But on the issue of maternity leave, 84 percent of the public approve of a federal requirement that employers provide paid maternity leave, paced by 94 percent support from Democrats, 83 percent from Independents and 73 percent from Republicans. Increased federal funding for child care is supported by 75 percent of the public, including overwhelming support from Democrats and Independents but also majority support from Republicans.
Perhaps explaining Republican support, President Donald Trump‘s 2020 budget proposal includes federal funding for both paid maternity leave and for child care. On other issues asked about in the survey, Republican support drops off considerably (though not entirely) even while there’s majority support from the American public.
A healthy 60 percent majority support increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour from $7.25. However, Republican support is only at 31 percent while Democrats and Independents sport strong majorities in favor.
Similarly, 57 percent of the public support tuition-free state and public colleges paid for with federal dollars, including 80 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of Independents. A small but not insignificant 28 percent of Republicans also support the plan championed by Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The hot-button issue of “Medicare for All” also gets majority support at 54 percent, including from 81 percent of Democrats but just 19 percent of Republicans.
Campbell said he was not expecting the widespread support for tuition-free college and Medicare for all. “The fact that so many independents do come down in support of these two policies was surprising to me,” he said.
A universal basic income, that is, where all Americans would be provided with some form of income from the Federal government whether they work or not, is seen as a progressive proposal that goes too far. Just 28 percent of the public backs the idea, including 45 percent of Democrats and just 6 percent of Republicans.
Importantly, the survey finds that four of the proposals — on maternity leave, child care, raising the minimum wage and tuition free college — have majority support in Republican congressional districts. But the pollsters are skeptical this means any of these proposal will be enacted.
“This (poll) says everything about how voters feel but not necessarily anything about what’s possible,” Roberts, the Republican pollster, said. “When you start attaching candidates and parties to these proposals, you start driving down those Republican numbers in significant ways.”
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