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American Enterprise Institute compilation

Karlyn Bowman and Heather Sims

The November 2014 elections are only a few weeks
away. The economy and jobs still outrank health care
as the top issue facing the country. When likely voters
were asked by the bipartisan Battleground poll what
issue would drive their vote, 24 percent said the
economy, followed by 13 percent who mentioned
health care. Kaisers August/September poll found
health care tied with foreign policy issues for second
place behind the economy as a personal voting
concern.

This document makes it possible to examine nine
major pollsters trends on the law. For each pollster,
opinions on the law have fluctuated in a narrow range,
but they have usually been more negative than
positive.

Views on President Obamas handling of health care
are also more negative than positive in recent polls.
Democrats have lost considerable ground on whether
they or Republicans in Congress would better handle
the issue, though Democrats ratings on health care
are still better than those of their GOP counterparts.

Those who have negative views about the ACA
appear to feel more strongly about the issue than those
who have positive views. Data from the
August/September Kaiser poll illustrate possible
electoral consequences: Almost four in ten (38
percent) say that if a candidate voted for the health
care law, they would be less likely to vote for that
candidate, while 29 percent say they would be more
likely to vote for them. The numbers are almost
exactly opposite when it comes to a candidate who
voted to repeal the law: 41 percent say they would be
more likely to vote for that candidate and 30 percent
say they would be less likely to vote for them. It
doesnt appear the issue is fading, but rather that
views of the ACA solidified long ago.

As for what to do with the law now, the
August/September 2014 Kaiser poll found that 33
percent of Americans want to repeal it, while 63
percent want to keep and improve it. In a September
Fox News poll of registered voters, 37 percent said
they were glad the law passed, while 54 percent said
they wished it hadnt passed and that we still had the
2009 system.

For complete question wording, contact Karlyn
Bowman at kbowman@aei.org or Heather Sims at
Heather.Sims@aei.org.
AEI Special Poll Report: Health Care and the Election
(October 2014)
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American Enterprise Institute compilation
Views on the Legislation/Law

ABC/WP Pew CNN/ORC Fox (RV) AP/GfK CBS/NYT Gallup Kaiser NBC/WSJ
Sup Opp *Fav Opp ^Fav Opp Fav Opp Sup Opp
+
App Dis App Dis Fav Unfav Good Bad
Jul. 2009 - - 38% 44% - - 36% 47% - - - - - - - - 36% 42%
Aug. 2009 45% 50% 39 46 - - 34 49 - - - - - - - - 36 42
Sep. 2009 46 48 42 44 - - 33 53 34% 49% - - - - - - 39 41
Oct. 2009 45 48 34 47 - - 35 54 40 40 - - - - - - 38 42
Nov. 2009 48 49 42 39 46% 49% 35 51 39 45 40% 45% - - - - - -
Dec. 2009 44 51 35 48 - - 34 57 36 44 - - - - - - 32 47
Jan. 2010 44 51 39 48 38 58 39 51 42 42 - - - - - - 31 46
Feb. 2010 47 49 38 50 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mar. 2010 45 50 38 48 39 59 35 55 41 43 37 48 - - - - 36 48
Apr. 2010 - - 40 44 39 54 39 50 39 49 - - - - 46% 40% - -
May 2010 - - - - 43 56 - - 39 46 43 47 - - 41 44 38 44
Jun. 2010 - - - - - - - - 45 42 - - - - 48 41 40 44
Jul. 2010 - - 35 47 - - - - - - 36 49 - - 50 35 - -
Aug. 2010 - - 44 46 40 56 - - - - - - - - 43 45 - -
Sep. 2010 47 48 38 45 - - - - 41 46 37 49 - - 49 40 - -
Oct. 2010 - - - - - - - - 41 45 39 43 - - 42 44 - -
Nov. 2010 - - 43 47 - - - - 37 46 - - - - 42 40 - -
Dec. 2010 43 51 - - 43 54 - - - - - - - - 42 41 - -
Jan. 2011 45 50 41 48 - - - - 40 41 36 50 - - 41 50 39 39
Feb. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - 33 51 - - 43 48 - -
Mar. 2011 - - - - 37 59 - - 35 45 - - - - 42 46 - -
Apr. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41 41 - -
May 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 42 44 - -
Jun. 2011 - - - - 39 56 - - 37 45 37 48 - - 42 46 - -
Jul. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 42 43 - -
Aug. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 39 44 - -
Sep. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41 43 - -
Oct. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 34 51 - -
Nov. 2011 - - - - 38 56 - - - - - - - - 37 44 - -
Dec. 2011 - - - - - - - - 30 48 35 51 - - 41 43 34 41
*Wording changes from favor/oppose to approve/disapprove in January 2010. ^Wording changes from favor/oppose to approve/disapprove in May 2010.
+
Wording changes from favor/oppose to approve/disapprove in May 2014.


