Poll also finds that “majorities in Europe support ban of burqa”

From Harris Interactive:

“A new Financial Times/Harris Poll of adults under 65 finds support for increased security measures after the attempted bombing of a plane on Christmas Day. Majorities of those surveyed in the United States (64%), Great Britain (62%), Italy (58%), France (58%), and Germany (53%) as well as 46% of Spaniards and 44% of Chinese all agree that body scanners that X-ray the fill [sic] body should be introduced at airports….

“The support changes depending on country for other security measures. Seven in ten Italians (71%), two-thirds of Chinese (67%), over three in five Spaniards (63%), half of French adults (50%), just under half of Germans (48%) and 43% of Britons all agree that governments should increase security checks in public places such as parks, shopping centers, and other places where large groups gather. Americans are more divided. While two in five (40%) agree with this idea, 35% do not and one-quarter (26%) neither agree nor disagree.

“The public is more divided when it comes to the amount of surveillance of individuals by the government already. Two in five Spaniards (40%), French adults (39%), Britons (39%), and Germans (38%) agree there is too much surveillance by governments…. Among the Chinese, while 34% agree there is too much surveillance already, 22% disagree and over two in five (43%) neither agree nor disagree. Americans are the most split on this issue. Just over one-third (35%) feel there is not already too much surveillance by the government while 32% agree there is and 33% neither agree nor disagree.

“The Wearing of a Burqa

“A French government commission has proposed a ban of the Muslim burqa veil which covers the entire female body from head to toe. While a very strong majority of adults in France (70%) are in favor of such a ban, majorities in the other European countries are as well. Almost two-thirds of Spaniards (65%), 63% of Italians, 57% of British adults and 50% of Germans all would like to see such a ban implemented in their country….

“Security is an issue that divides people. Clearly, one needs to feel safe and secure when on planes and in public places. At the same time, there is the concern that governments may be going too far with the amount of surveillance they currently have in place…. ”

For the full release from Harris Interactive, Mar. 10, click here.

Poll finds Millennials more ethnically and racially diverse, less religious, and more tolerant than older adults; they’re also “on track to become the most educated generation in American history”

From the Pew Research Center:

“Generations, like people, have personalities, and Millennials — the American teens and twenty-somethings who are making the passage into adulthood at the start of a new millennium — have begun to forge theirs: confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat and open to change.

“They are more ethnically and racially diverse than older adults. They’re less religious, less likely to have served in the military, and are on track to become the most educated generation in American history.

“Their entry into careers and first jobs has been badly set back by the Great Recession, but they are more upbeat than their elders about their own economic futures as well as about the overall state of the nation….

“They embrace multiple modes of self-expression. Three-quarters have created a profile on a social networking site. One-in-five have posted a video of themselves online…. But their look-at-me tendencies are not without limits. Most Millennials have placed privacy boundaries on their social media profiles….

“Whether as a by-product of protective parents, the age of terrorism or a media culture that focuses on dangers, they cast a wary eye on human nature. Two-thirds say ‘you can’t be too careful’ when dealing with people. Yet they are less skeptical than their elders of government. More so than other generations, they believe government should do more to solve problems….

“They are the least overtly religious American generation in modern times. One-in-four are unaffiliated with any religion, far more than the share of older adults when they were ages 18 to 29. Yet not belonging does not necessarily mean not believing. Millennials pray about as often as their elders did in their own youth….

“Only about six-in-ten were raised by both parents — a smaller share than was the case with older generations. In weighing their own life priorities, Millennials (like older adults) place parenthood and marriage far above career and financial success. But they aren’t rushing to the altar. Just one-in-five Millennials (21%) are married now, half the share of their parents’ generation at the same stage of life. About a third (34%) are parents, according to the Pew Research survey….

“They get along well with their parents. Looking back at their teenage years, Millennials report having had fewer spats with mom or dad than older adults say they had with their own parents when they were growing up. And now, hard times have kept a significant share of adult Millennials and their parents under the same roof. About one-in-eight older Millennials (ages 22 and older) say they’ve ‘boomeranged’ back to a parent’s home because of the recession….

“To be sure, Millennials remain the most likely of any generation to self-identify as liberals; they are less supportive than their elders of an assertive national security policy and more supportive of a progressive domestic social agenda. They are still more likely than any other age group to identify as Democrats. Yet by early 2010, their support for Obama and the Democrats had receded, as evidenced both by survey data and by their low level of participation in recent off-year and special elections….

“Most Millennials (61%) in our January 2010 survey say their generation has a unique and distinctive identity. That doesn’t make them unusual, however. Roughly two-thirds of Silents, nearly six-in-ten Boomers and about half of Xers feel the same way about their generation.

“But Millennials have a distinctive reason for feeling distinctive. In response to an open-ended follow-up question, 24% say it’s because of their use of technology….

“Millennials’ technological exceptionalism is chronicled throughout the survey. It’s not just their gadgets — it’s the way they’ve fused their social lives into them. For example, three-quarters of Millennials have created a profile on a social networking site, compared with half of Xers, 30% of Boomers and 6% of Silents. There are big generation gaps, as well, in using wireless technology, playing video games and posting self-created videos online. Millennials are also more likely than older adults to say technology makes life easier and brings family and friends closer together (though the generation gaps on these questions are relatively narrow)….

“Of the four generations, Millennials are the only one that doesn’t cite ‘work ethic’ as one of their principal claims to distinctiveness…. Asked who has the better work ethic, about three-fourths of respondents said that older people do. By similar margins, survey respondents also found older adults have the upper hand when it comes to moral values and their respect for others.

