These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
57% Oppose Taxpayer Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Friday, August 27, 2010
Only 33% of U.S. voters believe that taxpayer money should be spent on embryonic stem cell research, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) say funding for such research should be left to the private sector.
While 55% of voters who identify themselves as pro-choice support government funding of stem cell research, 83% of pro-life voters are opposed.
In March of last year , 52% of all voters agreed with President Obama's decision to lift the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, but 38% were opposed. A federal judge this week blocked that decision, but the Obama administration intends to appeal the ruling. The issue at hand is whether the research destroys living human embryos.
Only 24% of voters now believe embryonic stem cell research is morally wrong. That's down five points from March 2009. Fifty-four percent (54%) say it is not morally wrong, unchanged from the previous survey. Twenty-one percent (21%) are not sure.
Fifty-two percent (52%) of pro-life voters think embryonic stem cell research is morally wrong. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of pro-choice voters disagree.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 25-26, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology.
Virtually unchanged since January 2007 is the finding that 69% of voters believe it is at least somewhat likely that embryonic stem cell research has the potential to lead to cures to previously incurable diseases. That includes 39% who say it is Very Likely.
Just 18% say it is not very or not at all likely that such research will help find cures for diseases that are presently incurable.
Pro-choice voters overwhelmingly believe that stem cell research will lead to such cures. Those who are pro-life are more narrowly divided on the question.
Seventy-eight percent (78%) of Republicans and 62% of voters not affiliated with either major party oppose taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research. Fifty-five percent (55%) of Democrats favor such funding.
The Political Class is even more supportive of government funding of this kind of research. While 70% of Mainstream voters oppose taxpayer funding of stem cell research, 73% of the Political Class think it's a good idea.
But then Political Class voters are twice as likely as those in the Mainstream to say such research is not morally wrong.
Seventy-one percent (71%) of all voters say they have followed the issue of stem cell research at least somewhat closely, with 23% who are following Very Closely.
Nearly half (48%) of voters continue to believe that an abortion is too easy to obtain in this country.
Forty-six percent (46%) now describe the U.S. health care system as good or excellent. Just 22% view the current system as poor.
Fifty-six percent (56%) of voters continue to favor repeal of the national health care bill passed by Congress in March and signed into law by the president. That includes 46% who Strongly Favor repeal.