Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the United States
Most Americans think the nation’s mix of races, ethnicities, and religions makes the U.S. stronger, including a little more than four in ten Americans who believe the nation’s differences make the United States a much stronger union. But, only 28% of Americans strongly support diversity, equity, and inclusion training for U.S. workers. This as a plurality of Americans say race relations in the United States have changed little over the last year, which is not perceived as a positive.
February’s Super Battle
How do I love thee, Super Bowl? Let me count the ways. The Super Bowl may not have been Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s intended recipient, but when pitted against Valentine’s Day, Americans are more inclined to have a love affair with the Super Bowl than the de facto most romantic day of the year. In fact, a plurality of Americans say they are more excited about the NFL’s big event than Valentine’s Day. Gender and age differences, though, do exist.
The Road to the General Election
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump remain in a statistical tie among registered voters nationally. Since August of 2023, the widest gap separating the two men has been three percentage points. However, if Trump is convicted of a crime, Biden opens a six-percentage point lead against his rival. Should Nikki Haley win the GOP nomination, the contest would still be a tight battle. The 2024 presidential contest unfolds amid an American populace concerned with preserving democracy, fighting inflation, and addressing immigration.
Big Generational Differences on Legal Weed, Climate Change, and Health Care
Is Gen Z more conservative on some key issues than Millennials? Results from the new Gen:Next survey from the Marist Poll suggests they may be.
Gen:Next is an innovative research project from the Marist Poll that captures the opinions of Americans ages 18 to 25 in order to find the issues and topics that motivate, inspire, and excite America’s next generation of leaders.
And, here’s the twist – student researchers mount each survey from start to finish. It’s a poll of American youth by American youth.
This time around, the students focused their research on three areas: climate change, marijuana laws, and healthcare. Among the findings:
Climate Change
- Gen Z is more concerned about climate change, and more likely to believe it’s caused “mostly by human activity” than any other generation.
- 85% of Gen Z are “very” or “somewhat” concerned versus 78% of Millennials, 60% of Gen X, and 59% of Boomers.
- 66% of Gen Z and 65% of Millennials say climate change is mostly human caused, while 47% of Gen X and 48% of Boomers agree.
Marijuana
- Gen Z is more conservative about marijuana in several ways than Millennials.
- 53% of Gen Z say marijuana is “addictive” or is “addictive and leads to other drug use.” This compares with 43% of Millennials, 44% of Gen X, and 48% of Boomers who say the same.
- Just 7% of Gen Z and 6% of Millennials believe it should NOT be legalized nationally, versus 16% of Gen X and 22% of Boomers who share this view.
Healthcare
- Gen Z views healthcare coverage as more of a government responsibility than their elders.
- 86% of Gen Z say it’s the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage. 76% of Millennials, 60% of Gen X, and 51% of Boomers have this opinion.
- Similarly, when asked if the federal government should provide coverage for all, only for those who can’t afford it, or not at all, just 9% of Gen Z say the government should provide no coverage. 12% of Millennials, 18% of Gen X, and 22% of Boomers agree.
Marist students Elizabeth Fenton, Neel Viswanathan, and Lara Vasquez worked alongside professionals at the Marist Poll learning best practices for measuring public opinion including data fluency, topic review and research, development of scientifically rigorous questionnaires, data collection, analysis, and presentation of results to the public.
“I expected that the younger generations possessed more progressive viewpoints,” said Viswanathan, “But, it wasn’t that way. On several questions, millennials actually appeared more progressive than Gen Z…”
Fenton had a similar experience expecting “significant differences between opinions based on the generations that answered, but the differences proved to be much larger gaps than I had thought they would be.”
By researching these topics and learning the fundamentals of survey research, the students applied key concepts they’d learned in other classes.
“I can think of no better way to understand and move the discussion forward on issues critical to future generations than to draw from their insights to shape these surveys,” says Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. “As a result of these projects, we will all benefit from the perspectives and views of those who will shape the years to come.”
Gen:Next is uniquely designed to provide us all with insight into how young Americans feel and think about their present and future. It is a polling project of young Americans by young Americans…for all of us.
The Presidential Contest in New Hampshire
In this Marist Poll of New Hampshire, President Joe Biden performs best against Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump in hypothetical general election matchups. However, Nikki Haley edges Biden by three points among the New Hampshire electorate. Against Trump, Biden is +7 percentage points, with both candidates receiving nearly the identical support they garnered in the 2020 presidential election. Biden’s lead opens up slightly, to 9 percentage points, against DeSantis.
Among Republicans and Republican leaning independents, Donald Trump has a three-to-one favorable-unfavorable rating, the best among his rivals. He is also the candidate most Republicans and Republican leaning independents would be satisfied with as the GOP’s nominee. Conservative principles score higher than electability among these voters; inflation and immigration rank highest as issues; a wide majority believe the U.S. should focus on its own problems and not world events; and by more than two to one, these Republicans and Republican leaning independents believe former President Trump should be granted immunity.
Outlook for 2024
Nearly six in ten Americans, the highest since 2018, report that they are more pessimistic than optimistic about the coming year. While more than seven in ten Americans believe their personal family finances will either stay the same or get better in 2024, three in ten expect their personal finances will get worse. This marks the largest proportion of Americans in more than a decade who say their financial picture is bleak.
Taylor Swift & the NFL
Taylor Swift’s relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has generated headlines, and most Americans agree that Swift is having a positive impact on the NFL. With her appeal spanning most major demographic groups, it’s not just “Swifties” who perceive the pop mega-star positively. Seven in ten Americans say they have a favorable or a very favorable impression of Swift.
2024 Presidential Election Tossup & Issues
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump remain competitive among registered voters nationally in a hypothetical presidential rematch. Biden faces re-election with a job approval rating stagnant in the low 40s and stares down an impeachment inquiry for which support has grown. However, Biden and Trump have something in common. Both have upside down favorability ratings. The survey also includes Americans’ viewpoints on a slate of proposals put forth by a number of the candidates on the campaign trail.
Quality of Life in New York State
Many New York State residents say the quality of life in the state has deteriorated over the last year, and Governor Kathy Hochul’s image is taking a hit. A majority of residents statewide, including more than four in ten Democrats, do not think Hochul is changing Albany for the better. They divide about Hochul’s job performance, and six in ten report Hochul is doing only a fair or poor job as governor. New York City Mayor Eric Adams faces his share of challenges as well. More than seven in ten New York City residents think Adams did something wrong in his dealings with Turkey during his 2021 campaign, and his job approval rating has plummeted from a 61% approval to a 54% disapproval.
The Looming Government Shutdown
If the federal government fails to reach a spending agreement and shuts down, nearly half of Americans will point a finger at congressional Republicans. Most Americans also express displeasure with members of Congress using the threat of government shutdown as a tactic in budget negotiations. Despite the perception that Republicans would be most at fault in shutting down the government, Americans think both parties are responsible for the nation’s current level of spending.