Americans for generations have fretted over the relationship between the military and civilian society, over how the one institution fits within the other, how the broader population receives and perceives its soldiers. But as the U.S. approaches the 10th anniversary of the launch of the war in Afghanistan this week, this much is novel: The longest war in U.S. history is being fought by the smallest percentage of its population. The resulting implications — which Jeff Shear touched on for Miller-McCune.com earlier this year — are unsettling. As these wars have moved off of the front ... Read More
U.S. Seeking LGBT Health Data in Future Surveys
July 6, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
The Department of Health and Human Services last week announced a seemingly small change in the way it will collect population health data going forward. If you’ve ever participated in some of the government’s extensive efforts to track the nation’s health, such as the National Health Interview Survey, you’ve probably answered a question or checked a box about your race and gender. Come 2013, government surveys will begin asking for the first time about another characteristic: sexual orientation. And for researchers and advocates of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered ... Read More
On Immigration Polls, a Lot of People Lie
June 5, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
A Gallup survey taken last year found 45 percent believe immigration in the United States should be decreased, compared to 17 percent saying it should be increased and 34 percent saying it should be kept at present levels. But should such figures be taken at face value? University of California, Berkeley, sociologist Alexander Janus argues not. Using a polling technique designed to uncover hidden bias, he concluded about 61 percent of Americans support a cutoff of immigration. Janus, who published his findings in the journal Social Science Quarterly, argues that "social desirability pressures" ... Read More
Survey: Science Just One Ingredient of Opinion Cocktail
July 9, 2009 • By • Leave a Comment
The public has a generally positive view of American science and scientists — but not always a need for the evidence those scientists unearth, according to a Pew Research Center study released Thursday and conducted in collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The survey polled both AAAS members and the general public and found several yawning gaps between them. Eighty-seven percent of scientists say humans and other living beings have evolved over time through natural selection; only 32 percent of the public agrees. Eighty-four percent of scientists say ... Read More
