MTSUPoll

National: Tennesseans agree on little about healthcare, Obama

• Two-thirds consider healthcare reform extremely important, agree on little else.
• Obama approval drops, but still at 46 percent; plurality identify as independents.
• State confident in Obama ethics, economic policy, doubt he can reform healthcare.
• State evenly divided about Obama efforts to cooperate with Republicans.
• Majority feel Republicans not doing enough to cooperate with Obama.
• Rumors about Obama persist among many Tennesseans.
• No. 1 national problem still the economy, but on way down.
• Recession pain rises, particularly among poor; future worry eases.
• National mood steady since spring, partisan divide extreme.
• Confidence in military trumps faith in other institutions, medicine distant second.

State: Most disapprove of handguns in public places

• Most disapprove of carrying handguns in parks, eateries, bars.
• Two in five to get swine flu vaccination.
• Bottle-return bill draws strong support.
• Economy also No. 1 state problem.
• State mood barometer rises a bit, still higher than national barometer.
• Which party should wield power? Tennesseans shrug.
• Bredesen, legislative approval edge up.

For our press release on national and state issues, click here. You can click here for the national findings and here for state findings. For news coverage of past polls, click here. To learn about the accuracy of the MTSU Poll in elections, click here.

The MTSU Poll's mission is to provide independent, non-partisan, and unbiased public opinion data regarding major social, political, and ethical issues affecting Tennessee.

Surveys are conducted twice yearly under the direction of faculty specialists in public opinion research in accordance with scientifically validated polling standards. Students serve as poll interviewers as an integral part of their training in mass communication.

The poll's directors welcome suggestions about issues and topics from any individual or group. The poll's directors are, however, charged to select, formulate, and interpret results independent of outside interests.

The poll fulfills the major goals of Middle Tennessee State University in that it provides an opportunity for student- and faculty- centered research in partnership with the citizens of Tennessee and the news media that serve them.

Sponsored by the Office of Communication Research at Middle Tennessee State University's College of Mass Communication, the poll tracks attitudes regarding free expression, faith in major institutions, and a wide range of public issues.

The poll is supported by MTSU's Office of Communication Research, College of Mass Communication, and School of Journalism.

• Students wishing to register for an MTSU Poll session may click click here to access the online registration system. Additional information for students is available here.
• The polling lab is in BAS S302. To learn how to find the polling lab and what to expect when you get, go to: http://www.mtsu.edu/~commres/findlab.htm.
• MTSU faculty using the MTSU Poll in their classes will find helpful material at: www.mtsu.edu/~commres/271/271.htm. A password is required.

NOTE: Data files may be downloaded and analyzed with these restrictions: Researchers wishing to make academic or scientific use of these data must request and obtain permission in writing from the Director of the Office of Communication Research prior to presentation or publication. For general descriptive use, we ask only that the Middle Tennessee Poll at Middle Tennessee State University be cited as the source of the data.