“It might be tempting to dismiss these findings as a typical older adult gripe about ‘kids today.’ But when it comes to each of these traits — work ethic, moral values, respect for others — young adults agree that older adults have the better of it. In short, Millennials may be a self-confident generation, but they display little appetite for claims of moral superiority.

“That 2009 survey also found that the public — young and old alike — thinks the younger generation is more racially tolerant than their elders. More than two decades of Pew Research surveys confirm that assessment. In their views about interracial dating, for example, Millennials are the most open to change of any generation, followed closely by Gen Xers, then Boomers, then Silents.

“Likewise, Millennials are more receptive to immigrants than are their elders. Nearly six-in-ten (58%) say immigrants strengthen the country, according to a 2009 Pew Research survey; just 43% of adults ages 30 and older agree.

“The same pattern holds on a range of attitudes about nontraditional family arrangements, from mothers of young children working outside the home, to adults living together without being married, to more people of different races marrying each other. Millennials are more accepting than older generations of these more modern family arrangements, followed closely by Gen Xers. To be sure, acceptance does not in all cases translate into outright approval. But it does mean Millennials disapprove less…. ”

For the full release from the Pew Research Center, Feb. 24, click here.

“Biggest change is a greatly increased acceptance of gays and lesbians,” poll finds

From Harris Interactive:

“Over the course of the past twenty years, many things about how youth think have changed. Considering how much more the youth of today are exposed to thanks to the Internet, these changes may not be surprising. At the same time, there are some issues, like drugs, where the attitudes of tweens and teens have not changed much in the last two decades. In a recent survey by Harris Interactive conducted for Girl Scouts of the USA, ‘Good Intentions: The Beliefs and Values of Teens and Tweens Today,’ one of the biggest changes found was that many more teens are accepting of gay and lesbian relationships and far fewer find them unacceptable than was the case in 1989.

“…Included in the survey were questions about smoking, sex before marriage, suicide, drugs, abortion, the environment, diet, and diversity….

“Some of the findings include:

“Smoking

“Youth who feel that smoking ‘is OK’ if the smoker ‘finds it enjoyable’ has fallen from 27% to 18% since 1989.

“Sex before marriage

“Fewer tweens and teens now (44%) than in 1989 (53%) think that sex before marriage is ‘OK if a couple loves each other.’…

“Gay and lesbian relations

“Most tweens and teens (59%) now feel that ‘gay or lesbian relations are OK…’. This is a huge increase since 1989, when only 31% believed that….

“Environment

“In a question not asked in 1989, most youth (78%) now believe that ‘everyone has to take care of the environment by doing things like recycling and using less electricity.’

“Diversity

“Most 7th – 12th graders (59%) believe that ‘being around people from different racial or ethnic background is important to me.’ This question was not asked in 1989….

“This survey and the similar survey of 1989 show how quickly opinions on some deeply-held values can change….”

For the full release from Harris, Feb. 17, click here.

“Financial services companies seen as least trustworthy,” poll finds

From Adweek/Harris Interactive:

“It is widely known that people do not just watch the Super Bowl for the football; many are watching to see the commercials. Regardless of how good the game was, there are usually a few ads that people talk about the next day. But one thing that people may not think about is how trustworthy an advertisement may be and, at a higher level, how much trust one can, or cannot, place in an industry’s advertisements.

“Among five major industries, one-third of Americans (34%) say that soft-drink companies’ advertising is most trustworthy. On the other side, almost two in five U.S. adults (38%) say that advertising by financial services companies is least trustworthy….

“Behind soft-drink companies, just over one in five Americans (22%) say they find fast food companies’ advertising most trustworthy, while 18% say that about pharmaceutical companies’ ads. Rounding out the category, 14% say auto companies’ advertising is most trustworthy while 13% say financial services companies’ are most trustworthy….

“For least trustworthy advertising, after financial services companies, three in ten Americans (29%) say pharmaceutical companies’ advertising is least trustworthy. Two in ten say it is auto companies’ ads that are least trustworthy (19%), while 10% say advertising by fast food companies is least trustworthy and 4% say the same about soft drink companies’ ads.

“When it comes to least-trustworthy advertisements, there are some interesting regional differences. Those in the East are more likely to say pharmaceutical advertisements are least trustworthy (34%) while those in the South are more likely to say financial services advertisements (43%) and auto company advertisements (23%) are least trustworthy. Westerners are more likely to say fast food companies are least trustworthy (16%).

“Advertisers have many different challenges they must overcome each time they develop an advertisement. While the most important question they must ask themselves is will the ad sell their product or service, they also must contend with an overall feeling of trustworthiness. Regardless of what individual advertisers create, if an industry’s ads are not seen as trustworthy, their ads may be less credible and less effective.”

For the full release from Harris, Feb. 15, click here.

Pew poll finds that “high level of acceptance among Millennials holds true across ethnic and racial groups”

From the Pew Research Center:

“This is part of a Pew Research Center series of reports exploring the behaviors, values and opinions of the teens and twenty-somethings that make up the Millennial Generation

“Over the last several decades, the American public has grown increasingly accepting of interracial dating and marriage. This shift in opinion has been driven both by attitude change among individuals generally and by the fact that over the period, successive generations have reached adulthood with more racially liberal views than earlier generations. Millennials are no exception to this trend: Large majorities of 18-to-29 year olds express support for interracial marriage within their families, and the level of acceptance in this generation is greater than in other generations.

“…Asked about particular groups to which they do not belong, Millennials are about equally accepting of marriage to someone in any of the groups tested: Roughly nine-in-ten say they would be fine with a family member’s marriage to an African American (88%), a Hispanic American (91%), an Asian American (93%) or a white American (92%).

“This high level of acceptance among Millennials holds true across ethnic and racial groups; there is no significant difference between white, black and Hispanic Millennials in the degree of acceptance of interracial marriage.

