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Origin of Human Life

Gallup Poll. Feb. 6-7, 2009. N=1,018 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

.

"Now, thinking about another historical figure: Can you tell me with which scientific theory Charles Darwin is associated?" Options rotated

.

%
.

Correct response: Evolution, natural selection, etc.
55
.

Incorrect response
10
.

Unsure/Don't know
34
.

No answer
1
.

.

"In fact, Charles Darwin is noted for developing the theory of evolution. Do you, personally, believe in the theory of evolution, do you not believe in evolution, or don't you have an opinion either way?"

.

Believe in
Evolution Do Not Believe
In Evolution No Opinion
Either Way No Answer

% % % %

2/6-7/09
39 25 36 1

Gallup Poll. May 8-11, 2008. N=1,017 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

.

"Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human beings? (1) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process. (2) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process. (3) God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so." Options rotated 1-3, 3-1

.

Guided
By God God Had
No Part God Created in
Present Form Other/
Unsure

% % % %

5/8-11/08 36 14 44 5

5/10-13/07 38 14 43 4

5/8-11/06 36 13 46 5

11/04 38 13 45 4

2/01 37 12 45 5

8/99 40 9 47 4

11/97 39 10 44 7

6/93 35 11 47 7

1982 38 9 44 9

USA Today/Gallup Poll. June 1-3, 2007. N=1,007 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Next, we'd like to ask about your views on two different explanations for the origin and development of life on earth. Do you think [see below] is definitely true, probably true, probably false, or definitely false?" Options rotated
					.
		Definitely True	Probably True	Probably False	Definitely False	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
					.
	"Evolution -- that is, the idea that human beings developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life"
	6/1-3/07	18	35	16	28	3
					.
	"Creationism -- that is, the idea that God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years"
	6/1-3/07	39	27	16	15	3
					.
"If a presidential candidate stated that he or she DID NOT believe in the theory of evolution, would that make you much more likely to vote for that candidate, a little more likely, not make a difference either way, would it make you a little less likely, or much less likely to vote for that candidate?" Options rotated
					.
		Much More Likely	A Little More Likely	No Difference	A Little Less Likely	Much Less Likely
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/1-3/07	8	7	54	13	15
					.
"Which comes closer to your view? A presidential candidate's views on evolution are a legitimate indicator of whether he or she is qualified to be president. OR, A presidential candidate's views on evolution are not really relevant and therefore should not be discussed as part of the campaign." Options rotated
					.
		Legitimate Indicator	Not Really Relevant	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/1-3/07	25	70	5

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. March 28-29, 2007. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Which one of the following statements come closest to your views about the origin and development of human beings? Humans developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process. OR, Humans developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process. OR, God created humans pretty much in the present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so."
					.
		God Guided The Process	God Had No Part	Created In Present Form	Other (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/28-29/07	30	13	48	9
					.
"Do you think the scientific theory of evolution is well-supported by evidence and widely accepted within the scientific community?"
					.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/28-29/07	48	39	13

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey conducted by Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas (SRBI). July 6-19, 2006. N=996 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"Would you generally favor or oppose teaching creationism along with evolution in public schools?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/6-19/06	58	35	7
					.
"Do you think the question of whether creationism should be taught along with evolution in public schools is something that should be decided at the national level, or is it something that each state should decide for itself?"
					.
		National Level	Each State	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/6-19/06	51	44	5

CBS News Poll. April 6-9, 2006. Adults nationwide.

.

"Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin of human beings? (1) Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, and God did not directly guide this process. (2) Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, but God guided this process. (3) God created human beings in their present form." N=468 (Form X)

.

Not Directly
Guided By God Guided By God God Created In
Present Form Unsure

%

%

%

%

4/6-9/06

17

23

53

7

10/3-5/05

15

30

51

4

11/18-21/04

13

27

55

5

.

"Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin of human beings? (1) Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, and God did not directly guide this process. (2) Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, but God guided this process. (3) God created human beings in their present form within the last ten thousand years." N=431 (Form Y)

.

