We recently included several winning Top Question Tuesday selections on an interactive poll. Stay tuned to this blog as we’ll be releasing the results over the next several weeks! And don’t forget to submit your own nominations for Top Question Tuesday using the box on the right of this blog.

One question asked whether respondents were more religious, less religious, or about as equally religious as their parents. Overall, 21% felt they were more religious than their parents, while 34% felt they were less religious, 41% said they were equally as religious, and 4% were not sure.

Groups that are more likely than average to say they were less religious than their parents include respondents aged 18-29 (41%), those who live in small cities (44%), and those who are single (42%) or divorced/separated (40%). Groups that are more likely than average to say they are more religious than their parents include those who live in rural areas (25%), Protestants (26%), and those with some college education but not a college degree (23%).

Do you believe you are more, less or equally as religious as your parents?

Katy lifestyles, religion education, elections, Generations, religion, Top Question Tuesday

In his recent speech to the United Nations, President Obama said, “yearning for peace is universal”. However, according to Zogby Interactive data, a majority of Americans believe that, at the very least, yearning for war is, likewise, universal. According to our July 2008 poll of American adults, 58% of adults agree that “waging war is a part of human nature”, compared to 32% who disagree. Although Republicans are much more likely to hold this view than Democrats (75% vs. 41%), First Globals™ (18 – 29 year olds), the age-group most likely to have voted for Obama, is also the generation most likely (63%) to believe that humans are naturally violent.

This runs contrary to the view of young adults as naïve and idealistic and shows them to be in some ways perhaps more cynical than older generations such as President Obama’s. Do you think that First Globals’ apparent cynicism could play a role in the First Globals’ support for the President?

Zeljka international, peace, politics, war first globals, Generations, Obama, peace, politics, war, zogby

With all the recent hoopla surrounding the releases of The Beatles Rock Band video game and the Fab Four’s re-mastered back catalogue, you would think that every single breathing soul alive worships at the altar of John, Paul, George and Ringo.

However, according to a Zogby Interactive survey conducted last week, about one in five people actually say they do not like The Beatles. OK, so maybe that’s not an earth-shattering number, but still it’s substantial enough to warrant a closer look. Just who are these blasphemous people that don’t dig peace, love, and reenacted acid trips? I had to find out.

Well, I suppose we should start with the obvious. Republicans and Conservatives (30% each) are the two most likely groups to say they do not like our beloved Beatles, whereas Liberals (9%) and Democrats (14%) are among the least likely to say so. Maybe if we asked about Ted Nugent or the Charlie Daniels Band things would have shaken out differently.

It should come as no surprise that the Woodstock generation (18%) is the least likely age cohort to say they don’t like The Beatles, but I found it somewhat surprising that the Privates (25%) and the Nikes (25%) were dead even in their disdain, and that First Globals™ were not far behind (23%). Perhaps, as the decades roll on the band’s influence on the younger generations has waned a bit, or maybe the cynicism of said generations has run so amuck that they can’t even deem it cool to call themselves fans of probably the greatest band that ever existed.

Another semi-obvious tidbit, at least to me, is that college graduates (18%) are less likely than those without college degrees (25%) to say they like The Beatles. Because I mean really, if you weren’t actually alive during the comeuppance of The Beatles, chances are you discovered them in some black light illuminated dorm room whilst having your mind blown by “Across the Universe.”

In keeping with The Beatles theme of world-wide harmony, respondents who consider themselves residents of the planet earth (11%) are much less likely to say they don’t like The Beatles than are those who identify their residence as their city or town (24%) or America (25%), but the lads’ message doesn’t appear to translate evenly among the races, as we find that African-Americans (28%) and Hispanics (24%) are more likely than whites (20%) and Asians (16%) to not dig the vibes the band is laying down.

