Social Issues http://www.gallup.com/ http://backend.userland.com/rss Gallup WebTeam Despite some talk that the recession could be changing Americans’ drinking patterns, Gallup finds no real shift in the prevalence of drinking alcohol among U.S. adults (now 64%) or in how much Americans say they drink. Beer beats out wine, 40% to 34%, as drinkers’ preferred beverage. http://www.gallup.com/poll/121277/Drinking-Habits-Steady-Amid-Recession.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT In its first report on Arab youth, Gallup Poll findings reveal that many young Arabs who don’t already own businesses plan to start one in the next year. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120776/Arab-Youth-Express-Strong-Entrepreneurial-Spirit.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup finds minorities of young people across many Arab League countries surveyed, except in the Gulf region, satisfied with job creation. Young Arabs perceive obstacles to entering the job market relating to lack of economic, selection system, and workforce readiness. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120755/Arab-Youth-Perceive-Barriers-Economic-Opportunity.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:00:00 GMT Americans are more likely now than they were in 2004 to favor allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to serve in the military, 69% vs. 63%. While left-leaning groups remain the most supportive, the biggest increases in support have been among conservatives and weekly churchgoers. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120764/Conservatives-Shift-Favor-Openly-Gay-Service-Members.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:15:00 GMT Americans who personally know someone who is gay or lesbian are more likely than those who do not to support legalized gay marriage, 49% to 27%. They are also more likely to think gay or lesbian relations should be legal and to be comfortable around people who are gay or lesbian. http://www.gallup.com/poll/118931/Knowing-Someone-Gay-Lesbian-Affects-Views-Gay-Issues.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Fri, 29 May 2009 15:00:00 GMT Even though an increasing number of states have moved toward legalizing same-sex marriage in the past year, Americans’ views on the matter have not changed, with 57% opposed and 40% in favor of legal recognition of gay marriages. Americans are more supportive of gay rights in other areas. http://www.gallup.com/poll/118378/Majority-Americans-Continue-Oppose-Gay-Marriage.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Wed, 27 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT Americans’ views about the moral acceptability of 15 different social issues and policies haven’t changed dramatically over the past year. However, Republicans have grown less supportive of embryonic stem-cell research, divorce, and gambling -- pushing the overall figures slightly to the right, politically. http://www.gallup.com/poll/118546/Republicans-Veer-Right-Several-Moral-Issues.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Wed, 20 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT A new report from Gallup and the Coexist Foundation reveals that residents of the U.S. and Canada are more likely than Europeans surveyed to be classified as “integrated.” It also reveals that European Muslims and the general publics have different perceptions of European Muslims’ loyalty to their nations. http://www.gallup.com/poll/118273/Canada-Show-Interfaith-Cohesion-Europe.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 07 May 2009 12:00:00 GMT Worldwide, countries where a higher percentage of the public believes that global warming is a result of human activities use less energy to produce the same amount of GDP. http://www.gallup.com/poll/117835/Views-Global-Warming-Relate-Energy-Efficiency.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT This Earth Day, Gallup reveals the extent to which world citizens vary in their knowledge about global warming and its causes. The data reveal that public awareness of the concept of global warming is distinct from public belief that global warming is a result of human activities. http://www.gallup.com/poll/117772/Awareness-Opinions-Global-Warming-Vary-Worldwide.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMT Despite spending the highest per capita on health, Americans’ satisfaction with their personal health falls near the median among OECD countries. Among OECD members, Gallup finds no clear relationship between government health spending alone and health attitudes. http://www.gallup.com/poll/117205/Americans-Not-Feeling-Health-Benefits-High-Spending.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT While a majority of Americans continue to believe the seriousness of global warming is either correctly portrayed in the news (29%) or underestimated (28%), a record-high 41% now say it is exaggerated. The increased skepticism is seen mainly among Republicans and independents. http://www.gallup.com/poll/116590/Increased-Number-Think-Global-Warming-Exaggerated.