Vested Interest - Trends - January 1998 Issue

Support for Environmental Clean Up Up

A Pew Center for the People and the Press poll of 1,200 adults nationwide found slightly broader support for environmental programs, especially those geared toward greenhouse gases. A strong majority (73%) would pay higher gas taxes in order to pay for environmental programs. Most support environmental groups (66%) over business associations (42%), and most favor President Clinton (61%) over Democrats (57%) or Republicans (55%) in Congress to set the pace. Women are more likely than men to favor the environment. (Pew Center Press Release)

Whom Do Jurors Hate the Most?

Corporate Legal Times has inaugurated the First Annual Juror Outlook survey, hiring DecisionQuest to interview 563 women and 455 men nationwide. Among the findings: Jurors think that banks and insurance companies are "powerful and profitable" and put greed before customers’ needs. Jurors also have low opinions of chemical companies. Most believe that corporations put profits ahead of product safety. Asians and Hispanics believe that racial discrimination is on the rise. Two-thirds of men and women think workers are treated unfairly. Just 17% think that the government should be less involved in regulating product safety. Corporate Legal Times promises that the "survey will provide an understanding of the general public’s beliefs and attitudes that will ultimately be applied to trial strategy." (PRNewswire, December 2, 1997)

Go North, Old Woman

An analysis of data from the 1990 Census by Harvard University researchers found the counties and urban areas with the highest life expectancy. For men, the top five include Cashe and Rich counties in Utah (average expectancy 77.5 years); Douglas County, Colorado (77.0); Story County, Iowa and Fairfax County, Virginia (76.7;) and Ozaukee County, Wisconsin (76.6). For women, four of the top five areas are in Minnesota, and the fifth is just over the border in the Dakotas. For women, the best areas are: Stearns County, Minnesota (83.5); Brookings County, South Dakota (83.4); Jackson, Nobles, and Rock counties, Minnesota (83.0); Nicolett County, Minnesota (82.8); and Carver County, Minnesota (82.8). (AP, December 4, 1997)

Wide but Thin Support for Bill of Rights

If the Bill of Rights was put up for a referendum today, it would pass, but many would want limitations, according to a poll of 1,026 adults nationwide conducted by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis for The Freedom Forum. More than 9 in 10 would vote to ratify First Amendment guarantees of free speech, press, religion, and association. But large groups would support amendments. Half oppose offensive art. Half also oppose flag burning. Nearly half oppose songs with distasteful lyrics. Another 4 in 10 oppose alcohol advertising. The Forum concludes that most citizens are willing to head down a "slippery slope" to restrict constitutional rights. (AP, December 16, 1997)