Not Directly Guided By God Guided By God God Created
Within Last 10,000 Years Unsure

%

%

%

%

4/6-9/06

17

30

44

9

10/3-5/05

15

29

48

8

.

"Do you believe that it is possible or not possible to believe in both God and evolution?" N=899, MoE ą 4 (for all adults)

.

Possible Not Possible Unsure

%

%

%

4/6-9/06

62

33

5

10/3-5/05

67

29

4

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 8-11, 2005. N=1,005 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human beings? Human beings have evolved over millions of years from other forms of life and God guided this process. Human beings have evolved over millions of years from other forms of life, but God had no part in this process. OR, God created human beings in their present form exactly the way the Bible describes it." Options rotated
						.
		Evolved, God Guided	Evolved, God Had No Part	Exactly As Bible Describes	Other (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/8-11/05	31	12	53	1	3
						.
"How much have you, personally, thought about these different explanations for how human beings came to exist on earth: a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?"
						.
		A Great Deal	A Moderate Amount	Not Much	Not At All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/8-11/05	41	35	17	6	1
						.
"How much does it matter to you which of those theories is correct: a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?"
						.
		A Great Deal	A Moderate Amount	Not Much	Not At All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/8-11/05	40	26	19	14	1
						.
"Which comes closer to your view about the relationship between science and religion? They generally agree with each other. They generally conflict with each other. OR, They are not related to each other in any meaningful way."
						.
		Generally Agree	Generally Conflict	Not Related	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/8-11/05	24	35	36	5

Harris Poll. June 17-21, 2005. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Do you think human beings developed from earlier species or not?"
						.
		Did	Did Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/17-21/05	38	54	8
	3/94	44	46	11
						.
"Do you believe all plants and animals have evolved from other species or not?"
						.
		Have	Have Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/17-21/05	49	45	7
						.
"Do you believe apes and man have a common ancestry or not?"
						.
		Do	Do Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/17-21/05	46	47	7
	7/96	51	43	5
						.
"Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statement. Darwin's theory of evolution is proven by fossil discoveries."
						.
		Agree	Disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/17-21/05	46	48	6
	1/04	43	51	6
						.
"Which of the following do you believe about how human beings came to be? Human beings evolved from earlier species. Human beings were created directly by God. Human beings are so complex that they required a powerful force or intelligent being to help create them."
						.
		Evolved From Earlier Species	Created Directly By God	Powerful Force/Intelli- gent Being	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/17-21/05	22	64	10	4
						.
"Regardless of what you may personally believe, which of these do you believe should be taught in public schools? "Evolution only. [READ IF NECESSARY: Evolution says that human beings evolved from earlier stages of animals.] "Creationism only. [READ IF NECESSARY: Creationism says that human beings were created directly by God.] "Intelligent design only. [READ IF NECESSARY: Intelligent design says that human beings are so complex that they required a powerful force or intelligent being to help create them.] "All three."
						.
			%
	Evolution only		12
	Creationism only		23
	Intelligent design only		4
	All three		55
	None of these (vol.)		3
	Unsure		3

NBC News Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). March 8-10, 2005. N=800 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
			.
"Which do you think is more likely to actually be the explanation for the origin of human life on Earth: evolution or the biblical account of creation?" Asked of those who answered "Biblical account": "And by this do you mean that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh as described in the Book of Genesis, or that God was a divine presence in the formation of the universe?"
			.
		%
	Evolution	33
	Biblical account	57
	Created in six days	44
	Divine presence	13
	None of the above (vol.)	3
	Unsure	7

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Nov. 18-21, 2004. N=885 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Would you generally favor or oppose teaching creation along with evolution in public schools?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/04	65	29	6
					.
"Would you generally favor or oppose teaching creationism instead of evolution in public schools?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/04	37	51	12

Gallup Poll. Nov. 7-10, 2004. N=1,016 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

.

"Just your opinion: Do you think that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is a scientific theory that has been well-supported by evidence, or just one of many theories and one that has not been well-supported by evidence, or don't you know enough about it to say?"

.

