While presidential candidate Kamala Harris avoids media questions about her proposed policies, both she and her progressive allies in the Democratic Party are already on record as favoring a number of highly controversial proposals, ranging from defunding the police to free college education. But do average Americans agree? The latest I&I/TIPP Poll provides answers.
The national online poll of 1,488 adults, taken from July 31-August 2, shows it’s a mixed bag. The poll has a margin of error of +/-2.7 percentage points.
It starts with a neutral question: “To what extent do you support or oppose the following actions?” That’s followed by 11 policy actions, for which respondents were given five possible responses: “Support strongly,” “support somewhat,” “oppose strongly,” “oppose somewhat,” and “not sure.” The answers were then aggregated to show simplified categories of “support” or “oppose.”
To avoid political bias, no party or candidate was mentioned in the question.
But the policies mentioned were not random. In fact, they represent a range of policy actions that Vice President Harris has either openly backed, proposed or expressed positive views on in recent years.
So the list represents a sounding of public opinion on Harris’ policy preferences before she became the Democratic Party’s candidate on Aug. 6, following a five-day “virtual” roll call vote of 4,567 Democratic delegates but no actual votes from Democratic voters. After that, she began hedging some of her previous policy stances.
By the way, that Aug. 6 party vote installing Harris as the candidate followed President Joe Biden’s agonizing July 21 decision to end his own campaign in response to intense pressure from Democratic officials, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with big-dollar financial supporters of his own party.
Do Americans support or oppose these 11 progressive policy ideas, supported or proposed by Harris?
1. “The defund the police movement.”
Voters strongly opposed this idea, 64% to 27%. All major political parties opposed it: Democrats (52% oppose, 39% support), Republicans (76% to 17%), independents (66% to 22%). Surges in crime rates around the country as local governments slashed police spending proved to be highly unpopular with voters. A classic quality of life issue.
Harris’ choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz may hurt her at the polls. During the 2020 riots, Walz allowed the rampant violence to continue before calling in the National Guard, leading to an increase in crime and massive destruction of property. Minneapolis turned seemingly overnight from a quiet, peaceful midwestern city into a violent, politically riven and racialized urban zone.
2. “Rapid transition to electric cars.”
Only 31% support this, while 61% oppose it. Democrats, however, support it 51% to 41%, while the idea gains backing from 16% of Republicans, and opposition from 79%. Independents, 65% oppose vs. 25% support, are in line with the GOP.
This idea initially looked like a winner, as sales of electric cars soared. However, buyers found out that electric cars, with their expensive batteries, could suddenly explode, cost much more to insure and repair, and required expensive charging equipment. Polls show large numbers of people regretted buying an EV. Moreover, it isn’t clear that EVs are all that much cleaner than regular cars.
3. “Fracking for oil.”
Fracking has had a lot of bad PR, and it shows. Overall, those who support it (39%) are roughly the same statistically as those who oppose it (41%). But it plays poorly with Democrats, who oppose fracking by 51% to 31%, and independents, who reject it by 42% to 33%. Only Republicans show enthusiasm, with 31% opposing fracking but a solid 53% majority supporting it.
Many economic studies show solid benefits from fracking, especially for local communities. But the greatest benefits of all rarely get weighed in cost-benefit studies: The very real benefit of U.S. energy independence and the prospect of lower energy costs for average Americans, now suffering a fourth year of damaging inflation.
4. “Abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).”
This idea is opposed by 65%, supported by just 22%, making it the least popular of all the ideas supported by Harris and Walz. And it’s bipartisan, with 56% of Democrats, 75% of Republicans and 66% of independents opposing the idea of shutting down our only border guard, apart from the U.S. military.
Harris once likened ICE to the Ku Klux Klan, even as illegal immigrants continued to cross the U.S. border by the thousands. Some 7.2 million to 10 million illegals have flowed into the U.S. during the Biden-Harris administration. The record of Harris, put in charge of the illegal immigration issue, hasn’t improved lately. The Biden-Harris administration let nearly 100 people on the Terror Watchlist into the country, according to a congressional study, while also allowing in “tens of thousands of migrants from countries that could present national security risks – including 2,134 Afghan nationals, 33,347 Chinese nationals, 541 Iranian nationals, 520 Syrian nationals, and 3,104 Uzbek nationals.”
5. “Eliminating private health insurance and replacing it with Medicare for all.”
This idea has significant backing, with 42% overall saying they support the idea, while 44% oppose it. Another 14% said they weren’t sure. The political differences are clear: For Dems, 56% support the idea, while just 29% oppose it. Independents break dead even: 42% support to 42% oppose. Only among GOP members is it hugely unpopular, with 27% support to 61% opposition.
