Regardless of party, a clear majority of Tennessee voters want their national and state legislators to work with members of the opposition party, according to the latest VU Poll.  

"Tennesseans want problems solved. It is not just about ideology," VU Poll Co-founder, John Geer, told reporters at a news conference earlier today.

The support for compromise is highest among self-identified Democrats (86%) and independents (76%), but compromise is also widely supported by Republicans (58%) and self-identified members of the Tea Party (58%).   In other findings, Governor Bill Haslam continues to enjoy widespread popularity with constituents. As of December 2012, 68% approve of his performance. His support is strong across party lines – 60% of Democrats, 62% of independents and 81% of Republicans approve of his performance as Governor.  Finally, President Barack Obama has found greater favor with more Tennesseans, since the November re-election.

Over the coming weeks, CSDI will continue to publish findings on issues of education, healthcare, and gun control; topics covered in this survey, which included more than 829 registered voters. A total of 1001 respondents were polled, but not all were registered voters. Designed by both Professor Geer and VU Poll Co-Founder Joshua Clinton, the survey was formally distributed by Princeton Survey Research Associates International.  It has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

A Closer Look:  Tennesseans' Views on Politics

Among ALL Tennesseans (registered voters) who were polled:

•  Likely due to the recent election contest and his recent efforts to broker a deal over the "fiscal cliff," Senator Corker's approval has increased to 60% while the approval of Senator Alexander continues to hold steady around 56%.

•  The national economy is a large concern for Tennesseans and 66% of registered Tennessee voters think that the national economy is either "Fairly Bad" or "Bad." This represents a modest improvement from May 2012, when 75% held a similar view of the national economy.

• When provided with a list of frequently discussed options for reducing the deficit, registered Tennessee voters were far more willing to reduce tax deductions for those making more than $250,000 (60%) and allowing tax cuts to expire for those making more than $250,000 (57%) than they were on raising the eligibility age for Medicare (35%) or reducing federal spending on domestic programs (40%).

• 53% of registered voter would rather have the State of Tennessee create and run its own health care exchange system, while 33% would rather have the state use the health care exchange system created by the federal government.