The Gallup Podcast

As abuse scandals continue to roil the Roman Catholic Church, Gallup finds that more than one in three American Catholics say they have considered leaving the church. Simone Campbell, a Roman Catholic sister and executive director of NETWORK, joins the podcast to give context to Gallup’s findings on confidence in church leadership and how Catholics are responding to the ongoing scandals. What does...

How does the world view U.S. leadership? And how does it compare with the leadership of China, Russia and Germany? Gallup World Poll Managing Editor Julie Ray breaks down the findings from Gallup’s latest report, “Rating World Leaders.” Later, former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel speaks about why approval of U.S. leadership matters, and what these latest findings say about the global world orde...

The Gallup Podcast returns with its new host, Gallup Editor-in-Chief Mohamed Younis. Younis and Gallup Senior Editor Lydia Saad dive into Gallup’s long-term trends on how the Democratic Party is changing, both politically and demographically. How have changes among white Democrats altered the party’s ideological tilt? Are Democrats more likely to identify as liberals? And where does socialism fit...

Dr. Frank Newport interviews Gallup's new Editor-in-Chief Mohamed Younis. The two talk about Dr. George Gallup and his founding mission for the company, their experiences at the nation's oldest polling firm, and their new roles at Gallup in 2019. After serving as editor in chief for 28 years, Newport is continuing with Gallup as a senior scientist.

Gallup’s new Migration Research Center features the latest migration discoveries based on more than a decade’s worth of interviews with millions of people across more than 140 countries. How many people would like to leave their countries, and where would they like to go? What countries would grow or shrink in population if people actually followed through on their stated intentions? And what are...

Gallup has tracked Americans’ views on the death penalty since 1937. How and why has this support or opposition changed over time? What percentage of Americans currently support using capital punishment? And what reasons do supporters of the death penalty give for why they support it? Sandra Babcock, clinical professor at Cornell Law School and a lawyer who specializes in human rights and the deat...

Tuesday’s midterm elections will determine if Democrats take control of the House of Representatives, and possibly the Senate -- or if Republicans maintain control of both houses. What percentage of Americans say they are certain they will vote? How much have they thought about the upcoming election? Are voters more or less enthusiastic about voting this year than in previous years? Gallup Editor-...

What is the status of Afghanistan 17 years after U.S. military intervention? What are the trends in measures of Afghans’ well-being? Are Afghans confident in their local police and their military, and are they confident in the honesty of their elections? Gallup Senior Editor and Researcher Steve Crabtree explains the country’s history as well as Gallup’s polling trends in the country since 2006. L...

Nov. 6, the date of the 2018 midterm elections, is drawing closer each day. Which party will have control of the House and Senate when the dust settles? How does the 2018 political climate compare with midterms in the past? What can we learn from an analysis of presidential job approval and other key indicators? Gallup Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Frank Newport, and Senior Editor Lydia Saad compare notes....

Socialism is enjoying a renaissance in U.S. political discourse -- even though candidates who espouse a socialist policy perspective have had mixed results in primary elections and while Americans, as a whole, remain negative about socialism. Gallup recently updated a 1949 question asking how Americans define socialism. In this episode, two very different experts offer their opinions on the matter...

In this update of current public opinion trends, Dr. Frank Newport reviews and highlights what’s important to know about American public opinion right now. How does the latest approval rating of President Donald Trump compare with those of previous presidents -- and do Americans view Trump more positively than Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election that put...

Just how big is the “gig” economy, in which employees have temporary or short-term assignments rather than working full time with one company? Are gig workers doing the kind of work they want? Who benefits the most in gig-work arrangements -- the employers or the employees? Will it become a more dominant part of the U.S. economy in the future? Shane McFeely, analyst and researcher on Gallup’s glob...

How much of the world experienced enjoyment yesterday? Did people smile, laugh or feel well-rested? Or did people feel angry, stressed or sad? Gallup World Poll Researcher and Analyst Julie Ray breaks down Gallup’s 2018 Global Emotions Report, which answers exactly these questions. Plus, in which countries around the world are people happiest -- and in which are they the least happy? The answers m...

President Donald Trump often refers to polls, but just how accurate are his tweets about them? What will have a larger effect on midterm election outcomes -- presidential approval or economic confidence? How many Democrats react positively when they hear the word “socialism”? Frank Newport and Gallup Senior Editor Lydia Saad discusses the trends on these issues and more. Gallup has polled on Ameri...

What effect will Donald Trump’s ongoing legal woes have on his approval rating? And how has he maintained such a stable base of support among his party? What are the long-term repercussions of political division in the U.S., and how will the major political parties evolve in this climate? Ronald Brownstein, a senior political analyst for CNN and Atlantic Media who has covered presidents dating bac...

In a recent Gallup Poll, Americans told us what they try to include, and avoid, in their diet. How on target is their understanding of nutrition, and how much does their awareness of healthy eating actually translate into their eating behaviors? Plus, what percentage of Americans are vegetarian and vegan -- and just how healthy are these choices? Caroline West Passerrello, registered dietician and...

Much has been speculated about the relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but what do the citizens of each country think about the two men? Which president has a higher approval rating in his own country? Are there any similarities between the views of Americans and Russians? In this episode, Neli Esipova, Gallup’s Regional Director for former Soviet...

How do Americans really feel about the challenges and policy decisions surrounding one of the most controversial topics of our time -- immigration? Is immigration good or bad for the U.S.? Why do some Americans so strongly support the idea of building a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border? How do Americans defend their positions on the issue of sending children brought to the U.S. illegally back to the...

Is having one or two drinks a day good for you? And if so, what is the optimal amount one should drink? Dr. Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition and director of the program in cardiovascular epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, joins the podcast to discuss the trend in Americans’ views on moderate drinking and how these views square with scientific facts. La...

What percentage of Americans are vaping, and how does this figure compare with the percentage who smoke cigarettes? How will this new technology affect trends on smoking in the U.S.? Dr. Kenneth Warner, Avedis Donabedian Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, joins the podcast to explain vaping and what effect -- good or bad -- this new h...

Americans overwhelmingly say the news media are biased, and many also say news media are inaccurate. Why is this the case, and what can be done about it? How do Americans’ perceptions of specific media outlets’ bias and accuracy play a role in this loss of confidence? Sam Gill, vice president of communities and impact at Knight Foundation, joins the podcast to explain the latest findings from Knig...

Why are U.S. fertility rates declining? What are Americans’ ideas and preferences about children, and how do these attitudes relate to overall fertility in the U.S.? Dr. Caroline Sten Hartnett, sociologist and demographer on the faculty at the University of South Carolina, discusses the latest findings and offers her predictions for the future. Later, what percentage of Americans have confidence i...

President Donald Trump has made the issue of trade and tariffs a centerpiece of his recent policymaking -- but it’s not necessarily one Americans know a lot about. This episode explores new data measuring Americans’ attitudes and beliefs about trade policy with Gallup Senior Scientist Justin Wolfers, professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan. Dr. Wolfers offers his tak...

How do statements made by public officials stack up against public opinion? Sarah Huckabee Sanders says her credibility is higher than the media’s but is that true? Bill Clinton contends that two-thirds of the American people stayed with him after the Monica Lewinsky scandal, but is that exactly what happened? The Department of Justice watchdog report focused on Hillary Clinton’s emails during her...

Abortion remains one of the nation’s most contentious policy issues, and Americans’ views on the subject are essentially fixed -- changing little over past decades. Gallup Senior Editor Lydia Saad explores the intricacies of Americans’ views on legal restrictions on abortion, how the trimester timeline changes views on abortion, and how opinions on the subject vary by demographic group. Later, wha...