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:30:00 GMT A majority of Americans likely support President Barack Obama’s executive order Monday allowing for more federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Gallup recently found 38% in favor of fewer restrictions and another 14% in favor of no restrictions at all. http://www.gallup.com/poll/116485/Majority-Americans-Likely-Support-Stem-Cell-Decision.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:45:00 GMT Do you think couples that live together before marriage are more likely or less likely to get divorced than couples that do not live together before marriage?Do you think marriages between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid? http://www.gallup.com/poll/117328/Marriage.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Americans’ collective level of happiness or enjoyment without a lot of stress or worry fell to a new low of 35% on Thursday, Dec. 11, the same day the U.S. Labor Department announced a 26-year high in new jobless claims and the auto bailout bill failed in the Senate. http://www.gallup.com/poll/113476/Jobless-Bailout-News-Trigger-Unhappiest-Day-Far-2008.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:15:00 GMT Despite some news reports to the contrary, Gallup Poll Daily tracking shows no evidence that church attendance in America has been increasing as a result of bad economic times; the 42% of Americans who report having attended church regularly over the last several months is unchanged from earlier this year. http://www.gallup.com/poll/113452/Evidence-Bad-Times-Boosting-Church-Attendance.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:00:00 GMT Among daily news sources, only cable and Internet news have shown significant gains in popularity since 2006, while all other media are stable or declining. Local television news remains most popular, with more than half of Americans (51%) saying they turn to it daily. http://www.gallup.com/poll/113314/Cable-Internet-News-Sources-Growing-Popularity.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:00:00 GMT News Sources http://www.gallup.com/poll/113344/News-Sources.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:00:00 GMT Only 31% of black Democrats say homosexual relations are morally acceptable, much more conservative than the position of Democrats in general, despite the fact that the vast majority of blacks identify themselves as Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party. http://www.gallup.com/poll/112807/Blacks-Conservative-Republicans-Some-Moral-Issues.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:00:00 GMT A majority of Americans cite either access to healthcare (30%) or the cost of care (25%) as the most urgent health problem facing the country. This marks the sixth successive year that these two concerns have outweighed concerns about a specific medical disease or condition such as cancer, obesity, or AIDS. http://www.gallup.com/poll/112516/Healthcare-Access-Cost-Top-Health-Concerns.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 01 Dec 2008 04:00:00 GMT Going by the self-reported weight status of U.S. adults, a new Gallup Poll finds men and women weighing more, on average, than they did earlier this decade, and a record-high 38% of women saying they are seriously trying to lose weight. http://www.gallup.com/poll/112426/Americans-Weight-Issues-Going-Away.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Wed, 26 Nov 2008 04:00:00 GMT While the state of Maryland is embroiled in a debate over repealing its death penalty statute, Americans as a whole support the death penalty for someone convicted of murder, at the rate of 64%. Only 30% oppose it, and even fewer -- 21% -- say it’s imposed “too often.” http://www.gallup.com/poll/111931/Americans-Hold-Firm-Support-Death-Penalty.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:00:00 GMT The vast majority of U.S. workers have not been offered the opportunity to telecommute from home (85%) one or more days per week, or switch to a four-day workweek (81%) to help offset their commuting costs because of the high price of gas. http://www.gallup.com/poll/109546/Telecommuting-Still-Rare-Perk.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT Cohabitation is more common than marriage among 18- to 20-year-olds in the United States, but the two lifestyles are about even among 21- to 23-year-olds, and by age 24, marriage wins out. Americans have mixed views about the effects of living together on divorce and children. http://www.gallup.com/poll/109402/Age-24-Marriage-Wins.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:00:00 GMT Relatively few sports fans say they are suspicious about possible use of performance-enhancing drugs when they see or hear about Olympic athletes breaking world records in track and field (35%) and swimming (22%). http://www.gallup.com/poll/109372/Sports-Fans-Suspicious-Steroid-Use-Record-Breakers.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:30:00 GMT