“Compared with older groups, particularly Americans ages 50 or older, Millennials are significantly more likely to be accepting of interracial marriage. While 85% of Millennials say they would be fine with a marriage to someone from any of the groups asked about, that number drops to about three-quarters (73%) among 30-to-49-year-olds, 55% among 50-to-64-year-olds, and just 38% of those ages 65 and older. And unlike among Millennials, among those ages 50 and older there are substantial differences between blacks and whites in acceptance of interracial marriage, with older blacks considerably more accepting of interracial marriage than are whites of the same age….

“Other demographic characteristics also are correlated with attitudes towards interracial marriage. Both overall and within each generation, acceptance of interracial marriage is positively associated with being female and with higher levels of education. And among older generations, those who can count at least some members of other races as friends and those who live outside of the South are also more accepting of interracial marriage….

“In addition to their racially liberal views on marriage and dating, a majority of Millennials (54%) in Pew Research’s report on race say at least some of their friends are of a different race. The percentage of white Millennials saying they have black friends (56%) is about the same as the percentage of black Millennials who say they have white friends (55%). There is little difference on this question between Millennials and Americans ages 30 to 49. But Americans ages 50 and older are considerably less likely to have cross-racial friendships, and this difference is largely the result of fewer older whites having black friends…. ”

For the full release from the Pew Research Center, Feb. 1, click here.

Watchdog’s assessment: “For the fourth consecutive year, global declines in freedom outweighed gains”

From Freedom House:

“For the fourth consecutive year, global declines in freedom outweighed gains in 2009, as measured by Freedom House’s annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, Freedom in the World 2010. This represents the longest continuous period of decline for global freedom in the nearly 40-year history of the report.

“In a year marked by intensified repression against human rights defenders and civic activists, declines for freedom were registered in 40 countries in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and the former Soviet Union, representing 20 percent of the world’s total polities. Authoritarian states including Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and Vietnam became more repressive. Declines in freedom also occurred in countries that had registered positive trends in previous years, including Bahrain, Jordan, Kenya, and Kyrgyzstan.

“‘The news for 2009 is cause for real concern,’ said Arch Puddington, Freedom House Director of Research. ‘The decline is global, affects countries with military and economic power, affects countries that had previously shown signs of reform potential, and is accompanied by enhanced persecution of political dissidents and independent journalists. To make matters worse, the most powerful authoritarian regimes have become more repressive, more influential in the international arena, and more uncompromising.’

“Published since 1972, Freedom in the World examines the ability of individuals to exercise their political and civil rights in 194 countries and 14 territories around the world. The survey analyzes developments that occurred in 2009 and assigns each country a freedom status — Free, Partly Free, or Not Free — based on a scoring of performance on key indicators.

“In this year’s findings, five countries moved into Not Free status, and the number of electoral democracies declined to the lowest level since 1995. Sixteen countries made notable gains, with two countries improving their overall freedom status. The most significant improvements in 2009 occurred in Asia.

“The Middle East remained the most repressive region in the world…. Africa suffered the most significant declines, and four countries experienced coups.

“This year’s findings reflect the growing pressures on journalists and new media, restrictions on freedom of association, and repression aimed at civic activists engaged in promoting political reform and respect for human rights….

“Key global findings include:

“Free: The number of countries designated by Freedom in the World as Free in 2009 stands at 89, representing 46 percent of the world’s 194 countries and 46 percent of the world population.

“Partly Free: The number of Partly Free countries declined to 58, or 30 percent of all countries assessed by the survey, comprising 20 percent of the world’s total population.

“Not Free: The number of countries deemed to be Not Free increased to 47, or 24 percent of the total number of countries. Over 2.3 billion people live in societies where fundamental political rights and civil liberties are not respected. China accounts for half of this number….

“Worst of the Worst: Of the 47 countries ranked Not Free, nine countries and one territory received the survey’s lowest possible rating for both political rights and civil liberties: Burma, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Tibet, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Eritrea was downgraded to this level in the past year….”

For more information, see: Full release from Freedom House, Jan. 12 — AP, Jan. 12 — Reuters, Jan. 12.

The Red Cross, Nature Conservancy, and AARP take tops spots on trusted list

From Harris Interactive:

“Among all adults who are familiar with them, the American Red Cross, the Nature Conservancy, AARP, the National Association of Home Builders and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are seen as the most trusted among 12 large organizations that influence politics and business in Washington. PhRMA, the AFL-CIO, the NRA and the Sierra Club are perceived to be the least trusted. Organizations seen with the most power are the AFL-CIO, PhRMA, AARP and the NRA….

“Among those who are familiar with them, the most trusted organizations (based on those who trust them ‘a great deal’ or ‘a fair amount’) are:

• The American Red Cross – 86%
• The Nature Conservancy – 76%
• AARP – 70%
• Nat’l Association of Home Builders – 67%
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce – 66%

“The least trusted organizations on the list are (also based on those who trust them ‘a great deal’ or ‘a fair amount:’

• PhRMA – 37%
• AFL-CIO – 38%
• The NRA – 56%
• Sierra Club – 60%

Power in Washington

“The organizations listed that are believed to have the most power, based on the number of people who are thought to have a ‘great deal’ or ‘a fair amount’ of power (as percentages of those who are familiar with them) are:

• The AFL-CIO – 90%
• PhRMA – 85%
• AARP – 80%
• The NRA – 80%
• National Education Association – 79%
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce – 77%

“The organizations thought to have the least power are:

• The Nature Conservancy – 48%
• Sierra Club – 59%
• American Red Cross – 59%
• National Association of Homebuilders – 63%

“In the five years that The Harris Poll has been measuring public perceptions of these organizations, the results have generally been that those with the least power are most trusted while those with the most power are least trusted. For example, the American Red Cross and the Nature Conservancy receive very high marks for being trusted; at the same time they are seen as having less power. However, by their sheer size and scope of work they are still able to work around their lack of power.

