New Marquette Law School national survey finds more people favoring Democrats than Republicans in anticipated 2026 vote for Congress and also more Democrats saying they are certain to vote
Also:
- Most people have negative views of both parties, with opinion nearly evenly divided on which party to regard as responsible for government shutdown
- Three-quarters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the shutdown
- 70% favor extending tax credits for health insurance
- 68% or more in each party oppose mid-decade redistricting
- Trump approval highest for Israel-Hamas cease-fire and border security; lowest for handling of Epstein documents, shutdown, and economic aid to Argentina
MILWAUKEE —A new Marquette Law School Poll national survey, conducted following the Nov. 5 elections in New Jersey, Virginia, and elsewhere, finds that 49% of registered voters expect to vote for a Democrat and 44% expect to vote for a Republican in congressional elections in 2026. Among those who say they are certain to vote, 53% say they will vote for a Democrat and 44% for a Republican.
Within party among registered voters, 91% of Republicans say they will vote for the Republican party’s candidate in their congressional district, while 96% of Democrats plan to support their party’s nominee. Independents heavily favor a Democratic candidate, 38%, compared to 17% favoring a Republican, while 39% of independents would vote for neither and 6% say they would not vote. This is on a “generic ballot” (i.e., no candidate names specified). These results are shown in Table 1. (All results in the tables are stated as percentages.)
Table 1: Congressional vote, by party identification
Among registered voters
| Party ID | Congressional vote | |||
| Democratic candidate | Republican candidate | Neither | Would not vote | |
| Republican | 4 | 91 | 5 | 0 |
| Independent | 38 | 17 | 39 | 6 |
| Democrat | 96 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||||
| Question: If the election for Congress were held today, would you vote for the (Democratic) candidate in your district or the (Republican) candidate in your district? | ||||
Democrats are somewhat more likely to say they are certain to vote, 75%, than are Republicans, 68%. Independents are much less certain to vote, 37%. Likelihood of voting by party is shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Likelihood of voting, by party identification
Among registered voters
| Party ID | Likelihood of voting | |||
| Absolutely certain to vote | Very likely to vote | Chances are 50-50 | Don’t think will vote | |
| Republican | 68 | 19 | 9 | 4 |
| Independent | 37 | 27 | 22 | 14 |
| Democrat | 75 | 16 | 7 | 2 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||||
| Question: What are the chances that you will vote in the November 2026 general election for congressional and state offices– are you absolutely certain to vote, very likely to vote, are the chances 50-50, or don’t you think you will vote? | ||||
Of those who voted for Republican President Donald Trump in 2024, 71% are certain they will vote, while among those who voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024, 82% are similarly certain to vote. Likewise, Harris voters are more supportive of the Democratic congressional candidate, 95%, than are Trump voters with respect to the Republican congressional candidate, 89%.
The poll was conducted Nov. 5-12, 2025, among 1,052 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of +/-3.3 percentage points. There are 903 registered voters in the sample, with a margin of error of +/-3.5 percentage points, and 602 likely voters—those who say they are certain to vote next November—with a margin of error of +/-4.3 percentage points. The poll was conducted entirely after the Nov. 4 elections in New Jersey, Virginia, and elsewhere. Seven percent of the sample were interviewed after the Senate voted to end the federal government shutdown on Nov. 9, but all interviews were completed before the House voted on Nov. 12. The survey therefore does not capture reactions to the end of the shutdown.
Approval of how the congressional parties are handling their jobs has shifted modestly since September. Among all adults, approval of Republicans in Congress has been consistently higher than approval of Democrats, but that margin narrowed in the November poll, with support of Republicans declining and approval of Democrats rising. Table 3 shows approval of each party since March.
Table 3: Approval of congressional parties
Among adults
| Poll dates | Approval | ||
| Net | Approve | Disapprove | |
| Republicans in Congress | |||
| 11/5-12/25 | -20 | 40 | 60 |
| 9/15-24/25 | -16 | 42 | 58 |
| 7/7-16/25 | -16 | 42 | 58 |
| 5/5-15/25 | -14 | 43 | 57 |
| 3/17-27/25 | -10 | 45 | 55 |
| Democrats in Congress | |||
| 11/5-12/25 | -28 | 36 | 64 |
| 9/15-24/25 | -38 | 31 | 69 |
| 7/7-16/25 | -32 | 34 | 66 |
| 5/5-15/25 | -42 | 29 | 71 |
| 3/17-27/25 | -42 | 29 | 71 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way (Republicans/Democrats) in Congress are handling their job? | |||
The lower standing of Democrats has been largely due to discontent with the party among Democratic voters. In September, only 53% of Democrats approved of their party’s performance in Congress, while 80% of Republicans approved of their side. Independents strongly disapproved of both parties, though less so of the Democrats. Among independents, 74% disapproved of congressional Republicans and 68% disapproved of congressional Democrats. This was a consistent pattern from March through September.
