CBS NEWS/NEW YORK TIMES POLL For release: Wednesday, May 1, 2013 6:30 pm EDT Domestic Issues: Immigration,

Gun Policy and the Deficit

April 24-28, 2013

About four in five Americans support a path to citizenship with a number of requirements for illegal immigrants, and a similar percentage supports a federal electronic employer verification program for potential hires. 59% are disappointed or angry about the recent Senate vote on gun legislation. 88% support background checks for all gun buyers. There is continued support for a mix of tax increases and spending cuts to reduce the budget deficit. More Americans would make cuts to the military (43%) than to Medicare (23%) or Social Security (13%). 68% of Americans say the economy is in bad shape, and 31% think it is improving. 41% approve of how President Obama is handling it. His overall job approval rating is 47%.

Immigration Policy There is broad support for providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the U.S. if they meet certain requirements, like paying fines and back taxes, passing criminal background checks and learning English. 83% favor that; just 14% oppose. About four in five Republicans, Democrats and independents support that option. Path to Citizenship for Illegal Immigrants in U.S. if Conditions Met All Reps Dems Inds Favor 83% 84% 87% 80% Oppose 14 15 11 15 Among those who do favor a path to citizenship if the conditions listed above are met, more than half say those illegal immigrants should be allowed to obtain legal status while border security is still being strengthened. 35% say they should be allowed to obtain legal status only after the border is secure. Illegal Immigrants Legal Status and Border Security (Among those who favor path to citizenship) All Reps Dems Inds Allowed only after border is secure 35% 49% 25% 33% Allowed while border is strengthened 56 43 66 56 There is also broad popular support for a federal employment verification system that all employers would be required to use to confirm that new hires are legally authorized to work in the U.S. 80% favor that, and just 15% oppose it. This proposal also receives support from about four in five Republicans, Democrats and independents.

Employment Verification System All Reps Dems Inds Favor 80% 84% 78% 78% Oppose 15 12 15 17 Americans express a clear preference about which groups of immigrants to the U.S. should receive priority. 58% prefer giving priority to immigrants based on education, job skills and work experience. Just 27% would prioritize people who have family members already living in the U.S. Which Immigrants Should Receive Priority? People with family members already in U.S. Based on education, job and work skills 27% 58

About a third of Americans would like to see legal immigration into the U.S. kept at its present level, but nearly as many would like to see it decreased, and another 25% want it increased. Legal Immigration into U.S. Should Be Now 9/2011 7/2008 4/2006 1/2004 12/2001 Kept at present level 35% 36% 38% 33% 34% 29% Increased 25 19 23 16 16 9 Decreased 31 38 32 45 45 59 10/1996 35% 8 50

Most Americans say that immigration is not a make-or-break issue in their vote. More than half, 57%, say they would vote for a candidate who does not share their views on immigration. 29% say the issue is so important that they could not vote for a candidate who disagrees with them. Vote for Candidate who Disagrees with You on Immigration? All Reps Dems Inds Yes, could vote 57% 55% 63% 54% No, could not vote 29 31 28 28 It depends (vol.) 9 11 7 9 Background Checks and Gun Laws As they have in previous polling, Americans overwhelmingly favor background checks for gun purchases (88%). Support for background checks for gun purchases cuts across political parties; Republicans, Democrats and independents are all in favor of that. Background Checks for Gun Purchases All Reps Dems Inds Favor 88% 86 95% 83% Oppose 11 14 4 14 But after background check legislation recently failed in the Senate, nearly six in ten (59%) say that provoked a negative reaction -- either disappointment (40%) or anger (19%) -- toward the Senate. That is true among Democrats and independents, though Republicans are more divided about the outcome.

Reaction to Senate Vote on Gun Laws All Reps Dems Inds Enthusiastic 9% 10% 6% 10% Satisfied 27 40 17 27 NET POSITIVE 36% 50% 23% 37% Disappointed Angry NET NEGATIVE 40 19 59 37 9 46 47 27 74 38 18 56

That background checks specifically find such favor is striking in the broader context, because Americans are more divided on gun laws generally. 54% say that in principle, gun laws should be more strict, 33% say they should be kept as-is, and 10% want them made less strict. Views on this question are about where they were throughout the winter. Now 54% 10 33 Gun Laws Should Be 3/2013 2/2013 1/2013 12/2012 4/2012 47% 53% 54% 57% 39% 11 10 9 9 13 39 34 34 30 41 10/2002 56% 11 30

