Vested Interest - Trends - July 2000 Issue

Who Do You Love?

A Fathers Day poll of 1,031 adults nationwide found that most people love their dads, but think their moms had a bigger influence on them. Slightly more than one in four (28%) of respondents said that their fathers were bigger influences in their upbringing, up a bit from the 22% who said so in a similar 1951 survey. A slight majority (53%) said their moms were the bigger influence, also up slightly from the 48% who said so in 1951. Today, 15% say both parents were equal influences, whereas 25% said so in 1951. (AP, June 17, 2000)

Who Do You Trust?

A Fox News/Opinion Dynamics survey of 900 registered voters nationwide asked respondents to rank several professions for honesty and ethical standards. The professions with the highest rankings were Scientists (73% high or very high standards), Teachers (73%), Ministers/Clergy (72%), Farmers (70%) and Doctors (69%). Those at the bottom of the survey included Insurance Executives (20% high or very high standards), Actors (17%), Politicians (15%), Prostitutes (7%), and Car Salesmen (6%). Lawyers ranked toward the middle of the list, at 24%, tied with stockbrokers and union leaders, but ahead of professional athletes (22%). (The Polling Report)

The Big Horse-race

A Fox News/Opinion Dynamics survey of 900 registered voters nationwide asked respondents whom they intended to vote for this November. With just two candidates, the poll found 49% plan to support Republican George W. Bush, while 39% plan to support Democrat Al Gore, and that 12% were undecided. With four candidates, support for both major candidates fell, while the undecided number grew substantially. The poll found that 42% would vote for George W. Bush, 35% for Al Gore, 3% for Ralph Nader on the Green ticket, and 2% for Pat Buchanan on the Reform ticket, and that the number of undecided voters would soar to 18%. (The Polling Report)

Don't Know Much About History

A telephone survey of 556 college seniors at 55 colleges nationwide conducted by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis found that a majority could not correctly answer a majority of 34 questions about American history. Most could not link the phrase "Give me liberty or give me death" with Revolutionary War hero Patrick Henry, and only 23% knew that James Madison wrote most of the original draft of the U.S. Constitution. A majority did know that the Constitution establishes the division of power within U.S. government, but a third did not. A majority could not tell which half century the U.S. Civil War was fought in. (Correct answer: 1861-1865, or the latter half of the 19th century) (AP, June 27, 2000)

Don't Know Much About Current Events, Either

A CBS News/New York Times poll of 947 adults nationwide asked respondents to evaluate President Clinton's biggest successes and failures. Asked, "regardless of your opinion of the Clinton Administration, what do you think is the Administration's biggest success?" A plurality (44%) said they didn't know, followed by 34% who volunteered that economic growth and deficit reduction were the biggest success. Asked then to list Clinton's biggest failures, a plurality (35%) said they didn't know, followed by 17% who cited morals or Monica Lewinsky. All told, 59% of the respondents approved of Clinton's handling of his job as president. (The Polling Report)