Women s Economic Agenda Powerful impact on vote and turnout in 2014 Democracy Corps/WVWVAF & VPC National Survey April 8, 2014
Methodology: cell and demographic change This presentation is based on our latest national survey conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner for Democracy Corps. The survey of 950 2012 voters (950 weighted) and 840 likely 2014 voters nationwide was conducted from March 19-23, 2014. Unless otherwise noted, margin of error= +/-3.18 percentage points at 95% confidence. We continue to reach 50 percent of our respondents by cell phone, in order to account for ever-changing demographics and trying to accurately sample the full American electorate. Note: Women s Voices. Women Vote Action Fund is a nonpartisan 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that promotes civic engagement and policies to help unmarried women and other under-represented segments of the American population.
Contested 2014 race that Rising American Electorate can change 3
4 Congressional vote a dead heat in 2014 likely electorate I know it's a long way off, but thinking about the election for Congress in 2014, if the election for U.S. Congress were held today, would you be voting for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate? Vote for Democrat Vote for Republican +1 +89 15 86 93 89 44 43 45 29 3 4 LIKELY VOTERS DEMOCRATS INDEPENDENTS REPUBLICAN
5 But Democrats lag among Rising American Electorate the key to winning I know it's a long way off, but thinking about the election for Congress in 2014, if the election for U.S. Congress were held today, would you be voting for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate? Democrat Republican Rising American Electorate: LIKELY VOTERS +39 +25 +35 +25 69 62 67 57 30 37 32 32 Obama McCain Dem Rep Obama Romney Dem Rep 2008 2010 2012 MARCH 2014
6 And among unmarried women likely to vote in off-year election, though slightly better than 2010 I know it's a long way off, but thinking about the election for Congress in 2014, if the election for U.S. Congress were held today, would you be voting for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate? Democrat Republican Unmarried Women: LIKELY VOTERS +40 +20 +34 +26 70 60 67 58 30 40 33 32 Obama McCain Dem Rep Obama Romney Dem Rep 2008 2010 MARCH 2014 2012
7 Rising American Electorate uncertain to vote, compared to others I know it's a long way off, but what are the chances of your voting in the election for Congress in November: are you almost certain to vote, will you probably vote, are the chances 50-50, or don't you think you will vote? PERCENT OF 2012 VOTERS SAYING ALMOST CERTAIN TO VOTE IN 2014 72 79 66 64 TOTAL NON-RAE UNMARRIED WOMEN RAE
8 Drop-off voters would give Democrats big margin I know it's a long way off, but thinking about the election for Congress in 2014, if the election for U.S. Congress were held today, would you be voting for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate? +4 +1 +16 46 41 44 43 49 33 Democrat Republican Democrat Republican Democrat Republican 2012 VOTERS LIKELY 2014 VOTERS DROP OFF
Women s Economic Agenda: the difference between voting and not voting winning and losing 9
10 The Democrats agenda for the economy dominated by policies to help women succeed General Democratic policies Women s Economic Agenda WEA Protect Medicare and Social Security: Protect Medicare so there is no reduction in benefits and protect Social Security so there are no cuts in benefits from budget cuts for current seniors and future retirees so every American can retire at a reasonable age with relative security. Minimum Wage: Increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and automatically increase the minimum wage to rise with inflation, which will not cost any tax dollars, but will put money back into the economy. Infrastructure: Establish a system of infrastructure banks that will use private investments to finance public infrastructure which will produce jobs and grow the economy by modernizing schools, roads, bridges, airports, clean energy, and broadband internet. Women succeed with equal pay and equal health insurance: Help women succeed by passing legislation to make sure women get equal pay for equal work and make sure insurance companies no longer charge women more than men. Help working mothers by protecting jobs, paid leave and childcare: Finally recognize that working mothers need help by protecting pregnant workers and new mothers from being fired or demoted, making sure they have paid sick days to care for their children and access to affordable childcare. Raise wages for working women with equal pay and increased minimum wage: Raise wages for working women by passing paycheck fairness legislation and raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and increase it with inflation. Help with higher pay by increased minimum wage, scholarships and affordable college: Raise the minimum wage to $10.10 and expand access to scholarships and get school costs down so working women can continue their education and train for better jobs with higher wages. Help to be good parent and worker with child care, paid leave and sick days: Ensure that you can be a good parent and good employee by expanding access to high-quality affordable childcare by ensuring people have paid leave to care for a new child or to recover from a serious illness