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American Enterprise Institute compilation
ABC/WP Pew CNN/ORC Fox (RV) AP/GfK CBS/NYT Gallup Kaiser NBC/WSJ
Sup Opp *App Dis ^Sup Opp Fav Opp Sup Opp
+
App Dis App Dis Fav Unfav Good Bad
Jan. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 37% 44% - -
Feb. 2012 - - - - - - - - 35% 47% - - - - 42 43 - -
Mar. 2012 41% 52% 47% 45% 43% 50% - - - - - - - - 41 40 - -
Apr. 2012 39 53 41 49 - - 40% 53% - - 39% 47% - - 42 43 36% 45%
May 2012 - - - - 43 51 - - - - 34 48 - - 37 44 - -
Jun. 2012 - - 43 48 39 49 39 49 34 46 - - - - 41 41 35 41
Jul. 2012 47 47 47 43 - - - - - - 36 50 - - 38 44 40 44 (RV)
Aug. 2012 - - - - - - - - 33 40 38 50 - - 38 43 - -
Sep. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - 42 46 - - 45 40 - -
Oct. 2012 - - - - - - - - 24 62 - - - - 38 43 - -
Nov. 2012 - - - - 42 51 - - - - - - 48% 45% 43 39 - -
Dec. 2012 - - - - - - - - 22 64 - - - - - - - -
Jan. 2013 - - - - 51 44 - - - - - - - - - - - -
Feb. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 36 42 - -
Mar. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - 35 44 - - 37 40 - -
Apr. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 35 40 - -
May 2013 - - - - 43 54 - - - - - - - - - - 37 49
Jun. 2013 - - - - - - 40 55 - - - - 44 52 35 43 - -
Jul. 2013 42 49 - - - - - - - - 36 54 - - - - 34 47
Aug. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - 41 49 37 42 - -
Sep. 2013 42 52 42 53 38 57 - - - - 39 51 - - 39 43 31 44
Oct. 2013 46 49 41 52 41 56 - - 28 38 43 51 44 47 38 44 37 47
Nov. 2013 40 57 - - 40 58 - - - - 31 61 40 54 33 49 - -
Dec. 2013 46 49 41 54 35 62 - - 27 44 39 50 41 51 34 48 34 50
Jan. 2014 46 49 - - - - 36 59 27 42 41 50 38 54 34 50 34 48
Feb. 2014 - - - - - - - - - - - - 41 51 35 47 - -
Mar. 2014 49 48 41 53 39 57 38 58 26 43 41 53 - - 38 46 35 49
Apr. 2014 44 48 39 55 - - 39 56 - - - - 43 54 38 46 36 46
May 2014 - - - - - - 43 53 28 43 41 54 43 51 38 45 - -
Jun. 2014 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 39 45 - -
Jul. 2014 - - - - 40 59 - - - - - - - - 37 53 - -
Aug. 2014 - - - - - - 41 52 - - 41 46 - - - - - -
Sep. 2014 43 52 44 52 - - - - 25 40 41 43 - - 35 47 34 48
*Wording changes from favor/oppose to approve/disapprove in January 2010. ^Wording changes from favor/oppose to approve/disapprove in May 2010.
+
Wording changes from favor/oppose to approve/disapprove in May 2014.

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American Enterprise Institute compilation
How is President Obama Handling Health Care?