More strict Less strict Kept as they are

In general, most Republicans would prefer to keep gun laws as they are, and most Democrats would make them more strict -- as has long been the case. Public opinion on banning semi-automatic weapons is mixed. 50% of Americans favor such a ban, which also was not enacted, and 47% oppose one. Politically, will the gun control debate work for or against legislators at the ballot box next year? While guns are rarely named as the countrys most pressing problem, it is an issue that stands as a litmus test for many voters. 47% of Americans say they would not support any candidate who disagreed with them on gun control, and thats true of Democrats and Republicans, though Republicans are a little more likely to be single issue voters on this topic. Vote for Candidate who Disagrees with You on Gun Laws? All Reps Dems Inds Yes, could vote 41% 40% 46% 39% No, could not vote 47 49 46 46 It depends (vol.) 7 6 4 9 Advocates of stricter laws are just as likely as gun control opponents to say they would not back a candidate who disagreed with them on this issue: four in ten on each side would use this issue as a litmus test. Views of the National Rifle Association have not changed since the recent debate over gun legislation; 34% are favorable and 26% are unfavorable, with the rest undecided. Gun owners have favorable views of the organization, and non-gun owners either dont have an opinion or are negative.

Reducing the Deficit Most Americans continue to seek a balanced approach to deficit reduction, both through tax increases and spending cuts. 57% advocate a combined solution, while 36% think the deficit should be reduced by cuts in spending alone. Best Way to Reduce Deficit? Now 3/2013 1/2013 36% 34% 33% 3 2 3 57 58 61 10/2012 30% 2 64

Spending cuts Increased taxes Combination

Most Republicans - 59% - want the deficit reduced with spending cuts alone, while most Democrats (76%) and independents (55%) want a combination of spending cuts and tax increases. Respondents were asked to choose what to cut from the largest items in the federal budget, and more Americans are willing to cut government spending in the military (43%), than Medicare (23%) or Social Security (13%). The military was also the top choice when this question was asked two years ago. Which Would You Cut to Reduce Spending? Now 4/2011 Military 43% 45% Medicare 23 21 Social Security 13 17 When asked to focus on some specific domestic programs, Americans are more willing to cut aid to the poor and unemployed (29%) and make cuts to the nations infrastructure (29%), than cut funding for science and medical research (16%) or education (7%). Which Domestic Program Would You Cut to Reduce Spending? Now 1/2011 Aid to poor & unemployed 29% 21% Infrastructure 29 34 Science & medical research 16 26 Education 7 8 The Economy The economy and jobs remains the most important problem facing the country today, and views on how the economy is doing and the direction it is heading in remain largely unchanged from the beginning of the year. 68% of Americans characterize the economy as fairly or very bad, and just 31% think the economy is getting better. The Sequester The sequester grinds on, though Americans divide as to what effect it will have on the economy. Nearly half 46% - think the sequester will hurt the economy, while 35% think it will have no effect. Just one in 10 Americans think the automatic spending cuts will help the economy.

The Sequester Will Help the economy 10% Hurt the economy 46 No effect 35 In addition, more than a quarter of Americans say they have been affected by the sequester personally, though just 8% say it has affected them a great deal. Most say they have not been impacted. Have You Been Personally Affected by the Sequester? Yes, great deal 8% Yes, somewhat 19 No 69 President Obama and Congress Approximately 100 days into his second term, public opinion is divided as to how President Obama is handling his job. 47% approve of the job hes doing, but nearly as many 45% disapprove, similar to last month. Eight in 10 Democrats approve of the job hes doing, while eight in 10 Republicans disapprove. Independents are divided. Now 47% 45 President Obamas Job Rating 3/2013 2/2013 1/2013 45% 52% 51% 46 38 41 12/2012 57% 37

Approve Disapprove

Majorities of Americans approve of the Presidents handling of the Boston bombing attacks as well as his handling of terrorism in general and he gets a net positive rating on his handling of foreign policy as well. His job rating is less positive on other issues. Americans are evenly divided on President Obamas handling of immigration, and most disapprove of his handling of gun policy, the economy, and the budget deficit. President Obamas Job Ratings on Issues Approve Disapprove Boston attacks 68% 20 Terrorism 56% 35 Foreign policy 45% 38 Immigration 44% 45 Gun policy 41% 52 Economy 41% 52 Budget deficit 33% 57 But President Obamas job rating remains much higher than that of Congress, even though Congressional approval has risen since last month. Now, 17% of Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job, up six percentage points from March and the highest rating Congress has received in almost two years. Still, three in four Americans disapprove. Now 17% 75 Job Approval of Congress 3/2013 4/2012 11% 13% 81 77 10/2011 9% 84 6/2011 20% 70

