The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press research reflects a variety of responses to the Center's polling including changing health care, social security, partisan bickering, a leaderless political party and citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants.

A 45%-plurality opposes the recently passed health care legislation, but it's difficult to say Americans fear socialized medicine when so many are against making changes to Medicare. A 52%-majority opposes replacing Medicare with a voucher system to buy private insurance; just a third (33%) favor such a proposal. Despite it being a GOP proposal, a plurality of Republicans (47%) oppose the idea, as do a majority of Democrats (54%) and independents (52%). Older Americans are the most likely to demand the government keep their hands off Medicare; adults ages 65 and older oppose replacing Medicare with a voucher system by a 69%-to-14% margin.

The public has sharply different reactions to major changes in Social Security and Medicare programs being proposed by some leading Republicans. While a majority favors a proposal to allow some private investments in Social Security, there is considerably less support for the idea of ending Medicare and replacing it with a system of vouchers for purchasing private insurance.

The latest Pew Research/National Journal Congressional Connection poll, sponsored by SHRM, conducted Sept. 9-12 among 1,001 adults, finds that 58% favor a proposal that would allow workers younger than age 55 to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes in personal retirement accounts that would rise and fall with the markets; 28% oppose this proposal. Majorities across all age groups — except for those ages 65 and older — favor this proposal.

Among senior citizens, as many favor (42%) as oppose (42%) allowing private investments in Social Security. By contrast, fully 70% of those younger than age 30 favor this idea.

Support for the general concept is comparable to support for a similar plan advocated by former President George W. Bush in 2004. As he sought reelection in the fall of 2004, 58% of registered voters that September favored allowing younger workers to invest a portion of their Social Security; 26% said they opposed this change. However, after Bush won reelection and debate about the proposal began, support weakened. By March 2005, the public was largely split (44% favor, 40% oppose) and the proposal was not enacted.

Plurality Still Disapproves of Health Care Law

On other issues, public attitudes about the sweeping health care legislation enacted earlier this year have changed little since early July. Currently, 38% say they approve of the legislation, while 45% say they disapprove. When those who oppose the legislation are asked whether it should be repealed as soon as possible or given time to see how it works, nearly a third (32%) of the total sample say the law should be repealed.

Nearly eight-in-ten Republicans (79%) say they disapprove of the health care law — and more than six-in-ten (63%) say it should be repealed. Among Democrats, 69% say they approve of the law, while 15% disapprove; just 8% say it should be repealed.

Independents largely mirror the public as a whole: 34% approve of the law, while 48% oppose it. A third of independents say the law should be repealed.

Citizenship for Children of Illegal Immigrants

Americans are divided about whether to preserve the constitutional provision that makes all children born in the United States citizens, regardless of their parent's immigration status.

Currently, about half (49%) say the Constitution should be left as it is, while 46% say they favor changing the Constitution to prevent children from automatically being citizens at birth if their parents are not in the country legally.

A majority of Republicans (56%) favors amending the Constitution, while 39% oppose this. Among Democrats, 53% oppose making this change, while 41% support it. Independents are very much like the country as whole (45% say yes, 50% say no).

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