Well-
Supported Not Well-
Supported Don't Know
Enough No Opinion

% % % %

11/04 35 35 29 1

2/01 35 39 25 1

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. August 25-26,1999. N=902 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.

.

"Which do you think is more likely to actually be the explanation for the origin of human life on Earth: the theory of evolution as outlined by Darwin and other scientists, the biblical account of creation as told in the Bible, or are both true?"

%

Theory of evolution 15

Biblical account 50

Both 26

Not sure 9

.

"Last year the National Academy of Sciences recommended that evolution be taught to all public school students as the most convincing theory for how human beings developed. Do you agree or disagree that evolution should be taught in all public schools?"

%

Agree 56

Disagree 36

Not sure 8

.

"The Kansas State Board of Education recently approved new standards for teaching science in public schools that remove the teaching of evolution from the mandatory curriculum. Do you agree or disagree with the Board’s attempt to take the teaching of evolution out of the schools?"

%

Agree 33

Disagree 57

Not sure 10

Stem Cell Research

Gallup Poll. Feb. 20-22, 2009. N=1,013 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"As you may know, the federal government currently provides very limited funding for medical research that uses stem cells obtained from human embryos. Which would you prefer the government to do: place no restrictions on government funding of stem cell research, ease the current restrictions to allow more stem cell research, keep the current restrictions in place, or should the government not fund stem cell research at all?" Options rotated
						.
		No Restrictions	Ease Restrictions	Current Restrictions	No Funding At All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/20-22/09	14	38	22	19	7
	4/13-15/07	22	38	20	16	4
	5/20-22/05	11	42	24	19	4
	10/9-10/04	14	41	24	14	7

Time Poll conducted by Abt SRBI. June 18-25, 2008. N=805 likely voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"There is a type of medical research that involves using special cells, called embryonic stem cells, that might be used in the future to treat or cure many diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, and spinal cord injury. It involves using human embryos discarded from fertility clinics that no longer need them. Some people say that using human embryos for research is wrong. Do you favor or oppose using discarded embryos to conduct stem cell research to try to find cures for the diseases I mentioned?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/18-25/08	73	19	8

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey conducted by Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas. Aug. 1-18, 2007. N=3,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.
					.
"All in all, which is more important: conducting stem cell research that might result in new medical cures, or not destroying the potential life of human embryos involved in this research?"
					.
		Stem Cell Research	Not Destroying Potential Life	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/1-18/07	51	35	14

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. May 4-6, 2007. N=1,028 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you think the federal government should or should not fund research that would use newly created stem cells obtained from human embryos?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/4-6/07	53	41	6
	10/27-29/06	54	39	7
	8/2-3/06	51	41	8

USA Today/Gallup Poll. April 13-15, 2007. N=1,007 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"As you may know, President Bush has said he will veto a bill to expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Do you think Bush should or should not veto this bill?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/13-15/07	31	64	5

*ABC News/Washington Post* Poll. Jan. 16-19, 2007. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3. Fieldwork by TNS.
					.
"Do you support or oppose embryonic stem cell research?"
					.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/16-19/07	61	31	8
	6/2-5/05	59	33	8
	4/21-24/05	63	28	9
					.
"Do you support or oppose loosening the current restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research?"
					.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/16-19/07	55	38	7

Associated Press-AOL News Poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs. Dec. 19-21, 2006. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
					.
"Should the government ease the restrictions on use of federal money to research embryonic stem cells, or not?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/19-21/06	56	41	3

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Oct. 26-27, 2006. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults). RV = registered voters
					.
"Do you favor or oppose using federal tax dollars to fund medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL adults	50	37	13
	Republicans	34	54	12
	Democrats	62	27	11
	Independents	54	34	12
	Trend:
	8/24-25/06	48	40	12
	10/14-15/04 RV	50	36	14

