Governor Christie’s job rating from New Jersey residents has slipped slightly, but hits the coveted 50% mark, according to the latest Monmouth University/NJ Press Media Poll . At the same time, his grades on cost cutting, schools, and property taxes have notched up a bit.
Currently, Governor Christie earns a 51% approve to 35% disapprove job rating among all Garden State residents. Among registered voters, his rating stands at 50% approve to 38% disapprove. This registered voter approval number is down 5 points from the ratings he received in our February 2012 poll.
The gender gap in the governor’s ratings, which closed for a short time in the fall, has widened again. Currently, 59% of men approve of Gov. Christie while 28% disapprove. Among women, approval stands at 43% and disapproval at 42%. On the other hand, his standing among public worker households has improved to 44% approve and 43% disapprove – up from 32% to 61% just a few months ago.
“There have been some changes in the governor’s job rating over the past two months. Some groups have become more positive, while others have become more negative,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. “Gov. Christie’s overall rating remains positive, so I’m not ready to say his ratings are slipping. But this poll indicates that the political sands are shifting. He has skillfully navigated those shifts in the past. We’ll be following these numbers to see if he can continue the positive track in public opinion he has maintained for the past year.”
Voter opinion of his performance on key issues is an important element as the governor looks toward his 2013 re-election bid. The poll asked New Jerseyans to grade Gov. Christie’s performance on controlling costs and cutting waste, improving schools, and providing property tax relief. The percentage of New Jerseyans giving the governor positive grades on these three issues is up between 8 and 13 points since last August, while the percent giving him negative grades is down between 6 and 10 points.
Gov. Christie gets his best grades in the area of controlling costs and cutting waste. Nearly half the public give the governor a positive grade of A (18%) or B (29%), while just one-in-five give him a poor grade of D (11%) or F (10%).
He also does well on education. Nearly 4-in-10 grade him an A (13%) or B (24%) compared to 3-in-10 who say he deserves a D (14%) or F (16%). This marks the first time in Gov. Christie’s tenure where more New Jerseyans give him a positive rather than a negative grade on school improvement.
While the governor’s grades on handling property taxes have also improved over the past year, this remains a weaker area. Currently, just under 3-in-10 residents give Gov. Christie an A (11%) or B (17%), while just under 4-in-10 give a D (16%) or F (21%) on his handling of the issue that prior polls have shown to be the state’s most pressing concern. These grades are similar to the 31% A/B to 38% D/F split he received in a July 2010 poll early in his term.
Two competing tax cut proposals are currently vying for support in Trenton. Gov. Christie has proposed a 10% across-the-board income tax cut, while Senate President Steve Sweeney has proposed a 10% property tax credit on residents’ income taxes. When asked which one they prefer, New Jerseyans select the property tax credit by a 2-to-1 margin, 61% to 32% over the income tax cut. There is no difference in these results by residents’ party identification. [Note: These results reflect New Jerseyan’s initial reaction to the proposals based on how much they assume each will benefit them. Moreover, the Monmouth poll question wording did NOT tie either of these proposals to the politicians proposing them, and therefore, the results do not reflect any “anchoring” that the public may attach to either plan’s sponsor in evaluating these proposals.]
A couple of other issues have been in the news recently that are indicative of the political climate’s shifting sands. One involves the defunct Hudson River ARC Tunnel project which Gov. Christie canceled over a year ago. This has been in the news again because of a General Accounting Office report which has been used to suggest that the governor’s projections of New Jersey’s share of the cost may have been overstated. About 1-in-3 (35%) New Jerseyans are aware of this news.
Overall, 26% of New Jerseyans agree that the governor made the right call when he canceled the tunnel project while a similar 27% disagree. Nearly half – 46% – have no opinion on this. Among those who have heard the recent news reports, 37% back the governor’s decision while 43% think it was a bad choice.
Regarding the fallout from the GAO report, half (50%) the state thinks that Gov. Christie probably overstated the tunnel costs while just 26% say his projections were basically accurate. Among those who have followed the recent news reports, 54% say his estimates were overstated compared to 31% who say they were accurate.