11 Republican economic agenda Keystone Pipeline: Approve the Keystone XL Energy pipeline, which will produce more American energy, therefore reducing energy prices, cutting cost of oil and eliminating our dependence on foreign countries. State Medicaid: Give states-rather than the federal government-control over their Medicaid programs so they can streamline the process and reduce costs to taxpayers, while also providing greater oversight and ending abuse. Convert OT: Allow hourly wage employees to convert overtime into future comp-time or flex-time so parents can have the flexibility to take care of their families when they need to. Consolidate Welfare: Consolidate the federal government's 92 social welfare programs - such as welfare and food stamps into a single debit account for needy individuals, which would save tax dollars, reduce red tape and bureaucracy, and also provide greater oversight to end potential abuses. Tax Credits for Kids: Encourage marriage, which provides more economic stability, by establishing a lower tax rate for married parents with children making less than $87,850 while offering a $2,500 tax credit per child under 16. Married parents with an annual income of $51,000 would see a tax cut of $5,000 per year. Repeal ACA: Repeal Obamacare to save $1.4 trillion dollars and cut the law's 21 new taxes on workers, businesses, and families that are damaging job creation and economic growth. Eliminate Marriage Penalty: Because marriage is a source of economic stability, eliminate the marriage penalty in our tax system, which discourages marriage by forcing married couples to pay higher tax rates than they would if they had remained single. Tax Reform: Reduce taxes for everyone and simplify the tax code by having just two rates and virtually no special tax deductions, credits, or exclusions and replace the corporate income tax with a low, flat rate, which will allow our job producers to hire more people.
12 Protecting Medicare and equality in pay and health care and protecting work and family tops agenda for likely voters Now I am going to read you some things being proposed by Democrats as part of their plan to deal with the economy. After each item, please tell me whether you would favor or oppose that policy. Among likely 2014 voters Strongly favor Somewhat favor Protect Medicare and Social Security 66 87 WEA Women succeed with equal pay and equal health insurance 65 83 WEA Help working mothers by protecting jobs, paid leave and childcare 60 83 WEA Help to be good parent and worker with child care, paid leave and sick days 51 81 Increase minimum wage 47 65 WEA Help with higher pay by increased minimum wage, scholarships and affordable college 47 67 WEA Raise wages for working women with equal pay and increased minimum wage 42 62 Establish a system of infrastructure banks 33 69
13 For unmarried women, equal pay and equal health insurance critical, but all women s agenda policies strong Now I am going to read you some things being proposed by Democrats as part of their plan to deal with the economy. After each item, please tell me whether you would favor or oppose that policy. Among unmarried women WEA Women succeed with equal pay and equal health insurance 82 94 Protect Medicare and Social Security 77 94 WEA Help working mothers by protecting jobs, paid leave and childcare 73 90 WEA Help to be good parent and worker with child care, paid leave and sick days 68 89 WEA Help with higher pay by increased minimum wage, scholarships and affordable college 67 86 Increase minimum wage 63 80 WEA Raise wages for working women with equal pay and increased minimum wage 55 75 Infrastructure Banks 35 78
14 Equal pay combined with equal health insurance generates most intensity with unmarried women Now I am going to read you some things being proposed by Democrats as part of their plan to deal with the economy. After each item, please tell me whether you would favor or oppose that policy. Women succeed with equal pay and equal health insurance Help women succeed by passing legislation to make sure women get equal pay for equal work and make sure insurance companies no longer charge women more than men. 83 65 Likely voters 94 92 82 Unmarried women 76 RAE Help working mothers by protecting jobs, paid leave and childcare Finally recognize that working mothers need help by protecting pregnant workers and new mothers from being fired or demoted, making sure they have paid sick days to care for their children and access to affordable childcare. 83 60 Likely voters 90 91 73 72 Unmarried women RAE