Gallup ABC/WP Quinnipiac (RV) CBS/NYT Fox (RV) CNN/ORC AP/GfK Economist
App Dis App Dis App Dis App Dis App Dis App Dis App Dis App Dis
Jul. 2009 44% 50% 49% 44% 46% 42% 46% 38% 43% 45% - - 50% 43% - -
Aug. 2009 43 49 46 50 39 52 40 47 - - 44% 53% - - - -
Sep. 2009 43 52 47 48 41 51 47 45 44 48 51 47 42 52 - -
Oct. 2009 - - 48 48 - - 47 42 42 50 42 57 48 47 - -
Nov. 2009 40 53 47 49 41 53 44 48 - - - - 49 46 - -
Dec. 2009 - - 44 53 38 56 42 50 39 54 - - 49 46 - -
Jan. 2010 37 58 45 52 35 58 40 54 - - 40 59 48 48 37% 55%
Feb. 2010 36 60 43 54 35 58 35 55 37 56 - - - - 40 52
Mar. 2010 42 54 48 49 44 50* 47 48 - - 45 54 49 46 44 48
Apr. 2010 - - 49 49 40 55 41 51 40 53 - - 44 52 43 50
May 2010 - - - - 44 51 42 52 - - - - 45 51 41 51
Jun. 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - 49 46 40 52
Jul. 2010 - - 46 50 - - - - 41 55 44 54 - - 41 50
Aug. 2010 40 57 - - - - - - - - - - 45 53 39 53
Sep. 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - 50 50 39 55
Oct. 2010 - - - - - - 46 37 39 55 - - 47 53 40 54
Nov. 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - 48 51 39 55
Dec. 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40 53
Jan. 2011 - - 43 52 44 51 - - - - 44 55 51 49 47 39
Feb. 2011 40 56 - - 40 56 - - - - - - - - 38 54
Mar. 2011 40 56 - - - - - - - - 41 58 52 48 37 54
Apr. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38 53
May 2011 - - - - - - - - 42 56 40 57 54 46 38 55
Jun. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - 45 54 38 50
Jul. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38 50
Aug. 2011 - - - - - - - - 41 54 47 50 46 53 35 55
Sep. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 36 53
Oct. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - 45 54 36 52
Nov. 2011 41 55 - - - - - - - - 38 59 - - 37 53
Dec. 2011 - - 41 56 - - - - 42 55 - - 44 55 39 51
Jan. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 39 50
Feb. 2012 41 56 - - 40 56 - - - - - - 48 51 41 48


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American Enterprise Institute compilation
Gallup ABC/WP Quinnipiac (RV) CBS/NYT Fox (RV) CNN/ORC AP/GfK Economist
App Dis App Dis App Dis App Dis App Dis App Dis App Dis App Dis
Mar. 2012 - - - - - - - - 43% 52% - - - - 37% 50%
Apr. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 37 52
May 2012 - - - - - - - - 44 51 44% 51% 48% 50% 38 52
Jun. 2012 - - - - - - - - 43 51 - - - - 42 47
Jul. 2012 - - 41% 52% 43% 52% - - - - - - - - 42 47
Aug. 2012 - - - - - - 38% 50% - - - - - - 40 48
Sep. 2012 - - - - 42 46 - - 48 47 - - - - 47 50
Oct. 2012 - - - - - - - - 47 50 - - - - 44 49
Nov. 2012 49% 46% - - - - - - - - - - - - 45 48
Dec. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41 47
Jan. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - 50 49 - - 46 46
Feb. 2013 - - - - - - - - 43 52 - - - - 42 47
Mar. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 42 46
Apr. 2013 - - - - - - - - 43 53 44 54 - - 38 53
May 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38 50
Jun. 2013 40 57 - - - - - - 41 55 - - - - 42 51
Jul. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 37 50
Aug. 2013 39 57 - - - - - - - - - - - - 39 50
Sep. 2013 - - 34 55 - - 40 54 38 58 42 55 - - 39 50
Oct. 2013 44 47 40 53 - - - - 45 51 - - 34 47 39 52
Nov. 2013 37 61 33 63 - - - - - - - - - - 35 55
Dec. 2013 - - - - - - 41 55 - - - - 39 61 38 55
Jan. 2014 - - 36 60 36 59 ^41 54 37 59 38 59 40 58 41 52
Feb. 2014 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41 54
Mar. 2014 - - 44 54 39 58 ^40 56 36 59 - - 38 61 - -
Apr. 2014 - - 37 57 - - - - - - - - - - - -
May 2014 - - 39 56 - - - - 43 54 36 63 42 57 - -
Jun. 2014 - - - - 40 58 - - 41 56 - - - - - -
Jul. 2014 - - - - - - - - 41 54 - - 38 60 - -
Aug. 2014 - - - - - - - - 42 53 - - - - - -
Sep. 2014 - - 38 56 - - - - 40 56 - - 41 58 - -
*The latest asking in March 2010. ^Asking from CBS only.