In this November poll, Democrats became more positive toward their party in Congress, with approval rising to 64%, up from 53%, while Republican approval of their party only slightly changed to 79%, compared to 80% in September. Independents became a bit more negative toward both parties. The results by party for the September and November polls are shown in Table 4.
Table 4: Approval of congressional parties, by party identification
Among adults
| Party ID | Approval | |||
| Poll dates | Net | Approve | Disapprove | |
| Republicans in Congress | ||||
| Republican | 11/5-12/25 | 58 | 79 | 21 |
| Republican | 9/15-24/25 | 60 | 80 | 20 |
| Independent | 11/5-12/25 | -60 | 20 | 80 |
| Independent | 9/15-24/25 | -48 | 26 | 74 |
| Democrat | 11/5-12/25 | -88 | 6 | 94 |
| Democrat | 9/15-24/25 | -86 | 7 | 93 |
| Democrats in Congress | ||||
| Republican | 11/5-12/25 | -82 | 9 | 91 |
| Republican | 9/15-24/25 | -80 | 10 | 90 |
| Independent | 11/5-12/25 | -42 | 29 | 71 |
| Independent | 9/15-24/25 | -36 | 32 | 68 |
| Democrat | 11/5-12/25 | 28 | 64 | 36 |
| Democrat | 9/15-24/25 | 6 | 53 | 47 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||||
| Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way (Republicans/Democrats) in Congress are handling their job? | ||||
Republicans are seen as more responsible for the government shutdown at 36%, Democrats are seen as more responsible by 33%, and 31% say the parties are equally responsible. Partisans strongly blame the other party for the shutdown, with 67% of Republicans saying the Democrats are responsible and only 7% blaming their own party, while among Democrats 72% say Republicans are responsible and just 5% blame Democrats. A majority of independents, 75%, say both parties are equally responsible.
Approval of Trump’s handling of the shutdown stands at 25%, with disapproval at 75%. Notably, 51% of Republicans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the shutdown, while 49% approve. Disapproval is high among independents and Democrats, as shown in Table 5.
Table 5: Approval of Trump’s handling of the shutdown, by party identification
Among adults
| Party ID | Approval | |
| Approve | Disapprove | |
| Republican | 49 | 51 |
| Independent | 14 | 86 |
| Democrat | 5 | 95 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||
| Question: [The shutdown of the federal government] Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling each of the following issues? | ||
On an issue that Democrats stressed during the shutdown, 70% say the tax credits for the health care marketplace should be extended, while 30% say they should be allowed to expire. A majority of Republicans, 55%, say the tax credits should expire, while 76% of independents and 93% of Democrats say they should be extended.
A majority of Americans also have a favorable view of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 55%, with 39% unfavorable and 6% who say they haven’t heard enough. A majority of Republicans view it unfavorably, 72%, while the ACA is viewed favorably by 91% of Democrats. Among independents, 48% have a favorable opinion of the ACA and 35% an unfavorable one, with 17% saying they haven’t heard enough.
A majority of the public and a majority of each party are opposed to the mid-decade redistricting initiated by Trump in Republican states and subsequently adopted by California Democrats as well. Redistricting is opposed by 71% and favored by 28%. Since September, opposition has inched up only slightly from 70%. Yet opposition from Republicans rose from 62% in September to 70% in November, following California’s referendum allowing redistricting. Among Democrats, opposition declined from 80% in September to 73% in November. Independents barely changed over the last two months. Opinion of redistricting by party and over time is shown in Table 6.
Table 6: Opinion of mid-decade redistricting, by party identification
Among adults
| Poll dates | Favor or oppose redistricting | |
| Favor | Oppose | |
| Republican | ||
| 11/5-12/25 | 30 | 70 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 38 | 62 |
| Independent | ||
| 11/5-12/25 | 31 | 68 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 31 | 69 |
| Democrat | ||
| 11/5-12/25 | 27 | 73 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 20 | 80 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||
| Question: Texas has redrawn its congressional districts to create more seats Republicans are likely to win. California is doing the same to create more seats Democrats are likely to win. Several other states are also considering drawing new districts. Do you favor or oppose states, outside the normal ten-year census cycle, redrawing their congressional districts to make them as advantageous as possible for the party with the majority in the state? | ||
Presidential approval
Overall approval of Trump’s job performance stands at 43%, with disapproval at 57%, which is unchanged from September. Approval is lower than at the beginning of his second term in February, when 48% approved and 52% disapproved. The full trend is shown in Table 7.