It pays to note that once voters factor in the costs of “Medicare for all,” it’s likely to lose its luster. One study notes that 32% increases in taxes on both workers and businesses would be needed to fund such a program. Would care be better? Not likely. Bureaucrats, not patients and doctors, would make decisions on health care treatment priorities. Already, even with out the “for all” part, Medicare is expected to run an astoundingly large deficit through the remainder of this century: $78.4 trillion, by the government’s own estimates. Medicare is, in effect, bankrupt. Make it bigger, and the bankruptcy gets worse. When Americans face this reality, will they still want “Medicare for all”?
6. “The death penalty for cop killers.”
This is another highly popular idea. Some 60% of Americans support the idea, versus 28% who oppose it. A majority of all the major political affiliations support the idea: Dems (52%), GOP (69%) and independents/third parties (58%). Strong bipartisan support.
Unfortunately for Harris, she has become identified with this issue – but on the other side. While running for San Francisco district attorney in 2004, Harris’ spokesperson said she “would never seek the death penalty.” She later proved it when David Hill, a gang member, killed a police officer named Isaac Espinoza. The murder sparked widespread outrage. “Two days after Espinoza’s death and two days before Espinoza’s funeral, Harris . . . announced that she would not seek the death penalty for Hill,” reported ABC News. Politically, Harris is clearly on the wrong side of this issue.
7. “Allowing felons to vote.”
Despite a wide variety of laws across the country in virtually every state permitting felons to vote (after serving time in prison, parole, probation, and good behavior, among other requirements), the idea is not universally accepted. That’s especially true of felons who are currently incarcerated. Indeed, in the I&I/TIPP Poll, just 40% supported the idea of letting felons vote, while a plurality of 49% opposed it.
Those favoring the idea note that some 6 million people at any given time are unable to vote due to restrictions. The Sentencing Project notes this has a disproportionate impact on African-Americans, with 7.4% of that population not able to vote, compared to just 1.8% of the rest of the U.S. populace. But others assert that voting is a privilege, not an absolute right. Harris and Walz have both backed expanded voting rights for felons.
8. “Health insurance for illegal aliens.”
This is another sore spot for American voters, 62% oppose the idea, while 28% support it. Soaring costs for medical care have sensitized voters to the idea of people coming here for essentially free care, at taxpayer expense.
It’s already happening at the state level, where a “growing number of states are opening taxpayer-funded health insurance programs to immigrants, including those living in the U.S. without authorization,” NPR reported. As of the end of 2023, 11 states and Washington, D.C. already gave illegals free care. For many illegal immigrants without insurance, there is another alternative: Hospital emergency rooms, which by law can’t turn away patients.
9. “Pathway to citizenship for illegals.”
This is another tossup question, with 45% opposing it, but 46% supporting it. Once again, politics defines the response: 69% of Dems support a pathway to citizenship, while only 22% oppose it. Republicans are almost exactly the opposite, with 67% opposing the idea, and 25% supporting it. Independents split the difference, 46% oppose, 43% support.
Harris has called for a “meaningful pathway to citizenship” as a way to “fix the immigration system.” It’s a tough argument to make stick, given that rewarding those who come here illegally would only encourage millions of others to come. A 2021 Gallup poll taken across the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean found that of the 450 million people in the region, “35% — or 42 million — said they want to (emigrate) to the United States.” Despite the closeness of the polling, it might be a tough sell to immigration-wary voters.
10. “Student loan waiver.”
A popular idea, with overall 54% support and just 38% opposition. But again, there is no unanimity on the idea of loan forgiveness. While Dems show overwhelming support for the idea, 77% to 17%, and a bare majority of independents also back the idea, 51% to 37%, Republicans oppose it by 61% to 32%.
If Harris were to win the presidency, but Republicans kept control of one or both houses of Congress, she might have a big problem getting a student loan waiver law passed. And 49% of Republicans say they oppose such a policy “strongly,” which matches the share of Democrats who support the plan. Stalemate anyone? Middle-class voters might be swayed when it’s pointed out that “waivers” or “forgiveness” aren’t free; they must be paid for with higher taxes, even by taxpayers who have no children in school to benefit. Such a plan would cost close to half a trillion dollars, according to one estimate, and “effectively penalizes people who scrimped and saved to pay for college, as well as the majority of Americans who don’t go to college.”
11. “Free college education.”
Once again, very popular, with 62% support and just 30% opposition. The differences between the political groups aren’t as big either: Dems 80% support, 13% oppose; Reps, 43% support, 49% oppose; indies, 64% support, 28% oppose.
Slam dunk? Not really. More and more companies are abandoning requirements for college degrees in exchange for specific skills they need. Meanwhile, a small but growing number of young people are avoiding four years of costly higher education, which won’t necessarily yield more money or a better work life, in exchange for well-compensated skilled jobs as carpenters, plumbers, electricians or other well-paid occupations that require training, not four years of ideological indoctrination. Why should taxpayers foot the bill for higher education that employers increasingly view as worthless?
