Glue aiw-iebgcr/eagleton POLL

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1 FOR RELEASE: SUNDAY, MARCH 2, 1986 CONTACT: BOB CARTER RELEASE: SL/EP11-1 (EP61-1) ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR RELEASE INFORMATION A story based on the survey findings presented in this release and back I?.l11t3E1.S Eagleton Institute of Politics New Brunswick New Jersey / A LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR?: THE PUBLIC SAYS YES ATTENTION RADIO STATIONS: Audio is available after 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, THE STATE UNIVEPSIIV Of NEW JET?V March 1 from (201) (Rutgers Feature Phone). -more- say it is a bad idea, and 27 percent say they don t think it really matters. The only 3-in-b have read or heard anything about the proposal for creating an office of remainder express no opinion. Support for this proposal is consistent across partisan Republicans saying that having a lieutenant governor is a good idea. divisions in the state, with nearly equal majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Lieutenant Governor, When asked what they think about the proposal, however, 56 percent say it is a good idea for the state to have a lieutenant governor, 11 percent The survey, conducted with 600 residents between February 17 and 23, shows that saying it is a good idea. initiative and referendum, with just as many expressing no opinion on the subject as think it is a good idea, according to the latest Star-Ledger/Eagleton Poll. The public is less certain, however, about amending the state s constitution to allow for proposal for creating an office of Lieutenant Governor, a solid majority of residents While most New Jerseyans have not read or heard anything about Governor Kean s INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM?: THE PUBLIC ISN T SURE attribute this copyrighted information to the Star-Ledger/Eagleton Poll. release after 5:00 p.m. Saturday, March 1. We ask users to properly also use this information in their Sunday editions. Electronic media may ground memo will appear in Sunday s Star-Ledger. Other newspapers may Glue aiw-iebgcr/eagleton POLL

2 governor should have a substantial say in who the lieutenant governor would be. should be elected separately from the governor, while the remainder express no the governor after the election. Twenty-seven percent say a lieutenant 9overnor an additional 23 percent say the position should be filled through an appointment by Forty-four percent say this person should be elected along with the governor, while A comfortable majority of the public also supports the idea that the state s C -more- In a previous Star-ledger/Eagleton poll conducted in 1984, New Jerseyans were ( Independents 57 percent say it is a good idea and 37 percent express no opinion. referendum while more than 50 percent of both groups have no opinion; among Among both Democrats and Republicans, about 40 percent favor initiative and referendum is a good idea, compared to 7 percent who say it is a bad idea. idea. Among those willing to express an opinion, 47 percent say initiative and 47 percent--have no opinion about whether initiative and referendum is a good or bad In addition to low public awareness, nearly one-half of the state s residents-- now than in 1984 or 1979 when similar proposals were being debated. results with figures from previous surveys shows that public awareness is no greater 1-in-4 have heard or read a good deal or some about the issue. Comparing these referendum, while another 29 percent say they have heard just a little. less than residents--47 percent--say they have heard nothing at all about initiative and issue among the general public remains very low. Almost one-half of the state s ( is currently a controversial topic among politicians in the state, awareness of the While amending the state s constitution to allow for initiative and referendum most of the public. governor is not viewed in controversial terms and seems like a commonsense idea to haven t heard anything about this, the proposal to create an office of lieutenant Bob Carter, associate director of the Poll, commented, While most people opinion. EP6I-1 (SL/EP11-1) Page 2

3 -- In 1984, 75 percent of the public agreed that citizens ought to be elected representatives. negative aspects of initiative and referendum. In the most recent survey, citizens percent also agreed that the job of making laws should be left to able to vote directly on important issues and policies, while 67 were asked to choose between some of these opposing arguments. For example: arid referendum. Those results indicated that the public recognizes both positive and asked to agree or disagree with some of the arguments both for and against initiative Copyright, The Eagleton Institute/Newark Star L.edger, that large segments of the public are not very concerned or interested in it. values. The bottom line on initiative and referendum in New Jersey, however, is people about things like initiative and referendum, you tap into those basic appealing to the public. It s an important part of our heritage, and when you ask Carter said, Opportunities for direct participation in politics are very express no opinion. no effect on the power of special interest groups, and the remainder less powerful. Five percent say initiative and referendum would have 47 percent say it would make them more powerful, and 33 percent say referendum would make special interest groups more or less powerful. In the most recent survey, when asked to choose whether initiative and hesitant to act. t it would allow the public to decide issues where public officials are only their side of an issue, while at the same time 78 percent agreed -- In 1984, 66 percent agreed that initiative and referendum would allow special interest groups to gain power by spending money to promote people would not be able to make informed decisions. decisions if given a chance to vote on issues while 26 percent say In 1986, however, 65 percent say people would be able to make informed not follow politics regularly. would not be able to make informed decisions on issues since they do -- In 1984, 77 percent of the state s residents agreed that many people in some cases and 22 percent say laws should always be made by elected representatives, 71 percent say citizens should vote directly elected representatives. citizens to vote directly on issues or having laws always be made by In the most recent survey, when asked to choose between allowing EP6I-l (SL/EP11-1) Page 3

