As Earth Day approaches and scientists caution that this summer may exceed last year’s record breaking heat, a new AAPI Data/AP-NORC Poll finds that 8 in 10 across Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have experienced various major weather events over the last five years, including extreme heat (59%), severe cold (49%), major droughts (34%), and wildfires (33%).

This extreme weather plays a role in how AAPI adults view climate change, with two-thirds reporting that recent events have influenced their views on the subject. Despite varying experiences with extreme weather, most AAPI adults (84%) believe climate change is happening, a slightly higher share than that of the U.S. population who said the same in September 2023. Of those who believe climate change is happening, three quarters think it is caused entirely or mostly by human activities, while a fifth believe human and natural activities play an equal role. AAPI Democrats are more inclined than AAPI Republicans to acknowledge climate change (94% vs. 68%) and are also more likely to view human activity as the primary cause (86% vs. 52%).

Half of AAPI adults view the science on climate change as more convincing than five years ago, while a third say the science is just as convincing now as it was five years ago. AAPI Democrats are about twice as likely to view climate science as more convincing than AAPI Republicans (66% vs. 34%). Those ages 60 and older are more likely than those ages 18-29 to find the science more convincing (68% vs. 42%). Just about as many, 41% of younger AAPI adults say the science is just as convincing now it was five years ago.

AAPI communities also report higher levels of concern than the general population about climate change’s impacts on various groups. Three-quarters express concern about the impact of climate change on future generations (73%), and about two-thirds are concerned about its impact on coastal communities (63%), while approximately half worry about its impact on low-income people (55%) or on themselves (51%).

Across AAPI communities, 7 in 10 report taking some form of civic action in response to climate change, including 19% who contacted their elected representatives, 32% who volunteered with or donated money to environmental organizations, or 36% who followed environmental organizations on social media. These actions are on par with the general public.

Two thirds of AAPI adults have reduced their use of heat or air conditioning and 43% have reduced the amount of meat they eat, similar to the rates of the general population who have done the same (60% and 37% respectively). AAPI residents in California are even more likely than AAPI adults outside the state to opt for a hybrid car (39% vs 27%) or solar panels (28% vs 11%). However, many who took such actions cite reasons other than environmental concerns like saving money and convenience.

Regarding responsibility for addressing climate change, 7 in 10 AAPI adults believe that the U.S. federal government (73%), developed or high-income countries outside the U.S. (71%), or corporations (69%) have significant responsibility for addressing climate, while far fewer say the same regarding individuals (46%) and developing or low-income countries (43%).

Trust in the Democratic Party is higher than that in the Republican Party for handling climate change (52% vs 7%), environmental issues (52% vs 10%), energy policy (44% vs 15%), and disaster relief (41% vs 12%), but about a quarter trust neither party to address these issues.

Three-quarters of AAPI adults prioritize environmental protection over economic growth over the long-run. While just 25% believe that economic growth is more important than environmental protection. AAPI Republicans (37%) are more likely to prioritize economic growth than AAPI Democrats (13%), though 58% of Republicans still choose the environment.

On specific climate-related policies, there is widespread support among AAPI adults for reducing the amount greenhouse gases companies are allowed to emit (74%) and providing tax credits for solar panel installation (70%). Most also support providing financial incentives for electric vehicles (60%), but fewer favor requiring all new vehicles sold in their state to be electric or hybrid by 2035 (44%).  

The nationwide study was conducted by The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and AAPI Data from March 4-11, 2024, using the Amplify AAPI Monthly survey drawing from NORC’s Amplify AAPI® Panel designed to be representative of the U.S. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander household population. Online and telephone interviews were offered in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean with 1,005 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders aged 18 and older living in the United States. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.9 percentage points. 

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Three quarters of AAPI adults want Congress to pass a law to ensure nationwide access to abortion. They are also more supportive than the general public of access to abortion through 24-weeks.

In the year and a half since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, most Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults believe abortion should be legal (79%) in all or most cases and want Congress to pass a law guaranteeing access nationwide (75%), according to a new AAPI Data/AP-NORC Center survey. This level of support surpasses the support among all U.S. adults, where 64% favored legal abortion and 60% support national legislation guaranteeing abortion rights nationwide in June 2023, when these questions were last put to the general population.