“Groups such as the AFL-CIO, PhRMA and the NRA are the least trusted. Nonetheless they are thought to have lots of power. These groups have risen to power status by the sheer fact they survive on controversy and their ability to play politics very well.

“Two interesting case studies are worth noting. AARP and PhRMA are extremely involved in the health care reform debate. Both have seen their trust numbers go down while the perceptions of their power have gone up…. ”

For the full press release from Harris Interactive, Jan. 19, click here.

Medicare, crime fighting, Social Security, and defense most popular; foreign aid, immigration and naturalization, and food stamps least popular

From Harris Interactive:

“The level of support for most major federal government programs, which rose significantly between 2005 and 2008, remains high. But there has been a little slippage since last year. Medicare, crime-fighting and prevention and Social Security are the most popular of 13 programs covered in this survey, followed by defense, the national parks, unemployment benefits and federal aid to public schools.

“The programs that receive the least public support are foreign aid and immigration and naturalization….

“The main findings of this survey include:

• “A 57% majority of adults support the Medicare program ‘a great deal,’ and a further 33% support it ’somewhat,’ making a total of 90% who support it.
• “Other very popular services include crime-fighting and prevention (88% support, 47% ‘a great deal’), Social Security (86% support and 53% ‘a great deal’); defense (83% and 47% ‘a great deal’); the national parks (83% support and 41% ‘a great deal’); unemployment benefits (82% support and 39% ‘a great deal’) and federal aid to public schools (81% support and 43% ‘A great deal’)….
• “The one program supported by less than 50% is foreign aid (37% support and 6% ‘a great deal’).

“…While the level of support for most programs has not fallen significantly, support for three programs has fallen by five or more percentage points:

• “Immigration and naturalization (from 64% to 55%);
• “Environmental protection (from, 81% to 74%);
• “National parks (from 88% to 83%).

“Surprisingly perhaps, the proportions of Republicans and Democrats who support most of those programs are not very different…. The biggest differences between Republican and Conservative support are for environmental protection (55% and 88%), and food stamps (48% and 78%).

“It is interesting that while government, and ‘Washington,’ are generally unpopular, 12 of the 13 major federal government services are supported by more than half of all adults, ten are supported by more than 70%, and seven are supported by more than 80%.

“The differences between Democrats who tend to be ‘pro-government’ and Republicans who are more likely to be ‘anti-government’ are not as large as one might have expected. Most Republicans support 11 of these 13 programs.

“A possible hypothesis would explain the trends in these numbers since 2005 — that support for government programs increases as the economy goes south, and is starting to fall now as the economy starts to recover.”

For the full press release from Harris Interactive, Jan. 14, click here.

Only a quarter of the U.S. public objects, poll finds

From Rasmussen Reports:

“The Christmas Day terrorist attempt by a Nigerian Muslim on a U.S. airliner has reignited the debate on racial and ethnic profiling in airports, but most Americans agree that profiling is necessary to ensure airline safety.

“The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of adults say factors such as race, ethnicity and overall appearance should be used to determine which boarding passengers to search at airports. Twenty-six percent (26%) say these factors should not be used to determine which passengers to search. Another 15% are not sure….

“Men feel more strongly than women that profiling is necessary in the modern environment. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of men say profiling should be used to determine which boarding passengers to search, but just 51% of women agree.

“Sixty-two percent (62%) of whites and 52% of those of other races say profiling should be used at airports. African-Americans are more closely divided on the question.

“Republicans feel more strongly than Democrats and adults not affiliated with either party that profiling is necessary in today’s environment and that it should be used to determine which boarding passengers to search. Still, a majority of Democrats and unaffiliateds agree with both these positions….

“In November, 63% of voters said political correctness prevented the military from responding to warning signs from a Muslim U.S. Army officer, Major Nadal Malik Hasan, that could have prevented the Fort Hood massacre from taking place…. ”

For the full release from Rasmussen Reports, Jan. 7, click here.

Watchdog group releases 2009 census of journalists jailed for doing their job

From the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ):

“…In its annual census of imprisoned journalists, CPJ found a total of 136 reporters, editors, and photojournalists behind bars on December 1, an increase of 11 from the 2008 tally. (Read detailed accounts of each imprisoned journalist.) A massive crackdown in Iran, where 23 journalists are now in jail, fueled the worldwide increase.

“China continued to be the world’s worst jailer of journalists, a dishonor it has held for 11 consecutive years. Iran, Cuba, Eritrea, and Burma round out the top five jailers from among the 26 nations that imprison journalists. Each nation has persistently placed among the world’s worst in detaining journalists.

“At least 60 freelance journalists are behind bars worldwide, nearly double the number from just three years ago. CPJ research shows the number of jailed freelancers has grown along with two trends: The Internet has enabled individual journalists to publish on their own, and some news organizations, watchful of costs, rely increasingly on freelancers rather than staffers for international coverage. Freelance journalists are especially vulnerable to imprisonment because they often do not have the legal and monetary support that news organizations can provide to staffers.

“‘The days when journalists went off on dangerous assignments knowing they had the full institutional weight of their media organizations behind them are receding into history,’ said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. ‘Today, journalists on the front lines are increasingly working independently. The rise of online journalism has opened the door to a new generation of reporters, but it also means they are vulnerable.’…

“Although antistate allegations such as sedition are the most common charge used to imprison journalists worldwide, CPJ’s census identified an alarming rise in the number of cases in which governments are bypassing due process and filing no charge at all. In 39 cases — more than a quarter of the overall census — authorities have disclosed no formal charges. The tactic is used by countries as wide-ranging as Eritrea, Iran, and the United States.

