Latest news with #Nteta
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More Americans now know what DEI is — and support it, UMass Amherst poll says
In the wake of the Trump administration's attack on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives across the country, a new poll shows that more Americans are aware of it and support these programs. The latest poll, conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst between April 4 and 9 and released April 18, shows that two-thirds of Americans support DEI training for police officers (69%), the military (65%), medical professionals (68%), teachers (66%), public employees (67%) and private sector employees (64%). 'Surprisingly, given the public controversy over DEI, we find majoritarian support for these trainings among men and women, young and old, across educational and income levels and across racial groups,' UMass Polling Director Tatishe Nteta said in a statement. In October 2024 — before Trump won the presidency for the second time ― pollsters found that 52% of Americans had 'read, seen or heard' about DEI, with 28% not knowing anything about it, Nteta said. These numbers skyrocketed in the latest poll, with 76% of Americans who had heard 'a lot or some' about DEI, with 8% of Americans who remain unaware of what it is, Nteta said. Support for DEI still breaks down along party lines, with Republicans and Trump voters still in staunch opposition. Among these demographics, 65% of Republicans and 66% of Trump voters believe DEI programs 'discriminate against white people,' Jesse Rhodes, a political science professor and the poll's co-director, said in the statement. A similar number of Republicans and Trump voters, at 63% each, believe DEI undermines the United States military. As well, 54% of Republicans and 55% of Trump voters said they believed DEI programs threaten public safety." But across the board, 46% of Americans disagree that DEI is a risk to public safety. And 45% said they disagreed that it has made the military weaker. 'In the wake of a string of natural disasters and airline crashes, [Trump] has pointed to DEI policies as the culprit, implicitly arguing that the hiring or promotion of people of color, women, LGBTQ+ or disabled Americans are at fault for these national tragedies,' Nteta said. '... On DEI, Trump and his administration look to be reflecting the will of his supporters, but not of the broader American public.' Democrats think of DEI efforts as 'essential to ensuring equal opportunity... [and] center on how DEI advances equality by correcting for existing biases,' Doug Rice, an associate professor of legal studies and political science, said in the statement. While Americans oppose Trump's claims about DEI, 'only 36% of Americans endorse the idea that DEI programs provide compensation for past discrimination and only 31% believe these programs create a more egalitarian society,' Rhodes added. He noted that almost half of Americans, at 48%, believe DEI programs improve decision-making by welcoming a plethora of diverse perspectives. 'In short,' Rhodes concluded, 'Americans are of mixed minds about the outcomes of DEI programs.' Through YouGov, 1,081 respondents were interviewed and matched down to a sample of 1,000 to produce the poll's results, pollsters stated. The poll was released with a 3.7% margin of error. 'An attack on all of us': Nearly 200 college presidents challenge Trump 'Evil is being defeated,' Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says after death of Pope Francis Polling expert: Republicans in 'different universe' over what to do if Trump bucks courts Poll finds stark divide in political preference for young voters Trump White House purges COVID website. 'Lab leak' theory replaced it
Boston Globe
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Regrets, some Trump voters have a few, according to a UMass poll
Send questions or suggestions to the Starting Point team at . If you'd like the newsletter sent to your inbox, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT Several weeks ago, I started to notice a pattern: people expressing regret for voting for Donald Trump. There was the Hispanic man in Virginia who says he was handcuffed by armed ICE agents even as But these were anecdotes, not hard data. Luckily, another person who noticed the pattern was Tatishe Nteta, a political scientist who directs the UMass Amherst Poll. 'There's been a lot of discussion of regretful voters,' he said. 'So we thought, 'Well, what does that actually look like?'' Advertisement Nteta The results Many of us find it hard to admit our mistakes. So it's striking that 19 percent of the 2024 Trump voters Nteta surveyed now say that they 'have some concerns' about their vote choice. 