The People Of This Board Are The Minority

"The figures cited below come from surveys conducted by Gallup, Pew, and other reputable polling organizations on the key issues facing the nation. These are the most recent national polls on each topic. Most of them are from the past year, although a few go back further. Each poll is hyperlinked so readers can look at the original sources.

The Economy

82 percent of Americans think wealthy people have too much power and influence in Washington.

69 percent think large businesses have too much power and influence in Washington.

59 percent—and 72 percent of likely voters—think Wall Street has too much power and influence in Washington.

78 percent of likely voters support stronger rules and enforcement on the financial industry.

65 percent of Americans think our economic system “unfairly favors powerful interests.”

59 percent of Americans—and 43 percent of Republicans—think corporations make “too much profit.”

Inequality

82 percent of Americans think economic inequality is a “very big” (48 percent) or “moderately big” (34 percent) problem. Even 69 percent of Republicans share this view.

66 percent of Americans think money and wealth should be distributed more evenly.

72 percent of Americans say it is “extremely” or “very” important, and 23 percent say it is “somewhat important,” to reduce poverty.

59 percent of registered voters—and 51 percent of Republicans—favor raising the maximum amount that low-wage workers can make and still be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, from $14,820 to $18,000.

Money in Politics

96 percent of Americans—including 96 percent of Republicans—believe money in politics is to blame for the dysfunction of the U.S. political system.

84 percent of Americans—including 80 percent of Republicans—believe money has too much influence in politics.

78 percent of Americans say we need sweeping new laws to reduce the influence of money in politics.

73 percent of registered voters have an unfavorable opinion of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.
Taxes

80 percent of Americans think some corporations don’t pay their fair share of taxes.

78 percent think some wealthy people don’t pay their fair share of taxes.

76 percent believe the wealthiest Americans should pay higher taxes.

60 percent of registered voters believe corporations pay too little in taxes.

87 percent of Americans say it is critical to preserve Social Security, even if it means increasing Social Security taxes paid by wealthy Americans.

67 percent of Americans support lifting the cap to require higher-income workers to pay Social Security taxes on all of their wages.

Minimum Wage

66 percent of Americans favor raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.

59 percent favor raising the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour.

48 percent support raising the national minimum wage to $15 an hour. (A survey of registered voters found that 54 percent favored a $15 minimum wage.)

63 percent of registered voters think the minimum wage should be adjusted each year by the rate of inflation.
Workers’ Rights

61 percent of Americans—including 42 percent of Republicans—approve of labor unions.

74 percent of registered voters—including 71 percent of Republicans—support requiring employers to offer paid parental and medical leave.

78 percent of likely voters favor establishing a national fund that offers all workers 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.

Health Care

60 percent of Americans believe “it is the federal government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage.”

60 percent of registered voters favor “expanding Medicare to provide health insurance to every American.”

58 percent of the public favors replacing Obamacare with “a federally funded healthcare program providing insurance for all Americans.”

64 percent of registered voters favor their state accepting the Obamacare plan for expanding Medicaid in their state.
Education

63 percent of registered voters—including 47 percent of Republicans—of Americans favor making four-year public colleges and universities tuition-free.
59 percent of Americans favor free early-childhood education.

Climate Change and the Environment

76 percent of voters are “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about climate change.

68 percent of voters think it is possible to protect the environment and protect jobs.

72 percent of voters think it is a “bad idea” to cut funding for scientific research on the environment and climate change.

59 percent of voters say more needs to be done to address climate change.

Citations