CBS NEWS/NEW YORK TIMES POLLFor release: Wednesday, May 1, 2013

6:30 pm EDT

Domestic Issues: Immigration, Gun Policy and the DeficitApril 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 MetAll 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 IndsAllowed 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.

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Employment Verification SystemAll 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. 27%

Based on education, job and work skills 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 10/1996

Kept at present level 35% 36% 38% 33% 34% 29% 35%Increased 25 19 23 16 16 9 8Decreased 31 38 32 45 45 59 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 28It 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.

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Reaction to Senate Vote on Gun LawsAll Reps Dems Inds

Enthusiastic 9% 10% 6% 10%Satisfied 27 40 17 27NET POSITIVE 36% 50% 23% 37%

Disappointed 40 37 47 38Angry 19 9 27 18NET NEGATIVE 59 46 74 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.

Gun Laws Should Be…                                  Now 3/2013 2/2013 1/2013 12/2012 4/2012 10/2002More strict 54% 47% 53% 54% 57% 39%      56%Less strict 10 11 10 9 9 13           11Kept as they are 33 39 34 34 30 41           30

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 country’s 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 that’s 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 46It 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 don’t have an opinion or are negative.

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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 10/2012

Spending cuts 36% 34% 33% 30%Increased taxes 3 2 3 2Combination 57 58 61 64

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 21Social 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 nation’s 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 34Science & medical research 16 26Education 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.

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The Sequester Will…Help the economy 10%Hurt the economy 46No 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 19No 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 he’s doing, but nearly as many – 45% - disapprove, similar to last month. Eight in 10 Democrats approve of the job he’s doing, while eight in 10 Republicans disapprove. Independents are divided.

President Obama’s Job RatingNow 3/2013 2/2013 1/2013 12/2012

Approve 47% 45% 52% 51% 57%Disapprove 45 46 38 41 37

Majorities of Americans approve of the President’s 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 Obama’s handling of immigration, and most disapprove of his handling of gun policy, the economy, and the budget deficit.

President Obama’s Job Ratings on IssuesApprove Disapprove

Boston attacks 68% 20Terrorism 56% 35Foreign policy 45% 38Immigration 44% 45Gun policy 41% 52Economy 41% 52Budget deficit 33% 57

But President Obama’s 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.

Job Approval of CongressNow 3/2013 4/2012 10/2011 6/2011

Approve 17% 11% 13% 9% 20%Disapprove 75 81 77 84 70

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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 10/1998 10/1990People they represent 9% 13% 9% 25% 20%Special interest group 85 80 85 62 71

Criticism extends to both parties in Congress, although Congressional Democrats fare slightly better than Republicans. About half of Democrats approve of their own party’s members of Congress, while half of Republicans disapprove of the job Congressional Republicans are doing.

Parties in CongressTotal Reps Dems Inds

Democrats in CongressApprove 28% 9% 51% 23%Disapprove 61 84 38 65

Republicans in CongressApprove 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

TerrorismBarack Obama 48% --Republicans in Congress 38 --

The economyBarack Obama 43% 50%Republicans in Congress 39 35

ImmigrationBarack Obama 43% --Republicans in Congress 40 --

The budget deficitBarack Obama 41% 50%Republicans in Congress 42 37

Gun lawsBarack Obama 41% 47%Republicans in Congress 44 39

_________________________________________________________________________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.

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CBS NEWS/NEW YORK TIMES POLL Domestic Issues: Immigration, Gun Policy and the DeficitApril 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 Mar13b % % % % %Approve 47 12 83 43 45Disapprove 45 84 12 45 46DK/NA 8 3 4 12 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 34 9 58 30 32Wrong track 59 87 30 64 61DK/NA 7 4 11 6 7

q3 What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?

Economy / Jobs 40 42 42 37 41Budget Deficit/Nat’l Debt 6 10 2 8 9Immigration 4 3 4 5 1Guns 3 1 5 3 3Health Care 3 3 5 1 5Terrorism (general) 3 2 2 3 0The President/Barack Obama 3 5 1 3 2War/Peace(General) 2 0 1 3 1Poverty / Homelessness 2 0 2 2 1Defense / Military 2 4 1 1 0Partisan Politics 2 2 4 1 4Big Government/Bureaucracy 2 6 0 2 2Congress 2 0 3 2 2Crime 2 0 4 2 0Other 20 20 20 21 26DK/NA 4 2 4 6 3

q4 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling foreign policy?

Approve 45 15 72 43 43Disapprove 38 68 14 38 37DK/NA 17 17 14 18 19

q5 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the economy?

Approve 41 9 76 35 39Disapprove 52 87 18 56 54DK/NA 7 4 6 9 7

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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 Feb13a % % % % %Approve 56 28 83 53 57Disapprove 35 63 11 37 31DK/NA 9 9 6 10 13

q7 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the federal budget deficit?

Mar13bApprove 33 5 63 28 33Disapprove 57 90 26 61 57DK/NA 10 5 11 11 10

q8 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the issue of immigration?

Feb13aApprove 44 15 71 41 46Disapprove 45 71 24 45 41DK/NA 11 14 5 14 13

q9 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling gun policy?

Approve 41 17 71 34 44Disapprove 52 75 21 60 49DK/NA 7 8 8 6 6

q10 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the response to the bombings at the Boston marathon?

Approve 68 47 84 68Disapprove 20 31 7 23DK/NA 12 21 9 9

q11 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?