Table 7: Trump approval
Among adults
| Poll dates | Approval | ||
| Net | Approve | Disapprove | |
| 11/5-12/25 | -14 | 43 | 57 |
| 9/15-24/25 | -14 | 43 | 57 |
| 7/7-16/25 | -10 | 45 | 55 |
| 5/5-15/25 | -8 | 46 | 54 |
| 3/17-27/25 | -8 | 46 | 54 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | -4 | 48 | 52 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president? | |||
Approval of Trump’s job performance remains strong among Republicans at 85%, which is an increase from 81% in September. Approval among independents has dipped two points, to 25% from 27% in September, while Democratic approval fell 3 points to 5%. The full trend by party identification since February is shown in Table 8.
Table 8: Trump approval, by party identification
Among adults
| Poll dates | Approval | ||
| Net | Approve | Disapprove | |
| Republican | |||
| 11/5-12/25 | 70 | 85 | 15 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 62 | 81 | 19 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 72 | 86 | 14 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 74 | 87 | 13 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 74 | 87 | 13 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | 78 | 89 | 11 |
| Independent | |||
| 11/5-12/25 | -50 | 25 | 75 |
| 9/15-24/25 | -46 | 27 | 73 |
| 7/7-16/25 | -24 | 38 | 62 |
| 5/5-15/25 | -38 | 31 | 69 |
| 3/17-27/25 | -35 | 32 | 67 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | -26 | 37 | 63 |
| Democrat | |||
| 11/5-12/25 | -90 | 5 | 95 |
| 9/15-24/25 | -84 | 8 | 92 |
| 7/7-16/25 | -86 | 7 | 93 |
| 5/5-15/25 | -84 | 8 | 92 |
| 3/17-27/25 | -80 | 10 | 90 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | -82 | 9 | 91 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president? | |||
The stability of overall approval of Trump among Republicans masks changes in the intensity of that support. In February, 63% of Republicans strongly approved and 26% somewhat approved, a total of 89% approval. By November, only 45% of Republicans strongly approved, while 40% somewhat approved, a total of 85% approval. This means that total approval has remained steady but the strength of approval among Republicans has decreased substantially. Independents and Democrats have shown smaller shifts, as shown in Table 9.
Table 9: Trump approval strength, by party identification
Among adults
| Poll dates | Approval | |||
| Strongly approve | Somewhat approve | Somewhat disapprove | Strongly disapprove | |
| Republican | ||||
| 11/5-12/25 | 45 | 40 | 9 | 6 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 49 | 33 | 13 | 5 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 51 | 34 | 9 | 6 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 48 | 39 | 9 | 4 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 54 | 33 | 8 | 5 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | 63 | 26 | 6 | 5 |
| Independent | ||||
| 11/5-12/25 | 4 | 21 | 31 | 44 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 6 | 21 | 32 | 41 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 4 | 33 | 23 | 40 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 14 | 17 | 28 | 41 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 9 | 22 | 30 | 37 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | 9 | 28 | 22 | 40 |
| Democrat | ||||
| 11/5-12/25 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 85 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 79 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 84 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 81 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 77 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 77 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||||
| Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president? | ||||
Approval of Trump varies substantially across issues. His highest approval on any issue since the start of his second term is for his handling of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire agreement, with 67% approval. He also continues to enjoy majority approval for his handling of border security, at 54%.
On none of the other nine topics included in the poll does approval outweigh disapproval. Trump’s handling of immigration is approved by 45%, down from 50% in May. No other topic has reached 50% approval during his second term. Overall approval of Trump’s job performance stands at 43%, and the remaining seven topics all see approval below 40%. Approval is in the 30%-39% range for tariffs, the economy, and the Russia-Ukraine war, while it drops into the 20-29% range for inflation, information about Jeffrey Epstein, the shutdown of the federal government, and providing $20-$40 billion to stabilize Argentina’s economy (his lowest rating with 21% approval). The full set of results is shown in Table 10. Net approval on the different topics—the percentage favorable minus the percentage unfavorable—ranges from +34 to -58 percentage points.
