News Type: Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Navigator Research released new polling showing strong support for voting rights legislation and for eliminating or bypassing the filibuster to pass it. The survey, conducted in the first weeks of January 2022 found 63 percent of Americans supports (and only 22 percent opposes) new voting rights legislation, which would “establish national standards to protect Americans’ freedom to vote, require every state to have automatic voter registration, make Election Day a holiday, restore federal voting rights to formerly incarcerated Americans, and address ‘dark money’ in the electoral process, by modernizing and expanding federal campaign finance reforms.”

“There is broad and growing support for action on voting rights, with Americans hearing more about both the Freedom to Vote Act and the impediments to its passage,” said Bryan Bennett, Director of Polling and Analytics at the Hub Project and Advisor to Navigator Research. “These results should embolden senators who are working towards the bill’s passage—and give pause to those who are reluctant to move on the filibuster.”

Moreover, a growing number of Americans say they understand the filibuster well, and by an 18-point margin support eliminating it (50 percent support – 32 percent oppose) when described as “a loophole that allows a small minority of U.S. senators to block legislation that a majority of senators support by requiring 60 votes instead of a simple majority.” 

This comes as the Senate heads toward a vote on bypassing the filibuster to pass critical voting rights legislation early next week. Nearly half of independents (46 percent), and 56 percent of all Americans, said they would be more likely to support eliminating the filibuster if it meant passing “an economic plan that invests in the middle class and makes the wealthy pay their fair share,” and a majority of Americans would be more likely to support eliminating the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act (51 percent).

A variety of arguments in favor of the landmark voting rights bill were seen as convincing, with the most convincing being the argument that the law “would guarantee [the right to vote] for all eligible citizens and protect it from the whims of state politicians or of either political party” (77 percent convincing, including 69 percent of independents) and that “federal protection of voting rights would give everyone in the country the same kinds of opportunities to vote” (74 percent convincing, including 61 percent of independents).

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About Navigator Research

The Navigator Research project is designed to act as a consistent, flexible, responsive tool to inform policy debates. By conducting research and providing reliable guidance to inform allies, elected leaders, and the press, Navigator helps top leaders in Washington and grassroots leaders around the country shape the debate on the issues that matter most. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.

About the Study

Global Strategy Group conducted public opinion surveys among a sample of 1,000 registered voters from January 6-10, 2021. 101 additional interviews were conducted among Hispanic voters. 79 additional interviews were conducted among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among African American voters. 101 additional interviews were conducted among independent voters. The survey was conducted online, recruiting respondents from an opt-in online panel vendor. Respondents were verified against a voter file and special care was taken to ensure the demographic composition of our sample matched that of the national registered voter population across a variety of demographic variables. The margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level is +/- 3.1 percent.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Navigator Research released new polling showing President Biden and Democrats are more trusted than Republicans on most issues concerning education, including making decisions about school mask requirements, dealing with student loan debt, making sure public schools get adequate funding, and helping teachers feel valued for the important job they do. However, the polling also showed some warning signs for Democrats, with Republicans holding a narrow advantage when it comes to making sure parents have input over what is being taught in classrooms while the parties are even when it comes to making sure public schools teach the things children need to learn in order to succeed.

“Democrats continue to have significant advantages on education policy and are more trusted on investing in our students, teachers, and keeping schools safe. That’s not to say there aren’t warning signs—many Americans see ‘critical race theory’ as a concern, which Republicans cynically exploited in the Virginia gubernatorial election,” said Bryan Bennett, Senior Director of Polling and Analytics at the Hub Project. “But this data offers a roadmap for Democrats on how to proactively make education part of their messaging and improve their standing in Americans’ minds when it comes to education.”

Overall, Americans do not have strong concerns about Democrats’ handling of education issues, but a top concern—largely driven by responses from Republicans—is  critical race theory. The frame that “Democrats are promoting critical race theory which makes students feel guilty for being white” was cited as very concerning by just 42 percent of Americans and only 39 percent of Independents, but 72 percent of Republicans. 

