“Hey Zogby, what’s up with those wacky questions?”
We ask some pretty interesting questions here at Zogby International. And, I must say, we get some pretty interesting answers. You, our faithful panelists and readers, also ask us some pretty interesting questions in return. However there’s one question that comes up a lot. It’s something that many of you want to know. And it goes something like this:
“Hey, you people at Zogby, I enjoy your surveys but –What’s up with those wacky demographics?”
If you’ve taken more than one or two of our surveys, you know exactly what I’m talking about, right? Are you a WalMart shopper? If so, how often do you shop there? Are you a NASCAR fan? Do you consider yourself a citizen of your city or town, the U.S. or the planet earth? And on one memorable survey, we even asked if you were a tree what kind of a tree would you be? We ask standard demographics of course, questions you’d see on any other survey, age, race, income, education, etc. but those are what you’d expect, and here at Zogby we’re proud of being ahead of the curve and, to mix my metaphors, sometimes that means thinking outside the box.
Essentially we’re trend spotters, I can’t count the number of meetings here at Zogby where we discuss trends in one form or another, and in fact it would probably be safe to say we talk about trends at nearly every meeting. We’re looking for what’s happening, and, just as importantly, we’re looking for who’s making it happen. As with any of the more standard demographic questions, we are, to put it simply, grouping people based on commonalities and differences. When we have groups of people, versus just an individual, we can say something about what the group as a whole thinks. We can determine how America views the President or if a majority of beer drinkers prefer Guinness to Coors. It’s the same with the wacky questions.
Take yourself as an example. You’re not just your age, or your race, or your education, you’re so much more than that. Your opinions and feelings have been shaped by your family, by where and how you grew up. You’re as much a product of your generation, the Woodstockers, or the Nikes, as you are of your geographic location, as much a product of your birth order, as you are of your gender, all of these and more come together and create the glasses through which you see the world.
WalMart shoppers and NASCAR fans have proven to primarily vote more conservatively, so when we see this strong cohort move, we know that we are seeing a shift that maybe we wouldn’t have otherwise spotted.
And what about that planet citizenship question? Well, much of Mr. Zogby’s recent work has to do with America’s First Globals™, who often agree that they see themselves as citizens of planet earth. These are the people who are likely to have passports, and who are just as likely to tell you that their best friend lives in Belarus, as in Frackville. This question was one of the predictive identifiers for this generation, and as they are the ones we will one day turn this nation over to, we here at Zogby agree that knowing what they think, and how, will help us follow them into the future.
Do you have an idea for an emerging trend? Leave a comment and let us know or submit a question in the ‘contact us’ box on the right hand side of the blog!
Written by Karen Scott, Managing Editor, Senior Analyst at Zogby International. In this role, she oversees the team that creates Zogby International’s surveys, scientific reports of survey results, and research papers. Karen has half a decade of experience with Zogby and has played an integral role working with hundreds of clients ranging from political activists to consumer trends.
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cheese nips or cheese its?
would be interesting to see who can tell the two apart, and which one people think of as the “original” square cheese cracker.
You guys must have been shocked, then, when this 63 year old said she sees herself as a citizen of Planet Earth. Not all us oldsters are behind the times, you know. Yep, I have a passport and friends in other countries. I’m not in the new generation, but it really is possible to be young at heart.
The emerging trend I see is among the middle class disenfranchised — those now out of work and on the public dole. Will they behave nicely while the rich busily regain their lost wealth? Or will their pain spill over in public outrage? If I were you, that’s a group I’d follow.
@JRL
I am closely watching the “middle class disenfranchised”. Right now there is a lot of anger but also a great sense that many problems need to be addressed all at once. I think to a great degree this group feel a sense of sacrifice overload. I believe they are ready for sacrifice but they need to see a return on their sacrifice before they are ready to move on to more. I think also that government is on trial. Can it solve problems without bickering. So far the answer is No. For this there is great disillusionment.
Will continue to watch them closely. I even have a name for them: “The Cheese Nipped”.
Sorry.
This conserns the question about MILITARY STATUS. You always ask about family members being in the military BUT you do not ask the proper question about whether or not the person DOING the poll has served. Your question should reflect the status of IF the person you are asking is RETIRED MILITARY.
Thank you.
The newest trend in my circle of retired friends and relatives is first time protesters against nationalizing failure.
I would say the citizen of… question could also help in ideology demographics. I would venture to guess that more conservatives may view themselves as a citizen of America, while liberals identify with citizen of the planet.
Another question may border on the cynical – but it also may be telling. Hope for the future, vs. generally happy/optimistic. I think this may show trends among ideologies, as well as generations and gender.
John, funny – I don’t think of those 3 questions as wacky. Years ago, my daughter and I heard a child in a store refer to Santa as “Ho HO”. How clever, we thought, since any number of people can wear red and older men with beards are not unheard of, etc. At 3 years, she had described the “essence” of what makes Santa unique. In a similar way, you have identified some pivotal data points which are predictive of our world views. In fact, in the past year, I have worked those questions into conversations and chuckled at the results. Interestingly, it is the “Citizen of Plant Earth” question which provokes the most passionate responses. [I usually start out by saying "Hey, I was answering a survey lately, and they wanted to know if I was a NASCAR fan!]NASCAR fans get upset, because they think they are being pigeon-holed, however the citizen question gets EVERYONE torqued up. Each side is VERY emotional about their choice of description.