“Without the legal protection of formal charges or court proceedings, at least 20 of these journalists are being held in secret locations….

“The number of journalists imprisoned in China has dropped over the past several years, but with 24 still behind bars the nation remains the world’s worst jailer of the press. Of those in jail in China, 22 are freelancers….

“Here are other trends and details that emerged in CPJ’s analysis:

• “About 47 percent of journalists in the census are jailed under antistate charges such as sedition, divulging state secrets, and acting against national interests, CPJ found. Many of them are being held by the Chinese, Iranian, and Cuban governments.
• “In about 12 percent of cases, governments have used a variety of charges unrelated to journalism to retaliate against critical writers, editors, and photojournalists. Such charges range from regulatory violations to drug possession. In the cases included in this census, CPJ has determined that the charges were most likely lodged in reprisal for the journalist’s work….
• “The United States, which is holding freelance photographer Ibrahim Jassam without charge in Iraq, made CPJ’s list of countries jailing journalists for the sixth consecutive year. During this period, U.S. military authorities have jailed numerous journalists in Iraq — some for days, others for months at a time — without charge or due process. U.S. authorities appear to be using this tactic less frequently over the past two years.

“…CPJ’s list is a snapshot of those incarcerated at midnight on December 1, 2009. It does not include the many journalists imprisoned and released throughout the year. Journalists remain on CPJ’s list until the organization determines with reasonable certainty that they have been released or have died in custody…. ”

For the full release, Dec. 8, 2009, click here.

Majority of U.S. public plans to give to charity, but size of gifts trending downward, poll finds

From Rasmussen Reports:

“Thirty-nine percent (39%) of Americans say they will be giving less to charity this year than they did a year ago.

“A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 12% say they are giving more to charity compared to years past. The plurality (44%) says they are giving about the same amount again this year.

“Overall, 62% are at least somewhat likely to make a charitable donation of some kind at this time of year. That number includes 41% who are very likely to give to charity.

“Thirty-six percent (36%) are unlikely to give at this time of year, including 16% who are not at all likely to do so….

“Americans are generally confident that their donations are being well-spent. Seventy-two percent (72%) are at least somewhat confident that the money they give to charity is being used effectively, including 37% who are very confident.

“Those who earn $60,000 to $100,000 per year are more likely to increase their giving than those in any other income category….

“Yet other economic indicators suggest why charitable giving may be down. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of adults think the unemployment rate will be the same or higher a year from now….”

For the full release from Rasmussen Reports, Dec. 18, click here.

“For first time, majority of Americans say its members have low ethics”

From Gallup:

“For the first time in Gallup’s annual Honesty and Ethics of Professions poll, a majority of Americans — 55% — say the honesty and ethical standards of ‘members of Congress’ are low or very low — slightly worse than ’senators,’ whose ethics are rated low by 49%. By contrast, 83% of Americans say nurses have either very high or high ethical standards, positioning them at the top of Gallup’s 2009 ranking of various professions.

“The percentage of Americans now believing that members of Congress have low ethics is up from 46% in 2008 and 45% in 2007, and has more than doubled since the start of the decade — rising from 21% in November 2000 to 55% today.

“‘The deterioration in Congress’ ethics rating over the past year has occurred about equally among all three party groups.’…

“Nurses are the undisputed leader in this year’s list of professions — and have ranked No. 1 all but one year since they were added to the list in 1999 (’firefighters’ was asked as a special item in November 2001, and ranked first in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks). In addition to nurses, pharmacists, medical doctors, police, and engineers are all well regarded for their honesty and ethics by more than 6 in 10 Americans….

“Aside from members of Congress, the only other occupational group that the majority of Americans see as having low or very low honesty and ethical standards is car salespeople. At least 40% of Americans perceive several other professions as having low integrity, including senators, stockbrokers, HMO managers, insurance salespeople, and lawyers. Still, it should be noted that two professions not included on the list this year — telemarketers and lobbyists — received even lower ratings in 2008 (60% and 64% ‘poor’ ethics ratings, respectively) than members of Congress do today….”

For the full release from Gallup, Dec. 9, click here.

There is “less concern in the U.S., China, and Russia,” poll finds

From the Pew Research Center:

“When world leaders convene in Copenhagen, Denmark, next week to discuss climate change, they will be addressing a concern that, as the latest Pew Global Attitudes survey finds, is widely shared throughout much of the world. The survey … also reveals that majorities in 23 of 25 countries agree that protecting the environment should be given priority, even at the cost of slower economic growth and job losses. And many are willing to make sacrifices, such as having to pay higher prices, to address global warming.

“Concern about climate change is much less pervasive in the United States, China and Russia than among other leading nations. Just 44% in the U.S. and Russia, and even fewer in China (30%), consider global warming to be a very serious problem. By comparison, 68% in France, 65% in Japan, 61% in Spain and 60% in Germany say that is the case.

“Americans’ views of global warming divide along ideological lines — liberals are more than twice as likely as conservatives to say global warming is a very serious problem (66% vs. 30%). Surveys from 2008 and 2009 suggest that an ideological divide is also evident in Britain, where 66% of those on the political left rate global warming as very serious, compared with 42% of those on the right. A smaller ideological split exists in Germany, France and Spain.

“While there is agreement around the world that climate change is a serious problem, there is much less international consensus as to which country is most trusted to do the right thing on this issue. However, expectations for President Barack Obama’s approach to climate change are high. Majorities or pluralities in 21 of the 25 countries surveyed believe Obama will ‘get the U.S. to take significant measures to control global climate change.’ Expectations are especially high in Western Europe.