Democrats still hold a number of messaging advantages on education, with messaging focused on the party’s historical support for expanding and protecting access to education, commitment to America’s teachers, and commitment to making sure schools are safe amidst the coronavirus pandemic making respondents more favorable toward Democrats handling of education.

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About Navigator Research

The Navigator Research project is designed to act as a consistent, flexible, responsive tool to inform policy debates. By conducting research and providing reliable guidance to inform allies, elected leaders, and the press, Navigator helps top leaders in Washington and grassroots leaders around the country shape the debate on the issues that matter most. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.

About the Study

This release features findings from a national online survey of 1,000 registered voters conducted December 3-6, 2021. Additional interviews were conducted among 99 Hispanic voters, 99 African American voters, 99 independents without a partisan lean, and 70 Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. The survey was conducted online, recruiting respondents from an opt-in online panel vendor. Respondents were verified against a voter file and special care was taken to ensure the demographic composition of our sample matched that of the national registered voter population across a variety of demographic variables. The margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level is +/- 3.1 percent.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Navigator Research released new polling showing that two in three Americans support President Biden’s infrastructure legislation, which includes nearly nine in ten Democrats (88 percent), three in five Independents (60 percent), and even two in five Republicans (41 percent). This comes as 75 percent of Americans report having heard a lot or some about the law. 

When testing messaging about the plan, three in four respondents agree that the most convincing argument in favor of the bill is simply telling people about the popular policies within.

On a variety of metrics related to the new infrastructure legislation, President Biden and Democrats are seen as more trusted than Republicans, including handling the cost of living for working families (48 percent Biden/Democrats – 41 percent Republicans), and working across the aisle to accomplish bipartisan priorities (42 percent Biden/Democrats – 35 percent Republicans).

“Americans overwhelmingly support Biden’s infrastructure legislation because they know it will have a positive impact on their families and communities,” said Bryan Bennett, Senior Director of Polling & Analytics at the Hub Project and adviser to Navigator Research. “It speaks volumes about the legislation that the most effective messaging around infrastructure is simply explaining what’s in it — these policies are extraordinarily popular, and as people see this law being enacted, support should grow over time.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Navigator Research released findings from a series of focus groups with undecided voters in 2022 in Virginia, Arizona, and Ohio, sharing their views on the economy, education, and more. Despite broad pessimism about the direction of the country, focus group participants said there were several signs of progress made under the Biden administration.

Importantly, the focus groups pointed a way forward for President Biden to address inflation, with participants expressing receptiveness to the argument that inflation is about corporate profiteering greed as well as temporary supply chain issues. As one Biden voter in Virginia put it: “These corporations, all they want to do is profit, and they don’t care about us. They don’t care about paying us what we’re worth. They don’t care about jacking up the rent, jacking up the energy… It’s just greed… COVID happened, things changed, the economy changed, but I just think it’s just [that] they’re greedy. They’re greedy, and they don’t want to stop making mega bucks off of us.”

View the full findings here.

“These focus groups, along with other recent polling on inflation, are unquestionably warning signs for the Biden administration and congressional Democrats moving into 2022,” said Bryan Bennett, Senior Director of Polling & Analytics at the Hub Project and advisor to Navigator Research. “But they also lay out a plan for how the President and the Democratic Party needs to go on offense: they must meet the public where they are, acknowledging both that inflation is a real pain point for most Americans and that corporations are squeezing consumers and artificially driving up profits, which is convincing for two-thirds of Americans. They also need to do a better job of communicating their accomplishments like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and get the Build Back Better Act done.”

The main issues of concern for the majority of focus group participants were inflation and the rising cost of goods, with many citing the rising costs of gas and groceries as areas where they’re feeling economic hardship. When pressed to think through some things that were positive, several participants pointed to our recovery from the pandemic, vaccine distribution, rising wages, and other economic indicators like the stock market and passage of the infrastructure bill. One Ohio Trump voter said: “Numbers of people being vaccinated are going up, so I guess that’s a positive.”