Table 10: Trump job approval across issues
Among adults
| Issue | Net | Approve | Disapprove |
| Israel-Hamas cease-fire | 34 | 67 | 33 |
| Border security | 8 | 54 | 46 |
| Immigration | -10 | 45 | 55 |
| Overall | -14 | 43 | 57 |
| Tariffs | -26 | 37 | 63 |
| The economy | -28 | 36 | 64 |
| Russia-Ukraine war | -34 | 33 | 67 |
| Inflation/cost of living | -44 | 28 | 72 |
| Information about Jeffrey Epstein | -48 | 26 | 74 |
| The shutdown of the federal government | -50 | 25 | 75 |
| Providing $20-$40B to stabilize Argentina’s economy | -58 | 21 | 79 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president? | |||
| Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling each of the following issues? | |||
Table 11 shows approval on each issue by party identification, as well as approval by all adults for comparison. The table is presented in order of approval among all adults. Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire draws wide-ranging approval, with 88% from Republicans, 59% from independents, and 49% from Democrats. Border security draws a still-minority but higher approval from independents and Democrats than any issue other than the cease-fire.
On other issues, the partisan gap stands out between Republicans and Democrats, with majorities of Republicans approving, even as large majorities of independents and overwhelming majorities of Democrats are disapproving, of Trump’s handling of immigration, his overall job, tariffs, the economy, the Russia-Ukraine war, and inflation. In contrast, more Republicans disapprove than approve of Trump’s handling of the Epstein files, the shutdown of the federal government, and providing economic aid to Argentina. Trump’s support among Republicans is substantial but not monolithic, with wide variation across issues.
Table 11: Trump job approval across issues, by party identification
Among adults
| Issue | All adults approve | Rep approve | Ind approve | Dem Approve |
| Israel-Hamas cease-fire | 67 | 88 | 59 | 49 |
| Border security | 54 | 89 | 40 | 24 |
| Immigration | 45 | 77 | 39 | 14 |
| Overall | 43 | 85 | 25 | 5 |
| Tariffs | 37 | 74 | 22 | 5 |
| The economy | 36 | 70 | 21 | 7 |
| Russia-Ukraine war | 33 | 58 | 24 | 9 |
| Inflation/cost of living | 28 | 56 | 19 | 4 |
| Information about Jeffrey Epstein | 26 | 43 | 16 | 12 |
| The shutdown of the federal government | 25 | 49 | 14 | 5 |
| Providing $20-$40B to stabilize Argentina’s economy | 21 | 31 | 20 | 10 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||||
| Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president? | ||||
| Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling each of the following issues? | ||||
Republican approval of Trump’s handling of inflation has fallen from 68% in May to 56% in November. Likewise, Republican approval of his handling of the economy is down from May’s 80% to November’s 70%. In contrast, Republican support for the president’s tariff policy remains high and increased slightly from 71% in May to 74% in November.
Respondents were asked how much they trust Trump to make the right decisions for the country. These responses largely mirror his overall approval ratings, with 42% completely or mostly trusting Trump and 58% mostly or completely not trusting him. Among Republicans, 34% say they completely trust Trump to make the right decisions, while 51% mostly trust him. Among independents, 1% completely trust and 23% mostly trust Trump. Among Democrats, 1% completely trust and 4% mostly trust the president.
Most important issue
Inflation and the cost of living remains the most important concerns for the public, as it has been all year in Marquette Law School Poll surveys. In November, 36% cite inflation as the issue that matters most to them, a slight decrease from 40% in September. The economy is the second-greatest concern with 20% saying it is most important to them, up one point from 19% in September. Immigration and border security is the third most-cited problem at 10%, unchanged from September. Concern about Medicare/Social Security and health care are the 4th and 5th most-cited problems, each at 9%. The full set of top concerns is shown in Table 12.
Table 12: Most important issue
Among adults
| Issue | |
| Percent most important | |
| Inflation and the cost of living | 36 |
| The economy | 20 |
| Immigration and border security | 10 |
| Health care | 9 |
| Medicare & Social Security | 9 |
| The size of the federal deficit | 4 |
| Crime | 4 |
| Abortion policy | 2 |
| The war between Russia and Ukraine | 1 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |
| Question: Which one of the following issues matters MOST to you right now? | |
Financial situation, inflation, and the economy
In November, 19% say they are personally better off than a year ago, while 39% say they are worse off and 42% say they are about the same. In September, 20% said they were better off and 35% were worse off. The full trend since December 2024 is shown in Table 13.
Table 13: Better or worse off than a year ago
Among adults
| Poll dates | Better or worse off | ||
| Better | About the same | Worse | |
| 11/5-12/25 | 19 | 42 | 39 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 20 | 45 | 35 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 24 | 44 | 32 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 23 | 43 | 34 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 24 | 44 | 32 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | 19 | 56 | 25 |
| 12/2-11/24 | 18 | 49 | 33 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: Would you say you personally are better off, about the same, or worse off than you were a year ago? | |||
Asked about their family financial situation, 31% say they are living comfortably, 44% are just getting by, and 24% are struggling. The percentage living comfortably declined from 37% in September, while the percent struggling increased from 17%. The trend since September 2023 is shown in Table 14.
