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For over a century, the American auto industry has shaped how people live, travel, and connect. But, behind the freedom of the open road is a story of change driven by safety concerns, environmental goals, and public demand. From seat belts to electric vehicles, what Americans expect from their cars has evolved.

This transformation is even seen in pop culture. In Cars 3, Lightning McQueen is challenged by a new generation of racers designed for speed and efficiency, reflecting real-world shifts in how vehicles are built and used. Over time, government policy, public opinion, and technology have worked together to build a safer and cleaner road ahead.

In 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act into law, launching a $25 billion (nearly $300 billion today) project to build 41,000 miles of interstate highways. At the time, it was the largest public works project in U.S. history and, over the ensuing decades, radically changed American life. That same year, a Gallup poll found that 76% of Americans supported building more express or superhighways between large cities, showing strong public backing for the large project even before construction began.

But, with new, faster highways came concerns about auto safety.

In 1966, passage of Highway Safety Act and the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act authorized the federal government to create and enforce more safety rules. This led to requirements such as having seat belts and head rests in the cars, energy-absorbing steering wheels, and shatter-resistant windshields. A Gallup poll from the same year showed that 54% of Americans who had seat belts in their car used seat belts “some of the time” while 32% used seat belts “always.”

Two decades later, airbags became widely available after years of research and limited production runs. In 1986, Mercedes-Benz became the first automaker to make airbags standard in its U.S. vehicles. In 1984, a Cambridge Reports National Omnibus Survey showed that 37% supported requiring passive restraints, such as airbags, while 42% favored mandatory seat belt laws, highlighting public support for more government vehicle safety rules.

By 1995, 49 states had seat belt laws. Airbags saved 475 lives in 1995 and seat belts cut fatal injuries by 45% to front seat passenger occupants, proving their life-saving impact. A 1999 Roper Starch Worldwide/Insurance Research Council Poll found that among those who had recently bought or leased a car in the past three years, 61% said safety features like airbags and anti-lock brakes were the most important factor influencing their decision.

About 20 years after airbags became the “new” auto safety standard, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) became mandatory in all new passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. This 2012 requirement marked another major step forward auto safety — this time by focusing on preventing crashes in the first place. That same year, the federal government finalized a rule requiring backup cameras in all new cars by 2018 to address rising concerns over backing accidents. By 2017, consumer demand for advanced driver assistance was growing, with 30% of drivers (asked of those who do not already have each item) saying they would want blind spot awareness and 27% selecting automatic emergency braking, according to an AARP/GfK poll.

Another huge change in auto culture came in response to the 1973-74 oil embargo. Congress passed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, establishing the first-ever Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. These rules required automakers to dramatically improve fuel efficiency from 15.2 mpg to 27.5 mpg by 1985. At the time, public opinion strongly supported improvement in fuel efficiency. A 1979 Opinion Research Corporation poll found that 89% of Americans favored providing incentives to automakers to improve fuel efficiency.

In 2007, the Energy Independence and Security Act was signed into law, aiming to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and cut emissions by improving energy efficiency. One of its most impactful provisions raised fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020. A 2008 Rockefeller Foundation/Time Magazine poll found that 79% of Americans supported higher fuel economy standards, with 59% “strongly” in favor.

Reducing emissions have gone hand in hand with efficiency standards but, in 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14037 setting a national goal for 50% of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold by 2030 to be zero emission vehicles. The order also directed federal agencies to begin developing new emissions and fuel economy standards for vehicles starting with model year 2027. President Donald Trump rescinded the rules in 2025. But, by that time, roughly 7% of all new car sales were electric vehicles (EVs), so the impact may be muted.

From interstate highways to electric vehicles, the auto industry has changed alongside public opinion, government policy, and advancing technology. Safety features, fuel standards, and clean energy goals show how cars have evolved to meet the needs of a changing society. The road forward continues to be shaped by the push for a safer, more efficient future.