And finally while those who practice Transcendental Meditation were admittedly underrepresented, we find that Protestants (24%) and Catholics (22%) are more likely to dislike The Beatles than are Jewish respondents (12%) and followers of other religions (15%), as are Born Again Christians (28%) vs. Non-Born Again Christians (20%). Must have been all that satanic backwards message stuff.

- Post contributed by Phil Vanno, a Writer/Editor at Zogby International who once listened to “Strawberry Fields Forever” 50 times in a row and considered walking down the aisle to “All You Need is Love.” Phil’s opinion in no way represents that of Zogby International.

ZogbyFeaturedContributor Uncategorized Beatles, first globals, Generations, international, peace, race, religion, video, war, zogby

As President’s Obama poll numbers have dropped, there has been a surge of interest in the composition of the American ideological landscape. Some commentators have said, and some data supports this view, that the average American leans to the right rather than left.

The results of our recent Zogby Interactive survey support this view. When we asked a sample of 2500 adults to position themselves on a 1-9 ideological scale, where 1 referred to extremely liberal and 9 to an extremely conservative position, the average was 5.50 and the median was 6. 3. Democrats, who made up 38% of thes sample put themselves at 3.59 on average. Republicans, who comprised 31% of the sample, at 7.51. The average independent voter – a block that made up 28% of the sample –  was at 5.85. All of this suggests that America leans to the right.

Do you think that as younger generations come of voting age, there will be a change? Where would you position yourself?

Zeljka ideology, politics Generations, ideology, media, Obama, zogby

When presented with two statements about the function of the United Nations, “the United Nations has been reduced in its influence and is less relevant today in global matters,” and “the United Nations is needed now more than ever to represent a global perspective on issues that arise,” First Globals™ are the most likely of any generation to agree with the second statement and the least likely of any generation to agree with the first statement. Among First Globals, 57% agree that “the United Nations is needed now more than ever,” compared to 33% of the other generations. But only  34% of First Globals agree that the “United Nations has been reduced in influence and is less relevant,” compared to about 55% of the other generations. This question was asked on an interactive survey last Summer.

Do you think as First Globals grow older and move into the workforce (including the government), their belief that the UN is needed will remain? Do you think we will see the United Nations play a more active role in managing global conflicts and dealing with global issues in the future? Do you agree with the First Globals and others who say that the United Nations is needed now more than ever?

Katy Uncategorized first globals, future, Generations, global issues, international, summer, work

We are pleased to have Michael Wales, a Zogby intern, as our guest blogger today. Michael is a graduate student in the Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri, specializing in public policy. He hopes to use his experience at Zogby in a future career in policy analysis.

In my eight weeks as a Zogby International intern this summer, I have spent a considerable amount of time going through data tables and looking for patterns or noteworthy trends, with a special focus on differences between age groups.  My research has led me to this conclusion: young people are more politically liberal than older people.  It’s shocking, I know – at least to someone who slept through every election cycle and Political Science 101.  What is shocking is that the trend is not a straight line, with voters becoming more conservative every year.  In a health care survey conducted this summer with the University of Texas, those ages 18-29 (the First Global Generation) were the most liberal, with nearly half being registered Democrats and more placing themselves left of center than right of center.  The next oldest age cohort, 30-49 year olds, were the most conservative, with a majority of respondents claiming to be right of center.  The table below illustrates these findings.

Note: I collapsed “progressive” and “liberal” into one category, “left of center,” and “conservative,” “very conservative” and “libertarian” into “right of center” for simplicity’s sake.

Why are the two younger generations the most dissimilar and why are First Globals more like the 50-somethings of the Woodstock Generation than the 30-somethings of the Nike Generation?  Perhaps it is because First Globals are largely the offspring of Woodstockers.  The baby boomers passed their flower power message on to their children, who have grown up to be, well, hippies.  The Nikes, on the other hand, were predominantly raised by members of the Private Generation.  When given the choice between fellow Nike Barack Obama and septuagenarian John McCain, Nikes were 11 percent more likely than First Globals to pick Dear Old Dad over Big Brother.