There was strikingly little awareness of the Build Back Better agenda, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, or President Biden’s other accomplishments beyond vaccines; however, many participants were open to supporting Biden’s legislative agenda once they heard the specifics, including among a number of Trump voters. In all three groups, participants had heard little to nothing about Build Back Better, with some saying things like “I have no clue,” or a Trump voter in Virginia asking for a hint about what it was. One Arizona Biden voter shared having heard about universal pre-K, while another Arizona Biden voter said they had heard about vaccine mandates for government contractors when asked about what Build Back Better was.

When prompted on the specifics of what the plan could include, such as universal pre-K, expanded Medicare for seniors to include hearing coverage, Medicare being able to negotiate directly for lower drug prices, investments in mitigating climate change and green jobs, and that it would be paid for by increasing taxes on millionaires and billionaires, Trump voters showed openness to the plan. One Virginia Trump voter said “There’s a whole bunch of stuff that I would love in it” while another Trump voter from Ohio said “I’m for the things you just mentioned. I didn’t know all that there.”

Critical race theory was not well understood, but most had heard of it and had varied perspectives. Participants had different levels of awareness on critical race theory ranging from having just heard the term to knowing that it would involve what children would learn about race in classrooms. Among those who had more about critical race theory than others, viewpoints were diverse. A Virginia Biden voter said that “you can teach about history because you don’t want to repeat it… but at the same time, you should not put a negative tone on it to make a certain person… feel bad about themselves as they are now,” while another Biden voter in Arizona had a different perspective: “I think that’s something that should always be talked about.”

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About Navigator Research

The Navigator Research project is designed to act as a consistent, flexible, responsive tool to inform policy debates. By conducting research and providing reliable guidance to inform allies, elected leaders, and the press, Navigator helps top leaders in Washington and grassroots leaders around the country shape the debate on the issues that matter most. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.

About the Focus Groups

These groups were conducted virtually by GBAO on November 9, 2021 with voters in three states who voted for President in the 2020 election, but who are not extremely motivated about voting in 2022 and are undecided about how they would vote: Virginia (a mix of Trump voters and Biden voters), Ohio (Trump voters), and Arizona (Biden voters). Qualitative results are not statistically projectable.

Biden and Democrats More Trusted than Republicans On Handling “Cost of Living for Working Families”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Navigator Research released new polling that continues to show majority support for President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda by a two-to-one margin (60 percent – 29 percent). When Americans learn about the policies in Build Back Better, a majority of respondents — 52 percent — believe this plan will help the economy.

Importantly, a growing majority of Americans are hearing about this legislation: there has been a 7-point increase in the share of Americans who are hearing “a lot” or “some” about the economic plan, up to 65 percent now from 58 percent two weeks ago. This growing awareness is a trend across political parties. 

Lowering health insurance and prescription drug costs, taxing the rich, and expanding Medicare are top reasons to pass Biden’s economic plan. All of the policies tested in this survey are seen as good reasons to pass the plan by at least two in three Americans (between 66 and 82 percent support), including from at least three in five independents for each policy. 

Thanks to these policies, Biden and congressional Democrats earn Americans’ trust on key economic issues — respondents trust Biden and Democrats more than Republicans by 7 points on handling “the cost of living for working families” and by 5 points on “looking out for people who work for a living.”

“Support for the Build Back Better agenda has been consistently high for months,” said Bryan Bennett, Senior Director of Polling & Analytics at the Hub Project. “The more people learn about Biden’s proposed policies, the more they understand how they could have tangible benefits for their lives and for the economy overall. Democrats have built an economic agenda that listens to working families and advocates for quality, affordable health care, taxing the rich, and investing in families’ needs. It should surprise no one at this point how popular — and needed — this legislation is.”

60 percent of respondents believe passing this economic plan is urgent, including 82 percent of Black Americans (59 percent say it is “very urgent”) and 74 percent of Hispanic Americans (45 percent say it is “very urgent”). 