Approve Disapprove

Belief that special interest groups hold great sway over most members of Congress is widespread. 85% of Americans think most members of Congress are more interested in serving special interest groups than the people they are elected to represent. Most Members of Congress are More Interested in Serving Now 5/2011 12/2010 9% 13% 9% 85 80 85

People they represent Special interest group

10/1998 25% 62

10/1990 20% 71

Criticism extends to both parties in Congress, although Congressional Democrats fare slightly better than Republicans. About half of Democrats approve of their own partys members of Congress, while half of Republicans disapprove of the job Congressional Republicans are doing. Parties in Congress Total Reps Dems Inds Democrats in Congress Approve 28% 9% 51% 23% Disapprove 61 84 38 65 Republicans in Congress Approve 22% 39% 12% 20% Disapprove 69 52 82 69 When it comes to specific issues, Americans trust Barack Obama over Republicans in Congress to better handle terrorism, but they are more closely divided as to who would better handle the economy, immigration, the budget deficit, and gun laws. In January, President Obama had a clear advantage on some of these issues. Who Do You Trust More On? Now 1/2013 Terrorism Barack Obama Republicans in Congress The economy Barack Obama Republicans in Congress Immigration Barack Obama Republicans in Congress The budget deficit Barack Obama Republicans in Congress Gun laws Barack Obama Republicans in Congress 48% 38 43% 39 43% 40 41% 42 41% 44 --50% 35 --50% 37 47% 39

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This poll was conducted by telephone from April 24-28, 2013 among 965 adults nationwide. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

CBS NEWS/NEW YORK TIMES POLL Domestic Issues: Immigration, Gun Policy and the Deficit April 24-28, 2013 q1 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 47 12 83 43 45 84 12 45 8 3 4 12

Approve Disapprove DK/NA

Mar13b % 45 46 9

q2 Do you feel things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track? Right direction Wrong track DK/NA 34 59 7 9 87 4 58 30 11 30 64 6 32 61 7

q3 What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today? Economy / Jobs Budget Deficit/Natl Debt Immigration Guns Health Care Terrorism (general) The President/Barack Obama War/Peace(General) Poverty / Homelessness Defense / Military Partisan Politics Big Government/Bureaucracy Congress Crime Other DK/NA 40 6 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 20 4 42 10 3 1 3 2 5 0 0 4 2 6 0 0 20 2 42 2 4 5 5 2 1 1 2 1 4 0 3 4 20 4 37 8 5 3 1 3 3 3 2 1 1 2 2 2 21 6 41 9 1 3 5 0 2 1 1 0 4 2 2 0 26 3

q4 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling foreign policy? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 45 38 17 15 68 17 72 14 14 43 38 18 43 37 19

q5 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the economy? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 41 52 7 9 87 4 76 18 6 35 56 9 39 54 7

q6 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the threat of terrorism? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 56 28 83 53 35 63 11 37 9 9 6 10

Approve Disapprove DK/NA

Feb13a % 57 31 13

q7 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the federal budget deficit? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 33 57 10 5 90 5 63 26 11 28 61 11 Mar13b 33 57 10

q8 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the issue of immigration? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 44 45 11 15 71 14 71 24 5 41 45 14 Feb13a 46 41 13

q9 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling gun policy? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 41 52 7 17 75 8 71 21 8 34 60 6 44 49 6

q10 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the response to the bombings at the Boston marathon? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 68 20 12 47 31 21 84 7 9 68 23 9

q11 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 17 75 8 14 77 10 20 74 7 18 74 8 Mar13b 11 81 8

q12 Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling their job? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 28 61 10 9 84 8 51 38 11 23 65 12 Jan13a 30 60 9

q13 Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling their job? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 22 39 12 20 69 52 82 69 9 9 6 11

