April 24, 2013
4/24: Majority View New York Economy as Steady State
NBC 4 NY/WSJ/Marist New York State Poll
A slim majority of New York State registered voters — 51% — thinks the state’s economy is staying about the same, but nearly three in ten — 29% — say it is getting worse. 21% think the economy is improving, a slight uptick from about two months ago.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (courtesy of N.Y. State)
“Although New Yorkers still see a sluggish state economy, they don’t think Governor Cuomo is to blame,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “By more than four to one, voters believe the economic condition of the state is something the governor inherited not the result of his policies. In fact, a majority think the state is headed in the right direction.”
When The Wall Street Journal/NBC New York/Marist Poll last reported this question in early March, a majority — 53% — perceived the economy as status quo. 29% thought it was getting worse while 18% said it was getting better.
Voters believe the current economic conditions in New York are something that Governor Cuomo inherited and not a result of his own policies. 74% of registered voters statewide agree the state’s economic difficulties existed when Governor Cuomo assumed office, and only 17% believe the conditions are a result of his policies. Nine percent are unsure.
The view that Cuomo inherited the economic conditions of the state extends across political party lines. 77% of Democrats, 72% of Republicans, and 75% of non-enrolled voters share this opinion.
A majority of voters — 53% — believes the state is moving in the right direction. 41% think it is moving in the wrong one, and 6% are unsure. Nearly two months ago, 51% of registered voters statewide said the state was moving in the right direction, and 44% said it was going in the wrong one. Four percent were unsure at that time.
Do New York voters think the Empire State is still in a recession? Almost six in ten — 58% — do while 39% do not. Three percent are unsure.
There has been a slight decrease in the proportion of voters who say the state is in a recession. In March, 61% thought New York was in a recession while 35% did not characterize the state in this way. Four percent, at that time, were unsure. This is the lowest proportion of voters who believe the state’s economy is in a recession since before the spring of 2008.
Table: New York State Economy Over Time
Table: New York State Economic Conditions Inherited or Result of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Policies
Table: Direction of NYS Over Time
Table: NYS in a Recession Over Time
Cuomo Approval Rating Holds Steady
A majority of registered voters in New York State — 54% — approve of the job Governor Cuomo is doing in office. This includes 12% who think he is doing an excellent job and 42% who believe Cuomo is doing a good job as governor. Another 27% give Mr. Cuomo a fair rating and 14% give him a poor one. Five percent are unsure.
When The Wall Street Journal/NBC New York/Marist Poll last reported this question, in early March, 12% of registered voters said Cuomo was doing an excellent job, and 44% said he was doing a good one. At that time, 27% rated his job as fair, 13% thought his performance was poor, and 5% were unsure.
By region:
- Governor Cuomo’s approval rating is steady among upstate registered voters. Currently 48% approve of his job in office. 49% approved in March.
- His approval rating is also little changed in New York City. 58% currently approve of his job performance, and 60% of registered voters reported the same in March.
- In the city’s suburbs, 59% approve. In March, 60% of registered voters approved of the job he was doing in office.
By party:
- Governor Cuomo fails to impress the majority of Republicans. 37% currently rate his job performance as excellent or good, down from 46% in March.
- However, he is steady with non-enrolled voters. 46% give him high marks, the same proportion that did almost two months ago.
- Mr. Cuomo’s approval is 66% among registered Democrats, similar to 67% in March.
New Yorkers have consistently expressed favorable views of Governor Cuomo. Almost two-thirds of registered voters in New York State — 65% — have a positive opinion of the governor. 27% view him negatively, and 8% are unsure.
The Wall Street Journal/NBC New York/Marist Poll reported similar numbers in early March. At that time 66% viewed Governor Cuomo favorably, 25% viewed him negatively, and 9% were unsure.
Among Democrats, this rating is steady. There has been some shifting among Republicans and non-enrolled voters.
By Party:
- 79% of Democrats view Governor Cuomo favorably, while 77% did so in March.
- Among non-enrolled voters, the governor’s favorability rating has risen from 55% in March to 62% now.
- Cuomo’s favorability among Republicans continues to slide. Just under half of Republican voters statewide — 46% — view him favorably, whereas 60% did in March.
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo Approval Rating
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo Approval Rating Over Time
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo Favorability
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo Favorability Over Time
Majority Approve of Cuomo’s Handling of the Budget
54% of registered voters in New York State approve of how the governor is handling the state budget. 34% disapprove, and 12% are unsure. These numbers are mostly unchanged since March when 55% of voters approved of Governor Cuomo’s budget handling, 36% disapproved, and 9% were unsure.
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Handling of the New York State Budget
Governor Cuomo’s Re-election Prospects
If Governor Cuomo runs for re-election in 2014, right now 47% of registered voters would cast their ballot for him. 25% think they would vote against the incumbent governor, and 15% say it depends on who runs against him. 13% are unsure.
“Should the governor seek re-election, he starts with a base of support of nearly half the electorate,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “That makes for an uphill fight for anyone looking to replace him next year.”