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Aug. 24-25, 2006. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
". . . Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling federal funding for stem cell research?"
					.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/24-25/06	31	52	17
					.
"As you may know, scientists may have recently discovered a method to potentially obtain stem cells from human embryos WITHOUT destroying the embryo. Some people feel that this discovery should cause the Bush Administration to change its position on stem cell research and support government funding for it. Others think that this new method does not resolve all the ethical issues and that the Bush Administration should not change its position. Which comes closer to your view?"
					.
		Should Change	Should Not Change	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/24-25/06	50	35	15

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). July 21-24, 2006. N=1,010 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
						.
"Do you favor or oppose expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, which is the practice of conducting scientific research on cells extracted from human embryos in an attempt to find cures or treatments for diseases?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/21-24/06	68	27	5
						.
"Recently, President Bush vetoed the bill which would have expanded federal funding for stem cell research. Do you favor or oppose his decision not to expand funding for this?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/21-24/06	31	63	6
						.
"If your member of Congress voted in favor of expanding federal funding for stem cell research, would this make you more likely to vote for him or her in this November's election, less likely to vote for him or her, or would it make no difference to you either way?"
						.
		More Likely	Less Likely	No Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/21-24/06	33	19	44	4

USA Today/Gallup Poll. July 21-23, 2006. N=1,005 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

.

"As you may know, earlier this week, President Bush vetoed a bill that would have expanded federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Do you approve or disapprove of his decision to veto this bill?"

.

Approve Disapprove Unsure

% % %

7/21-23/06
36 58 6

.

"Would you say President Bush vetoed this bill mostly on the basis of personal moral beliefs or mostly in an attempt to gain political advantage?" Options rotated

.

Personal
Beliefs Politics Unsure

% % %

7/21-23/06
61 32 7

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. Aug. 5-7, 2005. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you think the federal government should or should not fund research that would use newly created stem cells obtained from human embryos?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/5-7/05	56	40	4

CBS News Poll. July 13-14, 2005. N=632 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4 (for all adults).
					.
"Do you approve or disapprove of medical research using embryonic stem cells?"
					.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	56	30	14
	Republicans	46	42	12
	Democrats	60	29	11
	Independents	60	21	19
					.
	Trend:
	5/20-23/05	58	31	11
	8/04	50	31	19

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. May 20-22, 2005. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"How closely have you followed the debate about government funding of stem cell research: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not closely at all?"
						.
		Very Closely	Somewhat Closely	Not Too Closely	Not At All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/20-22/05	12	46	27	15	-
	8/3-5/01	18	37	22	23	-
	7/10-11/01	9	29	28	32	2

Time Poll conducted by Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas (SRBI) Public Affairs. May 10-12, 2005. N=1,011 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"In August 2001, President Bush restricted federal funding to a limited number of existing stem cell lines, cutting off funding for research on these discarded embryos. Last fall, California voters approved raising $3 billion in state money for stem cell research, including developing more lines of embryonic stem cells. Do you personally agree more with . . . . ?"
					.
				%
	"The President's decision to restrict federally-funded embryonic stem cell research"			20
					.
	"Californians who voted to fund additional stem cell research"			50
					.
	"Government funds shouldn't be used for this type of stem cell research at all"			22
					.
	Unsure			8
					.
"Should other states follow California's lead in funding all types of stem cell research, or not?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/10-12/05	53	37	9

University of Pennsylvania National Annenberg Election Survey. July 30-Aug. 5, 2004. N=1,345 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for total sample). Interviewing conducted by Schulman, Ronca, Bucuvalas, Inc.
.
"Do you favor or oppose federal funding of research on diseases like Alzheimer's using stem cells taken from human embryos?"
.
		Favor	Oppose
		%	%
	ALL	64	28
	Republicans	53	38
	Democrats	74	20
	Independents	67	26

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Robert Teeter (R). June 25-28, 2004. N=1,025 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"There is a type of medical research that involves using special cells, called stem cells, that are obtained from human embryos. These human embryo stem cells are then used to generate new cells and tissue that could help treat or cure many diseases. I am now going to read you two statements about this type of research. "Statement A: Those OPPOSED to this type of research say that it crosses an ethical line by using cells from potentially viable human embryos, when this research can be done on animals or by using other types of cells. "Statement B: Those IN FAVOR of this research say that it could lead to breakthrough cures for many diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and spinal cord injuries, and this research uses only embryos that otherwise would be discarded. "Who do you agree with more: those opposed or those in favor?"
			.
		%
	Agree more with those opposed	22
	Agree more with those in favor	71
	Depends (vol.)	2
	Not sure	5