Approve Disapprove DK/NA

Jan13a % 19 73 8

q14 Do you think most members of Congress are more interested in serving the people they represent, or more interested in serving special interest groups? People Special interest groups Don't know/No answer 9 85 6 8 88 4 11 83 7 8 85 7 May11b 13 80 7

q15 How would you rate the condition of the national economy these days? Is it very good, fairly good, fairly bad, or very bad? Very good Fairly good Fairly bad Very bad DK/NA 2 29 42 26 2 0 17 44 38 1 2 46 35 14 2 2 25 45 26 2 Mar13b 1 29 42 26 2

q16 Do you think the economy is getting better, getting worse, or staying about the same? Better Worse Same DK/NA q17 RELEASED SEPARATELY q18 RELEASED SEPARATELY q19 Who do you trust more to make the right decisions about the nation's economy -- the Republicans in Congress or Barack Obama? Republicans in Congress Barack Obama Both (Vol.) Neither (Vol.) Don't know/No answer 39 43 1 13 5 82 5 1 9 3 9 79 0 7 4 35 38 1 19 6 Jan13a 35 50 2 10 3 31 24 44 1 16 35 49 0 51 12 36 1 25 27 46 2 35 25 39 1

q20 Who do you trust more to make the right decisions about handling the threat of terrorism -- the Republicans in Congress or Barack Obama? Republicans in Congress Barack Obama Both (Vol.) Neither (Vol.) Don't know/No answer 38 48 3 6 4 80 11 2 2 5 9 81 3 3 4 34 47 4 11 4

q21 Who do you trust more to make the right decisions about the federal budget deficit -the Republicans in Congress or Barack Obama? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 42 82 12 39 41 7 77 34 3 1 2 4 10 8 4 16 5 3 4 7

Republicans in Congress Barack Obama Both (Vol.) Neither (Vol.) Don't know/No answer

Jan13a % 37 50 3 8 3

q22 Who do you trust more to make the right decisions about gun laws -- the Republicans in Congress or Barack Obama? Republicans in Congress Barack Obama Both (Vol.) Neither (Vol.) Don't know/No answer 44 41 2 8 6 79 11 1 5 4 16 73 2 4 5 44 35 2 12 7 39 47 3 7 5

q23 Who do you trust more to make the right decisions about immigration issues -- the Republicans in Congress or Barack Obama? Republicans in Congress Barack Obama Both (Vol.) Neither (Vol.) Don't know/No answer 40 43 3 8 6 76 11 1 6 6 15 73 3 4 6 36 41 4 11 7

q24 In general, do you think gun control laws should be made more strict, less strict, or kept as they are now? More strict Less strict Kept as they are Don't know/No answer 54 10 33 3 35 13 51 2 81 5 14 0 46 12 37 4 Mar13b 47 11 39 3

q25 Should LEGAL immigration into the United States be kept at its present level, increased, or decreased? Present level Increased Decreased Don't know/No answer q26 BLANK 35 25 31 8 38 22 34 6 37 27 29 7 32 26 32 11 Sep11a 36 19 38 7

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q27 Overall, what do you think is the best way to reduce the federal budget deficit -- by cutting federal spending, by increasing taxes, or by a combination of both? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 36 59 13 38 3 0 6 2 57 38 76 55 4 3 5 4

Cut federal spending Raising taxes Combination of both Don't know/No answer

Mar13b % 34 2 58 6

q28 As you may know, automatic spending cuts to military and domestic programs are in effect because President Obama and Republicans in Congress could not agree on a plan to reduce the federal budget deficit. These automatic spending cuts are commonly referred to as the Sequester. Do you think these cuts will help the economy, hurt the economy, or will they not have much effect on the economy one way or the other? Help Hurt No effect Don't know/No answer q29 BLANK q30 Have you personally been affected by the spending cuts in the Sequester, or not? IF YES, ASK: Have you been affected a great deal, or only somewhat? Yes, great deal Yes, somewhat No Don't know/No answer 8 19 69 4 11 22 62 5 4 20 73 3 10 17 70 3 10 46 35 9 7 52 33 9 16 44 32 8 7 45 37 11

q31 How have you been MOST affected by the spending cuts? Personal finance (general) Hours cut/loss of income Taxes Specific gov't program Job/Unemployed (General) Job depends on Gv't Flight delays/air traffic Affects people around me Gov't funding for research Parks/Landmarks No White House tours Other DK/NA q32 BLANK 23 13 11 11 9 7 6 2 1 1 0 4 12 ** AMONG THOSE AFFECTED IN Q30 ** 27 24 20 14 10 15 11 11 10 13 8 12 8 5 13 5 9 6 7 9 4 1 1 5 0 3 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 4 5 12 15 10

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q33 If you HAD to choose ONE, which of the following domestic programs would you be willing to reduce in order to cut government spending 1. education, OR 2. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure, OR 3. science and medical research, OR 4. aid to the unemployed and poor? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % Education 7 7 4 9 Roads, bridges and other 29 20 40 26 Science and medical research 16 11 18 17 Aid to the unemployed and 29 44 17 28 DK/NA 20 18 21 20