“During the first two years of his term, most New Jerseyans have given Gov. Christie credit for making tough choices. With the 2013 election looming, it is likely that more issues will arise to dent the perception that he is above mere politics. How the governor handles these challenges will have a significant impact on his future success,” said Murray.
The plan to restructure higher education in the state is another issue which led to a political firestorm. The proposed merger of Rutgers University-New Brunswick and the UMDNJ medical school gets a thumbs up from 36% of state residents and a thumbs down from 20%. Another 43% have no opinion. In a February poll, shortly after the plan was introduced, 31% said it was a good idea to 13% who said it was not. Opinion in the most affected Route 1 Corridor counties of Mercer, Middlesex, and Union is more positive – 48% say it is a good idea to just 14% who say it is a bad idea. This is up from 35% good to 16% bad just two months ago.
The idea to fold the Rutgers-Camden campus into Rowan University, on the other hand, has generated greater opposition as residents hear more about it. Currently, 23% of New Jerseyans say it is a good idea while 33% say it is a bad idea, and another 44% have no opinion. In February, statewide opinion was split at 20% good idea to 22% bad idea. Among those in the most affected Delaware Valley counties of Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester, opposition to the merger is higher – 25% call it a good idea, while nearly half – 47% – see it as a bad idea. Two months ago, Delaware Valley opinion stood at 25% good idea to 36% bad idea.
Only 1-in-4 (26%) New Jerseyans say the merger of Rutgers-Camden and Rowan was proposed mainly to improve higher education in the Garden State. More (45%) say that it was done mainly to benefit powerful political interests. Another 3% say both considerations figured equally into the plan and another 26% offer no opinion.
The Monmouth University/NJ Press Media Poll was conducted by telephone with 804 New Jersey adults from April 11 to 15, 2012. This sample has a margin of error of ± 3.5 percent. The poll was conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute and originally published by the New Jersey Press Media newspaper group (Asbury Park Press, Courier-Post, Courier News, Daily Journal, Daily Record, and Home News Tribune).
DATA TABLES
The questions referred to in this release are as follows:
(* Some columns may not add to 100% due to rounding.)
1. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Chris Christie is doing as governor?
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes | No | ||||
| Approve | 51% | 50% | 54% | 33% | 54% | 74% | 59% | 43% | 44% | 53% | ||
| Disapprove | 35% | 38% | 25% | 55% | 28% | 18% | 28% | 42% | 43% | 33% | ||
| (VOL) Don’t know | 14% | 12% | 21% | 12% | 17% | 8% | 13% | 15% | 12% | 14% | ||
| TREND: All adults | April 2012 | Feb. 2012 | Oct. 2011 | Aug. 2011 | May 2011 | Feb. 2011 | Sept. 2010 | July 2010 | April 2010 | Feb. 2010 |
| Approve | 51% | 52% | 54% | 48% | 47% | 47% | 45% | 44% | 41% | 33% |
| Disapprove | 35% | 38% | 38% | 42% | 49% | 40% | 38% | 44% | 44% | 15% |
| (VOL) Don’t know | 14% | 10% | 9% | 9% | 5% | 12% | 17% | 12% | 15% | 52% |
| Unwtd N |
804 | 803 | 817 | 802 | 807 | 801 | 801 | 801 | 804 |
803 |
| TREND: Registered voters | April 2012 | Feb. 2012 | Oct. 2011 | Aug. 2011 | May 2011 | Feb. 2011 | Sept. 2010 | July 2010 | April 2010 | Feb. 2010 |
| Approve | 50% | 55% | 55% | 50% | 46% | 49% | 44% | 45% | 42% | 31% |
| Disapprove | 38% | 37% | 37% | 41% | 49% | 41% | 40% | 43% | 44% | 15% |
| (VOL) Don’t know | 12% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 5% | 9% | 16% | 12% | 13% | 53% |
