Voters Are Split on Who Is Responsible for the Shutdown

Publication Date: 10/15/2025 10:00 AM CST

Voters Are Split on Who Is Responsible for the Shutdown

Publication: 10/15/2025 10:00 AM CST

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A little over a third of voters (36%) say the Republicans are primarily responsible for the shutdown.
- This sentiment is down 4 points from last week when 40% said the Republicans were responsible.
- Another third (34%) say the Democrats (up 3 points from last week's poll).
- About one quarter (23%) say both parties play an equal role.
- Not surprisingly, 50% of Democrats say that the Republicans are responsible, and 49% of Republicans say the Democrats are to blame.
Even with all the clamour from Washington and the mainstream media, only 5% of registered voters say that the federal government shutdown has affected their lives A Lot.
- That number is also down 4 points from last week's survey.
- Another 15% say the shutdown has affected their lives in Some way.
- Only 9% of government employees* say the shutdown has affected their lives A Lot, and 14% say the shutdown has affected them Some.
In fact, the number who are aware of the partial shutdown has gone DOWN seven points since last week.
- Seventy-four percent (74%) of voters are aware of the shutdown.

* Our sample of government employees also includes state and local employees.

The most recent data cited is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, October 13-14, 2025. Field work for the survey was conducted by RMG Research, Inc. and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.