Trust is an essential elixir for public life and neighborly relations, and when Americans think about trust these days, they worry. Two-thirds of adults think other Americans have little or no confidence in the federal government. Majorities believe the public’s confidence in the U.S. government and in each other is […] Read more »
How Americans see the future of space exploration, 50 years after the first moon landing
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, which was the first time humans set foot on the moon. The United States remains the only country to have put people on the moon, and, as of 2018, the large majority of Americans consider it essential that […] Read more »
Moon landing is still a source of pride
Apollo 11’s mission still inspires optimism: eight in ten Americans say it represents the kind of achievement the U.S. is likely to achieve again someday. For many, it still towers over other events that have come in the ensuing fifty years. Most over age 65, and a plurality of all […] Read more »
For First Time, Majority in U.S. Backs Human Mission to Mars
Americans’ views about landing an astronaut on Mars have shifted, with a majority now favoring the idea for the first time since 1969 and 1999, when majorities opposed the idea. CONT. Justin McCarthy, Gallup Read more »
Why Do Opinion Leaders Misjudge Public Attitudes?
Last week, Dina Smeltz, Jordan Tama, and I had a piece in the Monkey Cage on the results of our 2018 survey of 588 foreign policy opinion leaders. We found that these opinion leaders misestimated public attitudes on (1) US engagement in the world, (2) support for trade, (3) support […] Read more »
50 Years After Moon Landing, Support for Space Program High
With the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing approaching, a record-high 64% say the U.S. space program’s costs are justifiable. Americans’ views have grown increasingly positive over various Apollo 11 anniversaries since 1979. CONT. Justin McCarthy, Gallup Read more »