Jan11c % 8 34 26 21 11

q34 As you may know, the largest items in the federal budget are Medicare, the government health insurance programs for seniors, Social Security, and the military. If you HAD to choose ONE, which of the following programs would you be willing to change in order to cut spending - Medicare, Social Security, or the military? Medicare Social Security Military DK/NA q35-37 BLANK q38 Thinking about how the federal government spends its money, which do you think should be the higher priority--programs that benefit older adults or programs that benefit younger adults? Programs benefit older Programs benefit younger Both are equally important DK/NA q39-41 BLANK q42 Which comes closest to your view about ILLEGAL immigrants who are currently working in the U.S.? 1. They should be allowed to stay in their jobs and to eventually apply for U.S. citizenship. 2. They should be allowed to stay in their jobs only as guest workers, but not to apply for U.S. citizenship. 3. They should be required to leave their jobs and leave the U.S.? Feb13b % 56 19 20 5 38 44 12 7 40 46 6 8 35 45 14 5 38 42 13 7 23 13 43 21 31 14 30 24 14 10 58 18 24 14 40 22 Apr1a 21 17 45 17

Allowed to stay and apply 43 Stay as guest worker 21 Required to leave jobs & U.S. 32 DK/NA 3 q43-44 BLANK

31 22 43 3

56 18 23 3

42 23 32 3

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q45 Would you favor or oppose providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the U.S. if they met certain requirements, like paying fines and back taxes, passing criminal background checks and learning English? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 83 84 87 80 14 15 11 15 3 1 2 5

Favor Oppose Don't know/No answer

q46 Do you think illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. should be allowed to obtain legal status only after the border is secure, or should they be allowed to obtain legal status while border security is still being strengthened? * AMONG THOSE WHO FAVOR PATH TO CITIZENSHIP IN Q45 * % % % % After border is secure 35 49 25 33 While border is being secured 56 43 66 56 DK/NA 10 8 9 11 q47 Do you favor or oppose creating a federal employment verification system, that all employers would be required to use to confirm that new hires are legally authorized to work in the U.S.? Favor Oppose DK/NA 80 15 5 ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** 84 78 78 12 15 17 4 6 5

q48 When the U.S. government is deciding which immigrants to admit to this country, should priority be given to people who have family members already living in the U.S., or should priority be given to people based on education, job skills and work experience? May07a % 34 51 5 10

People with family members Based on background It depends (Vol.) DK/NA

27 58 8 7

28 58 7 7

32 57 7 5

23 59 10 8

q49 Is it possible you would ever vote for a candidate who does not share your views on immigration, or is this issue so important that you could not vote for a candidate who disagrees with you? Yes, would vote No, would not vote Depends (Vol.) Don't know/No answer 57 29 9 5 55 31 11 4 63 28 7 2 54 28 9 8

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q50 RELEASED SEPARATELY q51-53 BLANK q54 Do you favor or oppose a nationwide ban on semiautomatic weapons including some rifles, pistols, and shotguns that have detachable magazines, allowing them to rapidly fire a high number of rounds? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 50 41 65 44 47 56 32 52 3 2 3 4

Favor ban Oppose ban Don't know/Refused

Mar13b % 49 49 3

q55 Do you favor or oppose a federal law requiring background checks on all potential gun buyers? Favor Oppose DK/NA 88 11 2 86 14 0 95 4 1 83 14 3 90 8 2

q56 Is your opinion of the National Rifle Association favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough about the National Rifle Association yet to have an opinion? Favorable Not favorable Undecided Not heard enough Don't know/No answer 34 26 16 21 3 55 10 17 13 5 16 44 13 25 2 33 22 19 23 3 Jan13a 38 29 14 17 2

q57 Is it possible you would ever vote for a candidate who does not share your views on gun policy, or is this issue so important that you could not vote for a candidate who disagrees with you? Yes, would vote No, would not vote Depends (Vol.) Don't know/No answer 41 47 7 5 40 49 6 5 46 46 4 4 39 46 9 6

q58 As you may know, the Senate recently voted AGAINST several measures that would have made the laws covering gun sales more strict. Which word best describes how you feel about that -- enthusiastic, satisfied but not enthusiastic, disappointed but not angry, or angry? Enthusiastic Satisfied Disappointed Angry Don't know/No answer 9 27 40 19 5 10 40 37 9 4 6 17 47 27 4 10 27 38 18 7

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Total Respondents Total Republicans Total Democrats Total Independents

Unweighted 965 252 311 402

Weighted 244 (25%) 297 (31%) 424 (44%)

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