This post was written by Marist Poll Media Team member Tommy Rogers

In the summer of 1939, America was on the brink of war abroad and inhaling deeply at home. That August, a survey conducted by Roper for Fortune Magazine revealed that 41% of Americans smoked cigarettes. Smoking wasn’t just a habit, it was a cultural phenomenon. Movie stars lit up on screen, doctors appeared in cigarette ads, and you could find an ashtray in most living rooms, cars, and public spaces.

But, as war raged overseas, something curious happened on the home front. By July 1942, Gallup reported a striking shift: 63% of Americans said they smoked, up from just a few years prior. Cigarettes became intertwined with identity, stress relief, and patriotism. Packs were even included in soldiers’ rations.

As the postwar decades rolled on, smoking remained popular… with some cracks in its image. From 1960 to 1966, the U.S. government banned advertising that tar and nicotine cigarettes were “less harmful” and then, through the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act, that warning labels should be on all cigarette packaging. In 1964, the big blow came when the Surgeon General released a report that linked smoking to cancer and other serious diseases.

Public perception shifted almost overnight. By January 1965, a Louis Harris & Associates poll showed that 62% of Americans supported warning labels on cigarette packages, while 29% opposed them. It was the first time many Americans confronted the darker side of smoking.

Fast forward to September 1974 and Americans were still deeply engaged with tobacco. Roper found that, in just the prior week, 41% had bought cigarettes, and 36% had smoked at least half a pack. The numbers were still high, but, by 1976, the tide was turning. That year, Roper found that 51% of Americans supported banning smoking in public places, while 44% still opposed the regulation.

As for compromises, Americans got creative. In 1977, Gallup found 68% supported designated smoking areas as a solution to balance public health with personal choice.

But, by 1982, the pendulum swung back. Roper found that 54% actually opposed a full public smoking ban, while 41% supported it. Resistance remained strong… until it didn’t.

By 1987, Gallup recorded a significant shift: 55% now favored a full ban on public smoking, and only 43% were against it. Americans were growing tired of the foggy haze.

The 1990s brought stronger regulation and even more debate. In March 1994, NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Hart-Teeter Research Co. found that 33% of Americans supported maintaining the smoking ban, another 33% favored increased restrictions, 22% said restrictions should stay the same, while only 8% thought there should be fewer restrictions. But here’s the kicker: a Gallup/CNN/USA Today poll from the same month found that 70% of smokers said they weren’t actually smoking less, despite new regulations.

Fast-forward to the modern era, and America’s once-smoky image is now mostly cleared up. By July 2019, Gallup found that 62% believed smoking should be completely illegal in public spaces, with just 37% disagreeing. And by November 2024, attitudes got even more personal, with Pew Research/SSRS finding that 49% of Americans claimed smoking around other people is never acceptable, and another 28% said it rarely is.

Even when we look at e-cigarette usage, only 7% of Americans told Gallup in July 2024 that they smoked an e-cig or “vaped” in the past week, while 93% had not.

From normalization to rejection, the story of cigarettes in America is one of dramatic transformation. Once glamorized, smoking is now more likely to be met with side-eyes than celebration.

This post was written by Marist Poll Media Team member Hunter Petro.

Ever wonder why your granola bar boasts about “whole” grains? Behind every word on a food label is a battle between public demand, industry influence, and government action. These labels didn’t just appear overnight. They reflect decades-long conversations about health risks, food access, and more. What started as quiet concern grew into a national conversation, one that changed the way we eat, shop, and think about what’s in our food.

In a 1950 Gallup Poll, only 1% of Americans said public health was the most important issue in the upcoming election. Concerns such as war, inflation, and the cost of living dominated public attention. Eight years later, Congress passed the Food Additives Amendment, which required industry to prove the safety of food additives before FDA approval. The law aimed to protect public health while also encouraging innovation in food technology. Two years later, in 1960, Congress enacted the Color Additive Amendment, requiring manufacturers to prove color additives in food, drugs, and cosmetics are safe. It also banned any additive that was found to cause cancer in people, under the Delaney Clause.

