Zogby American Values Survey I 2004

email from Carl Pearlston ^ | John Zogby

[DentsRun]

The recently released John Zogby American Values Survey 1-2004 polls the American public on a wide range of value questions. The results are instructive not only in clarifying the continuing polarization of the public between the "Red" and "Blue" voting states in the 2000 election, but in showing the breakdown of this polarization among discrete population groups, including Jews, Muslims, and Christians. While the results may be discouraging for conservative Jews who do not share the usual Jewish liberal value orientation, it serves as a reminder of the insularity of that orientation with respect to the entire national population, and may lead some in the liberal community to question the wisdom of those value positions.

Following are the significant survey results abstracted from the published survey:

1. Do you agree or disagree with the political, economic, and social values espoused by former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton?

Nationwide, 51% of the electorate opposed those values, while only 40% supported them. Jewish voters agreed with the values by 82% to 12%, Moslems 90% to 10%, while Christians opposed by 60% to 30%.

2. Do you regard the Bush presidency as legitimate, or do you think the election was stolen?

Nationwide, 55% believe the election was legitimate, while 38% believe it was stolen. Jews are 71% to 22% that it was stolen.

3. Do you agree with the policy of the US Justice Department denying usual criminal due-process rights to terrorist prisoners at Guantanamo Bay?

By 52% to 38%, the American public agrees with the policy. Jews and Moslems oppose it by 54% to 34%, while Christians support it by 57%.

4. Should the 25% of the UN budget that the US pays be reduced, increased, or remain the same?

Nationwide, 46% of voters believe that the US dues to the UN should be reduced. Only 26% of Jewish voters agreed.

5. Do you agree or disagree that by removing prayer in school, by removing the words under God from the Pledge of Allegiance, and fighting the display of the Ten Commandments or a nativity scene, we have eliminated our moral compass in daily decision-making?

Nationally, 62% of the electorate agree, and 44% disagree. Jews and Moslems agree 49% to 48%, while Protestants and Catholics agree 72% and 64%.

6. Is having a President who is deeply religious important to you?

Nationally, 59% said it was important. Only 15% of Jewish voters agreed, and 76% of Jews preferred a President who was not religious.

7. Should the state and federal governments recognize civil unions between persons of the same sex, granting them the legal benefits of marriage, or should the state and federal governments only recognize marriage between a man and a woman?

Nationwide, 62% agree with recognition of only marriage between a man and a woman), with 34% agreeing with civil unions. Jewish voters supported civil unions by 79%, with only 21% supporting traditional marriage.

8. Do you favor or oppose abortion, in whole or in part?

52% of all voters nationwide prefer some level of prohibition on abortions, while 47% favor allowing abortions. Jews favor abortions 89% to only 11% who favor some restrictions, while Muslims are overwhelmingly opposed to abortion (90%). 63% of Catholics and 55% of Protestants opposed abortion to one degree or another.

9. Do you believe that abortion destroys human life and is manslaughter?

52% nationwide believe that it is manslaughter; 36% disagree. Christians agree 56%. Jews, however, felt it was not manslaughter by 73% to 18%.

10. Do you believe there should be less restrictions on abortion, more restrictions, or have your views remained the same over the past 5-10 years?

Nationwide, 22% believed in more restrictions (as opposed to 14% in 1999 when this poii was done earlier), while 11% believe in less restrictions (vs. 5% in 1999), and 66% said their views had remained the same (vs 79% in 1999). Jewish voters believed in less restrictions by a 15% margin.

11. Do you think that allowing residents to have permits to carry concealed firearms, as is the law in 36 states, is a good or bad law?

Americans believe this is a good law by a 79% to 18% margin, and most demographic groups agree.

12. Do you believe we need new and tougher gun control laws, or are there enough laws on the books?

Nationwide, voters believed by 66% to 31% that there are enough gun control laws on the books. Catholics and Protestants agreed 63% and 71% respectively. Jewish and Muslim voters, however, felt more laws were needed 58% and 88%, respectively.

13. Do you agree that the NRA is right to fight gun control legislation?

64% of voters nationwide agree; 31% disagree. Jews and Muslims oppose the NRA’s fight 81% and 88%, respectively, while Christians are 66% in support of the NRA.

14. Do you believe that killing wild animals for food or sport is an American tradition and an essential part of wildlife management, or do you believe hunting is a cruel sport that should be outlawed?

92% of gun owners and 73% of non-gun owners agreed that hunting is a tradition and essential to wildlife management. Protestants agreed 87%, Catholics 80%, but Jews only 49%. 29% of Jews felt hunting was a cruel sport.

15. Do you believe that land taken for development that was used for hunting and wildlife conservation should be replaced?

49% nationally thought it very important, and 29% thought it somewhat important that the federal or state government replace this land. Protestants agreed 52% that it was very important and 35% that it was important. Similarly, Catholics agreed 60% and 28%. Jewish voters agreed 76% and 14%, while Muslims were even more supportive 78% and 22%.

16. What is the best option for coping with increasing populations of deer, bear, or wolves: lengthen the hunting season, use non-lethal methods of control, or learn to live with wildlife?

61% of those polled thought lengthening the hunting season was the best choice. 18% felt non-lethal methods were best, and 16% believed people should just learn to live with wildlife. Muslims agreed with lengthening the hunting season by 88%, Protestants 65%, Catholics 61%, but only 34% of Jews thought this the best option. Jews thought non-lethal controls best by 28%, while 25% of Jews thought people should just learn to live with wildlife.

