As Pennsylvania’s budget impasse reaches its 101st day, residents say politicians and government are the Keystone State’s biggest problem, according to a Franklin & Marshall College poll.
Nearly 1 in 4 respondents (23%) said government was their most vital issue, up from 10% just a year ago. In October 2024, 30 percent respondents said that the state cared most about the economy and finances. This time, that number dropped to 12%.
Individually, 1 in 6 respondents (16%) said they were in a better financial situation than a year ago, and 36% said they were in a worse situation. Almost half of those surveyed (48%) said the situation was about the same.
The 36 percent who said they were worse off is the lowest percentage calculated by F&M since its April 2022 survey.
On the other hand, 27 percent said they would be worse off in a year’s time – twice as many as in October last year – while the same number (24%) said they would be better off.
Governor
For the second time in a week Governor Josh Shapiro received high marks for his role as chief executive of the state, as 51% gave him excellent (24%) or good (27%) ratings. The 51% score equals Shapiro’s August 2024 total and is the second-best rating the governor has received in the F&M poll since his 54% approval in April 2024.
A quarter of respondents said he did only truthful work, while 15% gave Shapiro a failing grade. This 15% figure is the lowest recorded since February 2024 (14%).
President
President Donald TrumpAfter the first nine months of his second term in the White House, his favor would still be considered. Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) said Trump is doing an excellent job as president, and an additional 17% thought he was doing a good job. Before he was defeated by his ex President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, 42% gave Trump good ratings.
The negative side of Trump is counterbalanced, as half of those surveyed (50%) said the CEO is doing a bad job, while eight percent say he is doing an truthful job. This gives a favorability score of minus -17 (41-58). This is a marked improvement from September 2017, during Trump’s first months in the White House, when the rating was minus-42 (29-71).
PA Supreme Court Retention
Survey respondents admitted that most did not know how they would vote to retain Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices Christina Donohue, Kevin DoughertyAND David Wecht.
- Donohue | Yes 31% | Not 27% | I don’t know 43%
- Dougherty | Yes 27% | Not 19% | I don’t know 51%
- Wecht | Yes 25% | Not 21% | I don’t know 55%
One gigantic pretty bill
Pennsylvanians are not thrilled with the tax and budget bill known as the One Big Beautiful Act – over half (51%) oppose the bill, and 40% somewhat or strongly support its measures.
Once again, 50% of respondents believe that passing the bill will make life worse for most Americans, compared to 39% who think it will make life better.
In terms of the bill’s impact on individual respondents, 23% believe that “One Big Beautiful Bill” will make things better for their family, while 3 in 10 (31%) say it will make life worse. Thirty-five (35%) percent say everything will be about the same in the end.
Artificial intelligence
Pennsylvanians surveyed haven’t really boarded the AI ​​train, as just 1 in 12 (8%) exploit AI every day, with an additional 11% using it most of the day. Nearly 3 in 5 (59%) said they rarely or never exploit AI computer programs in their work.
Nearly three-quarters (71%) express concern about AI, with 30% very nervous and an additional 41% somewhat nervous. Just four percent – ​​or 1 in 25 respondents – were excited about recent developments in artificial intelligence.
When it comes to federal regulation of artificial intelligence, 79 percent of respondents agree that companies should be closely watched and regulated. However, Pennsylvanians believe the feds are unable to regulate AI if they choose to (72%).
Various
- How democracy works in the USA
- 35% satisfied | 64% dissatisfied
- Congress as an equal authority
- Correct exercise of rights 31% | I gave up too much power 60%
- Courts as an equal authority
- Correct exercise of powers 34% | I gave up too much power 56%
- Were Trump’s actions within constitutional limits?
- It remained within 34% | Pushed limits 15% | Exceeded 49%
- Trump: Creating up-to-date jobs
- Excellent 18% | Very good 18% | Average 15% | Below average 15% | Failure 30%
- Trump: Immigration managementN
- Excellent 35% | Very good 12% | Average 8% | Below average 9% | Failure 35%
- Trump: conducting foreign policy
- Excellent 27% | Very good 15% | Average 8% | Below average 10% | Failure 38%
- Trump: Dealing with inflation
- Excellent 11% | Very good 20% | Average 17% | Below average 13% | Failure 39%
- How closely do you follow the news about…
- Epstein files?
- 23% very close | 44% a bit close | 33% not very close | 10% not at all
- The administration’s actions on immigration and deportation?
- 48% very close | 42% a bit close | 8% not very close | 2% not at all
- Epstein files?
- Are you registered as a Republican, Democrat, Independent or something else?
- Republicans 42% | Democrat 43% | Independent 15%
- Have you changed your party affiliation in the last year?
- Level of interest in the 2025 elections
- Very interested 50% | Rather interested 36% | Not very interested 14%
- Main news source
- Internet 35% | Cable TV 22% | Network TV 16% | Social media 13% | Newspaper 5%
- The cable network you rely on most
- Fox News 52% | MSNBC 15% | CNN 13% | The remaining 12% | NewsMax. 6%
- Support or oppose gun control laws
- I definitely support 44% | Rather favorable 17% | Rather opposed 12% | Strongly oppose 25%
- Abortion and its legality
- Legal, under any circumstances 36% | Legal, certain circumstances 52% | Illegal 11%
The survey results presented in this release are based on the results of interviews conducted between September 24 and October 5, 2025. The interviews were conducted at the Opinion Research Center at Franklin & Marshall College. The data in this release represents responses from 929 registered voters in Pennsylvania, including 399 Democrats, 390 Republicans and 140 independent voters.[1] The sample of voters was obtained from Aristotle. All respondents were notified by e-mail about the survey. Interviews were conducted by telephone and online, depending on each respondent’s preferences. Survey results were weighted (age, gender, education, geographic location, voting history, and party registration) using an iterative weighting algorithm to reflect the known distribution of these characteristics. Age, geographic location and party registration estimates are based on the Pennsylvania Department of State’s vigorous voter registration data. Gender and education were estimated using data from the November 2022 CPS Voter Registration Supplement.
The sampling error in this study is +/- 4.0 percentage points when design weighting effects are taken into account. In addition to sampling error, there are other sources of non-sampling error in this probe. Generally speaking, researchers are most concerned about two sources of error. Nonresponse bias arises when selected participants either choose not to participate in the survey or are unable to participate in the interview. Answer errors are a result of the question and answer process. Surveys that rely on self-reported behaviors and attitudes are susceptible to errors related to the way respondents process and answer survey questions.