Virginia Commonwealth University Life Sciences Survey. Sept. 3-26, 2003. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"On the whole, how much do you favor or oppose medical research that uses stem cells from human embryos -- do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose this?"
		Strongly Favor	Somewhat Favor	Somewhat Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Don't Know
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/03	17	30	21	23	9
	9/02	12	23	22	29	15
	8-9/01	17	31	21	22	9

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. July 15-16, 2003. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you approve or disapprove of stem cell research -- that is, medical research using tissue from human embryos?"
		Approve	Dis- approve	Not Sure
		%	%	%
	7/03	46	37	17

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. Feb. 25-March 10, 2002. N=2,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.5.
			.
"As you may know, the federal government has debated whether to fund certain kinds of medical research known as 'stem cell research.' . . . Do you think the federal government should or should not fund stem cell research?"
		%
	Should	43
	Should not	35
	Depends (vol.)	4
	Don't know	18

Ipsos-Reid Poll. Aug. 10-12, 2001. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
					.
		ALL	Republicans	Democrats	Indepen- dents
		%	%	%	%
"How closely have you followed the issue of federal funding of stem cell research? Have you followed this issue extremely closely, somewhat closely, only a little, or not at all? If you have never heard of stem cell research, please just say so."
	Extremely closely	13	14	12	10
	Somewhat closely	38	39	40	29
	Only a little	27	28	28	25
	Not at all	12	13	9	22
	Have not heard of	10	7	11	15
					.
"As you may know, this kind of so-called stem cell research is being used by scientists trying to find cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or diabetes. It involves using destroyed embryos discarded from fertility clinics that no longer need them. Do you favor or oppose using discarded embryos to conduct stem cell research to try to find cures for diseases such as those I mentioned?"
	Favor	75	71	80	69
	Oppose	19	24	15	22
	Don't know	6	5	5	9
					.
"President Bush announced that federal funding would be allowed only for research using embryos that have already been destroyed. Scientists can continue to grow and harvest stem cells from those experiments already under way. President Bush also announced that no more embryos could ever be destroyed for future research that uses federal funds. Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush's decision to allow federal funding of stem cell research already under way using destroyed embryos, but banning any further destruction of embryos for future stem cell research?"
	Approve	62	76	51	63
	Disapprove	32	18	43	30
	Don't know	6	6	6	7

*CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll*. Aug. 9, 2001. N=581 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
				.
"As you may know, President Bush gave a speech tonight on stem cell research, and he announced that he WOULD allow the government to fund research using stem cells that have been created in the past in a process that destroyed human embryos. The government will not fund stem cell research that would destroy additional embryos in the future. Overall, do you approve or disapprove of Bush's decision on stem cell research?" If "Disapprove": "Do you disapprove because the ban is too strict or not strict enough?"
			%
	Approve		50
	Disapprove -- Too strict		7
	Disapprove -- Not strict enough		13
	Disapprove -- Don't know		5
	No opinion		25
				.
"Did you happen to watch any of Bush's speech on stem cell research tonight, or not?"
		%
	Yes, watched	32
	No, did not watch	66
	No answer	2

*ABC News/Washington* Post Poll**. July 26-30, 2001. N=1,352 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.5. Field work by TNS Intersearch.
				.
"Sometimes fertility clinics produce extra fertilized eggs, also called embryos, that are not implanted in a woman's womb. These extra embryos either are discarded, or couples can donate them for use in medical research called stem cell research. [Rotate:] Some people support stem cell research, saying it's an important way to find treatments for many diseases. Other people oppose stem cell research, saying it's wrong to use any human embryos for research purposes. What about you? Do you support or oppose stem cell research?"
		7/01	6/01
		%	%
	Support	63	58
	Oppose	33	30
	No opinion	4	12
				.
"The federal government provides funding to support a variety of medical research. Do you think federal funding for medical research should or should not include funding for stem cell research?"
		7/01	6/01
		%	%
	Should	60	60
	Should not	36	31
	No opinion	3	9