4 illie 4 tar-icbgce/eagleton POLL BACKGROUND MEMO--RELEASE SL/EP1I-1 (EP61-1). SUNDAY, MARCH 2, 1986 I The latest Star-Ledger/Eagleton Poll was conducted between February 17 and 23, 1986, when a random sample of New Jerseyans, (18 years and older) was interviewed by telephone. Figures presented for the total sample of 600 have a sampling error of ±4 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval. Sampling error is the probable difference in results between interviewing everyone in a population versus a scientific sample taken from that population. Sampling error does not take into account the possible sources of error inherent in any study of public opinion. The questions and figures referred to in this release are as follows: There has been a recent proposal that New Jersey create an office of Lieutenant Governor, someone who would take over if the Governor became ill, or died, or was travelling out of state. Have you read or heard anything about this? Yes No Total February % 69% 100% (600) Overall, do you think having a Lieutenant Governor is a good idea, a bad idea, or don t you think it really matters? Good Bad Not Don t C idea idea matter know Total February % 11% 27% 6% 100% (600) Party --Democrat (179) --Independent (232) --Republican (180) If New Jersey were to have a Lieutenant Governor, do you think this person should be elected along with the Governor, elected separately from the Governor, or should be someone appointed by the Governor after the election? Elected with Elected Don t governor separate Appointed Other know Total jjjj February % 27% 23% 2% 5% 101% (600) Party --Democrat (179) --Independent (232) --Republican (180) HE STATh UNtPSIIY OF NPW JEPV I?.IITc3E.RS Eagleton Institute of Politics New Brunswick New Jersey /

5 February % 19% 29% 47% 1% 100% (600) February (802) deal Sotr.e little at all know Total ill A good Just a Nothing Don t nothing at all? How much have you heard or read about this--a good deal, some, just a little, or public to vote directly on policies and issues instead of always leaving them up to the state legislature. constitution to allow for initiative and referendum. This provides a way for the There has been some discussion lately in New Jersey about changing the state s February % 33% 5% 2% 13% 100% (600) powerful powerful change depends know Total jjfl More Less No Both/ Don t make special interests more or less powerful? elected officials are hesitant to act. Do you think initiative and referendum would it would weaken special interests, since it allows the public to decide issues when February % 26% 6% 4% 101% (600) gain power by spending money to promote only their side of an issue. Others feel that Some people feel that initiative and referendum would allow special interest groups to Would Would not Both/Depends Don t know Total jjfl informed deci sions? be able to cast informed votes. Do you think people would or would not be able to make Some say that people do not follow politics closely enough to make informed decisions on most issues. Others believe that, if given a chance to vote on issues, people would February % 22% 3% 3% 99% (600) Elected Both/ Don t elected representatives? Citizens representatives depends know Total jjfl Should citizens vote directly in some cases, or should laws always be made by policies. Others feel that the job of making laws should always be left to elected representatives. --Independent (232) --Republican (180) --Democrat (179) 1986 Party November (1203) February % 7% 47% 101% (600) February (802) Good idea Bad idea Don t know Total.Liil Some people feel citizens ought to be able to vote directly on important issues and don t you have an opinion on it? On the whole, do you think initiative and referendum is a good idea, a bad idea, or November (1206) EP61-1 (SL./EP11-1) -2-

6 Respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the following statements: (1206) % 18% 6% 99% (802) representatives voting for them. important issues and policies instead of their Citizens ought to be able to vote directly on Agree Disagree know Total ml Don t provided as additional background information. The figures presented below are from previous Star-Ledger/Eagleton polls, and are (1206) (802) by people in an election. to be decided by a simple yes or no vote (1206) (802) public to decide issues where public offending certain groups. Initiative and referendum would allow the officials are hesitant to act for fear of (1204) spending money to promote only their side (802) Special interest groups would gain power by of an issue (1206) (802) politics. they would become more interested and If people had a chance to vote on issues participate more in government and be asked to vote on. informed decision on the issues they would (802) regularly they may not be able to make an Since many people do not follow politics (1206) (802) (1206) Many important issues are too complicated what they do they can vote them out of office. elected representatives. If people don t like The job of making laws should be left to C EP61-1 (SL/EP11-1) -3-

rz.ljtt:er.s Eagleton Fnst, ute of Pohtics New Brunsw,c. New Jersey O Otlic 4ar-1CbgCr/EAGLETON POLL

rz.ljtt:er.s Eagleton Fnst, ute of Pohtics New Brunsw,c. New Jersey O Otlic 4ar-1CbgCr/EAGLETON POLL FOR RELEASE: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1986 CONTACT: BOB CARTER OR RELEASE: SL/EP13-3 (EP63-3) MICHAEL DELLI CARPINI RELEASE INFORMATION A story based on the survey findings presented in this release and back