Social Issues

U.S. Waiting for Race Relations to Improve Under Obama

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Forty-one percent of Americans say race relations have gotten at least a little better under Barack Obama; about half as many say they have worsened. Last November, 70% expected race relations to improve as a result of his election, and 61% still hold out hope that this will happen in the long run.

Support for Legalizing Marijuana Reaches All-Time High

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:15:00 GMT

Forty-four percent of Americans think the use of marijuana should be made legal, up from the 36% who said the same at this time last year, and the highest in Gallup's history of asking this question.

U.S. Support for Legalizing Marijuana Reaches New High

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:15:00 GMT

More than 4 in 10 Americans -- 44% -- believe the use of marijuana should be legalized, while barely half say it should not be. Support for legalization is up from 36% in 2005 and now far exceeds the 31% found at the start of the decade. Politically, most of the increase is seen among Democrats.

In U.S., Two-Thirds Continue to Support Death Penalty

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:30:00 GMT

Two-thirds of Americans (65%) continue to support the use of the death penalty for persons convicted of murder, while 31% oppose it -- continuing a trend that has shown little change over the last six years.

Fewer Americans Want Stricter Gun Laws

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

A record-low 44% of Americans say that the laws covering the sale of firearms should be made more strict, while another 43% say they should be kept as they are now, and 12% say they should be made less strict.

In OECD Countries, Universal Healthcare Gets High Marks

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Gallup reveals that among OECD nations, people in countries with universal healthcare systems are more likely to be satisfied with the availability of quality healthcare in their communities and to have confidence in their national healthcare or medical systems than those without universal healthcare systems.

U.S. Abortion Attitudes Closely Divided

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:00:00 GMT

A mid-July USA Today/Gallup poll finds 47% of Americans calling themselves “pro-life” and 46% “pro-choice.” While the “pro-life” percentage has declined some compared to Gallup findings from May, both 2009 readings find more Americans labeling themselves “pro-life” than has been true in recent years.

In Major Economies, Many See Threat From Climate Change

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:30:00 GMT

With climate change on the agenda at the Group of Eight summit and the Major Economies Forum this week, Gallup Polls reveal that residents in many of these top-polluting nations who are familiar with global warming or climate change believe it poses a serious threat.

Drinking Habits Steady Amid Recession

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

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.

Arab Youth Express Strong Entrepreneurial Spirit

Tue, 09 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.

Arab Youth Perceive Many Barriers to Economic Opportunity

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:00:00 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.

Conservatives Shift in Favor of Openly Gay Service Members

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:15:00 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.

Knowing Someone Gay/Lesbian Affects Views of Gay Issues

Fri, 29 May 2009 15:00:00 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.

Majority of Americans Continue to Oppose Gay Marriage

Wed, 27 May 2009 04:00:00 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.

Republicans Move to the Right on Several Moral Issues

Wed, 20 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.

U.S., Canada Show More Interfaith Cohesion Than Europe

Thu, 07 May 2009 12:00:00 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.

Views on Global Warming Relate to Energy Efficiency

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:00:00 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.

Awareness, Opinions About Global Warming Vary Worldwide

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:00:00 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.

Among OECD Nations, U.S. Lags in Personal Health

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:00:00 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.

Increased Number Think Global Warming Is “Exaggerated”

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:30:00 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.

Majority of Americans Likely Support Stem Cell Decision

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:45:00 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.

Marriage

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:00:00 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?

Jobless, Bailout News Trigger Unhappiest Day So Far in 2008

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:15:00 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.

No Evidence Bad Times Are Boosting Church Attendance

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:00:00 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.

Cable, Internet News Sources Growing in Popularity

Mon, 15 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.