Table 14: Family financial situation
Among adults
| Poll dates | Financial situation | ||
| Living comfortably | Just getting by | Struggling | |
| 11/5-12/25 | 31 | 44 | 24 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 37 | 46 | 17 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 35 | 47 | 18 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 35 | 48 | 17 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 38 | 47 | 15 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | 36 | 48 | 17 |
| 12/2-11/24 | 35 | 44 | 20 |
| 10/1-10/24 | 34 | 43 | 23 |
| 7/24-8/1/24 | 36 | 41 | 23 |
| 5/6-15/24 | 36 | 43 | 21 |
| 3/18-28/24 | 39 | 43 | 18 |
| 2/5-15/24 | 37 | 42 | 21 |
| 11/2-7/23 | 35 | 44 | 21 |
| 9/18-25/23 | 35 | 47 | 19 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: Thinking about your family’s financial situation, would you say you are living comfortably, just getting by, or struggling to make ends meet? | |||
Expectations about inflation increasing over the next year have inched up since May, with 67% now saying they expect increased inflation, unchanged from September but up from 63% in May. Fifteen percent expect a decrease in inflation, a 3-percentage-point improvement from September but down from 20% in May. The trend is shown in Table 15.
Table 15: Inflation expectation over next 12 months
Among adults
| Poll dates | Inflation expectation | ||
| Increase | Decrease | Stay about the same | |
| 11/5-12/25 | 67 | 15 | 18 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 67 | 12 | 20 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 65 | 18 | 18 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 63 | 20 | 17 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: Over the next 12 months do you think inflation and the cost of living will increase, decrease or stay about the same? | |||
When asked about Trump’s policies, 60% of Americans believe they will increase inflation, while 27% think they will decrease inflation and 13% think they will have no effect. In December 2024, shortly after Trump won reelection, 41% thought his policies would decrease inflation and 45% thought the policies would increase inflation. Opinion has shifted steadily to more pessimism about the effect of Trump’s policies on inflation since December, as shown in Table 16.
Table 16: Trump policy effect on inflation
Among adults
| Poll dates | Effect on inflation | ||
| Decrease inflation | Increase inflation | Have no effect on inflation | |
| 11/5-12/25 | 27 | 60 | 13 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 25 | 60 | 15 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 28 | 60 | 12 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 28 | 61 | 10 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 30 | 58 | 12 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | 36 | 49 | 15 |
| 12/2-11/24 | 41 | 45 | 14 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: Do you think Trump’s policy proposals will decrease inflation, increase inflation, or have no effect on inflation? | |||
Seventy-five percent of adults nationwide say the prices of groceries have gone up over the last six months, 13% say prices have remained about the same, and 12% say they have gone down. In September, 9% said prices had gone down, 16% said prices had not changed, and 74% said grocery prices had increased.
There are considerable partisan differences in how people see grocery prices, with 21% of Republicans saying prices are down, while 56% say prices are up. In contrast, among independents, 8% say prices have dropped, while 82% say prices have risen. Democrats are the most likely to see rising prices, 92%, with only 3% thinking prices are down. The table by partisanship is shown in Table 17.
Table 17: Grocery prices, by party identification
Among adults
| Party ID | Grocery prices | ||
| Gone down | Stayed about the same | Gone up | |
| Republican | 21 | 22 | 56 |
| Independent | 8 | 10 | 82 |
| Democrat | 3 | 5 | 92 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: How has the price you pay for groceries changed over the last six months? | |||
Those who say they are struggling financially are most likely to say grocery prices have risen, 85%, with a smaller but still high 76% among those just getting by and 66% of those living comfortably seeing higher prices. Table 18 shows these results.
Table 18: Grocery prices, by family financial situation
Among adults
| Financial situation | Grocery prices | ||
| Gone down | Stayed about the same | Gone up | |
| Living comfortably | 17 | 17 | 66 |
| Just getting by | 12 | 12 | 76 |
| Struggling | 4 | 11 | 85 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: How has the price you pay for groceries changed over the last six months? | |||
From September to November, the percentage rating the economy as poor rose from 20% to 29%, those rating it as not so good declined from 50% to 43%, and those saying the economy is excellent or good declined slightly from 30% to 28%. In February, shortly after Trump took office, 15%, or about half the current number, rated the economy as poor. The full trend is shown in Table 19.
