August 2017 National Poll

August 2017 National Poll



National Survey of 1000 Likely Midterm Voters

Conducted August 24-25, 2017


By Pulse Opinion Research


Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence

Download the poll results

1.* When businesses say they are having trouble finding Americans to take jobs in construction, manufacturing, hospitality and other service work, what is generally best for the country? Is it better to raise the pay until they can attract Americans without jobs even if it causes prices to rise, or is it better for the government to continue to automatically bring in new immigrants each year to keep costs down?


59% Better to raise the pay to attract Americans without jobs even if prices rise
19% Better for the government to automatically bring in new immigrants to keep the costs down
22% Not sure


2* Some businesses say it is especially difficult to hire workers from among groups with the highest unemployment and poverty rates, which includes Black and Hispanic Americans and younger Americans of all ethnic groups without a college degree. Should businesses be required to try harder to recruit and train people from those groups with the highest unemployment or should the government continue to bring in new immigrants to compete for the jobs?


71% Business should be required to try harder to recruit and train from groups with the highest unemployment
11% Government should continue to bring in new immigrants to compete for the jobs
18% Not sure


3* Current federal policy automatically adds about one million new legal immigrants each year giving all of them lifetime work visas. Which is closest to the number of immigrants with lifetime work visas the government should be adding each year -- none, 250,000, half a million, one million, one and a half million, two million, or more than two million?


61% want half-million or LESS
26% want one million or MORE
20% None
26% 250,000
15% Half a million
13% One million
5% One and a half million
3% Two million
5% More than two million
14% Not sure


4* When businesses are allowed to bring in immigrant workers on lifetime work permits, who should those immigrants be allowed to eventually petition to also get lifetime work permits….their spouse and minor children only, their extended family in addition to their spouse and minor children or no family members at all?


51% Spouse and minor children only
26% Extended family in addition to spouse and minor children
17% No family member at all
6% Not sure


5* A bill in the U.S. Senate would allow immigrants to bring in their spouse and minor children but would end migration of extended family. Do you favor or oppose allowing immigrants to bring in only their spouse and minor children and NOT their extended family?


55% Favor
32% Oppose
14% Not sure


6* A bill in Congress would eliminate a government run visa lottery that each year randomly selects approximately 50,000 new immigrants around the world to move to the United States with lifetime work permits. Opponents of the visa lottery criticize it for bringing in people without any regard for their skills or how they affect American workers who have to compete with them for jobs. Supporters of the visa lottery say it is needed to add diversity to the United States. Should the United States eliminate the visa lottery or continue the visa lottery?


56% Eliminate the visa lottery
33% Continue the visa lottery
11% Not sure


7* On the issue of helping refugees, the U.S. government has settled an average of 63,000 refugees in local U.S. communities every year for the last decade. Next year how many refugees should the United States admit – more than 100,000, 75000, 50000, 25000, fewer than 25000, or none and instead assist refugees in safe zones close to their home countries?


27% Admit 75,000 or MORE
63% Admit 50,000 or LESS
18% Admit more than 100,000
9% Admit 75,000
11% Admit 50,000
5% Admit 25,000
8% Admit fewer than 25,000
39% Admit none and instead assist refugees in safe zones close to their home countries
10% Not sure


8* The Pew Research Center projects that immigration policies are on course to add at least 100 million people to the United States over the next 50 years. Which action of the government is more likely to be better for environmental quality and the quality of life for future Americans -- reduce immigration and slow down population growth, keep immigration the same and add the 100 million people, or increase immigration to add more than 100 million people over the next 50 years?


54% Reduce immigration and slow down population growth
26% Keep immigration the same and add 100 million people
7% Increase immigration to add more than 100 million people
13% Not sure


9* I'm now going to ask you a few more questions about how businesses should bring in immigrant workers. First, how should job-based and other non-family immigrant green cards be given out each year -- by the order that applications are submitted, by lottery, or to those applicants with the most points in a merit system based on criteria like education, English-language ability and sought-after skills?


28% By the order that applications are submitted
8% By lottery
53% By a merit-based points system
12% Not sure


10* In an immigration merit-based points system, how important should it be that a potential immigrant has an advanced college degree -- very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not important at all?


55% Important
42% Not very or at all
20% Very important
35% Somewhat important
28% Not very important
14% Not at all important
4% Not sure


11* In an immigration merit-based points system, how important should it be that a potential immigrant be at least moderately fluent in English -- very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not important at all?


75% Important
23% Not very or at all
49% Very important
26% Somewhat important
16% Not very important
7% Not at all important
2% Not sure


12* If an immigrant comes to the United States on a merit-based visa, how important is it that they and their families not be eligible to receive welfare benefits -- very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not important at all?


66% Important
28% Not very or at all
43% Very important
23% Somewhat important
14% Not very important
14% Not at all important
6% Not sure


13* Do you find most immigrants you have met personally to be hard-working people who would make good neighbors?


66% Yes
13% No
21% Not sure


14* On the question of ILLEGAL immigration, do you favor or oppose requiring every business to use the government’s online E-Verify system to make sure every job goes to an American or other authorized worker instead of to an illegal worker?


68% Favor requiring E-Verify
17% Oppose requiring E-Verify
15% Not sure


15* Which is the most important government action for stopping illegal immigration both at the borders and from visa overstays – a wall on the Mexican border, increased deportations, or stopping employers from hiring illegal workers?


19% A wall on the Mexican border
13% Increased deportations
53% Stopping employers from hiring illegal workers
15% Not sure


Methodology: The NATIONAL survey of 1,000 likely midterm voters was conducted by Pulse Opinion Research on August 24-25, 2017. Pulse Opinion Research, LLC is an independent public opinion research firm using automated polling methodology and procedures licensed from Rasmussen Reports, LLC.
“Likely Midterm Voters” are those who answered “always” or “usually” to the question: “How often do you vote in congressional elections when there isn’t a presidential contest?” The margin of sampling error for the full sample is +/- 3.0% percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. This means that an identical survey conducted under the same circumstances would generate a result within the margin of sampling error 19 times out of 20.


The survey was conducted using an established automated polling methodology. For 75%, sample calls were placed to randomly-selected phone numbers through a process that insures appropriate geographical representation. Twenty five percent (25%) of the sample was conducted via online surveys of those individuals who use a cell-phone as their primary telephone. After the calls and on-line surveys were completed, the raw data is processed through a weighting program to insure that the sample reflects the overall population in terms of age, race, gender, political party, and other factors. The processing step is required because different segments of the population answer the phone in different ways. The population targets were based upon census bureau data, a series of screening questions to determine likely voters, and other factors. Pulse Opinion Research determines its partisan weighting targets through a dynamic weighting system that takes into account voting history, national trends, and recent polling.


https://www.numbersusa.com/pages/august-2017-national-poll