'Two in 10 is a large percentage to express some level of concern about a decision that they made no more than six or seven months ago,' said Nteta, who conducted the poll with the survey company Advertisement As you can see in the chart below, another 5 percent of Trump voters admit to 'mixed feelings' or 'some regrets.' A further 3 percent say they wouldn't vote for him today. Daigo Fujiwara-Smith/Globe Staff Trump's words and actions so far have also unnerved some supporters. About 15 percent fear he won't respect the rule of law and will seek a third term, and 18 percent worry he'll defy a court order or start a war. And while there are few polls to go on, the discontent may be growing. In February, Revealed preferences Nteta's survey found other signs that Americans are souring on Trump. His job approval rating Americans express particular frustration with Trump on the economy, as several other polls Advertisement Will Democrats benefit? Maybe not automatically. Consistent with other surveys, Nteta's found the Democratic Party with an approval rating lower than the GOP's despite Trump's unpopularity. And although relatively few Kamala Harris voters feel conflicted about having supported her, 14 percent wish they hadn't voted at all — evidence of Democratic dejection. 'Not having your preferred candidate win leads a number of people to say, 'My vote was wasted,'' Nteta said. 'I don't necessarily think these are results which the Democratic Party should be championing.' Still, the remorseful Trump supporters in Nteta's poll — and the 12 percent of respondents who didn't vote last year who now say they'd support Harris — are a chance for Democrats to recover lost ground. 'These types of results provide a window for the ways in which they can mobilize the necessary support to be victorious in 2026 and to be victorious, potentially, in 2028,' Nteta said. Can he recover? Trump has opportunities, too. His supporters are famously loyal, and the vast majority remain happy with their choice. Trump's approval rating is higher than it was Most respondents also remain hopeful that Trump will help ordinary Americans and strengthen the economy. 'As Americans, we envision our leaders, regardless of their partisanship or their ideology, to be working with the best interests of the nation in mind,' Nteta said. 'But at the same time, objective assessments by many Americans question whether or not those hopes will be realized.' Advertisement 🧩 6 Across: | ☂️ 67° POINTS OF INTEREST Boston and Massachusetts Protecting patients: Allegations against a former Brigham doctor have prompted new legislation to guard against Priced out: Greater Boston's housing market Privacy issue: A bill would protect the personal information of people who receive or administer Take a ride: The state will Sit out: Boston University suspended the campus chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America Trump administration Rümeysa Öztürk: A judge weighing the case of the Tufts PhD student in ICE custody questioned whether the administration Retrenching: The White House proposed halving the State Department's budget and eliminating US funding for the UN and NATO headquarters. ( Conundrum: Trump says tariffs will encourage local manufacturing. But some Massachusetts companies import from abroad Program end: The administration reportedly Brain drain: MIT's president said the administration had Fumble: Vice President JD Vance dropped the trophy at a White House event honoring Ohio State football's national championship. ( The Nation and the World Pennsylvania arson case: The man who allegedly set fire to Governor Josh Shapiro's home on Sunday told police he hated Shapiro and planned to beat him with a hammer. ( Back home: Blue Origin's all-female spaceflight lasted about 10 minutes. Katy Perry sang in space. ( Pill pulled: Pfizer ended development of an experimental weight loss pill because it may have injured a trial patient's liver. ( First Amendment case: Opening statements are set for today in Sarah Palin's retrial against the New York Times for libel. ( Trans rights: Hungary's ruling party passed a constitutional amendment that states that there are only two genders. ( BESIDE THE POINT By Teresa Hanafin 🌸 Flowerfest: It's time to get out to see Boston's abundance of cherry blossoms, magnolias, and other blooms as the city welcomes spring and 🧨 The state where it happened: Massachusetts, birthplace of the American Revolution, is celebrating the 250th anniversary with events all week leading up to Patriots Day on Monday. ( 🥣 Waste not: Milk Street suggests you make the most of your leftovers with some ⛴️ Ferry McFerryface: The MBTA is adding three ferries from Boston to Quincy, Winthrop, and Lynn, and they want kids in grades K-8 in those four cities to name them. There are prizes. ( 🌎 A world of hope: Can we rein in climate change before it waxes out of control, at least enough to give us time to adapt? Writer Alan Weisman says: 🍺 Bottoms up: It may not be the best solution to post-exercise hydration, but several local breweries are 🕹️ Where's the Pong movie? With the success of 'Minecraft' last weekend, adaptations of video games could replace superhero films as box office gold. ( Advertisement 🌅 Bright lights: A geomagnetic storm tonight could be strong enough for more New Englanders to 💍 The Big Day: Both had lost a parent who was the glue that held their families together. Thanks for reading Starting Point. This newsletter was edited by ❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at ✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can sign up for your own copy. 📬 Delivered Monday through Friday. Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
