… In Ideology in America, Christopher Ellis and James Stimson describe a striking disjuncture. When identifying themselves in a word, Americans choose “conservative” far more than “liberal.” In fact they have done so for 70 years, and increasingly so since the early 1960s. But when it comes to saying what […] Read more »
No Country for Old Mores
… History doesn’t look kindly on those who stand against equality. Yet, that’s where conservatives have chosen to stand, much to my dismay and their detriment. The pace of Americans’ changing attitudes has been breathtakingly swift and shows no signs of abating. In fact, a report by the nonpartisan Public […] Read more »
Pope Francis faces church divided over doctrine, global poll of Catholics finds
Most Catholics worldwide disagree with church teachings on divorce, abortion and contraception and are split on whether women and married men should become priests, according to a large new poll released Sunday and commissioned by the U.S. Spanish-language network Univision. On the topic of gay marriage, two-thirds of Catholics polled […] Read more »
The S-Curve of Cultural Change
Many observers have been struck by how quickly public opinion has shifted on homosexuality in the United States. … In the mid-1970s, about 70 percent of Americans told pollsters that “sexual relations between two adults of the same sex” were “always wrong.” In the 2010s only 46 percent did. Note […] Read more »
Support for legal marijuana soaring
In a major turnaround from past decades, a majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana, according to a new poll. The CNN/ORC International survey released Monday also indicated that the number of people who say smoking pot is morally wrong has plunged. CONT. CNN Read more »
Forget 2014, poll finds worried Americans predict nation in downhill slide clear through 2050
Ask people to imagine American life in 2050, and you’ll get some dreary visions. Whether they foresee runaway technology or runaway government, rampant poverty or vanishing morality, a majority of Americans predict a future worse than today. CONT. Connie Cass, AP Read more »