Introduction
- Which is closer to your opinion? (Select one)
| Total January 2019 (n = 1,005) | Total April 2017 (n = 1,005) | Democrats (n = 336) | Republicans (n = 358) | Independents (n = 202) | |
| American presidential campaigns should come in a limited time frame | 67% | 65% | 72% | 68% | 68% |
| American presidential campaigns should not be limited | 14 | 23 | 15 | 17 | 11 |
| Don’t know | 19 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 21 |
2. If there were time limits placed on American presidential campaigns, what do you think is the right time frame for election campaigns to start? (Select one)
| Total January 2019 | Total April 2017 | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| Six weeks before Election Day | 9% | 7% | 9% | 9% | 8% |
| Three months before Election Day | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 8 |
| Six months before Election Day | 25 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 31 |
| One year before Election Day | 32 | 32 | 37 | 34 | 25 |
| Two years before Election Day | 8 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Four years before Election Day | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| Don’t know | 11 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 17 |
3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? (Select one for each)
| % Agree | Total | Democrats | Republicans | Independents |
| Elected officials often do favors for big campaign donors | 85% | 86% | 86% | 86% |
| Politicians need a lot of money to win elections | 65% | 69% | 69% | 59% |
| Being able to donate money to a political campaign is a vital form of free speech | 64% | 64% | 72% | 59% |
a. Politicians need a lot of money to win elections
| Total | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| Strongly agree | 37% | 40% | 41% | 27% |
| Somewhat agree | 28 | 30 | 28 | 32 |
| Somewhat disagree | 15 | 13 | 14 | 20 |
| Strongly disagree | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
| Don’t know | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| Agree (net) | 65% | 69% | 69% | 59% |
| Disagree (net) | 29 | 28 | 27 | 33 |
b. Elected officials often do favors for big campaign donors
| Total | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| Strongly agree | 60% | 64% | 60% | 60% |
| Somewhat agree | 25 | 22 | 26 | 26 |
| Somewhat disagree | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Strongly disagree | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Don’t know | 8 | 7 | 5 | 10 |
| Agree (net) | 85% | 86% | 86% | 86% |
| Disagree (net) | 7 | 7 | 9 | 5 |
c. Being able to donate money to a political campaign is a vital form of free speech
| Total | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| Strongly agree | 21% | 20% | 30% | 14% |
| Somewhat agree | 42 | 44 | 42 | 45 |
| Somewhat disagree | 14 | 15 | 11 | 16 |
| Strongly disagree | 13 | 14 | 10 | 16 |
| Don’t know | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| Agree (net) | 64% | 64% | 72% | 59% |
| Disagree (net) | 27 | 28 | 21 | 32 |
4. Please indicate which of the following comes closest to your opinion. (Select one)
| Total | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| New laws could effectively reduce the role of money in politics | 32% | 36% | 28% | 32% |
| Powerful people will always find a way to use their wealth to have greater political influence | 59 | 59 | 63 | 56 |
| Don’t know | 10 | 4 | 9 | 11 |
5. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? (Select one for each)
| % Agree | Total January 2019 | Total December 2017 (n = 1,005) | Democrats | Republicans | Independents |
| Political TV ads should be required to say who paid for the ad | 88% | 85% | 88% | 90% | 88% |
| Political groups should have to disclose all their funders in a timely fashion | 88% | – | 92% | 88% | 87% |
| Political ads online should be required to say who paid for the ad | 87% | 84% | 86% | 89% | 86% |
| Federal election laws are necessary to ensure fair elections | 85% | 79% | 90% | 90% | 79% |
| Interest groups should follow the same campaign or election laws as political candidates | 82% | – | 86% | 85% | 77% |
| Elected officials should be prohibited from raising campaign funds during non-election years | 67% | – | 75% | 63% | 65% |
| American elections are fair and open | 42% | 50% | 34% | 55% | 42% |
a. Political TV ads should be required to say who paid for the ad.
| Total January 2019 | Total December 2017 | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| Strongly agree | 64% | 57% | 66% | 64% | 64% |
| Somewhat agree | 24 | 28 | 22 | 26 | 24 |
| Somewhat disagree | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Strongly disagree | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | – |
| Don’t know | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| Agree (net) | 88% | 85% | 88% | 90% | 88% |
| Disagree (net) | 7 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
b. Political ads online should be required to say who paid for the ad.
| Total January 2019 | Total December 2017 | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| Strongly agree | 65% | 57% | 66% | 66% | 65% |
| Somewhat agree | 22 | 27 | 20 | 23 | 22 |
| Somewhat disagree | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Strongly disagree | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Don’t know | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 8 |
| Agree (net) | 87% | 84% | 86% | 89% | 86% |
| Disagree (net) | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 5 |
c. Federal election laws are necessary to ensure fair elections.
| Total January 2019 | Total December 2017 | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| Strongly agree | 59% | 51% | 65% | 58% | 57% |
| Somewhat agree | 26 | 28 | 26 | 32 | 22 |
| Somewhat disagree | 4 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| Strongly disagree | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Don’t know | 9 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 13 |
| Agree (net) | 85% | 79% | 90% | 90% | 79% |
| Disagree (net) | 5 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 8 |
d. American elections are fair and open.
| Total January 2019 | Total December 2017 | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| Strongly agree | 14 | 16 | 12 | 21 | 11 |
| Somewhat agree | 28 | 34 | 22 | 35 | 31 |
| Somewhat disagree | 29 | 28 | 34 | 27 | 25 |
| Strongly disagree | 23 | 15 | 27 | 14 | 23 |
| Don’t know | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| Agree (net) | 42% | 50% | 34% | 55% | 42% |
| Disagree (net) | 51 | 44 | 61 | 42 | 48 |
e. Elected officials should be prohibited from raising campaign funds during non-election years.
| Total | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| Strongly agree | 37% | 35% | 36% | 38% |
| Somewhat agree | 30 | 39 | 27 | 27 |
| Somewhat disagree | 15 | 15 | 18 | 14 |
| Strongly disagree | 5 | 4 | 8 | 3 |
| Don’t know | 13 | 6 | 11 | 18 |
| Agree (net) | 67% | 75% | 63% | 65% |
| Disagree (net) | 20 | 19 | 26 | 17 |
f. Interest groups should follow the same campaign or election laws as political candidates.
| Total | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| Strongly agree | 54% | 54% | 58% | 50% |
| Somewhat agree | 28 | 31 | 27 | 27 |
| Somewhat disagree | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Strongly disagree | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Don’t know | 11 | 7 | 8 | 18 |
| Agree (net) | 82% | 86% | 85% | 77% |
| Disagree (net) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 |
g. Political groups should have to disclose all their funders in a timely fashion.
| Total | Democrats | Republicans | Independents | |
| Strongly agree | 63% | 66% | 64% | 61% |
| Somewhat agree | 25 | 26 | 23 | 26 |
| Somewhat disagree | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Strongly disagree | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Don’t know | 6 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Agree (net) | 88% | 92% | 88% | 87% |
| Disagree (net) | 5 | 4 | 7 | 5 |
This Center for Public Integrity/Ipsos poll was conducted from Jan. 23, 2019, to Jan. 24, 2019, involving a sample of 1,005 Americans. Read the full poll methodology.
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