274-D SECOND WAVE OF SPRING 2007 MTSU POLL READY FOR RELEASE

Tennesseans liking Bredesen, Legislature more, fundamentalists less

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 27, 2007
EDITORIAL CONTACTS: Dr. Ken Blake, 615-210-6187 (kblake@mtsu.edu)
Dr. Robert Wyatt, 615-477-8389 (rwyatt@mtsu.edu)

MURFREESBORO—The second wave of information from the Spring 2007 MTSU Poll, featuring Tennesseans’ views on Gov. Phil Bredesen and the Tennessee Legislature, various Protestant denominations and the death penalty, is now available at the poll’s Web site, www.mtsusurveygroup.org.
In just four of the poll’s hottest topics:
· respondents rate nondenominational Christians and mainline Protestants higher than evangelicals or fundamentalists, despite the state’s reputation as the “buckle of the Bible Belt”;
· approval of Tennessee’s governor and the state Legislature are trending upward;
· a majority of respondents support the death penalty, but a plurality also approves a temporary suspension of the practice to review procedures; and
· most think global warming is a serious problem and many think former Vice President Al Gore deserves the Nobel Prize for his work to promote awareness of and solutions for the problem.
Details and appendices are available at the Web site as well as in the text of the poll summary included below.
For Tennessee public opinion data from 1998 to present, visit www.mtsusurveygroup.org, home of the twice-annual MTSU Poll, a project of the MTSU Office of Communication Research. The OCR is a division of MTSU’s College of Mass Communication.
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Summary of Findings, Spring 2007

Nondenominational, mainline score higher than Evangelicals, fundamentalists. More Tennesseans say they approve of nondenominational Christians (52%) and mainline Protestants (41%) than Evangelicals (32%) or fundamentalists (24%), despite the state’s reputation as the buckle of the Bible Belt. (Contact: Bob Wyatt.)

Approval of Bredesen, Legislature trending upward. Over two-thirds (67%) of Tennesseans approve of how Phil Bredesen is handling his job as governor, up substantially from the 57 percent approval rating he received in last fall’s poll conducted weeks before his election to a second term. Approval of the state Legislature is up as well, with 50 percent expressing approval in the current poll compared to 40 percent in last fall’s pre-election poll. (Contact: Ken Blake.)

Majority supports death penalty, plurality back temporary suspension. A majority (57%) of Tennesseans support death as the maximum penalty for murder, but about one-third (32%) opt for life imprisonment without parole. And 42 percent approve of Gov. Phil Bredesen’s suspension of executions pending a review of Tennessee’s lethal injection procedures. (Contact: Bob Wyatt.)

Most think global warming serious, many think Gore should add Nobel to Oscar. Nearly two-thirds (60%) of Tennesseans think global warming is making a serious impact on the climate now. And nearly half (48%) think former Vice President Al Gore deserves a Nobel Prize for his work against global warming. Gore has already won an Oscar. (Contact: Bob Wyatt.)

Health care No. 1 state problem, again up from fall; race a factor. More than one-fourth (27%) of Tennesseans named health care and health insurance as the state’s No. 1 problem in an open-ended question, up from 19 percent last fall. And 29 percent of whites named health No. 1, compared with 17 percent of blacks. For blacks, crime is No.1, with a 25 percent mention. (Contact: Ken Blake.)

Most support pre-trial screening of medical malpractice suits. Most Tennesseans (65%) say malpractice suits filed against health-care providers should be required to pass a review by medical experts before being heard by a jury. A plurality of 45 percent support a state-imposed limit on the amount of money patients can receive in punitive damages when suing health-care providers. (Contact: Ken Blake.)

State mood looking up again; things rosier for wealthier. Things are looking up again in the state, with our Tennessee barometer standing at a new high of 63 out of 100. The measure stood at 61 in our spring 2006 survey. (Contact: Bob Wyatt.)