2018 US Politics - the Midterm Elections are Two Months Away (September 5)
With the midterm elections just two months away, Democrats continue to lead the Reuters/Ipsos generic congressional ballot. Among registered voters, 44% would vote for a Democrat, and 35% for a Republicans- a nine-point advantage for Democrats. Thirty-eight percent of all Americans would vote for a Democratic candidate if the elections were held today, compared to 31% who would vote for a Republican candidate. While most Americans disapprove of the way Congress as a whole is handling its job (64%), more people approve (41%) than disapprove (32%) of the way their Congressperson is handling their job as Representative.
With election season in full swing, President Trump’s approval rating stands at 42% among registered voters and 40% among all Americans– virtually unchanged from last week (40% and 38% respectively). Perceptions of Trump’s performance are driven by partisanship with just 9% of Democrats approving, compared to 84% of Republicans and 38% of Independents. On specific issues, Trump has the highest approval ratings among all adult Americans when it comes employment and jobs (49%), the U.S. economy (48%) and dealing with ISIS/ISIL (46%).
More than half of Americans (54%) think the country is on the wrong track, while just a third (33%) believe it is heading in the right direction. The biggest issues for Americans remain healthcare (18%), immigration (14%) and the economy generally (11%). As mentioned above, nearly half of Americans approve how Trump is handling the economy and jobs. However, just 40% of Americans approve of his handling of healthcare reform, and 42% approve of his handling of immigration.
