Pa voters still worried about economy, new Franklin & Marshall College Poll finds

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Statues of Chief Justice John Marshall, right, and Benjamin Franklin on the campus of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, photographed in June 2021.

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Pennsylvania voters remain concerned about the economy and the direction of the state, according to the latest survey from the Franklin & Marshall College Poll.

The long-running poll, conducted by Franklin & Marshall College since 2003, tracks public opinion among registered voters across the state on a wide range of policy and political issues.

Berwood Yost, director of the poll, said the survey uses a traditional approach to gather feedback from voters.

“The Franklin and Marshall College poll is something that we’ve been doing at the college since 2003,” Yost said. “We randomly sample registered voters, mail them information about the survey, and they can participate either online or by talking to a live interviewer over the telephone.”

The most recent survey was conducted in late February and released in early March. It includes responses from 834 registered voters across Pennsylvania, including 353 Democrats, 347 Republicans and 134 independents or unaffiliated voters.

One of the poll’s key findings shows that many voters remain uncertain about the state’s direction. Forty-four percent of respondents said Pennsylvania is on the wrong track, while 39 percent said it is heading in the right direction.

While the numbers remain negative overall, Yost said the results show improvement compared to previous years.

“The numbers have not been positive since before the pandemic,” Yost said. “Slowly there’s been some movement to balance things out. We’re still not positive, but we’re better than we’ve been for some time.”

Economic concerns continue to weigh heavily on voters. About 36 percent of respondents said they are worse off financially than they were a year ago, compared to just 20 percent who said they are better off.

Yost said those perceptions often play a significant role in elections.

“When more people feel they’re worse off than better off, that’s going to be a driver of how people vote,” he said. “Economic concerns became a major problem for people once the pandemic receded.”

Despite those concerns, the poll found strong approval ratings for Josh Shapiro. Fifty percent of respondents rated the Pennsylvania governor’s performance as excellent or good, while 44 percent rated it fair or poor.

Yost said that level of support stands out compared with previous governors.

“If you look at his ratings, about 50 percent say he’s doing an excellent or good job,” Yost said. “That’s more positive than any first-term incumbent this century.”

The survey also examined opinions about Donald Trump and key policy issues such as immigration and foreign policy. Trump’s overall approval rating stood at 39 percent excellent or good.

Yost noted that voters have been closely following immigration policies, particularly enforcement efforts carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“More than nine in ten of the people we interviewed said they were watching what was happening with the administration’s policies on deportations and immigration very closely,” Yost said.

Among those surveyed, 55 percent said they opposed the way immigration laws were being enforced, while 45 percent supported those efforts. The poll also found strong opposition to some enforcement tactics, including entering homes without judicial warrants or using deadly force against protesters.

The survey also examined voter attitudes toward election systems. About two-thirds of respondents said they trust how elections are conducted in Pennsylvania.

At the same time, voters strongly opposed shifting election administration to the federal government.

“Seventy percent or more said they did not want to see the United States federalize its electoral process,” Yost said. “People tend to trust the way the state runs its elections.”

Beyond the political divisions often highlighted in public debate, the poll also found strong bipartisan agreement on core democratic principles.

“Ninety percent of our voters supported foundational elements of our democracy like free speech and the presumption of innocence,” Yost said. “Even though people may be dissatisfied with the way our democracy functions, most people still believe in the fundamental elements that sustain it.”

The survey also found many voters remain engaged with the country’s founding documents. About 42 percent said they have read the entire Declaration of Independence, while many others reported reading at least portions of it.

For Yost, those findings point to a deeper connection between voters and the democratic values that shape the country.

“People may disagree about policies and politics,” he said, “but there is broad agreement that the core principles of our democracy matter and should continue.”