AAPI Democrats are more likely than AAPI Republicans to favor a law protecting abortion access nationwide (91% vs. 51%), while AAPI Republicans are more likely to be in favor of banning abortion access nationwide (24% vs. 7%) or allowing individual states to decide its legality (55% vs. 29%).

Across AAPI communities, about 9 in 10 support legal abortion in cases where a pregnant person’s health is at risk, for instances of rape or incest, or the presence of a fatal fetal abnormality, aligning with the general U.S. population. However, AAPI adults are more inclined than the general public to support legal abortion for any reason (68% vs. 54%). They are also more likely than the general population to support abortion access at 15 weeks (65% vs. 51%) and 24 weeks (41% vs. 27%). And about 6 in 10 AAPI adults favor coverage for abortion by private and public insurers for both adults and minors.

Most AAPI adults believe that people in their community have adequate access to family planning services (59%) and prenatal care (55%), but fewer say the same about abortion (44%) or gender-affirming care (38%). About a third of AAPI adults find abortion, gender-affirming care, and prenatal care difficult to access, while 28% express the same concern about family planning services and birth control. Similar proportions of U.S. adults say it is too hard for women to access abortion (39%) but fewer believe family planning services (28%) and prenatal care (28%) are too hard to obtain.

While a majority (56%) of AAPI adults support medically supervised gender-affirming counseling and therapy for transgender adults, fewer support it for minors (47%). Similarly, while 46% back gender-affirming hormone therapy for adults, this support drops considerably for minors (30%). AAPI adults with personal ties to transgender or nonbinary people are more likely to support access to both counseling and hormone therapy for adults and minors, as are individuals without any religious affiliation.

Half of AAPI adults support private health insurance coverage for transgender care, while 18% oppose it, and 30% remain neutral. Opinions on public health insurance programs like Medicaid or Tricare for transgender or nonbinary adults are more divided, with 45% in favor, 28% opposing, and 25% expressing no opinion. Sentiments regarding coverage for transgender minors through state public health insurance programs are similar, with 42% in favor, 32% opposed, and 26% remaining neutral.

Roughly half of AAPI adults approve of Joe Biden’s handling of abortion issues, which is higher than the general population (52% vs. 39%) who were last asked in June 2023. About half of AAPI adults disapprove of his handling of gun policy, though this disapproval is less pronounced than in the general population (53% vs. 64%) who were last asked in August 2023. While two-thirds of AAPI adults disapprove of Biden’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, opinions on his approach to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict are evenly divided. 

AAPI communities have greater trust than the general population in the Democratic handling of both abortion (55% vs. 42%) and gun policy (49% vs. 32%). However, when it comes to the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, nearly half of AAPI adults (46%) trust neither party, and about a third (34%) trust neither party regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict.   

AAPI adults ages 18 to 29 are generally less supportive of Biden’s handling of issues and less trusting of either political party to manage these issues than older AAPI adults.

Most AAPI adults say they could not vote for a candidate with opposing views on racism or discrimination (79%), abortion (68%), gun policy (66%), crime or violence (65%), immigration (63%), climate change (59%), or the economy (57%). However, more than half (54%) would be willing to vote for a candidate who was not aligned with their views on the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. 

The nationwide study was conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and AAPI Data from February 5–14, 2024, using the Amplify AAPI Monthly survey drawing from NORC’s Amplify AAPI® Panel designed to be representative of the U.S. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander household population. Online and telephone interviews were offered in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean with 1,172 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders aged 18 and older living in the United States. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.9 percentage points. 

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Two-thirds of Asian American and Pacific Islander adults are feeling the strain of increased expenses.

Despite promising economic reports from the Federal Reserve, just 30% of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults are very confident in their ability to keep up with their expenses according to a new AAPI Data/AP-NORC Center poll. Fully 23% have little or no confidence. About a quarter are confident in their ability to cover an unexpected medical bill (26%) or have enough retirement savings (22%). Even fewer are confident about finding a job if they want to change roles (19%). Similar shares of all U.S. adults lacked confidence in October 2023 when these questions were last put to the general population.

The survey also reveals that 2 in 3 AAPI adults have seen their household expenses increase in the past year, while nearly half (44%) reported their savings have decreased. Nearly a third held off on a major purchase in the last year due to higher interest rates, matching the share of all U.S adults (31%) who said the same.