“Large majorities in every country surveyed believe that global warming is a serious problem, and majorities in 15 of the 25 countries say it is ‘very serious.’ By a wide margin, Brazilians are the most concerned about this issue….

“Anxiety about global warming is less pervasive among Israelis (48%), Kenyans (48%), Canadians (47%) and Indonesians (44%). Moreover, concern about global warming is low among the publics of some big polluters — including the U.S., Russia and China….

“Concern about changes in the global climate has increased in many countries since 2008 — including the three Middle Eastern countries of Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon….

“Not only are respondents in many countries expressing concern over the issue of global warming, but beliefs are widespread that sacrifices may need to be made to protect the environment. Majorities in 23 of 25 countries agree with the statement ‘Protecting the environment should be given priority, even if it causes slower economic growth and some loss of jobs.’…

In three nations that have enjoyed strong economic growth in recent years — India, China and Brazil — agreement on this issue is nearly universal. Roughly eight-in-ten in India (84%), China (82%) and Brazil (79%) agree with prioritizing the environment over rapid economic expansion…. ”

For the full press release from the Pew Research Center, Dec. 2, click here.

“At a time when massive stimulus packages, fast-track disbursements of public funds and attempts to secure peace are being implemented around the world, it is essential to identify where corruption blocks good governance and accountability, in order to break its corrosive cycle,” notes Transparency International

From Transparency International:

“As the world economy begins to register a tentative recovery and some nations continue to wrestle with ongoing conflict and insecurity, it is clear that no region of the world is immune to the perils of corruption, according to Transparency International’s 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), a measure of domestic, public sector corruption released today.

“‘At a time when massive stimulus packages, fast-track disbursements of public funds and attempts to secure peace are being implemented around the world, it is essential to identify where corruption blocks good governance and accountability, in order to break its corrosive cycle’ said Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International (TI).

“The vast majority of the 180 countries included in the 2009 index score below five on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 10 (perceived to have low levels of corruption). The CPI measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in a given country and is a composite index, drawing on 13 different expert and business surveys. The 2009 edition scores 180 countries, the same number as the 2008 CPI.

“Fragile, unstable states that are scarred by war and ongoing conflict linger at the bottom of the index. These are: Somalia, with a score of 1.1, Afghanistan at 1.3, Myanmar at 1.4 and Sudan tied with Iraq at 1.5. These results demonstrate that countries which are perceived as the most corrupt are also those plagued by long-standing conflicts, which have torn apart their governance infrastructure.

“When essential institutions are weak or non-existent, corruption spirals out of control and the plundering of public resources feeds insecurity and impunity. Corruption also makes normal a seeping loss of trust in the very institutions and nascent governments charged with ensuring survival and stability….

“‘Stemming corruption requires strong oversight by parliaments, a well performing judiciary, independent and properly resourced audit and anti-corruption agencies, vigorous law enforcement, transparency in public budgets, revenue and aid flows, as well as space for independent media and a vibrant civil society,’ said Labelle. ‘The international community must find efficient ways to help war-torn countries to develop and sustain their own institutions.’

“Highest scorers in the 2009 CPI are New Zealand at 9.4, Denmark at 9.3, Singapore and Sweden tied at 9.2 and Switzerland at 9.0. These scores reflect political stability, long-established conflict of interest regulations and solid, functioning public institutions….

“Even industrialised countries cannot be complacent: the supply of bribery and the facilitation of corruption often involve businesses based in their countries. Financial secrecy jurisdictions, linked to many countries that top the CPI, severely undermine efforts to tackle corruption and recover stolen assets.

“‘Corrupt money must not find safe haven. It is time to put an end to excuses,’ said Labelle. ‘The OECD’s work in this area is welcome, but there must be more bilateral treaties on information exchange to fully end the secrecy regime. At the same time, companies must cease operating in renegade financial centres.’

“Bribery, cartels and other corrupt practices undermine competition and contribute to massive loss of resources for development in all countries, especially the poorest ones. Between 1990 and 2005, more than 283 private international cartels were exposed that cost consumers around the world an estimated US $300 billion in overcharges, as documented in a recent TI report…. ”

For the full release from Transparency International, Nov. 17, click here.

Survey of 14 nations finds lingering affection for communism, disenchantment with how democracy is working

From the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project:

“Nearly two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, publics of former Iron Curtain countries generally look back approvingly at the collapse of communism. Majorities of people in most former Soviet republics and Eastern European countries endorse the emergence of multiparty systems and a free market economy.

“However, the initial widespread enthusiasm about these changes has dimmed in most of the countries surveyed; in some, support for democracy and capitalism has diminished markedly. In many nations, majorities or pluralities say that most people were better off under communism, and there is a widespread view that the business class and political leadership have benefited from the changes more than ordinary people.

“Nonetheless, self reported life satisfaction has risen significantly in these societies compared with nearly two decades ago….

“The acceptance of — and appetite for — democracy is much less evident today among the publics of the former Soviet republics of Russia and Ukraine, who lived the longest under communism.

“In contrast, Eastern Europeans, especially the Czechs and those in the former East Germany, are more accepting of the economic and societal upheavals of the past two decades.

“East Germans, in particular, overwhelmingly approve of the reunification of Germany, as do those living in what was West Germany. However, fewer east Germans now have very positive views of reunification than in mid-1991….

“One of the most positive trends in Europe since the fall of the Wall is a decline in ethnic hostilities among the people of former communist countries….