Mar13bApprove 17 14 20 18 11Disapprove 75 77 74 74 81DK/NA 8 10 7 8 8

q12 Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling their job?

Jan13aApprove 28 9 51 23 30Disapprove 61 84 38 65 60DK/NA 10 8 11 12 9

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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 Jan13a % % % % %Approve 22 39 12 20 19Disapprove 69 52 82 69 73DK/NA 9 9 6 11 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?

May11bPeople 9 8 11 8 13Special interest groups 85 88 83 85 80Don't know/No answer 6 4 7 7 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?

Mar13bVery good 2 0 2 2 1Fairly good 29 17 46 25 29Fairly bad 42 44 35 45 42Very bad 26 38 14 26 26DK/NA 2 1 2 2 2 q16 Do you think the economy is getting better, getting worse, or staying about the same?

Better 31 16 51 25 35Worse 24 35 12 27 25Same 44 49 36 46 39DK/NA 1 0 1 2 1

q17 RELEASED SEPARATELYq18 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?

Jan13aRepublicans in Congress 39 82 9 35 35Barack Obama 43 5 79 38 50Both (Vol.) 1 1 0 1 2Neither (Vol.) 13 9 7 19 10Don't know/No answer 5 3 4 6 3

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 38 80 9 34Barack Obama 48 11 81 47Both (Vol.) 3 2 3 4Neither (Vol.) 6 2 3 11Don't know/No answer 4 5 4 4

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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 Jan13a % % % % %Republicans in Congress 42 82 12 39 37Barack Obama 41 7 77 34 50Both (Vol.) 3 1 2 4 3Neither (Vol.) 10 8 4 16 8Don't know/No answer 5 3 4 7 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 44 79 16 44 39Barack Obama 41 11 73 35 47Both (Vol.) 2 1 2 2 3Neither (Vol.) 8 5 4 12 7Don't know/No answer 6 4 5 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 40 76 15 36Barack Obama 43 11 73 41Both (Vol.) 3 1 3 4Neither (Vol.) 8 6 4 11Don't know/No answer 6 6 6 7

q24 In general, do you think gun control laws should be made more strict, less strict, or kept as they are now?

Mar13bMore strict 54 35 81 46 47Less strict 10 13 5 12 11Kept as they are 33 51 14 37 39Don't know/No answer 3 2 0 4 3

q25 Should LEGAL immigration into the United States be kept at its present level, increased, or decreased?

Sep11aPresent level 35 38 37 32 36Increased 25 22 27 26 19Decreased 31 34 29 32 38Don't know/No answer 8 6 7 11 7

q26 BLANK

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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 Mar13b % % % % %Cut federal spending 36 59 13 38 34Raising taxes 3 0 6 2 2Combination of both 57 38 76 55 58Don't know/No answer 4 3 5 4 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 10 7 16 7Hurt 46 52 44 45No effect 35 33 32 37Don't know/No answer 9 9 8 11

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 8 11 4 10Yes, somewhat 19 22 20 17No 69 62 73 70Don't know/No answer 4 5 3 3

q31 How have you been MOST affected by the spending cuts?

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

q32 BLANK

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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 Jan11c % % % % %Education 7 7 4 9 8Roads, bridges and other 29 20 40 26 34Science and medical research 16 11 18 17 26Aid to the unemployed and 29 44 17 28 21DK/NA 20 18 21 20 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?

Apr1aMedicare 23 31 14 24 21Social Security 13 14 10 14 17Military 43 30 58 40 45DK/NA 21 24 18 22 17

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 38 40 35 38Programs benefit younger 44 46 45 42Both are equally important 12 6 14 13DK/NA 7 8 5 7

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 %

Allowed to stay and apply 43 31 56 42 56Stay as guest worker 21 22 18 23 19Required to leave jobs & U.S. 32 43 23 32 20DK/NA 3 3 3 3 5

q43-44 BLANK

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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 % % % %Favor 83 84 87 80Oppose 14 15 11 15Don't know/No answer 3 1 2 5

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 33While border is being secured 56 43 66 56DK/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.?

** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **Favor 80 84 78 78Oppose 15 12 15 17DK/NA 5 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 %

People with family members 27 28 32 23 34Based on background 58 58 57 59 51It depends (Vol.) 8 7 7 10 5DK/NA 7 7 5 8 10

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 57 55 63 54No, would not vote 29 31 28 28Depends (Vol.) 9 11 7 9Don't know/No answer 5 4 2 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 Mar13b % % % % %Favor ban 50 41 65 44 49Oppose ban 47 56 32 52 49Don't know/Refused 3 2 3 4 3

q55 Do you favor or oppose a federal law requiring background checks on all potential gun buyers?

Favor 88 86 95 83 90Oppose 11 14 4 14 8DK/NA 2 0 1 3 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?

Jan13aFavorable 34 55 16 33 38Not favorable 26 10 44 22 29Undecided 16 17 13 19 14Not heard enough 21 13 25 23 17Don't know/No answer 3 5 2 3 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 41 40 46 39No, would not vote 47 49 46 46Depends (Vol.) 7 6 4 9Don't know/No answer 5 5 4 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 9 10 6 10Satisfied 27 40 17 27Disappointed 40 37 47 38Angry 19 9 27 18Don't know/No answer 5 4 4 7

                             

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Unweighted WeightedTotal Respondents             965

Total Republicans             252         244 (25%)Total Democrats               311         297 (31%)Total Independents            402         424 (44%)

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