As the I&I/TIPP poll plainly demonstrates, only two of the 11 signature policy proposals backed by the Harris-Walz presidential ticket find convincing popular or majority support. Those both involve paying for higher education.
The rest, from “Medicare for all” to “health insurance for illegal aliens,” get either a tepid response from voters, or outright rejection. It would seem to be a tough road for the Harris-Walz team to travel with the policies both have supported.
As a matter of political strategy, look for the Democratic candidates to repudiate all or major parts of some of their most unpopular policies as they seek to find voters in the center of the spectrum. Neither party can win without winning the vote of independents, the swing vote of every modern presidential election.
I&I/TIPP publishes timely, unique, and informative data each month on topics of public interest. TIPP’s reputation for polling excellence comes from being the most accurate pollster for the past five presidential elections.
Terry Jones is an editor of Issues & Insights. His four decades of journalism experience include serving as national issues editor, economics editor, and editorial page editor for Investor’s Business Daily.
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Hamas Says Again It Wants Gaza Truce Deal Implemented, Not New Talks – Reuters
Hamas is sticking to its demand that Gaza truce talks focus on a deal already discussed with Israel and mediators rather than starting anew, an official said, after Israeli airstrikes killed at least 19 Palestinians in the enclave.
The U.S. said it expected peace talks slated for Thursday to proceed as planned and that a ceasefire agreement was still possible.
2. Anticipated Iranian Retaliatory Strike On Israel Forces Blinken To Postpone Trip – UPI
Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed the diplomatic trip due to security concerns as Iran threatened to retaliate against Israel for the recent killings of the top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
Blinken was scheduled to help broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and to prevent a significant escalation of regional conflict between Iran, Israel, and Lebanon-based Hezbollah in the Middle East.
3. Gaza Ceasefire Could Prevent Iran Attack On Israel, Says Biden – Al Arabiya
President Joe Biden said that a ceasefire deal in Gaza could deter Iran from attacking Israel in retaliation for the killing of a Hamas leader that sent regional tensions soaring.
Asked if a truce between Israel and Hamas could stave off an Iranian assault, Biden said: “That’s my expectation.” He told reporters in New Orleans that while negotiations were “getting hard,” he was “not giving up.”
4. Iran Rejects Western Calls To Stand Down In Threat Against Israel – RFE/RL
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement that “such a request lacks political logic, flies in the face of the principles and rules of international law, and constitutes public and practical support” for Israel.
Reuters quoted on August 13 three senior Iranian officials as saying that only a cease-fire deal in Gaza stemming from talks expected to take place in the coming days would hold Iran back from direct retaliation against Israel.
5. Putin Reiterates Moscow’s Support For Palestine At Talks With Abbas – RFE/RL
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow’s support for Palestinian statehood at the start of talks with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas near Moscow.
Putin stressed that Russia is closely following developments in Gaza. “We think for establishing a long, reliable, and stable peace in the region, all the UN decisions must be carried out, and first of all, a full-fledged state of Palestine must be established,” Putin said at the beginning of the talks.
6. Ukraine Updates: Kyiv Says No Interest In Occupying Kursk – D.W.
Ukrainian forces’ incursion into Kursk is the biggest attack by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II. Ukraine says its troops are in Russian territory to complicate Moscow’s troop and logistic supplies to the frontline elsewhere.
Russia says it has thwarted Ukrainian efforts to advance further into its territory, adding that Kyiv had carried out the attack “with the support of the collective West.”
7. Ukraine Urges Russia To Accept ‘Just Peace’ Amid Incursion – AFP
“The sooner Russia agrees to restore a just peace… the sooner the raids by the Ukrainian defenses forces into Russia will stop,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy told reporters.
More than 120,000 people have fled the area, and Ukraine’s military chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Monday that his troops controlled about 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory.
8. Ukrainian PM Says Kyiv Gets 4.2 Billion Euros From EU – RFE/RL
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stressed that the money will be spent to support Ukraine’s social and humanitarian sectors as part of the country’s efforts to resist Russia’s ongoing invasion launched in February 2022.
The prime minister added that his cabinet expects one more tranche from the EU’s four-year program by the end of 2024.
9. Kiribati Election Poses Test For China-Friendly Leader – Nikkei Asia
Voters in Kiribati head to the polls on Wednesday to determine the political fate of the China-friendly ruling party at a time of increasing geopolitical tension in the Pacific region. Critics say the pivot to Beijing hasn’t solved the Pacific island nation’s core issues.
Incumbent President Taneti Maamau has deepened ties with China during his two terms in office, from 2016 to 2024, and is vying to secure a third and final term. Voters will cast ballots to elect members of parliament in the first of two rounds of the general election, which a presidential contest will follow in roughly a month.