It may not be groundbreaking news that parents pass their values on to their children.  More of interest than the similarities between Woodstockers and First Globals is the stark contrast between First Globals and Nikes.  First Globals share more common life experiences with Nikes than any other group, and yet they are most different politically.  Woodstockers raised kids who are effectively embracing everything they were taught – not what you would expect from a generation partly defined by protest.

Katy Uncategorized first globals, future, Generations, health, international, Obama, summer, zogby

We’re very excited to welcome back Maya Dukmasova as a guest blogger this weekend. Maya is an intern with Zogby International and a junior at the University of Rochester, working on a dual B.A. in Philosophy and Religion. Originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, she currently lives in Syracuse, NY and will be spending the coming semester studying philosophy in Paris, France. She also writes an intependent blog with interviews and impressions of ‘Life in a New Russia’ www.newspblife.com . Thanks Maya!

As the global economy develops (barring the events of the past year), U.S. entrepreneurs are facing serious competition from ambitious, creative individuals in other countries. And the competition is not just coming from the well-off European states and Japan, but also from the developing nations. In a June 3, 2009 interactive survey, we asked 3,030 adults where they thought the next Bill Gates would come from. Almost an equal number of people (right around 28%) picked India as the U.S. , from a list that also included China, Russia, Brazil, Japan, and Other/Not Sure.

However, when we take a look at the age groups separately, more of those aged 18-29 or 30-49 years old think that the next Bill Gates will come from this country than older age groups. Conversely, those over 50 years old were more likely to pick India. Perhaps the general perception of the U.S. as a place of opportunity, wealth, and security, which allows entrepreneurs to take chances, is coming up against a new worldview. Places like India and China are seen to be full of intelligent, business-minded people who are hungry for a chance to advance their ideas. Some people, especially older generations, could be reflecting on the decline of U.S. economic hegemony as well as the increasing leadership of other nations. Perhaps these countries win out among certain demographics on account of the perceived ambition of their populations rather than the perceived strength of the support fabric of these countries’ governments and cultures?

More behind the cut.. Read more…

Katy Uncategorized culture, economy, education, future, Generations, international, military, religion, war, work, zogby

By Alexander Heffner

Country generally split on Obama’s international worldview and domestic spending.

As former President Bill Clinton undertook a White House-sanctioned humanitarian mission to North Korea and successfully secured the release of two imprisoned American journalists, a new Zogby-Scoop44 interactive poll shows that a majority young Americans — and nearly half of all respondents polled — favor President Obama’s new style of diplomacy, a worldview that encouraged the former President’s private trip to Pyongyang.

Clinton’s visit with President Kim Jong-il of North Korea ended the 140 day saga, ensured the two Current TV journalists’ freedom, and signaled the opening of possible diplomatic channels with the rogue regime and its globally estranged leader.

According to the Zogby-Scoop44 poll, about 55% of Americans between 18 and 29 said they agreed with Obama’s emerging foreign policy doctrine. A similar 50% majority from 30 to 49 also approved of the President’s diplomatic streak.

However, respondents older than 50 reflected their unease with Obama’s worldview: a majority, 52%, in the 50-64 and 65+ brackets say they disagree with his approach.

Among all respondents, 48.5% said they agree with the new presidential diplomatic measures, while nearly 47% said they disagree.

A sharp age fissure exists between the younger and older demographic—both on this question and on Americans’ assessment of economic stimulus and other spending programs—suggesting a generational barrier President Obama, 48, still struggles to overcome.

Most likely voters (53%) believe President Obama’s economic policies will translate into debt for future generations—a term coined “generational theft” by Senator John McCain.

Younger voters, however, are likelier to view spending initiatives in health care, education, and other areas as investment in America’s future welfare – 47% of those age 18-29 feel this way, compared to just 32% of those age 65 or older.

