Topics At A Glance: Race Relations

Race Relations and Discrimination in the US

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Do you think race relations in the United States are generally good or generally bad?

CBS News/New York Times Poll, [Jan, 2012]

(Next, we'd like to know how you feel about the state of the nation in each of the following areas. For each one, please say whether you are--very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied. If you don't have enough information about a particular subject to rate it, just say so.) How about...the state of race relations?

Gallup Poll, [Jan, 2012]

As a result of Barack Obama's election (as president in 2008), do you think race relations in this country have--gotten a lot better, gotten a little better, not changed, gotten a little worse or gotten a lot worse?

Gallup/USA Today Poll, [Aug, 2011]

Affirmative Action/Equality in the Workplace

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All other things being equal, which would you prefer: a higher-paying job, or a job that offers better job security? (If Respondent says they are retired/disabled and question does not apply, ask:) Generally speaking, which do you think is more important?

Pew Social Trends Poll, [Dec, 2011]

Compared to your previous income, are the unemployment benefits you receive about equal to your previous income, slightly less than your previous income or a lot less than your previous income?

Note: Those unemployed who are receiving unemployment benefits (38% of unemployed)
CBS News/New York Times Poll, [Oct, 2011]

Do you feel that racial minorities in this country have equal job opportunities as whites, or not?

Gallup/USA Today Poll, [Jun, 2010]

Educational Opportunity

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(Using a grading scale like they do in schools--where A is excellent, B is good, C is fair, D is poor and F is failing, how would you grade the performance of the federal government in each of the following areas?)...Improving the health of minority populations

%
6		A-Excellent
25		B-Good
32		C-Fair
20		D-Poor
6		F-Failing
1		They shouldn't be doing that (Vol.)
10		Don't know/Refused

Note: Asked of one-sixth sample
Harvard School of Public Health/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Americans' Health Agenda Survey, [Sep, 2011]

(Using a grading scale like they do in schools--where A is excellent, B is good, C is fair, D is poor and F is failing, how would you grade the performance of your state government in each of the following areas?)...Improving health of minority populations

%
10		A
25		B
39		C
11		D
8		F
*		They shouldn�t be doing that (Vol.)
6		Don't know/Refused

Note: Asked of one-sixth sample
Harvard School of Public Health/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Americans' Health Agenda Survey, [Sep, 2011]

(Using a grading scale like they do in schools--where A is excellent, B is good, C is fair, D is poor and F is failing, how would you grade the performance of your local or county government in each of the following areas?)...Improving the health of minority populations

%
12		A-Excellent
24		B-Good
32		C-Fair
14		D-Poor
6		F-Failing
2		They shouldn't be doing that (Vol.)
10		Don't know/Refused

Note: Asked of one-sixth sample
Harvard School of Public Health/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Americans' Health Agenda Survey, [Sep, 2011]

Minorities and the Criminal Justice System

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(Now I'm going to read you a list of specific policy measures about things happening in public places that some people have suggested the government should take on in response to terrorist threats against the United States. For each one, please tell me if you favor, oppose or neither favor nor oppose that particular policy.)...Using racial and ethnic profiling to decide who should get tougher screening at airports...Do you favor, oppose, or neither favor nor oppose this policy as a way of responding to terrorist threats? (If Favor/Oppose, ask:) Is that strongly favor/oppose or just moderately favor/oppose?

%
18		Strongly favor
17		Moderately favor
11		Neither favor nor oppose
14		Moderately oppose
39		Strongly oppose
1		Don't know
1		Refused

Associated Press/NORC Poll, [Jul, 2011]

If profiling is done (using available information about airline passengers in order to determine who gets selected for extra security screening), for each item I name please tell me if you think it should or should not be included in a passenger's security profile. How about a passenger's...nationality?

ABC News/Washington Post Poll, [Nov, 2010]

(If profiling is done (using available information about airline passengers in order to determine who gets selected for extra security screening), for each item I name please tell me if you think it should or should not be included in a passenger's security profile.) How about a passenger's...race?

ABC News/Washington Post Poll, [Nov, 2010]

Interracial Couples

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Do you approve or disapprove of marriage between blacks and whites?

Gallup/USA Today Poll, [Aug, 2011]

(Now, as you may have seen in the news recently, the 2012 Census data shows that the United States population grew nearly 10% since 2000, with more than half of that growth coming from the country's Hispanic population. Ethnic or racial minorities now comprise more than one-third of the American population, including nearly half of the population of Americans younger than 18. And the growth in the nation's white population has been slower than nearly all other groups. It has been estimated that this trend will result in minorities outnumbering whites in the US by the year 2042.)...Now, for each of the following, please tell me how likely you think it is to happen as a result of the population changes we've been discussing. For each one, please tell me if you believe this is very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not at all likely to happen....More racial tolerance and mixed-race marriages

Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll, [May, 2011]

How about having a close relative marry a...black person? Would you be very much in favor of it happening, somewhat in favor, neither in favor nor opposed to it happening, somewhat opposed, or very much opposed to it happening?

Note: Asked of 2/3 sample
General Social Survey 2010, [Mar, 2010]

Muslims and Arab-Americans

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Do you happen to know what...Barack Obama's religion is? Is he Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, something else, or is he not religious?

%
25		Protestant
5		Catholic
*		Jewish
1		Mormon
16		Muslim
*		Something else
3		Not religious
8		Christian (Vol.)
41		Don't know what his religion is
*		Refused

PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey, [May, 2012]

Do you happen to know what...Mitt Romney's religion is? Is he Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, something else, or is he not religious?

%
5		Protestant
5		Catholic
*		Jewish
45		Mormon
*		Muslim
1		Christian (Vol.)
2		Not religious
40		Don't know what his religion is
1		Refused

PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey, [May, 2012]

Do you happen to know if...Mitt Romney is Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, atheist, agnostic, or some other religion?

%
2		Protestant
3		Catholic
48		Mormon
1		Jewish
*		Muslim
*		Atheist
*		Agnostic
1		Christian (Vol.)
42		Don't know
1		Refused

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press Political Survey, [Mar, 2012]

Vote for a Black for President

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(Would each of the following traits in a candidate for president of the United States make you more likely to vote for that candidate, less likely to vote for that candidate, or would it have no effect on whether you'd vote for that candidate?)...The candidate is black. Would that make you more likely to vote for that candidate, less likely, or have no effect on whether you'd vote for that candidate? (If More likely, ask:) Is that much more likely or somewhat more likely? (If Less likely, ask:) Is that much less likely or somewhat less likely?

Associated Press/Gfk Poll, [Oct, 2011]

(Between now and the 2012 political conventions, there will be discussion about the qualifications of presidential candidates--their education, age, religion, race, and so on.) If your party nominated a generally well-qualified person for president who happened to be...black, would you vote for that person?

Gallup/USA Today Poll, [Aug, 2011]

Gallup Poll, [Jun, 2011]

From the Archives

(Here are some statements people have made to us on the subject of interracial dating. For each one, please tell me whether you agree strongly, agree somewhat, disagree somewhat, or disagree strongly?)... Whites and blacks who date each other are probably just as moral as those who date only members of their own race.

Harris Survey, [Feb, 1971]

(Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.)...Employers should be required by law to maintain a certain level of diversity in the workplace. (Probe:) Strongly/somewhat agree/disagree

Sample: National employed adults (see note)
Attitudes About Work, Employers and Government, [Sep, 2001]

During the past four years or so, do you think that relations between Blacks and the following groups have improved, stayed the same, or gotten worse?...Whites, in general.

Sample: National Black Americans
Attitudes And Opinions Of Black Americans, [Jul, 1984]