Americans rarely agree as overwhelmingly as they did in November 1938. Just two weeks after Nazi Germany coordinated a brutal nationwide attack against Jews within its own borders — an event known as “Kristallnacht” — Gallup asked Americans: “Do you approve or disapprove of the Nazi treatment of Jews in Germany?” Nearly everyone who responded — 94% — indicated that they disapproved.
Yet, even though nearly all Americans condemned the Nazi regime’s terror against Jews in November 1938, that very same week, 72% of Americans said “No” when Gallup asked: “Should we allow a larger number of Jewish exiles from Germany to come to the United States to live?” Just 21% said “Yes.”
Why this yawning gap between disapproval of the Nazi regime’s persecutions and a willingness to aid refugees? Gallup polling on these topics during the Nazi era helps answer this question, providing important context for understanding Americans’ responses to the threat of Nazism. CONT.
Daniel Greene & Frank Newport, Gallup