| Unwtd N |
692 | 709 | 693 | 730 | 725 | 718 | 726 | 747 | 719 |
716 |
2. Do you approve or disapprove of the job the state legislature is doing?
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes |
No | ||||
| Approve | 38% | 37% | 45% | 43% | 35% | 38% | 39% | 37% | 38% | 39% | ||
| Disapprove | 38% | 41% | 28% | 34% | 41% | 37% | 39% | 38% | 40% | 37% | ||
| (VOL) Don’t know | 24% | 23% | 27% | 22% | 24% | 25% | 22% | 25% | 22% | 24% | ||
| TREND: All Adults | April 2012 | Feb. 2012 | Oct. 2011 | Aug. 2011 | May 2011 | Feb. 2011 | July 2010 | April 2010 | Feb. 2010 | July 2009 | Feb. 2009 | Sept. 2008 | July 2008 | April 2008 | March 2008 | Oct. 2007 | Feb. 2007 |
| Approve | 38% | 35% | 35% | 35% | 33% | 30% | 24% | 20% | 26% | 30% | 25% | 29% | 27% | 29% | 28% | 33% | 35% |
| Disapprove | 38% | 39% | 43% | 47% | 47% | 44% | 49% | 56% | 46% | 47% | 52% | 47% | 45% | 53% | 50% | 41% | 40% |
| (VOL) Don’t know | 24% | 26% | 22% | 19% | 20% | 26% | 27% | 24% | 28% | 23% | 23% | 23% | 28% | 18% | 22% | 26% | 25% |
| Unwtd N |
804 | 803 | 817 | 802 | 807 | 801 | 801 | 804 | 803 | 923 | 803 | 808 | 1004 | 803 | 805 | 801 |
801 |
| TREND: Registered Voters | April 2012 | Feb. 2012 | Oct. 2011 | Aug. 2011 | May 2011 | Feb. 2011 | July 2010 | April 2010 | Feb. 2010 | July 2009 | Feb. 2009 | Sept. 2008 | July 2008 | April 2008 | March 2008 | Oct. 2007 | Feb. 2007 |
| Approve | 37% | 34% | 33% | 35% | 32% | 29% | 25% | 19% | 24% | 31% | 23% | 29% | 27% | 28% | 25% | 32% | 34% |
| Disapprove | 41% | 42% | 45% | 48% | 48% | 45% | 49% | 57% | 49% | 48% | 55% | 50% | 47% | 55% | 53% | 43% | 42% |
| (VOL) Don’t know | 23% | 24% | 22% | 17% | 20% | 26% | 26% | 24% | 27% | 22% | 22% | 21% | 26% | 17% | 22% | 25% | 23% |
| Unwtd N |
692 | 709 | 693 | 730 | 725 | 718 | 747 | 719 | 716 | 792 | 721 | 709 | 889 | 720 | 719 | 688 |
681 |
3. I’d like you to grade the Christie administration on how it has handled specific issues over the past year. For each one I read, please give a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F for failing. What grade would you give the Christie administration for [READ ITEM]? [ITEMS WERE ROTATED]
Controlling costs and cutting waste
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes |
No | ||||
| A – Highest grade | 18% | 19% | 16% | 10% | 16% | 37% | 23% | 14% | 19% | 19% | ||
| B | 29% | 28% | 33% | 21% | 35% | 29% | 31% | 28% | 30% | 29% | ||
| C | 26% | 26% | 27% | 32% | 25% | 24% | 23% | 29% | 23% | 27% | ||
| D | 11% | 11% | 9% | 14% | 13% | 4% | 11% | 11% | 12% | 10% | ||
| F – Failing grade | 10% | 11% | 7% | 17% | 7% | 6% | 9% | 12% | 14% | 9% | ||
| (VOL) Don’t know | 5% | 5% | 7% | 6% | 4% | 1% | 4% | 7% | 1% | 6% | ||
| TREND: | April 2012 | Aug. 2011 | Feb. 2011 | July 2010 |
| A – Highest grade | 18% | 12% | 18% | 21% |
| B | 29% | 22% | 23% | 22% |
| C | 26% | 34% | 27% | 24% |
| D | 11% | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| F – Failing grade | 10% | 14% | 14% | 15% |
| (VOL) Don’t know | 5% | 4% | 4% | 6% |
| Unwtd N |
804 | 802 | 801 | 801 |
Providing property tax relief
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes |
No | ||||
| A – Highest grade | 11% | 10% | 16% | 11% | 9% | 14% | 14% | 8% | 9% | 12% | ||
| B | 17% | 17% | 16% | 12% | 16% | 25% | 21% | 13% | 23% | 15% | ||
| C | 27% | 27% | 27% | 25% | 31% | 26% | 23% | 31% | 24% | 28% | ||
| D | 16% | 18% | 9% | 19% | 14% | 18% | 16% | 16% | 13% | 17% | ||
| F – Failing grade | 21% | 22% | 16% | 26% | 22% | 9% | 17% | 24% | 25% | 19% | ||