A greater share of AAPI adults believes the economy in the United States is at least somewhat good (35%), compared to 30% of U.S. adults. Still, nearly two-thirds (65%) describe it as poor. Sixty-two percent describe their own financial situation as good. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to be optimistic on both fronts.

Overall, AAPI communities are less pessimistic than the general public about the way things are going in the country overall (45% and 55%), the national economy (42% and 54%), and that their personal finances are unlikely to improve in the next year (20% and 25%).

Most AAPI adults disapprove of President Biden’s handling of inflation (67%), the economy (58%), and student debt (54%), while a majority approve of his handling of jobs (55%). The general public is more negative about Biden’s approach to the economy (65%), but just about the same as AAPI communities regarding student debt (58%).

On foreign policy issues, about half of AAPI adults believe that the United States is not supportive enough of Palestinians in the conflict with Israelis, with a nearly identical share thinking the United States is too supportive of Israelis. Forty-five percent of AAPI adults believe the United States is not supportive enough of Muslim communities in the United States, but just 26% say the same about the country’s Jewish communities.

Forty percent across AAPI communities consider Israel a partner to cooperate with yet believe the country does not share U.S. interests and values, while 36% consider it an ally that shares U.S. interests. Few perceive it as a rival (11%) or an adversary (10%). Similar shares of all U.S. adults said the same in November 2023, the last time the question was asked of the general population.

About half of AAPI adults view India as primarily a U.S. partner that does not share U.S. interests and values, but most say Japan is an ally that does share U.S. interests and values. About a third of AAPI adults see China as either a rival or an adversary and a quarter consider it a partner of the United States.

AAPI adults aged 60 and older are more likely to view Israel as an ally than all of their younger AAPI counterparts (50% vs. 32%). They are also more likely than AAPI adults under 30 to see Japan as an ally (66% vs. 41%) and regard China as an adversary (43% vs. 21%).

The nationwide study was conducted by The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and AAPI Data from December 4–11, 2023, using the Amplify AAPI Monthly survey drawing from NORC’s Amplify AAPI® Panel designed to be representative of the U.S. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander household population. Online and telephone interviews were offered in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean with 1,091 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders aged 18 and older living in the United States. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points.

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Respondents to the nationally representative survey of AAPI adults were asked to list up to five key issues they believe should be top priorities for the federal government in the coming year.

The environment and climate change, general economic concerns, and health care are also mentioned frequently. Education/student debt, gun issues, and crime/violence emerge as top concerns as well.

Among AAPI adults, Democrats and Republicans differ on priority issues. Republicans mention immigration as a policy concern at twice the rate of Democrats (49% vs 21%). AAPI Democrats are about four times as likely to mention climate change than their Republican counterparts (37% vs 9%), and twice as likely to mention guns (22% vs 11%).

Despite large political differences, the data also reveal generational differences on priorities within AAPI communities. AAPI adults under 30 are more likely to prioritize health care reform (32% vs. 16%), student debt (29% vs. 9%), housing costs (17% vs. 7%), and the Israel-Palestine conflict (23% vs. 9%) than those aged 60 and older. Older AAPI adults, particularly those 60 and above, prioritize immigration more than those age 18-29 (46% vs 14%).

Doubts about the government’s ability to respond to the public’s concerns are widespread among AAPI Democrats and Republicans, echoing the broader national trend. Sixty-nine percent have little or no confidence that the federal government can make any progress on problems facing the country in 2024, while 29% are moderately confident, and only 3% are highly confident. These findings mirror the mood of the general population, where 71% of U.S. adults share low confidence, 23% express moderate confidence, and just 5% exhibit high confidence in the government’s efficacy.

The nationwide study was conducted by The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and AAPI Data from November 6–15, 2023, using the Amplify AAPI Monthly survey drawing from NORC’s Amplify AAPI® Panel designed to be representative of the U.S. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander household population. Online and telephone interviews were offered in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean with 1,115 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders aged 18 and older living in the United States. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.4 percentage points. 