The trend I see is that we might see these two groups go after each other with ball bats pretty soon. JRL states, “Globals” are not just the young. As you know, my stated position is moderate. I relate to people individually rather than their location or nationality. I asked myself if I would stop to consider nationality before helping in an emergency and concluded I too, am a citizen of plant earth. What I am seeing in older, liberal “PLanet Citizens” is a growing anger at the far right for what they consider dirty tactics. Some people I have worked with for over 20 years and never knew their social/political bias, are EXTREMELY angry at talking heads and others for not following the “rules of engagement” for social/political discourse, dragging it into the mud wrestling rink. They prefer both sides to present their cases with the decorum shown on “Meet the Press”, and find the shouting, baiting, etc. extremely offensive. These are people old enough to have taken to the streets to protest the war in Viet Nam, or attended the first Earth Day. Whether they have the the stamina to take it public now I don’t know.
As each year passes, the young globals get a year older and advance in the social/political hierarchy. With luck, this quieter revolution will put an end to the extremism by the strength of numbers.
Sheldon, I have to disagree with you. The way you want to word the “military service” question would (at least in my generation)only separate the genders. In the 60’s and 70’s, all males were part of the draft, and extremely few females joined the military.
Your question on citizenship …
Whatever happened to “A CITIZEN OF YOUR STATE” ?
We are the United STATES of America – a Constitutional Republic. And for some reason you refuse to ask the one pertinient question if your poll-takers still hold the belief of the USA as it was created under the Constitution or has the “Dumbing Down of America” completed its task and nobody considers that the STATES overide the contitutionally limited federal govt?
Maybe it is time to replenish the roots of liberty?
These are just terrific ideas and look for me to be entering them both in our surveys and analysis. Please keep them coming. I am really listening and need help in trying to decipher all the complicated forces that drive real public opinion and behavior. Thanks so much, everyone.
John
The Question Which one are your politicians or elected officials most likely AVOID telling you about?
The end result of the decisions of all politicians or elected officials are in some form or another, about resource allocation, e.g., some law, program, or policy gets started, stopped, or changed and also addressed there is money that is associated with this initiative.
Of these four choices, which one, are your politicians or elected officials most likely AVOID telling you about?
A) Who gets more?
B) Who gets less?
C) Who pays more?
D) Who pays less?
All the Best!
Ray T.
Carl, that question was answered in favor of the Feds in 1787.
“This question was one of the predictive identifiers for this generation, and as they are the ones we will one day turn this nation over to, we here at Zogby agree that knowing what they think, and how, will help us follow them into the future.”
Actually I am willing to bet this is more Education and levels of education than generations. Of course this is also the generation that thinks Canada is a state of the union that borders on Pennsylvania. I will also bet the students in the college class that answers that will also I.D. Themselves as US Citizens or what ever town they grew up in not as citizens of the world. I’m 50. I collect college degrees as a hobby. I also am a citizen of the world. I live in a rural area and I hate Racing and Walmart. Points to education and esp to Liberal Arts Educations where you learn to think not to recite facts.
All those zzzzzzzz’s on the pollsite’s home page make me think “drowzzy” or “Zzleepy.”
My question would be if there is a growing Centrist movement. It’s pretty clear now that the Left and Right have both made promises that they don’t keep. Your survey asks political affiliation. There must be clear correlations as to what drives the left and right, but what drives the center or libertarian?
Most people that I identify with believe in personal freedoms and limited Federal government. Key topics that span the left and right: Pro-choice, Freedom to marry whomever you want, States rights, Anti-war, Fiscal conservatism.
Is there any work being done to find these individuals who fall into the (small L)libertarians who are neither left nor right?
Andy H, in the past twenty years the conservatives have had plenty of time to try out their policies and keep their promises. Clinton was a centrist, so the lefties didn’t have any promises to keep. Obama is more Center than left, but he is left of Clinton so I guess you could say that the Left is in control now. However, the Left have only had one year (less actually) to try to keep their promises. You can make a sweeping statement about BOTH the right and the left not keeping their promises when the Left has as much time as the Right to try.
Libertarians comprise most of the old school Conservatives that are getting squeezed out by the Neocon birther/deather/teabaggers who think whatever Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck tell them to think. They are still far right and belong to the rightwingnuttery.
Moderates, like myself prefer not to be labled under an ideology except maybe pragmatism. Most moderates believe there is a prectical role for government and don’t believe the Libertooney viewpoint that government is evil and is the cause of all problems. Moderates understand that the free market doesn’t work without reasonable regulation. The free market is not the solution to all of our problems. Moderates like to think things through and make informed decisions based on the needs of the issue, not based on blind idealogy.
I see 2 major parties in the US right now.
The conservatives, that comprise the extreme left and extreme right wingnuttery. These folks may think they are different, but they are really one in the same, though they have differing ideas about how to control everyone’s lives.
The moderates comprise the rest of the population who want to see thoughtfull appproaches to governing repleat with balance, thinking and compromise.