Polls show Americans not divided on key issues
But a check of recent polling by Gallup, the Pew Research Center, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the American Psychiatric Association tells a different story. Even on five hot-button issues, Americans have much in common: Abortion: This week, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, considered the court’s swing vote, announced his retirement. The announcement led to discussion about the future of the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion, Roe v. Wade. President Donald Trump made his opinion on the issue known at a debate during the 2016 presidential campaign. Asked about the future of Roe v. Wade, Trump promised he would appoint “pro-life judges.” If that happened, the court could overturn the decision.
But most Americans don’t want the 1973 ruling overturned, according to a Gallup poll.
Questioned in May, 29 percent said that abortion should be legal under any circumstances, and an additional 50 percent said abortion should be legal under certain circumstances. Together, an overwhelming majority – 79 percent – believe that at least some abortions should be legal.
Only 18 percent believe abortion should always be illegal and 2 percent had no opinion.
Similarly, a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation in June found that 67 percent of the public does not want the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Undocumented immigrants: Most Americans aren’t fearful that undocumented immigrants have come to take their jobs or commit crimes, according to Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank.
An overwhelming majority, 71 percent, said undocumented immigrants “mostly fill jobs that American citizens do not want,” the center reported. And 65 percent said that undocumented immigrants “are not more likely than U.S. citizens to commit serious crimes.”
But with this issue, differences by political preference are evident: Among Democrats, 80 percent say undocumented immigrants are not more likely than citizens to commit serious crimes. Among Republicans, 46 percent say undocumented immigrants are not more likely to commit crimes, and 42 percent say they are more likely to commit serious crimes.
The survey was done June 5-12. See the full report here.
The 2016 election probe: Most Americans believe a fair investigation will be done on the Russian involvement in the 2016 election.
More than half, 55 percent, believe that special counsel Robert Mueller will conduct a fair investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election, according to the Pew Research Center. Among that number, 28 percent are very confident and 27 percent are somewhat confident.
On the flip side, 40 percent are either not too confident or not at all confident that the probe will be fair.
Three-quarters want the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct research on gun violence.
The poll found that 70 percent believe lack of access to mental health services was a contributing factor to mass shootings. Some also said several issues contributed to the shootings. “About half of Americans say lack of access to mental health services and easy access to assault style guns are equally to blame,” the organization reports.
Environment: Americans are united in worrying about the environment. But younger Americans are more fearful than their elders.
Indeed, 70 percent of Americans ages 18 to 34 worry about global warming, according to a Gallup finding released in May.
Among older Americans, 62 percent of those 35 to 54, and 56 percent who are 55 or older worry about global warming.
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Most Americans uncomfortable with robots
Americans not interested in space tourism
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