September 27, 2011
9/27: Bounce in Bloomberg’s Approval Rating
NY1/Marist New York City Poll
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s job approval rating may be on an upswing. According to this NY1-Marist Poll, 46% of registered voters citywide think Bloomberg is doing either an excellent or good job in office. Included here are 10% who report he is doing an excellent job and 36% who say he is doing a good one. More than one-third of voters — 35% — rate the mayor’s job performance as fair while 18% believe he is performing poorly. Two percent are unsure.
Michael Bloomberg
Click Here for Complete September 27, 2011 NYC NY1-Marist Poll Release and Tables
Bloomberg’s approval rating has been hovering around 40% since March. When NY1-Marist last reported this question in early August, 39% gave Bloomberg high marks, 35% thought he was doing a fair job, and 23% said his performance was subpar. Four percent, at that time, were unsure.
“For Mayor Bloomberg, the change is in his overall approval rating, not in his handling of the city budget, the direction of the city, or how New Yorkers think they will remember his years in office,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “The mayor’s role in the observance of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and his handling of Hurricane Irene may be responsible for the uptick in his standing.”
By party:
- There has been an increase in the proportion of Republican voters who approve of Bloomberg’s job performance. Nearly half — 48% — give him high marks while 39% did so in August.
- Among Democrats, 46% approve of how Bloomberg is doing in office, up from 37% last month.
- 42% of non-enrolled voters citywide applaud Bloomberg’s job performance while 40% did so in NY1-Marist’s previous survey.
By Borough:
- Bloomberg enjoys a bump in his approval rating in all of the boroughs except for Manhattan.
o There has been a 17 percentage point increase in the proportion of Bronx voters who think the mayor is doing well in office. 48% give Bloomberg above average marks now while 31% did so in August.
o In Queens and Staten Island, Mayor Bloomberg’s approval rating stands at 47%, a 10 percentage point increase from last month when 37% of these voters shared this view.
o 38% of voters in Brooklyn think Bloomberg is doing either an excellent or good job in office. This an increase of six percentage points from NY1-Marist’s previous poll when 32% thought this way.
o In Manhattan, half of voters — 50% — give the mayor kudos while 55% did the same last month.
Voters citywide divide about Mayor Bloomberg’s handling of the city’s budget. 46% approve of his performance on this issue while 46% disapprove. Eight percent are unsure. This is little changed from August when 43% gave the mayor a thumbs-up, 46% disapproved of how he is dealing with the budget, and 11%, at the time, were unsure.
Table: Mayor Michael Bloomberg Approval Rating
Table: Mayor Michael Bloomberg Approval Rating Over Time
Click on the graph to enlarge the image.
Table: Bloomberg on the City’s Budget
Table: Bloomberg on the City’s Budget Over Time
Majority Views City as Moving in the Wrong Direction
52% of registered voters think New York City needs its course corrected while 42% say it is moving in the right direction. Six percent are unsure. Little has changed on this question since NY1-Marist last reported it in August. At that time, 51% believed the city was moving in the wrong direction, 40% said it was proceeding in the right one, and 9%, at the time, were unsure.
Table: New York City Direction
Table: New York City Direction Over Time
Click on the graph to enlarge the image.
Bloomberg’s Legacy Status Quo
How will Mayor Michael Bloomberg be remembered once his third term ends? 41% of registered voters say he will be remembered in a positive light. This includes 9% who think he will be thought of as one of the city’s best mayors and 32% who say he will be recalled as an above average one. 41% believe his legacy will be average while 12% report he will be considered a below average mayor, and 6% say he will be remembered as one of the worst mayors in New York City history.
Voters’ views toward the mayor’s legacy are consistent. In August, 38% said Bloomberg would be fondly recalled as either one of the Big Apple’s best mayors or an above average one. 39% believed he wouldn’t be thought of as anything special, 12% reported he would be recalled as a below average mayor, and 11% said he will be remembered as one of the worst.