Moral Issues

How would you rate the overall state of moral values in this country today -- as excellent, good, only fair, or poor?

	Excellent	Good	Only fair	Poor	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	2	15	37	45	1
2008 May 8-11	2	13	41	44	1
2007 May 10-13	1	16	39	44	1
2006 May 8-11	1	13	43	42	2
2005 May 2-5	2	17	40	39	2
2004 Nov 19-21	4	22	41	32	1
2004 May 2-4	1	18	40	40	1
2003 May 5-7	2	20	42	35	1
2002 May 6-9	1	17	41	40	1

Right now, do you think the state of moral values in the country as a whole is getting better or getting worse?

	Getting better	Getting worse	Same (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	21	71	6	1
2008 May 8-11	11	81	6	3
2007 May 10-13	11	82	4	2
2006 May 8-11	11	81	6	3
2005 May 2-5	16	77	5	2
2004 Nov 19-21	27	64	7	2
2004 May 2-4	16	77	5	2
2003 May 5-7	24	67	7	2
2002 May 6-9	24	67	7	2
(vol.) = Volunteered response

Next, I'm going to read you a list of issues. Regardless of whether or not you think it should be legal, for each one, please tell me whether you personally believe that in general it is morally acceptable or morally wrong. How about … [RANDOM ORDER]?

Abortion

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	36	56	6	*	1
2008 May 8-11	40	48	10	*	2
2007 May 10-13	40	51	7	*	1
2006 May 8-11	43	44	11	*	2
2005 May 2-5	40	51	8	--	1
2004 May 2-4	40	50	8	*	2
2003 May 5-7	37	53	9	*	1
2002 May 6-9	38	53	8	*	1
2001 May 10-14	42	45	11	1	1
* Less than 0.5%
(vol.) = Volunteered response

The death penalty

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	62	30	6	*	2
2008 May 8-11	62	30	5	*	3
2007 May 10-13	66	27	5	*	2
2006 May 8-11	71	22	5	*	2
2005 May 2-5	70	25	4	*	1
2004 May 2-4	65	28	4	1	2
2003 May 5-7	64	31	4	--	1
2002 May 6-9	65	28	5	*	2
2001 May 10-14	63	27	7	1	2

Medical testing on animals

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	57	36	5	*	2
2008 May 8-11	56	38	3	*	3
2007 May 10-13	59	37	3	*	1
2006 May 8-11	61	32	5	*	2
2005 May 2-5	66	30	2	*	2
2004 May 2-4	62	32	4	*	2
2003 May 5-7	63	33	3	*	1
2002 May 6-9	63	30	3	1	3
2001 May 10-14	65	26	5	1	3

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	61	35	1	1	1
2008 May 8-11	54	39	3	1	2
2007 May 10-13	58	38	2	1	2
2006 May 8-11	62	32	2	2	2
2005 May 2-5	64	32	2	1	1
2004 May 2-4	63	31	2	2	2
2003 May 5-7	60	36	2	1	1
2002 May 6-9	59	35	2	2	2
2001 May 10-14	60	32	2	3	3
* Less than 0.5%
(vol.) = Volunteered response

Sex between an unmarried man and woman

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	57	40	1	*	1
2008 May 8-11	61	36	1	1	1
2007 May 10-13	59	38	1	1	1
2006 May 8-11	59	37	2	1	1
2005 May 2-5	58	39	2	*	1
2004 May 2-4	60	36	1	1	2
2003 May 5-7	58	41	1	*	*
2002 May 6-9	53	42	2	*	3
2001 May 10-14	53	42	3	1	1

Married men and women having an affair

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	6	92	1	1	1
2008 May 8-11	7	91	1	*	1
2007 May 10-13	6	91	2	*	1
2006 May 8-11	4	93	2	*	1
2005 May 2-5	5	93	1	*	1
2004 May 2-4	7	91	1	*	1
2003 May 5-7	6	93	*	*	1
2002 May 6-9	9	87	1	1	2
2001 May 10-14	7	89	3	*	1

