The real American politics

How Americans are distanced from those in power

Note: where multiple polls are listed, the most recent one is to the right
Civil liberties and justice

• 57% of Americans say jury was wrong not to indict in Garner case
• 73% favor restoring voting rights to ex-nonviolent offenders
• 70% oppose racial profiling by police
• 58% say miliarization of police has gone too far
• 57% of Americans consider Snowden a whistleblower, not a traitor
• 71%,77% oppose mandatory minimums for non-violent offenses
• 52% are concerned about goverment spying on Americans

Corporations

• Eight in ten Americans oppose the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United

Drugs

• 58, 51, 50% support pot legalization but only 1% of the Senate
• 86, 78% support medical marijuana
• 82% Say U.S. Not Winning War on Drugs

Ecology

• 78 percent back federal action to limit emissions from businesses, including 60 percent of Republicans
• 72% support strengthened protection against air and water pollution
• 67% want increased fuel efficiency for cars and trucks
• 65% want expanded alternative energy development
• 67% support emission restrictions on coal fired plants
• 62, 67% want carbon pollution cut even if it costs more.
• 93% of Americans want GMO foods labelled
• 57% believe humans cause climate change
• 70% say global warming should be a priority for the nation’s leaders

Economy

• 67% believe economy is unfair to middle class
• 60% of voters said they are more likely to support a candidate who supports fair pay for women, a higher minimum wage, paid family and medical leave and paid sick days.
• 80-51-73% support increase in minimum wage
• 63% support a $15 minimum wage
• 55% favor extension of unemployment benefits
• 59% say wealth should be more fairly distributed
• Overwhelming support for federal spending to help economy
• 64 percent believe job creation should be the top priority. Only 33 percent said deficit reduction
• 55% want too big to fail banks to fail

Education

• 53% think school shouldn't open until after Labor Day
• 68 percent of the public school parents think standardized tests are not helpful.
  58% reject using student test scores to evaluate teachers.
• 81% want government to invest more in higher education
• Sixty-one percent of parents said they were opposed to closing low-performing schools and reassigning students to a different school...
• More than three out of every four parents said they were opposed to reducing compensation for teachers or cutting resources for the classroom while increasing spending on charter schools.
• 58 percent said they did not approve of officials lengthening the school day,
• 56 percent are opposed to giving tax dollars to families to pay for private school tuition
• A majority of parents surveyed said that too much learning in the classroom has been sacrificed in order to accommodate state tests during the school year. A majority of parents reported that their children have been anxious about those tests.

Elections

• A majority of likely voters among Democrats (75%), Independents (64%) and Republicans (54%) see the wave of spending by Super PACs this election cycle as “wrong and leads to our elected officials representing the views of wealthy donors.”

Food

• An overwhelming majority of U.S. consumers think that before genetically engineered food is sold, it should be labeled accordingly (92 percent of consumers) and meet long-term safety standards set by the government (92 percent).

Foreign affairs

• 68 percent of Americans favor direct negotiations with Iran over nuclear weapons
• 61% think we give too much aid to Israel
• 56% of Americans support an interim deal with Iran that would ease some economic sanctions on that country in exchange for concessions on Iran's nuclear program,
• Only 14 percent of Americans say the U.S. has “any responsibility” to get involved in Ukraine, and only 18 percent think the U.S. “has any responsibility to protect Ukraine if Russia were to invade."
• Gallup says that Israel’s actions in Gaza were unjustified in the eyes of the young, people of color, women, and Democrats, and overwhelmingly in some of those categories 51-25% disapproval among the young. 47-35 percent among Democrats, 44-33 among women, 49-25 among nonwhites.
• 56% favor normal relations with Cuba
• Sixty-eight percent support ending the trade embargo with Cuba
• 66% think the Afghan war wasn't worth it

Gays

• 69% of Americans say that same sex couples should be allowed to adopt children. This is up from 29% in 1992
• 55-48-60% support gay marriage
• 54% favor law prohibiting workplace discrimination against LGBT people

Immigration

• 54-60, 63 percent of Americans back a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living here illegally — winning support from majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents.

Internet

• 81% - including 85% of Republicans - support net neutrality

Labor

• 75% of Americans support paid vacations

NSA

• 55% of Americans think Snowden did the right thing. 80% of his supporters think he exposed constitutional violations:
• 56% don't approve of spying on allies
• Americans overwhelmingly opposed to NSA spying on them

Politics

• Would ban Super PACS
• 50% support federal funding of campaigns

Population

• 59% are concerned that there won't be enough food and resources to accommodate a growing world population

Public works

• 72% support more funding for public works

Social Security

• 87% of Americans want Social Security spending increased or held steady
• Oppose cutting SS annual increase

Taxes

• 80% favor ending offshore tax havens

War

• Believe it's OK to cut defense spending

Washington

• 81% disapprove of the job that Congress is doing

Women

70% Favor Legalizing Over-The-Counter Birth Control

Who's pro-choice?

   

• 60% of voters said they are more likely to support a candidate who supports fair pay for women, a higher minimum wage, paid family and medical leave and paid sick days.