Americans' Preference Shifts Toward One-Party Government
Change in preferences driven mostly by Democrats
by Andrew Dugan
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A record-high 38% of Americans prefer that the same party control the presidency and Congress, while a record-low 23% say it would be better if the president and Congress were from different parties and 33% say it doesn't make any difference. While Americans tend to lean toward one-party government over divided government in presidential election years, this year finds the biggest gap in preferences for the former over the latter and is a major shift in views from one year ago.
These findings are based on Gallup's annual Governance survey, conducted Sept. 6-9. The data show an increased level of support for one-party rule amid a currently divided government in which the Democrats control the presidency and the Senate, while the Republicans control the House. This suggests many Americans are experiencing divided-government fatigue.
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Democrats' preference for unified government rose significantly this year -- to 49%, compared with 35% last year. Independents also became more favorable to one-party government this year, up seven percentage points compared with 2011. Republicans did not see a significant change.
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Implications
Americans are more supportive of one-party government now than previously, including presidential election years. This is mainly due to a surge in Democrats' preference for unified party control of government, as President Obama seeks a second term after dealing with a Republican-controlled House the last two years. Republicans also prefer unified government rather than divided government this year.
As the 2012 election approaches, these findings suggest that Americans may be somewhat less open to ballot splitting than in prior years. At the same time, support for one-party government typically increases in presidential election years, and the surge in Democrats' preferences may reflect their growing enthusiasm about the election more broadly.
complete article w/graphs:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/157739/americans-preference-shifts-toward-one-party-government.aspx
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