*Any statements in this issue of the Watch which are not sourced are mine and identified by “WW”.
30% of registered voters say the country is headed in the right direction. 58% of registered voters say the country is on the wrong track.
| Right track | Wrong track | |
|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 60% | 27% |
| Republicans | 9% | 89% |
| Independents | 19% | 68% |
[Econ/Yougov 8/31/21]
A record number of women, nine, are currently serving as state governors. This ties a record previously set on three occasions.
45 women have served or are serving as state governors.
19 states have never had a woman governor. Six of those states have never seen a major party nominate a woman in a gubernatorial election, although in one of those states, Minnesota, nine consecutive lieutenant governors have been women since 1983.
In addition, women are currently serving as chief executives of Washington, D.C. and Guam. [Wikipedia 8/24/21]
The FBI has released 2020 hate crime statistics. The 2020 data is from the FBI release of data from 2016.
| Victims targeted because of: | 2020 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| race/ethnicity/ancestry bias | 61.90% | 57.50% |
| sexual-orientation bias | 20.50% | 17.70% |
| religion bias | 13.40% | 21.00% |
| gender identity bias | 2.50% | 2.00% |
| disability bias | 1 | 1.20% |
| gender bias | 0.70% | 0.50% |
[FBI Hate Crime Statistics 2020/2016]
The last time more than 50% of Americans thought the war in Afghanistan was worth fighting was in December 2009.
As of September 1, 2021, 54% of Americans say the war was not worth fighting.
68% of Americans support the United States taking in refugees from Afghanistan. [WP/ABC 9/1/21]
54% of Americans are mainly worried and pessimistic about the future of the country while 44% are mainly hopeful and optimistic. In April of 2020, 61% were hopeful and optimistic. [NBC 8/17/21]
For the first time, the number of Americans who identify as white has declined between 2010 and 2020 having grown from 1980 to 2010.
15% of U.S. adults say that the declining share of white people in the United States is good for society. This includes 29% of those 18-29 years of age but only 6% of those 65 years of age and older. 61% say these changes are not good or bad. [PEW 8/23/21]
A new study by the Tax Policy Center showed that 61% of Americans did not pay federal income taxes in 2020 and the top 20% of Americans paid 78% of federal taxes in 2020 and the top 1% paid 46.4% of all federal income taxes, up from 37.5% in 2019.
This same group is projected to pay almost 50% of all federal income taxes in 2021. [Winston Group 8/25/21]
54% of Americans believe that abortion should always be legal or legal most of the time. 34% believe it should be illegal with exceptions, and 8% believe it should always be illegal.
Here is how this question is answered by various groups within the community.
| Legal | Illegal | |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 years | 65% | 32% |
| 18-44 years | 60% | 37% |
| 65+ | 48% | 49% |
| Latinos | 63% | 35% |
| Blacks | 55% | 39% |
| Whites | 51% | 46% |
| Women | 59% | 38% |
| Men | 49% | 47% |
| Urban | 65% | 34% |
| Suburban | 54% | 42% |
| Rural | 33% | 63% |
| Northeast | 65% | 34% |
| West | 65% | 31% |
| Midwest | 49% | 48% |
| South | 43% | 53% |
[NBC News poll 8/17/21]
How does society deal with people who are transgender?
29% of Americans think the country has reached a reasonable balance when it comes to accepting transgender people. However, 38% believe the country has not gone far enough, while 26% believe the country has gone too far.
Since 2016, the number of people who say the country has gone too far has dropped from 33% to 26% and the number of people who say the country has not gone far enough grew from 33% to 38%. However, the number of folks who think the country has reach a reasonable balance has not moved. [NBC poll 8/17/21]
According to data from a Census Bureau survey, 6% of renters nationwide – more than 3.5 million people say they are “likely or very likely” to face eviction, being unable to pay their rent because of the pandemic.
The percentage of all adult renters, in the 50 states + DC who say they are facing eviction in the next few months ranges from 16.1% in Louisiana to 0.4% in Utah. In 6 states the percentage ranges from 16.1% to 10%: in 20 states it ranges from 9.6% to 5.2%: in 14 states it ranges from 4.7% to 3.1%: in 11 states it ranges from 2.8% to .04%. [NBC News 8/27/21]
Adults in each of the following countries were asked if they had a favorable or unfavorable view of the United States. The 8/14 date is before Kabul fell. The 8/24 date is 9 days after Kabul fell on 8/15.
| Favorable | Unfavorable | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/14 | 8/24 | 8/14 | 8/24 | |
| Australia | 50% | 49% | 35% | 35% |
| Brazil | 77 | 72 | 9 | 12 |
| Canada | 41 | 41 | 48 | 44 |
| China | 24 | 18 | 72 | 77 |
| France | 46 | 50 | 29 | 26 |
| Germany | 47 | 46 | 36 | 38 |
| India | 80 | 79 | 8 | 10 |
| Italy | 58 | 54 | 24 | 29 |
| Japan | 58 | 53 | 20 | 23 |
| Mexico | 69 | 67 | 13 | 14 |
| Russia | 43 | 41 | 38 | 42 |
| South Korea | 59 | 60 | 24 | 25 |
| Spain | 53 | 51 | 29 | 34 |
| United Kingdom | 46 | 42 | 33 | 39 |
[Morning Consult 8/26/21]
The Washington Post-Ipsos poll conducted an interesting online poll among a random national sample of teens between 14 and 18 years of age and their parents or guardians. The survey was conducted between May 7 and June 15, 2021. The following are a number of findings of that survey.