Table 19: State of the national economy
Among adults
| Poll dates | National economy | ||
| Excellent/Good | Not so good | Poor | |
| 11/5-12/25 | 28 | 43 | 29 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 30 | 50 | 20 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 35 | 44 | 21 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 32 | 47 | 22 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 26 | 53 | 20 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | 27 | 58 | 15 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: How would you describe the state of the nation’s economy these days? | |||
A majority of the public have said the country is off on the wrong track for some time. In December 2024, 75% said the country was on the wrong track, and 25% said it was headed in the right direction. Those saying “right direction” rose following Trump’s inauguration to 42% in March and May, but that has declined since to the current 34% in November, with 66% now saying the country is on the wrong track. This trend is shown in Table 20.
Table 20: Country headed in right direction or off on the wrong track
Among adults
| Poll dates | Direction of country | |
| Right direction | Wrong track | |
| 11/5-12/25 | 34 | 66 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 37 | 63 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 40 | 60 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 42 | 58 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 42 | 58 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | 38 | 62 |
| 12/2-11/24 | 25 | 75 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||
| Question: Do you feel things in this country are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten off on the wrong track? | ||
Tariffs
Thirty-two percent say tariffs help the U.S. economy, while 56% believe they hurt the economy and 13% think they make no difference. This represents a small increase in support for tariffs from September, when 29% said tariffs help the economy, and a small decrease from the 58% who said they hurt the economy. Since March, there have been only modest changes in the view of the effect of tariffs on the economy, as shown in Table 21.
Table 21: Impact of tariffs on economy
Among adults
| Poll dates | Impact of imposing tariffs | ||
| Helps U.S. economy | Hurts U.S. economy | Doesn’t make much difference | |
| 11/5-12/25 | 32 | 56 | 13 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 29 | 58 | 13 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 28 | 59 | 12 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 32 | 58 | 10 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 28 | 58 | 14 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: In general, do you think imposing tariffs or fees on products imported from other countries helps the U.S. economy, hurts the economy, or doesn’t make much of a difference either way? | |||
Sixty-seven percent think tariffs are bargaining chips Trump is looking to exchange for concessions from other countries, while 33% think they are policies he intends to enforce. The percentage seeing tariffs as bargaining chips increased slightly in November from 63% in September. This followed the president’s Asia trip, which included some deals with other countries.
Foreign affairs
A substantial majority, 76%, oppose an attempt by the United States to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power, while 24% favor such an attempt. Majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents oppose such a move, with 63% of Republicans, 79% of independents, and 88% of Democrats saying the U.S. should not get involved in Venezuela.
Opinion of lethal attacks by the U.S. military on boats suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific is evenly divided, with 49% approving and 51% disapproving. Eighty-five percent of Republicans approve of the attacks, while 55% of independents disapprove as do 85% of Democrats.
Possible U.S. air strikes on military installations inside Venezuela are opposed by 55% and supported by 45%. A majority of Republicans, 75%, favor such strikes, while 56% of independents and 85% of Democrats are opposed.
Among all adults, 56% say the United States should take an active role in world affairs, while 43% say it is better to stay out of world affairs. Majorities of Republicans and Democrats say the U.S. should play an active role in world affairs, 55% and 61% respectively, while a slight majority of independents, 53%, say the U.S. should stay out of world affairs.
Support for aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia has increased since February, when 22% said the U.S. was not giving enough support and 41% said America was giving too much aid. Since then, the percentage saying too much aid has declined and those saying not enough has increased. As of November, 37% say the U.S. is not giving Ukraine enough support, and 26% say it is giving too much support. The full trend in opinion about aid to Ukraine is shown in Table 22.
Table 22: Aid to Ukraine
Among adults
| Poll dates | Aid | |||
| Net not enough-too much | Too much support | Not enough support | About the right amount of support | |
| 11/5-12/25 | 11 | 26 | 37 | 36 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 10 | 28 | 38 | 34 |
| 3/17-27/25 | -4 | 37 | 33 | 29 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | -19 | 41 | 22 | 37 |
| 12/2-11/24 | -17 | 42 | 25 | 34 |
| 10/1-10/24 | -16 | 38 | 22 | 40 |
| 5/6-15/24 | -14 | 39 | 25 | 36 |
| 3/18-28/24 | -5 | 36 | 31 | 33 |
| 2/5-15/24 | -13 | 38 | 25 | 37 |
| 11/2-7/23 | -17 | 38 | 21 | 40 |
| 9/18-25/23 | -15 | 37 | 22 | 41 |
| 7/7-12/23 | -12 | 34 | 22 | 44 |
| 5/8-18/23 | -11 | 34 | 23 | 43 |
| 3/13-22/23 | -10 | 34 | 24 | 41 |
| 1/9-20/23 | -5 | 29 | 24 | 46 |
| 11/15-22/22 | -9 | 32 | 23 | 45 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||||
| Question: When it comes to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, do you think the United States is providing too much support to Ukraine, not enough support to Ukraine, or about the right amount of support to Ukraine? | ||||
More people say the United States is giving too much support to Israel, 41%, than say it is not giving enough support, 17%, while 41% say it is about the right amount of support. The percentage saying not enough support declined from September, when 23% said Israel was not getting enough support. Since February 2024, more people have said the U.S. is giving too much support than not enough support, as shown in Table 23.