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With about a month until the first presidential primaries and caucuses, a new AAPI Data/AP-NORC survey finds 68% of people within Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, including 6 in 10 Democrats, believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. About half disapprove of President Biden and there is a lack of confidence in major institutions. Although the AAPI community is pessimistic, their outlook is comparatively less dour than the general public’s view. In November 2023, 81% said the country is heading in the wrong direction and approval for the president’s performance was just 38%.  

Trust in the political parties among AAPI communities remains on par with the rest of the United States, generally low, but varied across issues, with 3 in 10 trusting Republicans on the economy, while Democrats are trusted more on climate change (50%) and student debt (44%).

Concerns about misinformation in the U.S. election are high (83%), surpassing concerns about voter suppression (46%), voter fraud (31%), and limitations on free speech (41%).  

The survey also finds low confidence in political parties’ presidential nomination processes, with 27% confident in the Democrats’ process and 20% in the Republicans’. AAPI adults are generally not optimistic about the future of either the Democratic (28%) or Republican (15%) parties.  

Just 1 in 10 AAPI adults believe democracy is functioning well, though another 47% say it is functioning somewhat well. Most (75%) think the views of ordinary citizens should be important for shaping policies in this country. Fewer think the views of people from similar backgrounds (64%), their own political party (34%), what policy makers think is best (31%), or interest groups (7%) should be important factors.  

Confidence in the people running government institutions is also low among AAPI adults. Only 17% express confidence in their state government, though the states are doing better than federal institutions – roughly one in ten are confident in the Supreme Court (12%) and the executive branch (11%), while just 4% feel the same about Congress.  

Generational differences within AAPI communities are pronounced, particularly in matters of political trust and priorities for who should shape the country’s laws and policies. AAPI adults under 30 are more skeptical of both Republicans and Democrats on the economy than those aged 60 and older. Thirty-eight percent of AAPI adults under 30 have no trust in either party, compared to 19% of those aged 60 and older.

In terms of governance preferences, about half oppose having a president who bends rules to get things done, or state legislatures able to overturn the results of a presidential election. A similar share favor having experts, not politicians, make decisions about what they think is best for the country (58%), while about half support military leaders refusing unconstitutional orders (47%).  

The survey also measures the political leanings of AAPI communities, with about half (52%) identifying as Democrats, just over a quarter (27%) identifying as Republican, and about one in five (21%) identifying as independent or having no party attachment.

The nationwide study was conducted by The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and AAPI Data from November 6–15, 2023, using the Amplify AAPI Monthly survey drawing from NORC’s Amplify AAPI® Panel designed to be representative of the U.S. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander household population. Online and telephone interviews were offered in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean with 1,113 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders aged 18 and older living in the United States. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.4 percentage points. 

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A new AAPI Data/AP-NORC poll finds that 86% of people from Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities say that racism is a serious problem in the United States. Roughly half have faced discrimination based on their race or ethnicity, and 16% report being a victim of a hate crime including experiencing physical assault, property damage, or threats of assault or property damage because of their race or ethnic background in the last year.

About a third (34%) of AAPI adults report experiencing some sort of hate incident, including verbal harassment (23%), being called racial slurs (22%), or threats of physical assault (11%) in the same period. The findings echo research documenting the rise of attacks against AAPI communities since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

While most AAPI adults express satisfaction with their mental health, seven in ten say they have experienced at least one stressor such as feeling irritable (50%), worrying too much (49%), or having trouble relaxing (46%) in the last two weeks. These are items on the General Anxiety Disorder scale, a seven-item screening tool measuring levels of anxiety, worry, and nervousness.[2] Those with an overall score of 10 or above face a higher risk of an anxiety disorder. The survey reveals that 12% of individuals within AAPI communities meet this threshold, indicating an increased vulnerability to anxiety.

The survey also unpacks the political leanings of AAPI communities, with about half identifying as Democrats, just over a quarter identifying as Republican, and about one in five identifying as independent or having no party attachment. Both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are viewed more favorably than unfavorably, while majorities of AAPI adults view Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis unfavorably. In addition, while more AAPI adults have unfavorable views of Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy than favorable views, a large proportion say that they don’t know enough about the two candidates (40% and 46%, respectively) to form an opinion.

The nationwide study was conducted by The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and AAPI Data from October 10–20, 2023, using the Amplify AAPI Monthly survey drawing from NORC’s Amplify AAPI® Panel designed to be representative of the U.S. Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander household population. Online and telephone interviews were offered in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean with 1,178 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders aged 18 and older living in the United States. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.2 percentage points.