The governor’s support is strongest in New York City where a majority — 57% — would vote to re-elect him. About half of voters in the city’s suburbs — 51% — would cast their ballot to give Governor Cuomo a second term. The governor’s support is weakest upstate. There, 39% of voters say they are ready to re-elect the governor while 33% say they would vote against him.
Table: Re-elect Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2014
Governor Cuomo’s image:
- Perceptions of the governor’s ideology have not changed since The Wall Street Journal/NBC New York/Marist Poll last reported it. Currently 34% of registered voters believe him to be liberal, 38% say that he is moderate, and 13% think of him as conservative. 15% are unsure. In March, 35% said he was liberal. 37% placed him in the moderate category, and 14% thought he was conservative. 13%, at that time, were unsure.
- 67% of New York State voters think Cuomo is a good leader for the state. 28% disagree, and 5% are unsure. This is little changed from about two months ago when 69% agreed that the governor is a good leader, 25% disagreed, and 6% were unsure.
- 64% of registered voters agree Governor Cuomo cares about the average person, while 30% do not share this view. Six percent are unsure. In March, 66% said that the governor cares, 28% disagreed, and 6% were unsure.
- Nearly six in ten voters — 58% — believe that Mr. Cuomo is changing the way things work in Albany for the better. 33% disagree, and 9% are unsure. In March, 61% agreed that the governor was changing the State Capitol for the better, 32% disagreed, and 7% were unsure.
- As for whether the governor pays too much attention to national politics and not enough attention to New York State, registered voters statewide mostly disagree. 40% think he pays too much attention to national politics, but a slim majority — 51% — disagrees. Nine percent are unsure. This is little changed since March when 40% agreed that Cuomo’s attention is too fixed on the national scene, and 53% disagreed. 7%, then, were unsure.
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Ideology
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Ideology Over Time
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo as Leader
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo as Leader Over Time
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo Cares About Average Person
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Impact on Albany
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Impact on Albany Over Time
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Attention to National Politics
Senate and Assembly Ratings Stagnant
After seeing a bump in the legislative bodies’ ratings in a similar poll conducted in March, there has been little movement since then.
29% of registered voters statewide approve of the job the State Senate is doing. Of these, 3% say the State Senate is doing an excellent job, and 26% say it is doing a good one. 41% rate its performance as fair while 26% give it a poor rating. Four percent are unsure.
In March, 30% of registered voters approved of the job the State Senate was doing, including 3% who gave it an excellent rating and 27% who said it was doing a good job. At that time, 39% said the legislative body was doing a fair job, and 25% rated it as poor. 6% were unsure.
27% of registered voters approve of the job the State Assembly is doing, including 3% who rate the Assembly’s performance as excellent and 24% who rate it as good. 42% say the legislative body is doing a fair job, and 24% believe it is doing a poor one. Six percent are unsure.
Nearly two months ago, 30% of voters approved of the job the State Assembly was doing. 41% gave it a fair rating, and 24% believed it was doing a subpar job. Five percent were unsure.
Table: New York State Senate Job Approval Rating
Table: New York State Senate Job Approval Rating (Over Time)
Table: New York State Assembly Job Approval Rating
Table: New York State Assembly Job Approval Rating (Over Time)
Nearly Half Approve of U.S. Senator Gillibrand
Just under half of registered voters in New York State — 48% — approve of the job Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is doing in office. This includes 13% of voters who think Gillibrand is doing an excellent job and 35% who believe she is doing a good one. More than one in four voters — 27% — say Senator Gillibrand is doing a fair job in her post while 9% think she is performing poorly. 17% are unsure.
When The Wall Street Journal/NBC New York/Marist Poll last reported this question almost two months ago, Senator Gillibrand’s approval rating was 50%. 24%, then, thought she was doing a fair job while 12% believed she fell short. 14% were unsure.
Table: Gillibrand Approval Rating
Table: Gillibrand Approval Rating (Over Time)
Schumer Approval Rating Improves
Senator Chuck Schumer enjoys a job approval rating of 58%. Included here are 19% who think the senator is doing an excellent job and 39% who believe he is doing a good one. 24% rate his performance as fair while 13% say he is performing poorly. Six percent are unsure.
In The Wall Street Journal/NBC New York/Marist Poll in March, 54% gave Schumer a thumbs-up. 26% thought he was doing an average job while 13% believed he fell short. Seven percent were unsure.
Table: Schumer Approval Rating
Table: Schumer Approval Rating (Over Time)
Majority in New York State Approves of Obama’s Job Performance
Among registered voters in New York State, just over half — 52% — approve of the job President Barack Obama is doing in office. This includes 19% who think he is doing an excellent job and 33% who say he is doing a good one. 22% give Obama fair marks while 26% say his performance is poor. One percent is unsure.
When The Wall Street Journal/NBC New York/Marist Poll last reported this question in March, 50% approved of Mr. Obama’s job performance. 22% thought he was doing an average job, and 27% thought his performance fell short. Less than 1% was unsure.
Table: Obama Approval Rating Over Time
