What Worker Dissatisfaction?

According to a recent Gallup poll, an overwhelming number of Americans are satisfied with most aspects of their work lives. Some 94 percent of part- and full-time workers report being satisfied with their “relations with coworkers,” while nearly as many (92 percent) express satisfaction with the physical safety of their workplace. Even those job factors ranked lowest in the Gallup poll don’t reveal much workplace angst. Three-quarters of workers, for example, say they are satisfied with the amount of money they earn and with their level of on-the-job stress. Source: The Gallup Organization, August 2007. 

 

Iraq: Not Boffo at the Box Office

According to a CBS News poll conducted in September, 61 percent of Americans—including majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and independents—say it is “too soon” to make movies about the Iraq war. Sixty-seven percent of women and 54 percent of men say the time isn’t right for such films. This sentiment is being reflected at the box office. Despite generally favorable critical reviews and star-studded casts, this fall’s war-themed films, including "Lions for Lambs," "In the Valley of Elah," and “Rendition,” all posted disappointing returns. Source: CBS News, September 2007.

 

Satisfied in the South

A new survey by the Pew Research Center, in association with NPR, confirms the familiar finding that most Americans are satisfied with their lives. Nationally, 70 percent report being “very satisfied,” and another 19 percent say they are “somewhat satisfied.” But there are some striking regional differences. People who live in the South tend to be more satisfied with their lives than people in other regions. Perhaps surprisingly, given the region’s history, blacks and whites in the South have similarly positive outlooks. Source: Pew Research Organization, in association with National Public Radio, September-October 2007.

 

Romney's Religion
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivered an address this week about religion in public life. Romney, a Mormon, has faced speculation about how his faith might influence voters in the 2008 election. In a new national survey conducted by Bloomberg News and the Los Angeles Times, 10 percent of Republicans said Romney’s membership in the Mormon Church made them more likely to vote for him, 13 percent said it made them less likely to vote for him, and 73 percent said that it made no difference. Among "Religious Right" Republicans–defined by pollsters as conservative, non-Catholic Christians who believe the Bible is the literal word of God–16 percent said Romney's religion would make them more likely to vote for him, 24 percent said it would make them less likely to vote for him, and 55 percent said it made no difference to them.
    In New Hampshire, where Romney enjoys a 17 percentage point lead over his nearest rival, the candidate’s faith doesn’t appear to be hurting him. In an ABC News and Washington Post poll of New Hampshire Republicans, 88 percent of likely voters said that Romney’s religion didn’t make a difference in whether or not they supported him.
    Still, at the national level, there is some concern about electing a Mormon president, just as there was in 1967 when Romney’s father was considering a run for the White House. In a Gallup poll from 1967, 17 percent of Americans said they would not vote for a well-qualified Mormon, compared to 24 percent who gave that response in February 2007. Source: The Gallup Organization, latest that of February 2007.

 

Rap Takes the Rap
According to a recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center in association with National Public Radio, significant majorities of Americans—both black and white—believe hip hop and rap music are “bad influences” on society. Sixty-one percent of blacks and 64 percent of whites said that they saw hip hop as a bad influence; 71 percent of blacks and 74 percent of whites said the same thing about rap. For both hip hop and rap, respondents said the offensive language, the promotion of violence and gangs, and the negative stereotypes of women were the top three reasons they saw the music as a negative influence. Source: Pew Research Center, in association with National Public Radio, September-October 2007.