15 but all economic agenda policy combinations strong Now I am going to read you some things being proposed by Democrats as part of their plan to deal with the economy. After each item, please tell me whether you would favor or oppose that policy. Help to be good parent and worker with child care, paid leave and sick days Ensure that you can be a good parent and good employee by expanding access to high-quality affordable childcare by ensuring people have paid leave to care for a new child or to recover from a serious illness. 81 51 Likely voters 89 90 68 65 Unmarried women RAE Help with higher pay by increased minimum wage, scholarships and affordable college Raise the minimum wage to $10.10 and expand access to scholarships and get school costs down so working women can continue their education and train for better jobs with higher wages. 67 47 Likely voters 86 67 Unmarried women 82 60 RAE
16 Republican policies weaker Now I am going to read you some things being proposed by Republicans as part of their plan to deal with the economy. After each item, please tell me whether you would favor or oppose that policy. Among likely 2014 voters Keystone Pipeline Strongly favor 50 71 Convert overtime to flextime 47 77 Eliminate marriage penalty Consolidate welfare programs State Medicaid Encourage marriage 45 43 42 39 69 74 68 76 Repeal Obamacare 37 53 Tax Reform 35 64
17 And much weaker among unmarried women Now I am going to read you some things being proposed by Republicans as part of their plan to deal with the economy. After each item, please tell me whether you would favor or oppose that policy. Among Unmarried Women Convert overtime to flextime Strongly favor 55 83 Consolidate welfare programs Keystone Pipeline State Medicaid Encourage marriage Eliminate marriage penalty Tax Reform 45 44 39 39 36 30 69 69 64 73 59 56 Repeal Obamacare 28 46
Strongest effect on vote: minimum wage policies. Minimum wage with education has independent effect as strong as minimum wage INFRASTRUCTURE MEDICARE/SOCIAL SECURITY MINIMUM WAGE EQUAL PAY/MIN WAGE CHILDCARE/PAID LEAVE MIN WAGE/SCHOOL COSTS PROTECT PREGNANT WORKERS/PAID LEAVE/CHILDCARE HEALTHCARE/EQUAL PAY 18
Strongest net effect on turnout: Sharp increases of turnout correlated with equal pay and equal health insurance, as well as protecting pregnant workers, childcare, and paid leave 19 INFRASTRUCTURE BANKS PROTECT MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY RAISE MINIMUM WAGE RAISE WAGES THROUGH EQUAL PAY AND MINIMUM WAGE CHILDCARE AND PAID LEAVE INCREASED MINIMUM WAGE, JOB TRAINING, AND COLLEGE COSTS PROTECT PREGNANT WORKERS, CHILDCARE, AND PAID LEAVE EQUAL PAY AND EQUAL HEALTH INSURANCE
20 Message helped when also part of message for middle class. Now I am going to read you some things Democrats are saying about their plans for the economy. After I read the statement, please tell me how convincing a reason it is to support the Democratic candidate in November. Incomes of CEOs and the top 1 percent are soaring, but everyone else is working harder to just get by. The economy does not produce jobs that pay enough to keep up with the basic cost of living. Our economy will not grow until ordinary people can afford education and train for jobs of the future, unless pay is pushed up, we stand up for American jobs and ensure people can retire comfortably. If the middle class succeeds, America succeeds. 77 32 88 41 84 44 Likely 2014 voters RAE Unmarried women
21 Middle class message much stronger than tax message Now I am going to read you some things Democrats/Republicans are saying about their plans for the economy. After I read the statement, please tell me how convincing a reason it is to support the Democratic/Republican candidate in November. (MIDDLE CLASS) Incomes of CEOs and the top 1 percent are soaring, but everyone else is working harder to just get by. The economy does not produce jobs that pay enough to keep up with the basic cost of living. Our economy will not grow until ordinary people can afford education and train for jobs of the future, unless pay is pushed up, we stand up for American jobs and ensure people can retire comfortably. If the middle class succeeds, America succeeds. 77 32 Likely voters 88 85 41 RAE 44 Unm wom (TAXES) We need a tax code that encourages investment, not one that punishes success. We must end runaway regulations and big government bureaucracy that discourage investment rather than encouraging entrepreneurs, and we must sell more American products around the world. Obama and the Democrats have failed on all of these fronts. They say big government will help those who are trying to make it, but actually hurts the people who are trying to make it. 67 28 Likely voters 64 19 RAE 60 16 Unm wom
22 After economic plan dominated by women s economic agenda and middle class message, Democrat wins I know it's a long way off, but thinking about the election for Congress in 2014, if the election for U.S. Congress were held today, would you be voting for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate? Democrat Republican Likely 2014 Voters +1 +4 44 47 43 43 Democrat Republican Democrat Republican Initial Vote After policies and messages
23 RAE margin increases by 6 points after policies and messages I know it's a long way off, but thinking about the election for Congress in 2014, if the election for U.S. Congress were held today, would you be voting for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate? Democrat Republican RAE +21 +27 55 58 34 31 Democrat Republican Democrat Republican Initial Vote After policies and messages