17. Were the Bush tax cuts good or bad for you?

41% nationally felt the cuts were good for them. 31% felt they made no difference, and 25% said the cuts were bad for them. 40% of Catholics, 44 % of Protestants, and 78% of Muslims felt they were good. Jews were almost evenly divided, with 35% saying the cuts were bad, 30% saying they were good, and 36% saying they made no difference.

18. Suppose you earned one million dollars in your job. What tax rate do you think would be fair to you and the federal government?

29% thought a rate between 10% and 20% would be most appropriate; 27% thought a rate 21-30% fair. 17% thought a rate less than 10% fair, and 21% thought a rate over 30% appropriate. 43% of Jews agreed that more than 30% was fair.

19. Do you agree with the FCC position that major media companies should be allowed to own more media outlets?

63% of voters nationally disagreed with the FCC, only 30% agreeing. Catholics Protestants, and Jews all disagreed by respective margins of 65%, 59% , and 76%. However, Muslims agreed with the FCC by 78%.

[DentsRun]

(This poll was sent to me by group email from Carl Pearlson, the director of Toward Tradition (leastways he used to be). The URL is not to the report itself but to a gun rights' site that discusses the report. Sorry, I can't seem to find a direct link to the email anywhere, including the Zogby site)

A couple of things about this report are striking. First it seems to indicate that American Jews hold radically different views from other Americans when it comes to abortion, hunting, gun control, taxes, Bill and Hillary, the legality of the 2000 election, the U.N. and having a president who was religious (oftentimes their views are almost mirror images of one another). Another surprising thing is how closely American Jews and Moslems agree on many of these issues (oftentimes within a few percentage points of each other).

The final surprise. Everyone thinks concealed carry laws are a good idea.

[Texas_Jarhead]

interesting

[GaConfed]

There were a couple of topics left out that are VERY important in my opinion. These being affirmative action and immigration, espcially illigal alien invasion. I'm guessing that the powers that be, who are out to destroy the white middle and working class, don't want to know our views on these subjects.

[Texasforever]

who are out to destroy the white middle and working class, don't want to know our views on these subjects.

Oh for crying out loud.

[GeronL]

Many of the jewish results are very disappointing, I wonder if these were jews by religion or heritage?

[wardaddy]

Man what a survey!

I agree, the fact that so many Jews and Muslims converged in opinion was suprising and the fact that so many folks across the board approved of CCW was as well.

None of the rest was terribly suprising, more or less what most folks would guess I imagine.

The real questions are why?

[Nick Danger]

the powers that be, who are out to destroy the white middle and working class

[LdSentinal]

Jews are 71% to 22% that it was stolen.

Frankly, this disgusts me. Ingratitude to the max.

[Texasforever]

LOL

[Prodigal Son]

Why is every question using Jews for a comparison?

Makes me question what the poll is trying to do.

Why not Blacks, Hispanics etc?

[DentsRun]

Why is every question using Jews for a comparison? Makes me question what the poll is trying to do. Why not Blacks, Hispanics etc?

It looked to me as if the poll was specifically designed to illuminate any differences of opinions between Christians, Moslems and Jews, which I think is a good idea from time to time. I for one was very much surprised over the last couple of weeks to see how differently Jews and Christians reacted to "The Passion of the Christ." As this poll shows, the differences don't stop with The Passion either. They go clear across the board (with the exception--amazingly enough--of concealed carry laws).

[Texasforever]

I agree. This was not a "racial" poll.

[DentsRun]

Many of the jewish results are very disappointing, I wonder if these were jews by religion or heritage?

I think American Jews are over-whelmingly secular. If Zogby had only interviewed Orthodox Jews or Jews With Guns (or whatever the name of that pro-gun group is) the results would change dramatically.

[Prodigal Son]

I see a lot of division among Christians about the Passion of Jesus Christ. It's not like Christians are all on the same page about it.

Do you have the original poll? I'd like to look at the methodology and population sample.

This is a very odd poll in my opinion.

[Prodigal Son]

This was not a "racial" poll.

I don't see how it could've been. I'd have to go back and look again, but I don't think race was even mentioned anywhere in the poll was it?

[Texasforever]

No just religion. It is a curious poll but, given it is from Zogby that is understandable.

[MattAMiller]

I'm actually not surprised at all that Jews and Muslims agreed so much in this particular poll. Ask about things like gay marriage and you'll find some substantial differences.

[Prodigal Son]

It is a curious poll

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. It doesn't compare Muslims and Christians and Jews. Muslims aren't even mentioned in some of the results. Seems like if this were a legit poll- like the ones we see from Gallup, for example- it would show the breakdown in every question.

[Qwinn]

"Many of the jewish results are very disappointing, I wonder if these were jews by religion or heritage?"

I'm sure they allowed the person to self-identify. As such, you'd get the millions of Democrats who call themselves Jews because their grandfather had a hooked nose, and they believe that they reflect their heritage by eating bagels.

See, when you're a Democrat, you have to identify with a minority group. It's required. You have to be so you can claim you are also oppressed. Can you imagine how horrific it would be to be a white male among Democrats who would hold you as guilty of every last crime ever committed by humanity?

Jewish is the minority most often chosen by that minority of white men who refuse to be Republican, assuming they can find someone of Jewish descent anywhere in the last 7 generations. Their religious convictions are nil.

If you asked just Orthodox Jews these same questions, I -suspect- (I can't say for sure, I'm not Jewish) that their responses would be far closer to that of Christians, and that quite a few are Republicans. Unfortunately, I suspect that the portion of people who self-identify as Jewish who are genuinely religious probably hovers somewhere between 5 and 20%.

Qwinn

[Fledermaus]

I'm guessing that the powers that be, who are out to destroy the white middle and working class, don't want to know our views on these subjects.

LOL...ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... I'm buying more foil stock!