PEW RESEARCH CENTER FOR THE PEOPLE & THE PRESS
& PEW FORUM ON RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE
2002 RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE SURVEY
FINAL TOPLINE
February 25 - March 10, 2002
N = 2002
Q.1 All in all, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in this country today?
Satisfied Dissatisfied No Opinion
March, 2002 50 40 10=100
Late September, 2001 57 34 9=100
Early September, 2001 41 53 6=100
June, 2001 43 52 5=100
March, 2001 47 45 8=100
February, 2001 46 43 11=100
January, 2001 55 41 4=100
September, 2000 51 41 8=100
June, 2000 47 45 8=100
April, 2000 48 43 9=100
August, 1999 56 39 5=100
January, 1999 53 41 6=100
November, 1998 46 44 10=100
Early September, 1998 54 42 4=100
Late August, 1998 55 41 4=100
Early August, 1998 50 44 6=100
February, 1998 59 37 4=100
January, 1998 46 50 4=100
September, 1997 45 49 6=100
August, 1997 49 46 5=100
January, 1997 38 58 4=100
July, 1996 29 67 4=100
March, 1996 28 70 2=100
October, 1995 23 73 4=100
June, 1995 25 73 2=100
April, 1995 23 74 3=100
July, 1994 24 73 3=100
March, 1994 24 71 5=100
October, 1993 22 73 5=100
September, 1993 20 75 4=100
May, 1993 22 71 7=100
January, 1993 39 50 11=100
January, 1992 28 68 4=100
November, 1991 34 61 5=100
Late February, 1991 (Gallup) 66 31 3=100
August, 1990 47 48 5=100
May, 1990 41 54 5=100
January, 1989 45 50 5=100
September, 1988 (RVs) 50 45 5=100
May, 1988 41 54 5=100
January, 1988 39 55 6=100
Q.2 Do you think people in general today lead as good lives - honest and moral - as they used to?
Wash Post/
Kaiser --- Gallup --- Gaffin
Nov Jan Nov June
1998 1976 1965 1952
21 Yes 26 30 39 47
73 No 71 66 52 46
6 Undecided 3 4 9 7
100 100 100 100 100
Q.3 Do you think that young people today have as strong a sense of right and wrong as they did, say, fifty years
ago?
Wash Post/
Hart Kaiser Gallup Gaffin
March Aug Nov June
1999 1998 1965 1952
19 Yes 15 20 41 57
76 No 82 78 46 34
5 Undecided 3 2 13 9
100 100 100 100 100
Q.4 I'd like to read you a list of some programs and proposals that are being discussed in this country today.
For each one, please tell me whether you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose it. The first one
is... (READ AND ROTATE, OBSERVE FORM SPLITS).
Strongly Strongly DK/
ASK FORM 1 [N=1058]: Favor Favor Oppose Oppose Ref
a.F1 The death penalty for persons
convicted of murder 33 34 17 9 7=100
March, 2001 30 36 17 10 7=100
September, 1999 41 33 15 7 4=100
June, 1996 43 35 11 7 4=100
ASK FORM 2 [N=944]:
b.F2 The death penalty for persons
convicted of terrorism 48 28 12 6 6=100
ASK ALL:
c. Providing more generous government
assistance to the poor 24 43 22 5 5=100
March, 2001 28 45 17 6 4=100
d. Allowing churches and other houses
of worship to apply, along with other
organizations, for government funding
to provide social services such as job
training or drug treatment counseling
to people who need them 26 44 18 9 3=100
June, 2001 30 42 15 10 3=100
March, 2001 30 45 13 8 4=100
February, 2001 28 36 19 11 6=100
September, 2000 32 35 17 12 4=100
ROTATE Q.5 AND Q.6
RESULTS BASED ON Q.6 FOLLOWING Q.5 TO CORRESPOND TO GALLUP TREND ORDERING
[N=985]:
Q.5 Would you favor or oppose requiring all young men to give one year of service to the
nation - either in the military forces, or in non-military work here or abroad, such as
the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or in a local community or city service program?
---------------------- Gallup -----------------------
Dec March Dec Oct Dec Jan
1987 1979 1976 1973 1971 1969
61 Favor 55 60 62 65 68 78
35 Oppose 45 33 33 29 25 16
4 No opinion * 7 5 7 7 5
100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Q.6 Would you favor or oppose requiring all young women to give one year of service to
the nation - either in the military forces, or in non-military work here or abroad, such
as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or in a local community or city service program?
-------- Gallup --------
Dec Dec Jan
1987 1976 1969
50 Favor 44 41 44
45 Oppose 56 51 49
5 No opinion * 9 7
100 100 100 100
Q.7 In your view, should the GOVERNMENT start up programs that encourage people to get
and stay married, or should the GOVERNMENT stay out of this?
18 The government should start up programs that encourage marriage
79 The government should stay out
3 Don't know/Refused
100
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