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Q: All in all, are you . . . ? Satisfied with the way things are going in the country today 13% 33
Q: How would you rate . . . ? Economic conditions in the country are . . . Excellent/good Only fair December 2008 7% 33% December 2012 15 50 Poor 59% 35
Q: Whats your view? Do you think the country is . . . ? December 2012 Country is more politically divided these days than in the past Not more divided 80% 17 January 2009 46% 45
Q: Thinking about the people you know, are they . . . ? The people you know are more divided over politics than in the past Not more divided 60% 35 47% 47
Note: In a November 2012 Gallup poll, 69 percent said Americans were greatly divided about the most important values, while 29 percent said they were united and in agreement about them. Source: Pew Research Center, latest that of December 2012.
1% 31 67
Q: Do you feel the . . . ? Tone of the debate in Congress over the past several years has gotten considerably worse Somewhat worse Basically unchanged Somewhat better Considerably better Blame for the incivility in Congress (major factor) Members themselves Party leaders Political campaigns The media Increased incivility in society The voters
Source: Center on Congress at Indiana University, November 2012.
52% 27 20 1 1
70% 65 54 51 33 24
Q: Which one of the following best describes your feelings about the way the federal government is working these days . . . ? Federal government is working pretty well Just okay Its broken
Note: Asked of registered voters. Source: Fox News, December 2012.
Q: Do you think . . . ? The way politics in Washington works these days is causing serious harm to the United States Effects are not that serious
Source: Gallup/USA Today, December 2012.
7% 26 65
77% 19
Q: Which comes closest to your feeling about the way things are going in Washington . . . ? Enthusiastic about the way things are going in Washington Satisfied but not enthusiastic Dissatisfied but not angry Angry
Source: CBS News, December 2012.
3% 19 54 21
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67% 31
Q: Do you think the country will be . . . ? Better off four years from now Worse off
Source: Gallup/USA Today, November 2012.
54% 41
Q: Looking ahead to next year, are you . . . ? Optimistic about how you and your family will do in 2013 Pessimistic
Source: Gallup/USA Today, December 2012.
Q: And, thinking ahead four years from now at the end of President Obamas second term. By that time, do you think . . . ? Your taxes will Overall government spending will The gap in income between the rich and everyone else will Government spending on programs that help people like you will Increase 62% 51 36 26 Decrease 5% 17 15 24 Stay the same 31% 31 46 46
69% 27
Q: Do you think it is . . . ? Likely that Barack Obama will be able to 2009 2012 Improve the economy 84% 54 Reduce the deficit 49% 40 Improve race relations 75% 56
Q: Thinking about the next 12 months, would you say you . . . ? Feel optimistic about The state of the national economy 48% 48 Your own familys financial situation 68% 66 The way things are going in the country 51% 46 Obamas policies 68% 55*
Note: *Category reads the policies Obama will pursue in his second term in office. Source: ABC/Washington Post, latest that of December 2012.
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Legal under certain circumstances Legal only under certain circumstances 52%
Legal under all circumstances Legal under all circumstances 25% 20%
Q: Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion . . . . Should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if . . . The womans own health is seriously endangered by the pregnancy 1972 2010 83% 84 She is married and does not want any more children 38% 46 She became pregnant as a result of rape 75% 78 The woman wants it for any reason* 37% 42 There is a strong chance of a serious defect in the baby 75% 72 She is not married and does not want to marry the man 41% 41
(continued on the next page)
1972 2010
Note: *Question first asked in 1977. Source: National Opinion Research Center, latest that of 2010.
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Although Americans want to keep abortion legal, only small proportions favor abortion in the second and third trimesters. Again, opinion is very stable on these questions. Most see the issue as a national and not a state issue. Men and women do not differ on being pro-choice or pro-life. There are sharp differences by age and education.
Q: Thinking more generally, do you think abortion should be generally legal or generally illegal during each of the following stages of pregnancy? Abortion should be generally legal In the first three months 1996 2011
Source: Gallup, latest that of June 2011.
64% 62
Q: In general do you agree or disagree . . . ? Agree with the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that established a womans right to abortion Disagree
Source: Quinnipiac, February 2012.
Q: Do you think . . . ? Laws about abortion should be decided at the national level Something each state should decide for itself
Source: Public Religion Research Institute, June 2012.
53% 36
64% 31
Q: With respect to the abortion issue, would you . . . ? National response Consider yourself Pro-choice Pro-life 47% 46 Responses of 1829 Men Women year olds 65+ 47% 46 H.S. grad 41% 53 48% 46 Some college 49% 46 53% 38 College grad 58% 36 37% 56
Pro-choice Pro-life
Source: Gallup, September 2012.
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17%
Q: Which comes closer to your view? In the United States today . . . There is a wide-scale effort to limit womens reproductive health choices and services such as abortion, family planning, and contraception There are some groups that would like to limit womens reproductive health choices and services, but it is not a wide-scale effort There has been no effort to limit womens reproductive health choices
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012.
Q: Do you think the statements made by Congressman Akin regarding abortion and women who have been raped reflect the views of most Republicans, or not? Akins comments reflect the views of most Republicans Do not Dont know/no answer
Source: CBS News, August 2012.
28%
13% 59 27
44 9
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Source: Pew Research Center tabulations of the Current Population Survey, November supplement.
Q: As a result of Barack Obamas election, do you think . . . ? 2008 Race relations will . . . Get a lot/little better Not change 17 Get a little/a lot worse 10
Source: Gallup/USA Today, November 5, 2008.
Q: As a result of Barack Obamas election, do you think . . . ? 2011 National Race relations have . . . Gotten a lot/little better Not changed Gotten a little/lot worse
Source: Gallup, August 2011.
70%
35% 41 23
Q: Here is another series of statements on some different topics. The first one is . . . . 2012 Agree, in the past few years, there hasnt been much real improvement in the position of black people in this country National response Response of whites Responses of blacks
Source: Pew Research Center, April 2012.
38% 33 61
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Past Discrimination
Q: Some people say that because of past discrimination, blacks should be given preference in hiring and promotion. Others say that such preference in hiring and promotion of blacks is wrong because it discriminates against whites. What about your opinionare you . . . ?
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
National response
Against preferences in hiring and promotion of blacks 81%
For
19%
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
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1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20
White responses: Agree, blacks should do the same without special favors 76%
60%
Black responses: Agree, blacks should do the same without special favors
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
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Preferential Treatment
Q: We should make every possible effort to improve the position of blacks and other minorities, even if it means giving them preferential treatment. Do you . . . ?
Source: Pew Research Center, latest that of 2012.
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 White responses: Agree Agree that we should make every possible effort to improve the position of blacks and other minorities, even it means giving them preferential treatment (national) Black responses: Agree 62%
33% 22%
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University Admissions
Q: What do you think the chances are these days that . . . ?
35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 White responses: Very likely
Very likely that a white person won't get admitted to a college or university program while a less qualified black person gets admitted instead (national)
2012
2011
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10
70 College freshmen: Affirmative action in college admissions should be abolished 52% 50%
60
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20
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Source: Cooperative Institutional Research Program, Higher Education Research Institute, and University of California Los Angeles, latest that of 2010.
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