In 1968, President Nixon held the first White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health. He called hunger a national problem and promised big changes. The event helped make food and nutrition a bigger priority for the government and helped drive future changes to food programs. That growing national focus on nutrition is reflected in public opinion. By 1970, Americans started to care more about what is in their food. A General Electric Quarterly Survey found that of the roughly four in ten Americans who believed the government should require industries to provide more information to consumers, 32% wanted more information about ingredients, preservatives, and additives on product labels. Another 20% said they wanted warnings about anything that could be harmful or addictive.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created in 1970, leading to the 1972 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Despite this, an Opinion Research poll from 1974 found that 57% of Americans said pesticides should be safer — more than any other product listed in the question.

In the late 70’s, the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, led by Senator George McGovern, introduced federal dietary goals linking diet to chronic disease. It recommended Americans eat less saturated fat and red meat. After backlash from the meat industry, the committee revised the guidelines, but it still shaped the future national nutrition policies. By 1980, the first official Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released by the USDA and HHS. Americans appeared to be paying attention: A 1982 survey from the American Medical Association found that 67% of Americans believed cutting back on fat, red meat, and dairy was a healthy choice.

In 1990, the FDA proposed broad reforms to food labeling, including mandatory nutrition facts, updated serving sizes, and new nutrient reference values. Congress passed the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, which gave the FDA power to require nutrition labels on food products. Reflecting the impact of these changes, a 1991 Roper poll found that 88% of shoppers who read labels said nutrition information had at least some influence on what they buy.

The 1997 Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act made it easier for food companies to add health claims to labels, as long as the claims are backed by trusted government science groups. The claims may appear on products 120 days after the FDA is notified. Reading food labels was a common behavior by the late 1990s. A 1997 Wirthlin Worldwide survey found that 68% of Americans said they were reading food labels more often than they had just two or three years earlier.

Starting in 2006, the FDA required that trans fats be listed on the nutrition facts label. This labeling change led many food companies to reformulate their products to remove trans fats, since consumers could now identify and avoid them. A Roper poll that same year found that among Americans who checked nutrition labels, fat content (including saturated and trans fat) was the number one thing they looked for at 26%, followed closely by calories (25%), sugars (10%), and sodium (8%).

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasized maintaining a healthy weight through calorie balance, physical activity, and choosing nutrient dense foods over those high in sodium, added sugars, and solid fats. It was released during rising national concern over obesity and chronic disease and the guidelines aimed to support healthier eating patterns across diverse U.S. populations. In early 2011, a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 75% of Californians said obesity was a “very serious” public health problem. Another 21% said it was “somewhat serious.”

In 2014, the FDA proposed new food labels to better match how people really eat, like counting a 20 ounce soda as one serving. The labels also made calories easier to see and added a line for added sugars to help people make healthier decisions. Speaking of easier to see, that same year, a GfK Knowledge Networks poll found that 66% of Americans supported requiring labels for genetically modified ingredients (GMOs).

Next up were restaurants. Starting in 2018, chain restaurants with 20 or more locations were required to display calorie counts on menus and provide full nutritional information upon request. The same year the labeling rule took effect a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 74% of Americans supported these new rules.

In 2022, the Biden Administration hosted the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, launching a national strategy to end hunger and reduce diet related diseases by 2030. Public concern about hunger and unequal access to healthy food was high at this time. According to a 2022 AP-NORC poll, 14% of Americans said poverty, hunger, homelessness were among the most important problems the government wanted to address in 2023.

Most recently, in December 2024, the FDA finalized new rules for using the healthy label on food packages. The updated definition limits added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat. It allows more nutrient rich foods like whole grains, nuts, and canned vegetables to qualify.

Together, these moments show how public concern, scientific research, and policy can shape what ends up on our plates and how we make decisions about the food we eat.

This post was written by Marist Poll Media Team member Tommy Rogers.