| (VOL) Don’t know | 8% | 6% | 16% | 7% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 9% | ||
| TREND: | April 2012 | Aug. 2011 | Feb. 2011 | July 2010 |
| A – Highest grade | 11% | 4% | 5% | 10% |
| B | 17% | 16% | 19% | 21% |
| C | 27% | 30% | 24% | 24% |
| D | 16% | 17% | 18% | 15% |
| F – Failing grade | 21% | 26% | 27% | 23% |
| (VOL) Don’t know | 8% | 6% | 8% | 6% |
| Unwtd N |
804 | 802 | 801 |
801 |
Improving our schools
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes |
No | ||||
| A – Highest grade | 13% | 14% | 10% | 12% | 12% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 13% | 14% | ||
| B | 24% | 24% | 23% | 19% | 22% | 40% | 29% | 19% | 25% | 24% | ||
| C | 25% | 24% | 34% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 27% | 24% | 19% | 27% | ||
| D | 14% | 15% | 10% | 21% | 13% | 7% | 12% | 17% | 12% | 15% | ||
| F – Failing grade | 16% | 17% | 13% | 22% | 16% | 9% | 11% | 22% | 24% | 14% | ||
| (VOL) Don’t know | 7% | 6% | 11% | 3% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 7% | ||
| TREND: | April 2012 | Aug. 2011 | Feb. 2011 | July 2010 |
| A – Highest grade | 13% | 8% | 10% | 12% |
| B | 24% | 20% | 22% | 17% |
| C | 25% | 26% | 22% | 22% |
| D | 14% | 17% | 15% | 12% |
| F – Failing grade | 16% | 23% | 26% | 32% |
| (VOL) Don’t know | 7% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Unwtd N |
804 | 802 | 801 |
801 |
4. Which kind of tax cut would you prefer to get: a 10 percent cut to your New Jersey state income taxes OR a 10 percent property tax credit? [ITEMS WERE ROTATED]
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes |
No | ||||
| Income tax cut | 32% | 30% | 41% | 33% | 31% | 36% | 33% | 30% | 37% | 31% | ||
| Property tax credit | 61% | 64% | 48% | 62% | 60% | 61% | 60% | 61% | 56% | 61% | ||
| (VOL) Don’t know | 7% | 7% | 10% | 5% | 9% | 3% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 8% | ||
5. Do you agree or disagree with Governor Christie’s decision to cancel the Hudson River ARC Tunnel project over a year ago, or don’t you have an opinion on this?
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes |
No | ||||
| Agree | 26% | 29% | 14% | 11% | 29% | 49% | 34% | 19% | 28% | 26% | ||
| Disagree | 27% | 28% | 24% | 40% | 23% | 13% | 29% | 25% | 30% | 26% | ||
| No opinion | 46% | 43% | 62% | 49% | 47% | 38% | 36% | 56% | 42% | 48% | ||
| (VOL) Refused | 0% | 1% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | ||
6. Have you seen or heard any recent reports questioning Governor Christie’s cost estimates when he canceled the tunnel project over a year ago?
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes |
No | ||||
| Yes, heard | 35% | 39% | 19% | 30% | 35% | 42% | 43% | 27% | 37% | 34% | ||
| No, not heard | 62% | 59% | 78% | 66% | 62% | 56% | 55% | 70% | 60% | 63% | ||
| (VOL) Don’t know | 3% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% | ||
7. Do you think that Governor Christie’s cost projections were basically accurate or were they probably overstated?
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes |
No | ||||
| Basically accurate | 26% | 27% | 22% | 16% | 26% | 42% | 32% | 21% | 22% | 27% | ||
| Probably overstated | 50% | 49% | 54% | 64% | 52% | 27% | 47% | 53% | 50% | 50% | ||
| (VOL) Don’t know | 24% | 24% | 25% | 21% | 21% | 31% | 22% | 26% | 28% | 23% | ||
8. Do you think merging the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey into Rutgers University is a good idea or bad idea, or do you have no opinion on this?