24 Margin among unmarried women moves past +30 after policies and middle class messages I know it's a long way off, but thinking about the election for Congress in 2014, if the election for U.S. Congress were held today, would you be voting for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate? Democrat Republican Unmarried Women +30 +33 59 59 29 26 Democrat Republican Democrat Republican Initial Vote After policies and messages
25 Top Shifters Among Likely 2014 Voters who heard middle class messaging and policies I know it's a long way off, but thinking about the election for Congress in 2014, if the election for U.S. Congress were held today, would you be voting for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate? 5 8 8 8 7 7 7 6 Total Ind Unmarried Women GOP States RAE Seniors Non-College Women
26 After hearing economic plan dominated by women s economic agenda and message, big response on intention to vote I know it's a long way off, but what are the chances of your voting in the election for Congress in November: are you almost certain to vote, will you probably vote, are the chances 50-50, or don't you think you will vote? PERCENT OF VOTERS SAYING ALMOST CERTAIN TO VOTE IN 2014 Almost certain And thinking again about this year's election. Many people vote in Presidential elections, but not in elections like the one this year for Congress and other offices. What would you say is the likelihood of you voting in the November election for Congress and other offices on a 0-10 scale. CHANCE OF VOTING IN 2014 AFTER POLICIES AND MESSAGES 8-10 6-7 0-5 84 66 64 91 12 12 83 77 LIKELY VOTERS UNMARRIED WOMEN RAE LIKELY VOTERS UNMARRIED WOMEN RAE
The Marriage Debate 27
28 Majority of likely voters embrace an agenda that focuses on making work work for regular families over marriage as welfare reform frame Recently, there has been a lot of reporting about a majority of households in America now being unmarried and 35 percent of children being raised by a single parent. There has also been discussion about inequality, low wages, poverty and lack of social mobility up the income ladder. Let me read you two statements about this. After I finish reading both statements, please tell me which statement comes closer to your own view, even if neither is exactly right. It is tough out there for working people, the unmarried and people on their own. We need to raise wages so everyone who works full time can afford to pay their bills, help make job training and college affordable, help them manage work and family so they still get paid if they or their child gets sick. And we should reject trade agreements that hurt American jobs and budgets that make it harder to retire. Let's raise the odds for working families Middle Class Work-Life Balance Much More The greatest tool to lift families from poverty isn't a government program. It's called marriage. We should help the poor make the right choices - stay in school, get married, and have children-in that order. But the federal government's massive bureaucracy discourages marriage. There are even marriage penalties in government programs like food stamps that discourage marriage and encourage poor people to stay on welfare. We can do a better job of reducing poverty and raising incomes. Encourage marriage much more 52 39 31 22 Middle Class Work-Life Balance Likely voters Encourage Marriage
29 Unmarried women rally behind middle class agenda and soundly reject marriage as welfare reform Recently, there has been a lot of reporting about a majority of households in America now being unmarried and 35 percent of children being raised by a single parent. There has also been discussion about inequality, low wages, poverty and lack of social mobility up the income ladder. Let me read you two statements about this. After I finish reading both statements, please tell me which statement comes closer to your own view, even if neither is exactly right. It is tough out there for working people, the unmarried and people on their own. We need to raise wages so everyone who works full time can afford to pay their bills, help make job training and college affordable, help them manage work and family so they still get paid if they or their child gets sick. And we should reject trade agreements that hurt American jobs and budgets that make it harder to retire. Let's raise the odds for working families The greatest tool to lift families from poverty isn't a government program. It's called marriage. We should help the poor make the right choices - stay in school, get married, and have children-in that order. But the federal government's massive bureaucracy discourages marriage. There are even marriage penalties in government programs like food stamps that discourage marriage and encourage poor people to stay on welfare. We can do a better job of reducing poverty and raising incomes. Middle Class Work-Life Balance Much More 65 Encourage marriage much 44 24 17 Middle class work life balance Unmarried Women Encourage Marriage
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