Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) today released the results of the September Harvard CAPS / Harris poll, a monthly group effort between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll and HarrisX.
“Voters’ outlook on the country remains largely the same with strong opposition to the government shutdown,” said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. “They feel the rhetoric of today’s political leaders has grown too polarizing and is fueling political violence, and they want leadership that works to unite the country.”
Key Findings
- Most Voters Underestimate Economic Growth And Overestimate Inflation.
- 85% Of Voters Say Celebration Over Kirk’s Death By Media Personalities Was Inappropriate.
- 71% Of Voters Support Sinking South American Ships Carrying Drugs Into The Country.
- 34% Of Americans Feel They Will Eventually Live The American Dream And 24% Believe They Are Living The American Dream.
- 78% Of Voters Say Americans Are Better Off With Free Enterprise Rather Than Socialism.
- 56% Of Voters Support Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan.
Congressional Approval Drops from Last Month
- 40% of voters say the country is on the right track, stable from last month.
- 34% of voters say their personal financial situation is improving (-1 pt., Aug. 2025), particularly among Republican, male, 25-44 y.o., and urban voters.
- The Congressional approval rating is at 32% (-5). The Democratic Party approval rating is at 42% (+1) and the Republican Party approval rating is steady at 47%.
- Among key political figures, voters have the highest net favorable view of Charlie Kirk (+16 net favorable), Erika Kirk (+14), and Volodymyr Zelenskyy (+13).
- 43% of voters say inflation is the most important issue to them personally (-4).
Three In Four Voters Believe Today’s Political Rhetoric Is Too Extreme, Blaming It For Violence
- 75% of voters say the rhetoric of our politicians has become too extreme (Democrats: 83%; Republicans: 65%; Independents: 79%), with 72% saying today’s rhetoric is leading to violence.
- 58% of voters say Trump’s rhetoric is too extreme. 57% believe the same of rhetoric from leading Democratic and Republican politicians.
- Though more than three-quarters of voters say assassinations of Charlie Kirk (78%), United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson (77%), and Minnesota Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman (83%) were unjustified, roughly 1 in 5 say they were justified (Kirk: 22%; Thompson: 23%; Hortman: 17%).
- 53% of voters say Kirk’s assassination made the country worse. 32% felt angry, 23% felt nothing, and 18% felt worried.
- 86% of Democrat voters and 83% of Republican voters say it is unjustified to use political violence to advance their party’s goals.
- 56% of voters believe America can come together with leadership that tried harder to unify it, including a majority across parties.
- At least two-thirds of voters say assassination attempts on Trump, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Governor Josh Shapiro, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were unjustified.
The September Harvard CAPS / Harris poll survey was conducted online within the United States on 1-2 October 2025, among 2413 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX. Follow the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Trump Job Approval Flat. Congress Drops
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) today released the results of the September Harvard CAPS / Harris poll, a monthly group effort between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll and HarrisX.
“Voters’ outlook on the country remains largely the same with strong opposition to the government shutdown,” said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. “They feel the rhetoric of today’s political leaders has grown too polarizing and is fueling political violence, and they want leadership that works to unite the country.”
Key Findings
Congressional Approval Drops from Last Month
Three In Four Voters Believe Today’s Political Rhetoric Is Too Extreme, Blaming It For Violence
The September Harvard CAPS / Harris poll survey was conducted online within the United States on 1-2 October 2025, among 2413 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX. Follow the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.