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes |
No | ||||
| Good idea | 36% | 36% | 36% | 40% | 34% | 38% | 38% | 35% | 37% | 36% | ||
| Bad idea | 20% | 21% | 18% | 21% | 21% | 17% | 19% | 21% | 19% | 20% | ||
| No opinion | 43% | 43% | 45% | 39% | 45% | 44% | 43% | 43% | 42% | 44% | ||
| (VOL) Refused | 1% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 1% | 2% | 0% | ||
| TREND: | April 2012 | Feb. 2012 |
| Good idea | 36% | 31% |
| Bad idea | 20% | 13% |
| No opinion | 43% | 56% |
| (VOL) Refused | 1% | 1% |
| Unwtd N |
804 |
803 |
9. Do you think taking the Rutgers Camden campus and merging it into Rowan University is a good idea or bad idea, or do you have no opinion on this?
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes |
No | ||||
| Good idea | 23% | 23% | 24% | 23% | 21% | 32% | 28% | 19% | 24% | 23% | ||
| Bad idea | 33% | 33% | 31% | 40% | 32% | 23% | 30% | 36% | 34% | 32% | ||
| No opinion | 44% | 44% | 44% | 37% | 47% | 44% | 43% | 45% | 41% | 45% | ||
| (VOL) Refused | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 0% | ||
| TREND: | April 2012 | Feb. 2012 |
| Good idea | 23% | 20% |
| Bad idea | 33% | 22% |
| No opinion | 44% | 57% |
| (VOL) Refused | 0% | 0% |
| Unwtd N |
804 |
803 |
10. Do you think the Rutgers-Camden and Rowan merger was proposed mainly to improve higher education in New Jersey or mainly to benefit powerful political interests?
|
TOTAL | REGISTERED VOTER | PARTY ID | GENDER |
PUBLIC | ||||||||
|
Yes | No | Dem | Ind | Rep | Male | Female | Yes |
No | ||||
| Improve higher education in NJ | 26% | 27% | 20% | 24% | 25% | 32% | 30% | 22% | 25% | 26% | ||
| Benefit powerful political interests | 45% | 43% | 52% | 52% | 45% | 34% | 44% | 45% | 43% | 45% | ||
| (VOL) Both | 3% | 3% | 1% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 5% | 2% | ||
| (VOL) Don’t know | 26% | 27% | 26% | 20% | 27% | 32% | 23% | 30% | 27% | 26% | ||
The Monmouth University/NJ Press Media Poll was conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute on April 11 to 15, 2012 with a statewide random sample of 804 adult residents, including 644 contacted on a landline telephone and 160 on a cell phone. Live interviewing services were provided by Braun Research, Inc. and the telephone sample was obtained from Survey Sampling International. Monmouth is responsible for all aspects of the survey questionnaire design, data weighting and analysis. For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling has a maximum margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Sampling error increases as the sample size decreases, so statements based on various population subgroups, such as separate figures reported by gender or party identification, are subject to more error than are statements based on the total sample. In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.
|
POLL DEMOGRAPHICS (weighted) | |||
| 36% Dem | 49% Male | 29% 18-34 |
64% White |
| 22% Rep | 51% Female | 39% 35-54 |
12% Black |
| 42% Ind | 32% 55+ |
15% Hispanic | |
|
9% Asian/Other | |||
|
Registered Voter Sample (weighted) | |||
| 37% Dem | 47% Male | 24% 18-34 |
70% White |
| 23% Rep | 53% Female | 39% 35-54 |
12% Black |
| 40% Ind | 37% 55+ |
10% Hispanic | |
|
8% Asian/Other | |||
It is the Monmouth University Polling Institute’s policy to conduct surveys of all adult New Jersey residents, including voters and non-voters, on issues that affect the state. Specific voter surveys are conducted when appropriate during election cycles
Click on pdf file link below for full methodology and results by key demographic groups.