[1] Department of Justice. (2022). Raising Awareness of Hate Crimes and Hate Incidents During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

[2] The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) is an initial screening tool used to identify probable cases of generalized anxiety disorder. Source: Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Archives of internal medicine, 166(10), 1092-1097. <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16717171/>

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The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and AAPI Data are launching a new survey series, shining a light on the diverse perspectives of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. This unique collaboration assembles the partners’ research, journalism, cultural awareness, and community relationships with the aim of addressing historic underrepresentation of AAPI communities in public opinion research.

The AAPI Data/AP-NORC survey, a series of monthly polls, will deliver regular insights on crucial issues, ranging from policy priorities and financial well-being to political views and civic engagement. The inaugural report, scheduled for release in November, will focus on the experiences of AAPI communities with hate crimes and discrimination.

Participants will be drawn from the Amplify AAPI panel, the first and largest survey panel of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders. Surveys will be conducted both online and over the phone, catering to English speakers as well as those proficient in Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean to capture the largest Asian American populations with limited English proficiency.  

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are two of the fastest-growing racial groups in the United States, yet their representation in research and public discourse has not kept pace due in part to inadequate data infrastructure, language barriers, and a lack of outreach to AAPI communities. 

These monthly polls will help ensure that the experiences, perspectives, and needs of these communities are accurately represented in public opinion research and beyond.

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The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing two cases involving the University of North Carolina and Harvard University on whether the schools discriminate against white and Asian American applicants.

Two-thirds of U.S. adults think the Supreme Court should permit the consideration of race and ethnicity of applicants in the admissions process. This includes a majority of both Democrats (65%) and Republicans (60%). There is no significant difference based on race or ethnicity either.  Sixty-two percent of white adults, along with 62% of Black adults and 65% of Hispanic adults think consideration of race and ethnicity should be permitted by colleges. College educated adults are more likely to say colleges and universities should be able to consider race and ethnicity compared to those without college degrees.

But race and ethnicity is far from the top factor that people think colleges should be weighing in their admissions decisions. About two thirds of adults say high school grades should be either extremely or very important when colleges and universities make decisions about admitting students. Just under half say the same for scores on standardized tests. The public generally considers athletic ability, race and ethnicity, gender, legacy status, and donations to the school as not too important or not important at all. The public is divided on whether the ability to afford tuition should be important to college and university admissions.

There are differences in how important people think race and ethnicity should be in college admissions. Black and Hispanic adults are more likely to say race and ethnicity should be an important factor in determining college admission, as are Democrats.

Americans’ confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court has been steadily declining since 2016 and has reached an all-time low. Only 12% of adults have a great deal of confidence in the Supreme Court, down from 28% in February 2020.  

While also low, Republicans are three times more likely to have a great deal of confidence in the Supreme Court than Democrats.

The nationwide poll was conducted May 11-15, 2023 using the AmeriSpeak® Panel, the probability-based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago. Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cell phones were conducted with 1,680 adults. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.4 percentage points.

• Citation: AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (May 2023). “Most oppose banning the consideration of race and ethnicity in college and university admissions.” https://apnorc.org/projects/most-oppose-banning-the-consideration-of-race-and-ethnicity-in-college-and-university-admissions/

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While most Americans say it is important to them to have a good standard of living, almost half say this goal has gotten harder to achieve. That’s according to a new poll from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research that finds significant differences in outlook based on race, ethnicity, and age.

Similarly, large majorities of the public consider raising a family and owning a home important to them, but about half believe these goals are harder to achieve compared to their parents’ generation.

The poll finds 49% of adults say it is hard for them to improve their standard of living these days, and 54% believe it is unlikely that young people today will have a better standard of living than their parents.

Black adults and older adults have a more positive outlook on upward mobility compared to the rest of the public. Black adults are more likely than white adults to report that having a good standard of living (43% vs. 28%), raising a family (33% vs. 16%), and owning a home (37% vs. 22%) have become easier for them to achieve compared to their parents. Only a quarter of Black adults report that it is more difficult now than it was for their parents to improve their standard of living, compared to half of white and Hispanic adults.