Divorce

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	62	30	6	*	1
2008 May 8-11	70	22	6	*	1
2007 May 10-13	65	26	8	*	1
2006 May 8-11	67	24	8	1	1
2005 May 2-5	66	27	6	*	1
2004 May 2-4	66	26	6	1	1
2003 May 5-7	66	27	6	*	1
2002 May 6-9	63	28	8	*	1
2001 May 10-14	59	28	12	*	1
* Less than 0.5%
(vol.) = Volunteered response

Cloning animals

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	34	63	1	1	2
2008 May 8-11	33	61	2	1	3
2007 May 10-13	36	59	2	1	3
2006 May 8-11	29	65	2	1	3
2005 May 2-5	35	61	1	*	3
2004 May 2-4	32	64	1	1	2
2003 May 5-7	29	68	1	*	2
2002 May 6-9	29	66	3	1	1
2001 May 10-14	31	63	2	1	3

Cloning humans

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	9	88	*	*	3
2008 May 8-11	11	85	1	*	2
2007 May 10-13	11	86	1	*	2
2006 May 8-11	8	88	1	*	3
2005 May 2-5	9	87	1	1	2
2004 May 2-4	9	88	1	*	2
2003 May 5-7	8	90	1	*	1
2002 May 6-9	7	90	2	*	1
2001 May 10-14	7	88	1	1	3

Suicide

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	15	80	2	1	2
2008 May 8-11	15	78	3	1	3
2007 May 10-13	16	78	3	1	2
2006 May 8-11	15	78	3	1	3
2005 May 2-5	13	82	3	*	2
2004 May 2-4	15	79	3	1	2
2003 May 5-7	14	81	2	1	2
2002 May 6-9	12	83	3	*	2
2001 May 10-14	13	78	6	1	2
* Less than 0.5%
(vol.) = Volunteered response

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	57	36	2	1	4
2008 May 8-11	62	30	3	*	5
2007 May 10-13	64	30	2	*	4
2006 May 8-11	61	30	3	*	6
2005 May 2-5	60	33	3	--	4
2004 May 2-4	54	37	3	*	6
2003 May 5-7	54	38	3	--	5
2002 May 6-9	52	39	2	1	6

Having a baby outside of marriage

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	51	45	3	1	1
2008 May 8-11	55	41	2	*	1
2007 May 10-13	54	42	2	1	1
2006 May 8-11	51	43	4	*	1
2005 May 2-5	54	43	2	*	1
2004 May 2-4	49	45	3	1	2
2003 May 5-7	51	46	2	*	1
2002 May 6-9	45	50	3	1	1

Gambling

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	58	36	2	2	2
2008 May 8-11	63	32	2	1	2
2007 May 10-13	63	32	2	1	1
2006 May 8-11	60	34	2	2	1
2005 May 2-5	64	32	2	1	1
2004 May 2-4	66	30	1	2	1
2003 May 5-7	63	34	2	*	1

Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	7	91	1	1	1
2008 May 8-11	8	90	1	*	1
2007 May 10-13	8	90	1	*	*
2006 May 8-11	5	93	1	*	2
2005 May 2-5	6	92	1	*	1
2004 May 2-4	7	91	1	*	1
2003 May 5-7	7	92	1	--	*

Gay or lesbian relations

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2009 May 7-10	49	47	1	1	3
2008 May 8-11†	48	48	1	1	2
2007 May 10-13†	47	49	2	*	2
2006 May 8-11†	44	51	1	1	2
2005 May 2-5‡^	44	52	2	*	2
2004 May 2-4‡	42	54	1	1	2
2003 May 5-7‡	44	52	2	*	2
2002 May 6-9‡	38	55	2	1	4
2001 May 10-14‡	40	53	3	1	3

* Less than 0.5%
(vol.) = Volunteered response
^ Asked of a half sample
† WORDING: Homosexual relations
‡ WORDING: Homosexual behavior

Doctor-assisted suicide

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends on situation (vol.)	Not a moral issue (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2008 May 8-11	51	44	3	*	1
2007 May 10-13	49	44	5	--	2
2006 May 8-11	50	41	6	*	2
2005 May 2-5	49	46	4	*	1
2004 May 2-4	53	41	3	1	2
2003 May 5-7	45	49	5	--	1
2002 May 6-9	50	44	4	*	2
2001 May 10-14	49	40	8	*	3