Table 23: Aid to Israel
Among adults
| Poll dates | Aid | |||
| Net not enough-too much | Too much support | Not enough support | About the right amount of support | |
| 11/5-12/25 | -24 | 41 | 17 | 41 |
| 9/15-24/25 | -19 | 42 | 23 | 34 |
| 12/2-11/24 | -16 | 40 | 24 | 36 |
| 5/6-15/24 | -17 | 41 | 24 | 35 |
| 3/18-28/24 | -13 | 37 | 24 | 39 |
| 2/5-15/24 | -21 | 42 | 21 | 38 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||||
| Question: When it comes to Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, do you think the United States is providing too much support to Israel, not enough support to Israel, or about the right amount of support to Israel? | ||||
Following the cease-fire agreement with Hamas, Israel is viewed favorably by 35% and unfavorably by 48%, with 17% saying they haven’t heard enough. That is virtually unchanged from September, before the cease-fire agreement, when 36% were favorable and 49% were unfavorable.
The Palestinians are seen favorably by 29% and unfavorably by 49%, with 22% who say they haven’t heard enough. This is also little changed from September, when 32% were favorable and 50% were unfavorable.
Following Trump’s trip to Asia, which included meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Americans hold extremely unfavorable views of China and its leader. Nineteen percent have a favorable view of China, with 65% unfavorable and 15% who haven’t heard enough to have an opinion. Views of Xi are more negative, with 6% having a favorable opinion of him, 55% a negative opinion, and 39% who haven’t heard enough.
Trump’s Asia trip did not include a stop in North Korea or meetings with that country’s leader, Kim Jong Un. North Korea is seen favorably by 6% and unfavorably by 80%, with 15% saying they haven’t heard enough. Kim is seen favorably by 4% and unfavorably by 82%, with 15% saying they haven’t heard enough.
Deportations and immigration policy
Support for deporting immigrants who are in the United States illegally stands at 58%, while opposition is at 42%. Support is somewhat less in the second half of 2025 than it was in the first half of the year, as shown in Table 24.
Table 24: Deportation of immigrants in the U.S. illegally
Among adults
| Poll dates | Deportation | |
| Favor | Oppose | |
| 11/5-12/25 | 58 | 42 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 57 | 43 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 57 | 43 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 66 | 34 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 68 | 32 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | 60 | 40 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||
| Question: Do you favor or oppose deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally back to their home countries? | ||
When asked about deportations that include individuals who have been in the United States for a number of years, have jobs, and no criminal record, support for deportation declines to 44%, with 56% opposed. Those favoring deportation in this circumstance rose slightly from 42% in September. This opinion has been relatively stable throughout 2025, as shown in Table 25.
Table 25: Deportation of immigrants in the U.S. illegally but with jobs and no criminal record
Among adults
| Poll dates | Deportation | |
| Favor | Oppose | |
| 11/5-12/25 | 44 | 56 |
| 9/15-24/25 | 42 | 58 |
| 7/7-16/25 | 38 | 62 |
| 5/5-15/25 | 42 | 58 |
| 3/17-27/25 | 41 | 59 |
| 1/27-2/6/25 | 43 | 57 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||
| Question: Do you favor or oppose deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally back to their home countries even if they have lived here for a number of years, have jobs and no criminal record? | ||
Opinion is evenly divided as to whether the United States is mostly deporting immigrants with criminal records, with 49% holding that view and 51% saying the U.S. is mostly deporting those without a criminal record.
Seventy-two percent of Americans would favor a law that would give work permits to immigrants in the U.S. illegally if they have been here for at least 5 years, have jobs, and no criminal record, while 27% would oppose such a law. Such a law draws bipartisan support, with 58% of Republicans in favor, along with 66% of independents and 89% of Democrats. Of respondents who say they favor deporting immigrants, including those who have been in the U.S. for some time, have jobs, and no criminal record, 44% nevertheless favor a work permit for similar immigrants, while 56% oppose work permits. Of those opposed to such deportations, 92% favor work permits.