Americans aged 60 and older are more likely than younger people to believe it has gotten easier for them to achieve a good standard of living than it was for their parents (44% vs. 27%). Older Americans are also more likely than those under 60 to believe young people today will have a better standard of living.

Democrats and Republicans tend to have similar perceptions of how hard it is to get ahead in life.  Comparable percentages of respondents in each party believe that owning a home, raising a family, and having a good standard of living are harder to achieve for them than it was for their parents. About half of each group also believes that it is hard for them to improve their standard of living these days, and that today’s youth are unlikely to achieve a higher standard of living than their parents.

However, there are significant partisan differences in views about the challenges of getting ahead in life for various groups of people. About 60% of the public says it is hard for Black adults and immigrants to improve their standard of living, and around half believe the same for women, LGTBQ people, and Hispanic adults. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to believe that each of these groups has a hard time improving their standard of living.

More than 9 in 10 adults believe that hard work and a stable family environment are at least somewhat important to improving their standard of living. Democrats and Republicans have very different views, however—Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say a college education, the community one lives in, parents’ wealth, race and ethnicity, and gender affect one’s ability to improve their standard of living, while Republicans are more likely to cite hard work as important. Black adults are more likely than white adults to say a college education, the talents a person is born with, and their gender are important to improving their standard of living. Black and Hispanic adults are also more likely than white adults to cite race and ethnicity as important.

The nationwide poll was conducted by the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research from August 25 to August 29, 2022, using AmeriSpeak®, the probability-based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago. Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cell phones were conducted with 1,014 adults. The margin of sampling error is +/-4.4 percentage points.

Three Things You Should Know

About the UChicago Harris/AP-NORC Poll Among American Adults

1. 49% believe it is hard for them and their family to improve their standard of living, but Black Americans are less pessimistic than white and Hispanic Americans.
2. 54% think it is unlikely that younger people today will have a better standard of living than their parents, and that pessimism is concentrated among younger adults.
3. 50% of Democrats and 46% of Republicans agree that it is difficult to improve their standard of living, but Democrats are more likely to perceive added difficulties for certain groups like immigrants and people of color.

Suggested Citation: AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (October 2022). “Many Adults Are Pessimistic About Improving Their Standard of Living.” https://apnorc.org/projects/many-americans-are-pessimistic-about-improving- their-standard-of-living/

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Fifty years after the passage of Title IX prohibited high schools and colleges from discriminating on the basis of gender, most Americans believe there has been at least some progress in providing equal treatment for women. However, the public perceives somewhat less progress when it comes to protecting against gender discrimination, harassment, and violence than in other areas such as education and sports, according to a new AP-NORC/National Women’s History Museum poll.

Although Title IX is best known for its role in equal treatment for women and girls in athletics,  more Americans prioritize its other principles, like protecting all students from sexual harassment and female students from discrimination, than say the same about providing equal opportunities and resources to play sports.

More Americans say there has been a great deal of progress made since Title IX toward achieving equality for white women (49%) but less so for women of color (36%), LGBTQ women (33%), and low-income women (26%).

Men are consistently more likely than women to report progress toward equal treatment of women when it comes to areas such as education (58% vs. 38%), sports (51% vs. 31%), and protections against violence (40% vs. 17%). Republicans are also more likely than Democrats to believe there has been improvement in equal treatment over the last 50 years.

The majority of Americans, regardless of gender or political party, approve of Title IX and its key priorities, while at the same time many remain unsure about the actual impact of the law.

About 8 in 10 Americans, including large majorities of both Republicans and Democrats, say it is important for colleges and high schools to protect students from harassment and discrimination as well as to provide equal opportunities for men and women.

A majority of Americans say Title IX has had a positive impact on female students’ opportunities in sports and education, but many Americans remain unsure about its impact in areas such as addressing sexual harassment in schools and protecting LGBTQ students from discrimination.

The nationwide poll was conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the National Women’s History Museum from May 12 to May 16, 2022, using AmeriSpeak®, the probability-based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago. Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cell phones were conducted with 1,001 adults. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.0 percentage points.

Suggested Citation: AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (June 2022). “Fifty Years of Title IX: Where Are We Now?” [https://apnorc.org/projects/fifty-years-of-title-ix-where-are-we-now]

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