Poll Hub

Between the floods in NY and New England, the vast and historic heat wave across the Southwest, Canadian forest fire smoke creating historically bad air quality, and the earth having multiple back-to-back hottest days in recorded history all over the past month , you might not think climate change is still an issue. But, you’d be wrong. Still, a LOT has changed in how Americans think about it sinc...

A majority of Americans agree that teachers should be the ones responsible for setting school curriculum. However, book bans and laws prohibiting teachers from discussing content related to racial and LGBTQ+ issues highlight how politicians are getting directly involved in the education system. Public opinion shows parents think that the government has much more important responsibilities in prote...

This special edition of Poll Hub represents a break from our past 299 episodes, not only because our student producers researched and wrote it all, but also because we focus on a single topic. We have special segments on earworms, one-hit wonders, and Americans' view of rock music, plus all this: We start with "Why music?" How did a podcast that covers public opinion and survey science end up with...

We start out by taking a look at the results of the new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll that was released Friday. The majority of Americans believe that Trump has either done something illegal or unethical. Republicans, on the other hand, still have a very favorable impression of Trump. It means he still likely has the inside line to the nomination, but other data in the poll suggests he would have a...

Many Americans have said the economy is in a recession for almost a year, but it's not. And, economic data shows that things are actually pretty good and/or getting better in terms of unemployment, income, and inflation. Why the disconnect? It's the same for crime – even though crime rates have generally been dropping for decades, a majority of Americans have said, in most years, it's getting wors...

The public health emergencies for COVID are largely over around the world and by nearly all accounts, people in most places are living like they did pre-pandemic. Yet, scientists warn the pandemic is not really over and plenty of risk from variants and new viruses remains. Did we learn anything from last three years? Or are we just happy to have gotten through it? Then, President Joe Biden and Hou...

We start with a deep dive into the data of our new poll with NPR and the PBS NewsHour. Americans favor the Biden position of raising the debt limit separately from any discussion about spending cuts, but, if default happens, they would pretty much blame both sides equally.   Then, friend-of-the-poll and longtime Texas journalist John Sparks joins us in studio to help us understand if national Demo...

Since the start of the COVID pandemic, data shows more young people are choosing to skip college. High tuition costs and a very strong job market are partly driving this but, if it continues, will those who passed on college suffer over the long term? And, how can the economy deal with fewer skilled workers? Next, how much do you recycle? Polls show Americans are very pro-recycling and many of us...

A new book called Culture Shock explores how the pandemic affected the workplace and offers data-backed solutions to employers grappling with the new normal: Workers reluctant to come back to office full-time and employers desperate to fill those desks. Gallup's Jim Harter and Jim Clifton wrote the book and Harter joins us to discuss. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Biden with a new low...

While marijuana is still federally illegal, it's legal in nearly every state for recreational or medical use -- or both. But new health studies raise the question, have states moved too far, too fast? We look at both public opinion data showing a lightning-fast change in public opinion and scientific research showing pot may not be as benign as many think.   Then, our star team of student producer...

First the team dives into the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. It covers everything from Trump and Biden to abortion. We asked a lot of questions and we're breaking down all the results. For decades, the employment gap between black workers and white workers has always favored white workers, but is this gap shrinking? Guest Valerie Wilson @ValerieRWilson joins us to talk about a new study show...

Axios recently ran a piece looking at Gallup Poll data showing 49% of Americans identify as independents -- a big increase over the past decade. But...is this really accurate? The Washington Post's Phillip Bump and Charles Franklin from the Marquette Poll have serious doubts. We'll explain why the Gallup data isn't really the issue.   Next, has the pandemic made workers lazy? New data shows that w...

On April 6th, Tennessee House members Justin Pearson and Justin Jones -- who are Black and Democrats -- were expelled from the chamber by a supermajority of Republicans ostensibly for violating "decorum" by protesting on the floor of the legislature. They, along with a white Democrat who was not expelled, were protesting the Republican push to make it easier for Tennesseans to get guns in the wake...

Trump's indictment made history this week but will it make any difference to his support -- or lack thereof -- among various groups of Americans? We're looking back through over seven years of Marist Polls to see what history tells us. Then, there's been a precipitous -- even shocking -- drop in U.S. life expectancy. Dr. Scott Kush from the Life Expectancy Group is here to help us understand why....

Our latest poll dives into topics like crime, a TikTok ban, restricting drag shows, and universal healthcare. Americans have their set opinions on some but you may be surprised about some others. On the heels of yet another mass school shooting in the U.S., we are looking at red flag laws -- one of the few gun restrictions that has some bipartisan support. How effective are they? What do Americans...

FiveThirtyEight recently released its 2023 pollster ratings, and while the Marist Poll got a best-in-show "A", some in the industry question the accuracy and impact of the ratings. Natalie Jackson (@nataliemj10) from PRRI and the National Journal has some strong opinions on the matter and she's breaking down why this way of ranking isn't necessarily good. And, we end on a positive note. In this we...

A recent report from KFF found a discrepancy between the experiences men and women have when visiting the doctor or accessing medical care in other ways. A new KFF survey found women say they face a lot of dismissiveness and dehumanization and a Danish study from 2019 shows doctors diagnose illnesses in women later than men. Are they connected? Next up, that old saying “you’re only as old as you f...

Joe Biden has signed huge new programs to keep the American economy growing while also making it greener but there's a big problem -- there aren't enough workers to do it all. During the Trump Administration, legal immigration dropped substantially, and it hasn't rebounded much under Biden. Americans generally support legal immigration but are against illegal immigration. Is that distinction lost...

There's new CDC data showing a concerning trend in teenage girls' mental health. Feelings of sadness and hopelessness for teenage girls are much higher than for boys and the gap is widening. Guest Dr. Nicholas Allen @Prof_Nick_Allen breaks down how the pandemic and social media may have played a role in this, and how we turn a corner. Society often has a negative connotation of nepotism as seen in...

Our latest national poll is out and we are giving an inside scoop on the numbers. Biden and Trump's approval ratings are showing notable trends. As the tech industry faces scrutiny in the Supreme Court, our data reveals what Americans think the government should do when it comes to regulation. And, we asked about American support for Ukraine in a way that tells a different story from some in the m...

Not to get to maudlin, but what happens when one of the most influential generations in American history dies out? In The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America , Washington Post columnist Philip Bump @pbump dives into this question. He joins us this week to knock down (some) Boomer stereotypes and to put into perspective just how much the generation changed p...

Data shows Americans have been especially pessimistic lately when it comes to President Biden and the state of the economy. However, numbers show the economy is about as good as it's ever been and it's just fact that Biden has accomplished more in his first two years (whether you like what he's done or not) than nearly any other president in history. So what's behind this giant disconnect? We look...

Our first poll of 2023 is out and we asked about a lot of things, including what Americans think the State of the Union is, Biden's latest approval rating, and how big a problem extremism is for both parties. We found some surprises there. We also asked about social media and Americans have an interesting take on the media's effects. Is tipping out of control? We look at how the pandemic has affec...

The recent Speaker of the House election ended with Kevin McCarthy winning (barely) and with Americans having little confidence Congress will accomplish anything in the next two years. Americans hope their representatives work with Biden, but do not seem optimistic. It comes as the Biden Administration resets for both a divided government and an expected re-election campaign. How will the mess in...

Even as Americans in general have slowly moved away from identifying as either a Democrat or Republican over the past couple of decades, younger voters are already there. In fact, Millennials are bucking a trend among Boomers and members of the Silent Generation who’ve become less likely to be independents as they age – Millennials have become continuously more likely to identify as independents....