The Gallup Podcast

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 their home countries? What’s behind the strongly emotional support for, and opposition to, Trump’s policies on immigration? In this episode, we hear Americans’ views in their own words. Later, what percentage of Americans are vegetarian and vegan?

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. Later, what percentage of Americans approve of the job the U.S. Supreme Court is doing?

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 habit could have on the health of Americans. Later, some Americans say “nothing” is going well in the country -- listen to find out what percentage?

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 Knight Foundation’s ongoing research with Gallup that explore Americans’ perceptions of the media. Later, what percentage of Americans believe that Roe v. Wade should be overturned, and what percentage say it should be upheld?

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 in the Supreme Court?

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 take on how views on trade are formed, what the state of international trade looks like today and how Trump’s executive actions square with the consensus of economists. Later, what percentage of Americans believe that legal immigration is a good thing for the country?

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 2016 presidential campaign, but how big of a factor were the emails in her loss? And later, do Americans think it’s easier to raise a girl or a boy?

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, what percentage of Americans say they would like to be rich? And how has this figure changed over Gallup’s 28-year trend?

Many Americans don’t think about retirement until it looms in their immediate future. So ow confident are Americans that they will have enough money when they retire? And how much are they relying on Social Security and 401(k)s? When is the ideal time to withdraw from Social Security? And what can we do to increase Americans’ financial literacy? Annamaria Lusardi, Denit Trust Chair of Economics & Accountancy at the George Washington University School of Business, joins the podcast to discuss these questions and others. And later, are Americans already accepting the fact that gas prices are going to go up even higher this year?

Why is it important that we measure the number of people in the U.S. who identify as LGBT? And what are the challenges involved in measuring this population? Dr. Gary Gates, one of the nation’s most renowned experts on the geography and demography of the LGBT population and coauthor of The Gay & Lesbian Atlas, joins the podcast to explain the significance of these measures and to discuss the changes Gallup has seen over hundreds of thousands of interviews since 2012. Later, Gallup’s Chief Methodologist Stephanie Marken describes in-depth how Gallup has partnered with UCLA to tackle the unique challenge of measuring the transgender population.

This week, Dr. Frank Newport examines in-depth five key aspects of current American public opinion. What’s behind Donald Trump’s latest job approval ratings? What percentage of Americans are paying attention to his tweets? How should Americans’ feelings about complex foreign policy initiatives be taken into account? How much are Americans’ views of traditional social and sexual norms shifting? And, a look at month-to-month changes in Americans’ views of guns as the nation’s top problem.

What the whole world wants is a good job, but how do you measure what a good job is? Gallup World Poll Editor Julie Ray explores the latest findings from the 2018 Global Great Jobs Briefing. What regions of the world have the highest and lowest percentages of adults with good jobs? And what is a great job? Later, do Americans view their personal financial health through a political lens?

Gallup’s presidential job approval rating is an enduring staple of political assessment. Where does President Donald Trump’s approval rating stand after five quarters in office? How does partisanship affect Americans’ views of the president’s performance? And how do his job approval ratings compare with previous presidents? Gallup Senior Editor Jeff Jones breaks down the Gallup trend spanning many decades. Later, find out what percentage of Americans have money in the stock market. Is this figure up or down from prior years?

How many adults worldwide don’t have access to basic financial services? And why does financial inclusion matter? The World Bank’s Global Findex report answers these questions and more using Gallup World Poll data. Joe Daly, Gallup partner and manager of the worldwide project, explains the new report’s findings and where disparities in financial inclusion still exist. Later, the recently passed tax reform law will have an impact on many Americans’ taxes -- but most adults are unclear about how it will affect them.

A new exhibit at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum revisits polls from the 1930s and 1940s, showing what Americans knew about the Holocaust and what they believed the U.S. should have done to aid Jewish refugees. Dr. Daniel Greene, the guest exhibition curator at the museum, joins the podcast to discuss Americans’ views and the broader cultural and economic environment in the U.S. in the late 1930s and 1940s. Later, what percentage of Facebook users say they are concerned about their privacy being violated? Have views shifted since 2011?

Americans’ views on climate change are highly polarized, raising the issue of how leaders should address the divisive topic. In this episode, Alice C. Hill, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and former special assistant to President Barack Obama, shares her perspective on how government efforts to build resilience to catastrophic events can navigate a path forward in the context of divided public opinion. Later, find out the percentage of Americans who believe the federal government should intervene to limit compensation received by senior executives of U.S. companies. Has this figure changed over time?

One of the starkest displays of political polarization in the U.S. is on the subject of climate change. But it wasn’t always this way. Gallup’s tracking on the issue reveals periods in the 1990s when Democrats’ and Republicans’ views on the topic were not so different. So, how did the polarization come about? Dr. Riley Dunlap, Regents Professor of sociology and Dresser Professor Emeritus at Oklahoma State University, breaks down the political trend on climate change and discusses the reasons behind it. Later in this episode, learn what percentage of Americans now say young people will have a better life than their parents.

As elected officials work to address school shootings in the U.S. after the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, some proposals to solve the problem are more popular than others. Which tactics receive nearly unanimous support from Americans and which show divisions along party lines? Later, find out what percentage of Americans say this past winter was warmer than in previous years.

As heated debates over free speech and diversity dominate headlines and roil campuses across the country, many are left wondering how college students view the First Amendment. Sam Gill of the Knight Foundation returns to discuss new findings from a study on students’ views of free speech on campus and online. Later, find out if Americans now view President Donald Trump’s tax law more favorably.