Americans Hold Record Liberal Views on Most Moral Issues

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

http://news.gallup.com/poll/210542/americans-hold-record-liberal-views-moral-issues.aspx

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans continue to express an increasingly liberal outlook on what is morally acceptable, as their views on 10 of 19 moral issues that Gallup measures are the most left-leaning or permissive they have been to date. The percentages of U.S. adults who believe birth control, divorce, sex between unmarried people, gay or lesbian relations, having a baby outside of marriage, doctor-assisted suicide, pornography and polygamy are morally acceptable practices have tied record highs or set new ones this year. At the same time, record lows say the death penalty and medical testing on animals are morally acceptable.

These results are based on Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs poll, conducted May 3-7. Each year, Americans are asked to rate whether different practices are morally acceptable or morally wrong. Gallup first asked the question in 2001 about 13 issues, with additional items added in subsequent years.

The leftward movement in perceptions of what is morally acceptable has been ongoing, with Gallup also noting shifts in 2014 and 2015. Since then, there have been additional, albeit slight, changes in a more permissive direction. All of the new highs this year are one or two percentage points above previous highs.

On an absolute basis, Americans are most likely to view birth control, divorce and sex between unmarried people as morally acceptable. At least two-thirds say each of these is OK.

Americans are least likely to believe suicide, polygamy, cloning humans and extramarital affairs are permissible; fewer than one in five say these practices are morally acceptable.

The public is most divided on abortion and medical testing on animals. Currently, 43% of Americans say abortion is morally acceptable, and 49% say it is morally wrong. Meanwhile, 51% say medical testing on animals is OK, while 44% disagree.

Over Time, No Issues Show Movement Toward Conservative Positions

Of the 19 issues included in this year's poll, 13 show meaningful change in a liberal direction over time, regardless of whether they are currently at their high point in Gallup's trend. No issues show meaningful change toward more traditionally conservative positions compared with when Gallup first measured them. That leaves six issues for which there has essentially been no change over time.

 

Changes in Views of Issues as Morally Acceptable

Figures are percentages saying practice is morally acceptable

	First year asked	2017	Change
	%	%	pct. pts.
More liberal views
Gay/Lesbian relations	40	63	+23
Having a baby outside of marriage (2002)	45	62	+17
Sex between an unmarried man and woman	53	69	+16
Divorce	59	73	+14
Medical testing on animals	65	51	-14
Polygamy (2003)	7	17	+10
Human embryo stem cell research (2002)	52	61	+9
Doctor-assisted suicide	49	57	+8
Cloning humans	7	14	+7
Pornography (2011)	30	36	+6
Suicide	13	18	+5
Death penalty

[Dashinka 24,504]

I wonder how this poll would read if it was asking economic questions?

[jg121783 3,915]

I consider myself fiscally "conservative" socially "liberal" so I am not opposed to a lot of the things on the list. I am opposed to things like abortion which I see only 43% support.

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

22 minutes ago, jg121783 said:

I consider myself fiscally "conservative" socially "liberal" so I am not opposed to a lot of the things on the list. I am opposed to things like abortion which I see only 43% support.

It is interesting the range of views we hold that fall outside of our party or religion.  There is still a small but strong anti-abortion contingent inside the  Democratic party. 

 

What I really want to know if only 9% of the population approve or extramarital affairs, who is doing all of the cheating?

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

I would be a liberal on most of these issues 

[Dashinka 24,504]

17% approve of polygamy?  Is that a result of the show Sister Wives?

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

5 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

17% approve of polygamy?  Is that a result of the show Sister Wives?

I surprised its that low. I dont see how its anyone's business  how others lead their personal lives.

 

Having said that, as much trouble as one woman is I can't imagine having two

 

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

I’m not buying into that BS pornography statistic.

[jg121783 3,915]

On a personal level I don't condone some of the stuff on that list but on a political level I am libertarian leaning and I believe you should be able to do whatever you want as long as it doesn't violate the rights of others. I am not overly religous but I do believe in God and I also believe it is not my place to judge anyone.

[Boiler 45,519]

I am Liberal so obviously see no issue.

 

Not sure how many support Regressive issues.

[Ban Hammer 13,342]

23 hours ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

I would be a liberal on most of these issues 

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

10 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

17% approve of polygamy?  Is that a result of the show Sister Wives?

 

10 hours ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

I surprised its that low. I dont see how its anyone's business  how others lead their personal lives.

 

Having said that, as much trouble as one woman is I can't imagine having two

 

I would like to have a polygamous marriage with 2 wives, but Damon once they both start being mad at me at the same time..... I don't know what I would do. I did bring this question up with my wife and she said hell no😢

[TBoneTX 45,293]

Bigamy is having one wife too many, and monogamy is the same thing.

[Ban Hammer 13,342]

12 hours ago, cyberfx1024 said:

 

I would like to have a polygamous marriage with 2 wives, but Damon once they both start being mad at me at the same time..... I don't know what I would do. I did bring this question up with my wife and she said hell no😢

on the down side, you have more than one mother in law......

[bcking 3,157]

20 hours ago, jg121783 said:

On a personal level I don't condone some of the stuff on that list but on a political level I am libertarian leaning and I believe you should be able to do whatever you want as long as it doesn't violate the rights of others. I am not overly religous but I do believe in God and I also believe it is not my place to judge anyone.

I think that's a good distinction to make.

 

They were asking whether people think they are morally wrong/acceptable. They weren't asking whether they think they should be controlled in some way by the government. Though some might interpret it that way, I think their intentions were to ask what people personally think. So if you personally believe polygamy is wrong, but don't think that society should stop others from doing it, then you would still select that it is "wrong".

 

I'd love to see the same poll in other countries. My wife's friends all seem to have a stereotype that Americans are quite conservative, so I'm wondering how we compare.