Recent events
The recent demolition of the East Wing of the White House is seen as appropriate modernization by 41%, while 59% say the East Wing should have been preserved. A majority of Republicans, 75%, say it is an appropriate modernization, while 69% of independents say it should have been preserved, as do 90% of Democrats.
Political figures in both the Democratic and Republican parties have recently been criticized for posting text and social media messages that include racist, antisemitic, and violent statements. Seventy-five percent say these messages demonstrate a lack of fitness for office, while 25% say such criticism is making too much of casual comments. Majorities across parties say these posts demonstrate a lack of fitness for office, including 70% of Republicans, 65% of independents, and 83% of Democrats.
Of recent stories in the news, the deployment of federal agents and National Guard to cities around the country has garnered the most attention from the public, with 59% who say they have heard or read a lot about this. The New York City mayor’s election on Nov. 4 received the second most attention at 55%, closely followed by the “No Kings” protests on Oct. 18, with 53% reading or hearing a lot.
In contrast to the New York mayoral election, the elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia caught the attention of far fewer people, with only 28% hearing a lot about those. Trump’s trip to Asia received the least attention, at 24%. The Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas cease-fire fell in the middle of attention, with 47% and 45% respectively who heard a lot about those topics. Table 26 shows attention to each topic in the news.
Table 26: Attention to recent topics in the news
Among adults
| Topic | Amount heard or read | ||
| A lot | A little | Nothing at all | |
| National Guard in cities | 59 | 31 | 10 |
| NYC Mayor election | 55 | 27 | 18 |
| No Kings protest | 53 | 32 | 15 |
| Russia-Ukraine war | 47 | 43 | 10 |
| Israel-Hamas cease-fire | 45 | 43 | 12 |
| Elections for Gov in NJ & VA | 28 | 40 | 32 |
| Trump’s Asia trip | 24 | 45 | 31 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Nov. 5-12, 2025 | |||
| Question: Here are some recent topics in the news. How much have you heard or read about each of these? | |||
Favorability of public figures
Pope Leo XIV is seen favorably by 49% and unfavorably by 21%, with 30% who haven’t heard enough about him. In July, two months after his election as pope, 36% had a favorable opinion, 9% an unfavorable view, and 55% hadn’t heard enough about him. Roman Catholics are especially positive to Leo, 65% favorable, with 18% unfavorable and 18% who haven’t heard enough.
Table 27 shows favorability to several political figures. All five have net negative favorability, meaning more unfavorable than favorable views, a common pattern for political figures in recent years. Among the five individuals named in the survey question, Zohran Mamdani, the recently elected next mayor of New York City, has the highest net rating at -9, though a third say they haven’t heard enough about him. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, has a net rating of -11 points. Vice President J.D. Vance and Trump have similar net ratings of -16 and -17, respectively. Former Vice President Kamala Harris has the lowest net rating at -19. The October 2024 Marquette poll before the election found that Harris was seen favorably by 46% and unfavorably by 51%, for a net rating of -5 points.
Table 27: Favorability to political figures
Among adults
| Person | Favorability | |||
| Net | Favorable | Unfavorable | Haven’t heard enough | |
| Mamdani | -9 | 29 | 38 | 33 |
| Kennedy | -11 | 39 | 50 | 11 |
| Vance | -16 | 36 | 52 | 12 |
| Trump | -17 | 41 | 58 | 1 |
| Harris | -19 | 38 | 57 | 5 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Nov. 5-12, 2025 | ||||
| Question: Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following people or haven’t you heard enough yet to have an opinion? | ||||
About the Marquette Law School Poll
The poll was conducted Nov. 5-12, 2025, among 1,052 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of +/-3.3 percentage points. There are 903 registered voters, with a margin of error of +/-3.5 percentage points, and 602 likely voters (those who say they are certain to vote in November), with a margin of error of +/-4.3 percentage points. The poll was conducted entirely after the Nov. 4 elections in New Jersey, Virginia, and elsewhere. Seven percent of the sample were interviewed after the Senate voted to end the federal government shutdown on Nov. 9, but all interviews were completed before the House voted on Nov. 12. The survey therefore does not capture reactions to the end of the shutdown.
Interviews were conducted using the SSRS Opinion Panel, a national probability sample with interviews conducted online. Certain other data from this survey (focusing on public views of the Supreme Court) are held for release on Nov. 20. The detailed methodology statement, survey instrument, topline results, and crosstabs for this release are available on the Marquette Law Poll website.