Vested Interest - Trends - July 1999 Issue

Growing Pessimism Over Morals

A Pew Center for the People and the Press poll of 1,564 adults nationwide found heightened concern about the state of morality in America. While two out of three think their families lives are better now than immediately after WWII, a majority fear that moral values have declined, particularly among teens. The poll, conducted from April 6 through May 6, bracketed the shootings at Littleton, Colorado. Even among those surveyed before the shootings, 52% thought life was worse for teens, and 25% thought life was worse for the country. After the shootings, 61% expressed fears that life was worse for teens, and 36% worse for all. A strong majority, 66%, also suggested that growing use of credit cards is a bad thing. (AP, July 5, 1999)

Maybe If They Cloned Neil Armstrong?

Most Americans think the 1969 landing on the moon was this century's greatest achievement, according to the Pew poll of 1,564 adults. Altogether, two in five agree that technological advances, including TV and radio as well as the moon shot, mark the high points in twentieth century life. But two low points are nuclear technology and cloning. Fewer than 20% think nuclear weapons are a positive development, and over half believe that cloning is a change for the worse. (AP, July 3, 1999)

Victory in Kosovo

A Gallup/CNN/USA Today poll of 1,022 adults nationwide measured attitudes toward the recently concluded bombing campaign in Kosovo. Nearly two-thirds (65%) favor the peace agreement, while 66% favor the use of American ground troops as part of an international peacekeeping mission. A larger share, 73%, favor U.S. economic aid to help rebuild the region for the refugees. Just over two-thirds (67%) think President Clinton deserves a moderate amount (47%) or a great deal (20%) of the credit for the peace agreement. And 61% think the campaign has made America stronger in the world. (Polling Report)

Americans Want Abstinence Training in High School - Along with Sex Ed

A survey of 1,050 adults nationwide by Hickman-Brown research for Advocates for Youth found that slightly over 90% of all respondents think llth and 12th graders should get information on abstinence in high school. In a separate question, 90% also said they think those same students should get information on birth control. Almost as many support abstinence and birth control information for 9th and l0th graders. And strong majorities favor both types of information for 7th and 8th graders. (AP, June 3, 1999)

Poor Kids More Likely to Have Working Parents

A survey by the National Center for Children in Poverty found that the percentage of children under 6 who live in poverty fell from 23.2% in 1996 to 22.0% in 1997. Still, the share of children in poverty with working parents has grown to nearly two-thirds. The Center points to the 1996 welfare reform law, which "has done better at moving families off the rolls than it has at moving families out of poverty," according to Center director Lawrence Aber. Among the survey's other findings: a college degree is more important now than ever before. People whose educations ended with a high school diploma or some college earn significantly less than do people who have finished college. (AP, June 17,1999)