Among 14–18-year-olds (Teens)
- 43% are confident that the country’s best years are still ahead of us
- 53% are concerned that America’s best years may be behind us
Is this a good time for teenagers to be growing up?
Teens
- 48% think this is a good time
- 51% think this is a bad time
Parents
- 37% think this is a good time
- 62% think this is a bad time
Among teens
- 90% think it likely that they will achieve a good standard of living
- 46% think that their opportunities to succeed in life are better than their parents
- 16% think their opportunities are worse than their parents
Among teens
What percentage of teens see each of the following as a major threat?
- Political divisions 59%
- Gun violence 57%
- Cost of health care 57%
- Racial discrimination 57%
- Terrorism 53%
- Climate change 49%
- Lack of career opportunities 34%
- Immigration 30%
What political party do teens feel closer to
- Republican party 22%
- Democratic party 29%
- Neither 49%
Teens feel that their parents are closer to
- Republican party 32%
- Democratic party 34%
- Have different views 12%
Do you think that each of these groups are treated unfairly today because of who they are?
| Teens | Parents | |
|---|---|---|
| Black people | 61% | 58% |
| Transgender people | 60% | 60% |
| Gay and Lesbian people | 56% | 54% |
| Immigrants | 56% | 58% |
| Hispanic people | 50% | 49% |
| Asian people | 48% | 48% |
[WP/Ipsos]
24% of Americans rate the current state of the economy as excellent/good while 74% see it as only fair/poor. In December 2020, those seeing it as excellent/good was 34% and in April 2017 – excellent/good was at 38%. [NBC News poll 8/17/2 1]
Here is how Americans see various individuals or organizations when it comes to their approaches to issues in August 2021.
| In the mainstream | Out of step | |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Biden | 44 | 52 |
| Donald Trump | 42 | 54 |
| Democrats in Congress | 42 | 54 |
| Republicans in Congress | 36 | 57 |
| Bernie Sanders | 31 | 61 |
| Survey respondents | 71 | 23 |
Three years ago, in August 2018, Democrats and Republicans in Congress scored the same as they did in August 2018.
In July 2016, a larger share of the Democrats in Congress, were seen as more in the mainstream while a smaller number of Republicans were seen in the mainstream.
[NBC News poll 8/17/21]
50% of Americans oppose while 48% favor requiring that everyone who is eligible must get the COVID-19 vaccine. [NBC News poll 8/17/21]
There is considerable support for masks and vaccine requirements in schools, at businesses, and other indoor places.
67% support and 30% oppose – school districts requiring teachers, staff, and students to wear masks
59% support and 39% oppose – teachers and staff to be vaccinated
54% support and 44% oppose – students to be vaccinated if a vaccine is approved for their age
67% support and 32% oppose – state or local orders requiring masks indoors in public places
52% support and 45% oppose – businesses requiring that employees who come into work to be vaccinated.
[WP 9/5/21]
54% of Americans say that the United States decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan was the right decision. But 69% say that the U.S. failed to achieve its goals in that country. 71% rate the job the Biden administration has done as only fair/poor. 61% of Republicans and 33% of Democrats see Taliban control of Afghanistan as a threat to the security of the United States. [PEW 8/29/21]
60% of adults in America think the threat of terrorism against the United States will increase while 36% believe it will stay the same now that the Taliban is in control of Afghanistan. [CBS News Poll 8/20/21]
86% of Americans say that the events of 9/11/2001 had a lasting effect on the United States. 49% of Americans see the United States as safer from terrorism than it was before the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001. When asked the same question ten years ago, 64% said the United States was safer.
| 2011 | 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 64% | 49% | -15 |
| Democrats | 66 | 57 | -9 |
| Republicans | 69 | 41 | -28 |
| Independents | 64 | 52 | -12 |
[ABC New/WP 9/1/21]
66% say that the 9/11 attacks changed America forever, 29% say the changes will not be permanent while 5% say there was no real change. 88% of Americans feel sad when they think about the 9/11 attacks, 75% feel angry, 65% express disbelief, and 49% are scared.
42% of us say we are a lot/somewhat personally affected by the attacks while the remaining 58% say they are not much/not at all personally affected.
Among those who remember 9/11, if there were a terror attack today 20% think Americans would be more united than after 9/11, 40% think we would not be as united than after 9/11, while 34% think Americans would be as united as after 9/11. [CBS News poll 9/9/21]
July was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth – which NOAA calls an “unenviable distinction.” [Axios.com 8/14/21]