MORE ON THIS STORY FULL COVERAGE • Bush's Stem-Cell Decision • Poll Vault: ABCNEWS 2001 Poll Archives VIDEO • Reaction to Stem Cell Decision Mixed IN DETAIL • The Stem-Cell Controversy • Understanding Stem Cells COMMUNITY • Federal Funding for Stem-Cell Research? RELATED STORIES • ABCNEWS Polling Guide

Bush's Decision
	Approve	Disapprove
All	56%	32
Preferred broader funding	79	16
Preferred no funding	17	75

While Bush's action gets overall majority approval, that's not the same as majority preference. The public fragments on its preferred approach: A third would have preferred broader funding; 30 percent prefer the limited funding Bush is providing; and 26 percent would have preferred no federal funding at all for stem-cell research.

Preference on Federal Funding
Broader federal funding	33%
Bush's limited funding	30
No federal funding	26

People who oppose legal abortion are most critical of Bush's decision, but there's a diversity of opinion even in this group. Indeed among those who oppose abortion in "most cases," but not in all cases, more approve than disapprove of Bush's action.

Opposition peaks among those who oppose legal abortion "in all cases" (about a fifth of the population). In this group 57 percent disapprove of Bush's decision; a third approve, despite their strong view on the abortion issue.

Bush's Decision
	Approve	Disapprove
Oppose abortion in all cases	34%	57
Oppose abortion in most cases	46	38
Support abortion, all or most cases	73	21

Six in 10 Americans feel they have a good basic understanding of the stem-cell issue, and knowledge may be working on Bush's side. Among people who feel reasonably informed on the subject, 63 percent approve of his action; among those who don't feel informed, approval falls to 46 percent, and many more are undecided.

In concert with knowledge, approval of Bush's action is also higher among better-educated adults.

Bush's Decision
	Approve	Disapprove	No opin.
Basically understand the issue	63%	33	4
Don't feel they understand it	46	31	23

People who feel they understand the issue also are more apt to favor broader, less-restricted federal funding for stem-cell research. Among those who report "a good basic understanding," 42 percent prefer broader funding; among those with less knowledge, this falls to 22 percent.

Despite the opposition of church leaders, white Catholics approve of Bush's action by 59-34 percent. White evangelical Protestants approve by a somewhat narrower 51-37 percent. Non-evangelical white Protestants approve most broadly, by 69-22 percent.

Majority approval also crosses political lines. Sixty-six percent of Republicans approve of Bush's decision on the issue, as do about 55 percent of independents and Democrats alike.

Methodology

This ABCNEWS poll was conducted by telephone Aug. 10-12 among a random national sample of 1,040 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Field work was done by by ICR-International Communications Research of Media, Pa.