“Concern about Russia is another sentiment shared by both Eastern and Western Europeans. A majority of the French (57%) and 46% of Germans say Russia is having a bad influence on their countries; this view is shared by most Poles (59%) and sizable minorities in most other Eastern European countries. The exceptions are Bulgaria and Ukraine, where on balance Russia’s influence is seen as more positive than negative.

“As for the Russians themselves, there has been an upsurge in nationalist sentiment since the early 1990s. A majority of Russians (54%) agree with the statement ‘Russia should be for Russians’; just 26% agreed with that statement in 1991. Moreover, even as they embrace free market capitalism, fully 58% of Russians agree that ‘it is a great misfortune that the Soviet Union no longer exists.’ And nearly half (47%) say ‘it is natural for Russia to have an empire.’

“These are among the major findings of a new, 14-nation survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project that was conducted Aug. 27 through Sep. 24 among 14,760 adults….

“While the current polling finds a broad endorsement for the demise of communism, reactions vary widely among and within countries….

“Opinions among east Germans about the impact of unification on their lives are consistent with one of the most striking trends observed in the new survey. People in former communist countries now rate their lives markedly higher than they did in 1991, when they were still coming to grips with the massive changes then taking place. This is true even in countries where overall levels of satisfaction with life — as well as positive assessments of political and economic changes — are significantly lower than in the most upbeat of the nations surveyed….

“While the current survey finds people in former communist countries feeling better about their lives than they did in 1991, the increases in personal progress have been uneven demographically, as has been acceptance of economic and political change….

“The demographic gaps in well-being among the publics of former Iron Curtain countries were suggested by reactions to the end of communism two decades ago. It was the young, the better educated and the urban populations who were cheering. How older, less well educated and rural people would adapt was then identified as one of the principal challenges to acceptance of democracy and capitalism. This remains the case, especially in Russia and Ukraine, where people who now rate their lives well voice the strongest support for democratic values, while those less satisfied are the least disposed to the new values.

“Indeed, the prevailing view in Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary is that people were better off economically under communism. Only in the Czech Republic and Poland do pluralities believe that most people are now better off. Furthermore, the consensus in many of these countries is that ordinary people have benefited far less than have business owners and politicians….

“The embrace of political rights and civil liberties is also varied and disparate across countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. On every dimension studied, more people say they value these rights and liberties than say they enjoy them.

“A fair judiciary is the value most prized in the former communist countries surveyed. And in every country in the region, large numbers say that right does not prevail. Freedom of speech, a free press and even honest elections are given somewhat lower priority in most societies, especially Russia….

“A general conclusion that can be drawn from the poll’s results suggests that Russians express the least enthusiasm for democratic values, while the most acceptance is expressed by those in the former East Germany, closely followed by the Poles and Czechs…. ”

For the full release from the Pew Research Center, Nov. 2, click here.

But most of the U.S. public says hate speech, while repugnant, should be allowed

From Rasmussen Reports:

“President Obama last week signed into law ‘hate crime’ legislation that adds sexual orientation to other protected categories including race, color, religion and national origin.

“A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Americans feel criminals should be prosecuted more severely if it can be proved that their crime was motivated by the victim’s race, color, religion, national origin or sexual orientation. Thirty-one percent (31%) disagree, and 19% are not sure.

“But most Americans (56%) also say the United States should not ban ‘hate speech,’ which is defined as verbal abuse aimed at the same demographic protected by hate crime legislation. Twenty-three percent (23%) of adults favor a ban on hate speech. Twenty-one percent (21%) are not sure.

“In a June 2008 survey, 88% of voters said, generally speaking, free speech is good for the United States.

“An overwhelming majority (73%) of Americans believe it is better to allow free speech without government interference over letting government decide what types of hate speech should be banned. Just 12% prefer letting the government determine what speech should be banned, and 16% are undecided….

“Women support prosecution of hate crimes more than men. Younger voters favor them much more strongly than their elders….

“Sixty-two percent (62%) of Democrats feel criminals should be prosecuted more severely for hate crimes. Republicans and voters not affiliated with either major party are almost evenly divided on the question….

“Sixty percent (60%) of voters now say U.S. society is generally fair and decent, but that’s down nine points since late August and the lowest measure since President Obama took office in January….

“This past summer, 50% of Americans said hate is growing in America in the wake of the murders of a doctor who performed late-term abortions and a military recruiter and a shooting incident at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in which a guard was killed. Thirty-five percent (35%) disagreed, saying they were isolated incidents.”

For the full release from Rasmussen Reports, Nov. 3, click here.

Majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independent voters all favor making insurance companies subject to antitrust laws

From Rasmussen Reports:

“Sixty-five percent (65%) of voters nationwide say laws should be changed so that health insurance companies are subject to anti-trust regulations. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 12% disagree, while 23% are not sure.

“Anti-trust laws are intended to prevent companies and other business entities from working together in ways that limit competition.

“Support for putting the health insurance companies under the anti-trust umbrella is consistent with another survey finding: 66% say free market competition between insurance companies will do more than government regulation to reduce health care costs. Just 23% believe more government regulation is the way to reduce costs, and 10% are not sure….

“Voters continue to believe health care reform is needed, but they also remain skeptical about the proposals working their way through Congress. Fifty-four percent (54%) say major changes are needed in the health care system, but just 42% support the approach proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats.

“Eighty-six percent (86%) of Republicans and 73% of unaffiliated voters believe that free market competition will do more than government regulation to reduce health care costs. Democrats are evenly divided.

“Democrats, however, favor making insurance companies subject to anti-trust laws by a seven-to-one margin. Sixty-four percent (64%) of unaffiliated voters and 58% of Republicans share that view.

