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Partisan split on lawmakers’ performance, state outlook

The state Capitol, Sacramento. (Photo: AMadScientist, via Wikimedia)

Slightly more voters believe California is generally on the wrong track (46%) than say it is moving in the right direction (41%). In addition, more voters disapprove (47%) than approve (35%) of the
job performance of the state legislature.

Opinions about both matters are directly related to the party registration of voters. Democrats offer a much more optimistic assessment of the direction of the state and hold more positive views of the
job the state legislature is doing than Republicans.

In addition, voters living in the state’s inland counties are more negative in their views than coastal county voters.

These are the findings from the latest Field Poll completed last week.

Slightly more voters believe the state is moving in the wrong direction, but views are highly partisan

A slightly larger proportion of voters (46%) feel the state is on the wrong track than feel it is moving in the right direction (41%).

However, views about this are highly partisan. Democrats are much more optimistic and maintain that the state is moving in the right direction by a nearly two-to-one margin (57% to 30%). By
contrast, Republicans are overwhelmingly of the view that the state is seriously off on the wrong track, with 70% saying this compared to just 21% who see the state heading in the right direction.
Non-partisans offer a somewhat more negative than positive assessment, with 37% believing the state is moving in the right direction and 47% on the wrong track.

There are also differences in opinions between voters living on the coast and those living inland. By a nearly two-to-one margin (59% to 33%) inland county voters believe the state is seriously off on
the wrong track. By contrast, a slightly larger proportion of coastal county voters feels the state is moving in the right direction (44%) than thinks it is on the wrong track (41%).

More voters disapprove than approve of the legislature’s performance More California voters disapprove (47%) than approve (35%) of the job the state legislature is doing, but there are big partisan differences in opinion about this as well.

Democrats approve of the job the legislature 50% to 35%. By contrast, Republicans overwhelmingly disapprove of the Democratically-controlled legislature 68% to 18%. Non-partisans also hold more
negative than positive views of the legislature’s performance overall (45% to 28%).

Significantly more inland county voters (59%) than coastal county voters (42%) hold negative views of the job the legislature is doing.

More California voters disapprove (47%) than approve (35%) of the job the state legislature is doing, but there are big partisan differences in opinion about this as well.

Democrats approve of the job the legislature 50% to 35%. By contrast, Republicans overwhelmingly disapprove of the Democratically-controlled legislature 68% to 18%. Non-partisans also hold more
negative than positive views of the legislature’s performance overall (45% to 28%).

Significantly more inland county voters (59%) than coastal county voters (42%) hold negative views of the job the legislature is doing.

Ed’s Note: The survey was conducted June 5-22, 2014, among a random sample of 2,013 California adults, of whom 1,382 reported being registered to vote. The survey was administered in six languages and dialects – English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Korean, depending on the preference of the voter. 

 

 

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