Gallup Addresses Myth of Jews Moving to the G.O.P.
Listed in: Other Domestic Policy, NJDC News, Press Releases
Washington, DC: A poll analysis released yesterday by the Gallup Organization directly addresses the myth that American Jews are moving in droves to the Republican Party. By aggregating a series of recent polls to attain meaningful sample sizes, the Gallup News Service came to the conclusion that "the Jewish tilt toward Democratic orientation is the most pronounced shift from the national average of any of the major religious groups in the country." The analysis found that among "the 408 respondents who identified their religious affiliation as Jewish in 21 separate Gallup surveys conducted over the past year and a half, exactly half give their political orientation as Democratic. About a third say they are independents, and 17% are Republicans."
Furthermore, a review by Gallup of polling dating back to 1992 indicates that "party identification of Jews appears to be remarkably stable." In fact, the study found that the percentage of Jews today identifying themselves as Republican is one point lower than it was in 1992. The analysis also points out that many Jews "who more generally consider themselves independents (and perhaps some who consider themselves Republicans) voted for the Democratic ticket" in 2000, and Gallup adds that they see no significant change among party identification after September 11th, 2001.
"This polling analysis by Gallup addresses head-on the fiction that there is some political realignment taking place in the American Jewish community," said National Jewish Democratic Council Executive Director Ira N. Forman. "This research finds that American Jews are three times more likely to define themselves as Democrats than Republicans. And the third of American Jewry that calls itself 'independent' is still much more likely to vote Democratic in federal elections, as the 2000 elections demonstrated, and as Gallup noted.
"While it's true that the increase in President Bush's approval rating among American Jews following September 11th is greater than the increase among Americans of other faiths, the approval ratings that Jews gave our president before the terrorist attacks were dramatically lower than those of other Americans - 26 points lower than Protestants, and 22 points lower than Catholics. And Jewish approval of President Bush remains 15-16 points lower than Americans of other faiths. Clearly much of this increase in support is an expression of the American Jewish community's support - like that expressed by the vast majority of Americans - for the president's war on terrorism. This in no way can be expected to translate into support for President Bush's domestic policies - which are diametrically opposed to those of the clear majority of American Jews.
"This analysis is especially positive when viewed in light of the release this summer of Hillel's study, America's Jewish Freshman: Current Characteristics and Recent Trends Among Students Entering College. While some GOP spokesmen claim that one trait of the supposed Jewish political realignment is the increasingly conservative nature of today's Jewish college students, this study found that an amazing 50.9 percent of Jewish students entering college define themselves as 'far left / liberal' - a full 26 points higher than the non-Jewish sample. Another 39.5 percent define themselves as 'middle of the road,' with only 9.5 percent calling themselves 'conservative / far right.' Viewed together, these studies take on the myths that American Jewish adults are moving towards the right, and that Jewish college students are doing likewise."