On the spending vote, respondents generally followed party lines. While Republicans (94%) and conservatives (96%) overwhelmingly believe those polices equal debt for future generations of Americans, Democrats (72%) and liberals (83%) largely view Obama’s economic policies as necessary investment.

Sixty percent of self-described political independents believe Obama’s policies are leading to debt, while just 28% think they are an investment. Moderate voters are evenly split at 43%.

Leann Uncategorized education, future, Generations, health, international, Obama, race, white house, zogby

We’ve heard about the Greatest Generation. Now we seem to have the most hated generation: Baby Boomers.

Maybe that is an exaggeration, but our recent interactive poll  of 4,811 U.S. adults found 42% saying Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) will be remembered for “ushering in an era of consumerism and self-indulgence.” The other choice we gave respondents was to say the Boomer legacy will be “helping to bring lasting change in social and cultural values and ending a war.” That more favorable description is believed by 26% of our sample. The remaining 32% chose “nothing at all” some other legacy or just weren’t sure. (You can read John Zogby’s analysis of this poll at Forbes.com.)

I’ll drop all pretense of objectivity and say that I am part of the Woodstock generation. I was born in 1948 and am a writer at Zogby, with a background in newspapers and advocacy. 

I even went to Woodstock, and wrote a God awful piece for my local paper with a lead that read: “I was there.” So I will readily admit we thought we were special, and that we could change the world. That notion was short-lived.

So I refuse to silently take this generational bad rap. Generations don’t consciously decide how they will react to the world. They play the hand they are dealt, with human nature in control.  

Hardened by the Depression, the Greatest Generation was faced with fighting a just war against fascists who wanted to dominate the world. The survival instinct produced brave warriors and self-sacrificing civilians. They won the war, and the U.S. emerged prosperous and powerful. Mass media and modern advertising started to dominate the culture, ushering in the consumer age.

Still in survival instinct mode, the Greatest Generation sent  Baby Boomers to fight a misguided war that could not be won, and as history played out, wasn’t even worth winning. We now buy clothes from Vietnam. Our nation fissured over the war. At the same time, African-Americans justly demanded equal rights. Women went to college in much greater numbers, and they too expected equal pay and status. The post-war prosperity bred indulgence in the form of drugs and looser sexual mores. In short, all Hell broke loose.

The nation, and the Baby Boom generation itself, have been split ever since along those 1960s fault lines. Despite all that, normalcy goes on across political ideologies. People continue to work, raise families and want the best for their children. Human nature prevails.

What do you think about Baby Boomers and their legacy?

Paul Uncategorized, culture culture, drugs, Generations, history, John Zogby, media, war, work, zogby

Are we now seeing the beginnings of a shift of religious activism to the left in response to global climate change?

Zogby International completed a survey for the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change that found majorities of Catholics making a connection between the tenants of their faith and the need to act to reverse climate change. This need to act tied directly to Catholic beliefs on protecting God’s creation, as well as the poor and future generations.

There has also been growing interest in this issue from evangelical Protestants. Here is part of a report from the April 23 Charlotte Observer: “Leading the charge is Jonathan Merritt, a graduate of Southeastern and the son of former Southern Baptist President James Merritt. Now an Atlanta-based writer, Merritt said the environment is no longer the exclusive domain of the liberal left.

“In the last few years we’ve seen many conservatives say this is a moral issue, and Christians have an answer for it,” Merritt said. He points to pastors such as Rick Warren, the Southern Baptist megachurch minister who has shown an environmental awareness.”

The Evangelical Environmental Network provides a guide for churches to explore what the group calls Creation Care. Televangelist Pat Robertson appears in TV ads with liberal Al Sharpton to promote climate change action. 

Is global climate change a religious issue that could unite liberals and conservatives?  Will social issues like abortion and gay rights recede from the political spotlight to be replaced by climate change?

Paul culture, global issues, religion environment, faith, future, Generations, international, religion, war, work, zogby