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About Navigator Research

The Navigator Research project is designed to act as a consistent, flexible, responsive tool to inform policy debates. By conducting research and providing reliable guidance to inform allies, elected leaders, and the press, Navigator helps top leaders in Washington and grassroots leaders around the country shape the debate on the issues that matter most. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.

About This Survey

Global Strategy Group conducted public opinion surveys among a sample of 1,003 registered voters from November 4-November 8, 2021. 100 additional interviews were conducted among Hispanic voters. 78 additional interviews were conducted among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among African American voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among independent voters. The survey was conducted online, recruiting respondents from an opt-in online panel vendor. Respondents were verified against a voter file and special care was taken to ensure the demographic composition of our sample matched that of the national registered voter population across a variety of demographic variables. The margin of error at the 95% confidence level is +/- 3.1%.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Navigator Research released new polling showing that as more than three in five Americans continue to support the Build Back Better (BBB) economic agenda, overwhelming majorities say the top reasons to support the bill are expanding Medicare coverage (84 percent), reducing prescription drug costs (80 percent) and taxing the rich (75 percent).

Presented with a list of eleven reasons to support the bill, at least two in three Americans see each component of the economic plan as a good reason to pass it — ranging from 66 percent to 84 percent.

The intensity of support is encouragingly high among Independents and Economically Persuadable voters — those who disapprove of Biden’s performance on the economy, but support the Build Back Better agenda. Among the Economically Persuadable, 65 percent say expanding Medicare coverage and lowering drug prices are “very good” reasons to support the bill, and 60 percent say the same about taxing the rich. Among Independents, majorities say expanding Medicare coverage is a “very good reason to pass the bill (53 percent) as well as lowering drug prices (51 percent) and taxing the rich (51 percent). 

Taxing the rich also emerges as a dominant theme in open-ended responses from those who support the bill — both overall and among Independents. This comes on the heels of Navigator focus groups showing that even among Trump voters, respondents say they would reject leaders who oppose taxes on the rich.

“Progressives have spent the past several years building public support to tax the rich and invest in working families. Now we’re seeing the effect,” said Bryan Bennett, Director of Polling & Analytics at the Hub Project. “When Americans hear what’s a part of the Build Back Better agenda, they see a multitude of policies that will tangibly benefit their lives — including restoring balance to our tax code. Advocates of Build Back Better still have work to do to raise awareness about what is in the legislation.”

Despite the bill’s popularity, the Navigator report includes a warning that just 56 percent of Americans are hearing “a lot” or “some” about the bill, including just 61 percent of Democrats and 45 percent of Independents. Among the 18 percent of voters considered Economically Persuadable, that number falls to 35 percent.

“There’s a massive opportunity for Democrats to appeal directly to the public on this bill,” said Isaiah Bailey, Advisor to Navigator Research. “Americans see good reasons to support the president’s agenda when they hear about it, so progressives should be making the appeal loudly and directly.”

This growing traction for Biden’s agenda comes amid increasing optimism about the pandemic. Navigator reported yesterday that a plurality of Americans now believe “the worst is over” (48 percent), with 95 percent knowing at least one person who is vaccinated.

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About Navigator Research

The Navigator Research project is designed to act as a consistent, flexible, responsive tool to inform policy debates. By conducting research and providing reliable guidance to inform allies, elected leaders, and the press, Navigator helps top leaders in Washington and grassroots leaders around the country shape the debate on the issues that matter most. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.

About This Survey

Global Strategy Group conducted a national survey among a sample of 1,001 registered voters from October 7-October 11, 2021. 100 additional interviews were conducted among Hispanic voters. 73 additional interviews were conducted among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among African American voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among independent voters. The survey was conducted online, recruiting respondents from an opt-in online panel vendor. Respondents were verified against a voter file and special care was taken to ensure the demographic composition of our sample matched that of the national registered voter population across a variety of demographic variables. The margin of error at the 95% confidence level is +/- 3.1%.