10. Chinese Lidar Sensor Maker Hesai’s Removal From US Blacklist Clears Global Expansion Path – SCMP
The Department of Defense decided as the US government lawyers feared the rationale for Hesai’s inclusion on the list would not meet the legal criteria.
“Hesai has consistently maintained that our inclusion on the 1260H list was a mistake,” the Shanghai-based company said in a statement to the Post on Tuesday. “We are not a vendor to any military bodies in any country.”
11. Japan PM Kishida To Step Down In Sept. After Scandal-Marred 3 Years – Kyodo
Japanese PM Fumio Kishida announced Wednesday he will not run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential race next month to take responsibility for a party slush funds scandal, setting the stage for his departure as premier after three years in power.
The sudden announcement came as Kishida’s Cabinet stepped up disaster preparedness after the weather agency issued its first-ever advisory last week about an increased risk of a megaquake along the Nankai Trough, running between central and southwestern Japan.
12. Russia Sends Hundreds Of Goats To North Korea Amid Deepening Bilateral Ties – Yonhap
According to its website, Russia’s agriculture safety watchdog has approved the shipment of 447 goats to North Korea after reviewing related veterinary and sanitary conditions.
The move came as North Korea and Russia have been bolstering the scope of their cooperation following last year’s summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The shipment of goats appears to be aimed at providing dairy products to North Korean children amid their chronic food shortages.
13. Maduro Urges State ‘Iron Fist’ As Protest Toll Mounts – AFP
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro called for the state to use an “iron fist” after deadly protests in response to his July reelection, which has been dismissed at home and abroad as a sham.
As the official protest death toll rose to 25, Maduro urged “severe justice” for the violence he blames on the opposition, which insists its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia had won the July 28 vote by a landslide.
14. Without Reforms, UNSC ‘Ill-Equipped’ To Address Global Challenges: G4 Nations – PTI
India said on behalf of the G4 countries—Brazil, Germany, Japan, and India—that a reform of the U.N. Security Council that does not address the lack of representation, particularly in the permanent category, would only “exacerbate” the current imbalances in its composition and render it “ill-equipped” to address current global challenges.
Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the U.N. Ambassador R. Ravindra noted that for the G4, the primary reason for the underperformance of the critical U.N. Security Council remains the non-representation of Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and the under-representation of Asia Pacific in the permanent category.
15. Public Outrage Prompts Melbourne E-Scooter Ban – BBC
The Australian city of Melbourne has banned the rental of electronic scooters, with officials saying they pose unacceptable safety risks.
The city’s council’s U-turn comes after it first welcomed the scooters in February 2022, saying they would operate a two-year trial. However, hundreds of accidents since then have sparked complaints and outrage from the public. Melbourne’s mayor said he was “fed up” with the bad behavior of some scooter users.
16. Unemployment Rate Jumps To 33.5%, 8.4 Million South Africans Now Jobless – News24
This is the highest rate since 2022. Economists polled by Bloomberg expected unemployment to improve to below 32%.
Statistics SA reported that some 8.4 million people are unemployed in South Africa – from 5.2 million a decade ago. More than 76% of these people have been unemployed for over a year, compared to less than 66% in 2024.
17. Japan picked as No. 1 country travelers wish to revisit: survey
According to a recent survey by Japanese ad agency Dentsu Inc, international travelers chose Japan as the country they most wish to revisit due to its food, culture, and natural landscapes.
In a multiple-response online survey conducted in 15 countries and areas from January to March, Japan topped the list at 34.6 percent, followed by Singapore at 14.7 percent and the United States at 13.0 percent.
18. Mpox Outbreak Declared A Public Health Emergency In Africa – D.W.
The African Union’s health authority has declared a public health emergency over a mpox outbreak on the continent.
The World Health Organization has convened its emergency committee to discuss the outbreak and was expected to decide on Wednesday whether it represents a public health emergency of international concern.
19. Anti-Inflammatory Diet Might Lower Risk Of Dementia – HealthDay News
So-called anti-inflammatory diets focus on foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, and beans and include heart-healthy regimens such as the Mediterranean diet.
When looking specifically at older adults with ailments such as heart disease or diabetes, the risk of dementia fell by 31% when they stuck to an anti-inflammatory diet, reported a new Swedish study.
20. Study: Light Drinking Still Harms Health Of Older Adults – HealthDay News
New research confirms that alcohol is not your friend as you age: Even light drinking was linked to an increase in cancer deaths among older adults, with the raised risk most pronounced in those who had other health problems or lived in low-income areas.
The new findings arrive as experts wrestle with what the official U.S. guidance on alcohol consumption should be. Current U.S. dietary guidelines say that “drinking less is better for health than drinking more” and that adults aged 21 and older should limit themselves to one drink daily for women and two for men.
Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