“The insurance industry was exempted from antitrust laws by Congress in 1945 after the Supreme Court ruled that the industry should be regulated by the government. State agencies have been the primary regulators of the industry….”

For the full release from Rasmussen Report, Oct. 22, click here.

“Many people prefer to buy locally grown, or organic, produce and ‘green’ products from environmentally-friendly companies, but not if they are much more expensive,” poll finds

From Harris Interactive:

“It’s quite popular for people to claim that they care about the environment. In fact many millions of people — from 18% to 39% of all adults — say that their purchasing behavior and other interactions with companies is sometimes influenced by environmental factors. However, in reality, only a very small minority is willing to pay substantially more for ‘green’ products or goods produced by environmentally-friendly companies….

“Over 30% of adults say that they often or always purchase locally grown products or seek out and are willing to pay more for ‘green’ products. And a quarter of all adults say that environmental issues are very important to them when deciding what products to buy. But only a few people seek out and buy green products if they have to pay a lot more for them (2%) or say the cost doesn’t matter (3%).

“Some of the findings of this Harris Poll include:

• “26% of all adults say that environmental issues are extremely or very important to them when deciding what products or services to buy;
• “17% say that environmental issues are extremely or very important to them when deciding what company to work for;
• “Fully 32% say they seek out ‘green’ products and are willing to pay at least a little more for ‘green’ products…

“…The survey also found that most people were taking some action, however modest, to limit their use of electricity, water or gasoline. While two-thirds (67%) of these people said that they were doing this to benefit the environment, over half (55%) said that they were doing this to save money….

“The most important conclusion to be drawn from these findings is that ‘green marketing’ surely appeals to substantial numbers of consumers. Everything else being equal, many millions of people would prefer to buy products and services that are ‘green’ or are produced by environmentally-friendly companies. However, if ‘green’ products cost significantly more than less ‘green’ products, relatively few people will buy them. When push comes to shove, in these economic times especially, price usually trumps environmental factors.”

For the full release from Harris, Oct. 23, click here.

“Majority in the West favors taxing marijuana sales to boost state revenues,” poll finds

From Gallup:

“Gallup’s October Crime poll finds 44% of Americans in favor of making marijuana legal and 54% opposed. U.S. public support for legalizing marijuana was fixed in the 25% range from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, but acceptance jumped to 31% in 2000 and has continued to grow throughout this decade.

“Public opinion is virtually the same on a question that relates to a public policy debate brewing in California — whether marijuana should be legalized and taxed as a way of raising revenue for state governments. Just over 4 in 10 Americans (42%) say they would favor this in their own state; 56% are opposed. Support is markedly higher among residents of the West — where an outright majority favor the proposal — than in the South and Midwest. The views of Eastern residents fall about in the middle.

“The new findings come as the U.S. Justice Department has reportedly decided to loosen its enforcement of federal anti-marijuana laws by not pursuing individuals who buy or sell small amounts of the drug in conformity with their own states’ medical marijuana laws. This seems likely to meet with U.S. public approval, as previous Gallup polling has found Americans generally sympathetic to legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. In 2003, 75% of Americans favored allowing doctors to legally prescribe marijuana to patients in order to reduce pain and suffering.

“The highest level of support for decriminalizing the use of marijuana today is seen with self-described liberals, among whom 78% are in favor. In contrast, 72% of conservatives are opposed. Moderates are about evenly divided on whether the use of marijuana should be legal, although they tilt against it (51% vs. 46%)….

“Public mores on legalization of marijuana have been changing this decade, and are now at their most tolerant in at least 40 years….”

For the full release from Gallup, Oct. 19, click here.

“New report shows corrupt business costs billions, hurts commerce, development, and consumers”

From Transparency International:

“The massive scale of global corruption resulting from bribery, price-fixing cartels and undue influence on public policy is costing billions and obstructing the path towards sustainable economic growth, according to a new report released today by Transparency International (TI).

“The Global Corruption Report 2009: Corruption and the Private Sector (GCR) shows how corrupt practices constitute a destructive force that undermines fair competition, stifles economic growth and ultimately undercuts a business’s own existence. In the last two years alone, companies have had to pay billions in fines due to corrupt practices. The cost extends to low staff morale and a loss of trust among customers as well as prospective business partners….

“The report documents many cases of managers, majority shareholders and other actors inside corporations who abuse their entrusted power for personal gain, to the detriment of owners, investors, employees and society at large. In developing and transition countries alone, companies colluding with corrupt politicians and government officials, have supplied bribes estimated at up to US $40 billion annually, according to the GCR.

“Research in the report also shows that half of international business executives polled estimated that corruption raised project costs by at least 10 percent. Ultimately, it is citizens who pay: consumers around the world were overcharged approximately US $300 billion through almost 300 private international cartels discovered from 1990 to 2005.

“Another concern addressed in the report is how the sheer economic power of some companies and business sectors translates into disproportionate and undue leverage on political decision-making….

“Revolving doors between public office and the private sector, another practice documented in the report, provide a smooth path to deceitful public procurement deals where non-competitive bidding and opaque processes lead to immense waste and unreliable services or goods.

“The extent and multifaceted ways in which private sector corruption is manifested greatly surpasses the few companies that actually employ systems to stop this abuse of power for illicit gain. Almost 90 per cent of the top 200 businesses worldwide have adopted business codes, but fewer than half report that they monitor compliance, according to the report….

“Corporate integrity pays. Companies with anti-corruption programmes and ethical guidelines are found to suffer up to 50 percent fewer incidents of corruption and to be less likely to lose business opportunities than companies without such programmes. The tools for corporate anti-corruption action are broadly and readily available but companies must pick up the pace in applying them….”

For the full press release from Transparency International, Sep. 23, as well as links to the full report, click here.