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American Enterprise Institute compilation
Democrats vs. Republicans on Health Care

AP-GfK Kaiser ABC/WP CNN/ORC NBC/WSJ CBS/NYT Fox (RV) Pew
Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep
Party Party Party Party Cong. Cong. Cong. Cong. Party Party Party Party Party Party Party Party
Sep. 2007 - - - - 56% 26% - - - - - - - - - -
Nov. 2007 - - - - 54 29 - - - - - - - - - -
Feb. 2008 - - - - 56 29 - - - - - - - - - -
Jul. 2009 - - - - - - - - 40% 23% - - - - - -
Aug. 2009 - - - - - - 51% 42% - - - - - - 46% 27%
Sep. 2009 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Oct. 2009 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Nov. 2009 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dec. 2009 - - - - - - 43 40 - - - - - - - -
Jan. 2010 48% 38% - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Feb. 2010 - - - - - - - - - - 44% 27% - - 45 32
Mar. 2010 48 37 - - 47 34 48 46 37 28 - - - - - -
Apr. 2010 48 40 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
May 2010 47 39 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jun. 2010 51 38 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jul. 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - 42% 43% - -
Aug. 2010 50 40 - - - - - - 40 30 - - - - 46 36
Sep. 2010 49 40 49% 32% 44 39 46 45 - - - - - - - -
Oct. 2010 48 43 46 31 46 38 - - 42 32 46 28 - - 39 32
Nov. 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dec. 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jan. 2011 49 37 - - - - - - - - - - 44 40 - -
Feb. 2011 - - 44 31 - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mar. 2011 53 36 - - - - - - - - - - - - 42 40
Apr. 2011 - - - - - - - - 42 25 - - - - - -
May 2011 53 35 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jun. 2011 50 38 45 36 - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jul. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Aug. 2011 49 37 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sep. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 49 38
Oct. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Nov. 2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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American Enterprise Institute compilation
AP-GfK Kaiser ABC/WP CNN/ORC NBC/WSJ CBS/NYT Fox (RV) Pew
Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep Dem Rep
Party Party Party Party Cong. Cong. Cong. Cong. Party Party Party Party Party Party Party Party
Dec. 2011 - - - - - - - - 39% 26% - - - - - -
Jan. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Feb. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mar. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 47% 31%
Apr. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
May 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jun. 2012 - - - - - - - - 41 28 - - - - - -
Jul. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Aug. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sep. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Oct. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Nov. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dec. 2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 48 38
Jan. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Feb. 2013 - - - - - - - - 41 25 - - - - - -
Mar. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Apr. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
May 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jun. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jul. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Aug. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sep. 2013 - - - - - - - - 37 29 - - - - 39 40
Oct. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Nov. 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dec. 2013 32 22% - - - - - - 36 30 - - - - - -
Jan. 2014 - - - - 44 35 - - - - - - - - 45 37
Feb 2014 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mar 2014 *30 26 - - 44 36 - - - - - - - - - -
Apr. 2014 - - - - 43 35 - - - - - - - - - -
May 2014 *34 26 - - - - - - - - 40 50 45 40 - -
Jun. 2014 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jul. 2014 *32 27 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Aug. 2014 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sep. 2014 *33 25 *43 37 46 40 - - ^39 31 39 45 - - - -
*Slight question wording change. ^Asked of half sample and of registered voters.
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American Enterprise Institute compilation
Regretting the Reform?

Q: Which would you rather see your representative in Congress do when it comes to the health care law?

They should work to repeal the law
They should work and replace it with
to improve the law something else
Apr. 2014 Kaiser 58% 35%
May 2014 Kaiser 59 34
Jul. 2014 Kaiser 60 35
Sep. 2014 Kaiser 63 33

Q: Thinking about the 2010 health care law, are you glad the health care law passed or do you wish it hadnt passed and we still had the system that
was in place in 2009?
Glad it passed Wish it had never passed
Dec. 2013 Fox News 38% 54%
Feb. 2014 Fox News 37 55
Jun. 2014 Fox News 38 55
Sep. 2014 Fox News 37 54
Note: Asked of registered voters.