewhat Of A Problem |
34% |
| No, Not Much Of A Problem |
21% |
| No, Not A Problem At All |
6% |
| No Opinion |
16% |
|
Do you think of yourself as...?
| Orthodox |
9% |
| Conservative |
18% |
| Reconstructionist |
2% |
| Reform |
34% |
| Just Jewish |
34% |
|
What is your current marital status?
| Unmarried |
49% |
| Married To A Born Jew |
32% |
| Married To A Convert To Judaism |
3% |
| Married To A Non-Jew |
15% |
|
How important is being Jewish in your life?
| Very Important |
44% |
| Somewhat Important |
35% |
| Not Very Important |
11% |
| Not Important At All |
10% |
|
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Caring about Israel is a very important part of my being a Jew.”
| Agree Strongly |
47% |
| Agree Somewhat |
26% |
| Disagree Somewhat |
16% |
| Disagree Strongly |
10% |
|
Do you believe that Israel and a Palestinian state can coexist peacefully?
| Yes |
49% |
| No |
29% |
| Undecided |
20% |
|
Have you ever been to Israel?
| Yes, Once |
21% |
| No |
52% |
| Yes, More Than Once |
27% |
|
Which of these statements best represents your opinion of the role of religion in the State of Israel?
| Religion Should Play More Of A Role |
11% |
| Religion Should Play Less Of A Role |
22% |
| The Current Relationship Is Best |
24% |
| There Should Be Seperation Of Church & State |
37% |
| No Opinion |
5% |
Do you think the fact that Orthodox Judaism is the only denomination recognized by Israel as an official form of Judasim...
| Strengthens Israel's Ties With American Jews |
6% |
| Weakens Israel's Ties With American Jews |
48% |
| Has No Effect On Israel's Ties With American Jews |
39% |
| No Opinion |
6% |
What do you consider the most important change necessary in Israeli Judaism?
| Legal Recognition And Equality For All Sects Of Judaism |
41% |
| Access For Mixed-Gender Prayer At The Western Wall |
9% |
| Establishing The Option For Civil Marriage & Divorce |
15% |
| No Changes |
27% |
| No Opinion |
7% |
Currently, Jewish weddings, divorces, and conversions in Israel are legally recognized only if carried out under the authority of the Chief Rabbinate, which is Orthodox. Are you satisfied with this system or should legal recognition also be extended to non-Orthodox weddings, divorces and conversions?
| Yes, I Am Satisfied With The System |
14% |
| No, Legal Recognition Should Be Extended To Non-Orthodox Weddings, Divorces, And Conversions |
74% |
| No Opinion |
11% |
A proposal has recently been made to set aside an area near the Western Wall in Jerusalem - a site holy to Jews - for mixed-gender Jewish prayer. Currently, prayer services are conducted according to Orthodox tradition, with men and women separated by a barrier. Do you support or oppose the creation of a mixed-gender prayer area near the Wall?
| Support |
70% |
| Oppose |
16% |
| No Opinion |
13% |
|