Cloning

Virginia Commonwealth University Life Sciences Survey. Sept. 3-26, 2003. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"In general, do you think that it is morally acceptable or morally wrong to use human cloning technology in developing new treatments for disease?"
		Acceptable	Wrong	Don't Know	.
		%	%	%	.
	9/03	36	53	11	.
					.
"Regardless of your opinion about cloning, do you think that scientists currently know enough or don't know enough about human cloning technology to make it safe in the treatment of disease?"
		Know Enough	Don't Know Enough	Don't Know	.
		%	%	%	.
	9/03	12	77	12	.

The Los Angeles Times Poll. Jan. 30-Feb. 2, 2003. N=1,385 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (total sample).
					.
"Which of these statements comes closest to your view on human cloning? I support a complete ban on all research into human cloning without exception. OR, I support a ban on human cloning that would still allow research on cloned embryos to learn more about diseases. OR, I oppose any law that restricts research into human cloning."
		ALL	Demo- crats	Indepen- dents	Repub- licans
		%	%	%	%
	Support a complete ban	43	31	37	58
	Support a partial ban	41	47	49	34
	Oppose any restrictions	11	17	12	6
	Don't know	5	5	2	2

*CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll*. Jan. 3-5, 2003. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"Do you think that cloning that is designed specifically to result in the birth of a human being should be legal or illegal in the United States?"
		%
	Legal	11
	Illegal	86
	No opinion	3

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. Feb. 25-March 10, 2002. N=2,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.5.
			.
"Do you favor or oppose scientific experimentation on the cloning of human beings?"
		%
	Favor	17
	Oppose	77
	Don't know/Refused	6

	If "Oppose": "Is your objection to research on human cloning based more on the belief that the science is not yet safe enough but could be in the future, or the belief that it is morally wrong?"
		%
	Not yet safe	19
	Morally wrong	72
	Both equally (vol.)	6
	Other (vol.)	2
	Don't know/Refused	1

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Feb. 12-13, 2002. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"As you may know, scientists have made advances in cloning, where they can reproduce a whole animal from a single cell. Do you think it is acceptable to use cloning to [see below]?"
			Acceptable	Not Acceptable	Unsure
			%	%	%
	Reproduce endangered species		29	64	7
	Reproduce livestock		23	71	6
	Reintroduce extinct species		20	72	8
	Reproduce a beloved pet such as a dog or cat		12	84	4
	Reproduce humans		7	89	4
						.
"How likely do you think it is that somewhere in the world a human has already been secretly cloned?"
		%
	Very likely	30
	Somewhat likely	26
	Not very likely	20
	Not at all likely	18
	Not sure	6

Ipsos-Reid Express. Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2001. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
.
"If you had to choose, which comes closest to your preference? A complete ban on all research into human cloning without exception. A ban on human cloning of full-grown humans, while still allowing research on cloned embryos, to learn more about certain diseases. Oppose any law that restricts research into human cloning."
		12/01	6/01
		%	%
	A complete ban	33	42
	Allow research on embryos	39	39
	Oppose any restrictions	21	17
	Not sure	6	2

*CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll*. Nov. 26-27, 2001. Nationwide.
.
"Thinking for a moment about cloning: Do you approve or disapprove of cloning that is designed specifically to result in the birth of a human being?" Form A (N=518, MoE ą 5)
		%
	Approve	9
	Disapprove	88
	No opinion	3
.
"Thinking for a moment about cloning: Do you approve or disapprove of cloning that is not designed to specifically result in the birth of a human being, but is designed to aid medical research that might find treatments for certain diseases?" Form B (N=507, MoE ą 5)
		%
	Approve	54
	Disapprove	41
	No opinion	5

ABC News/Beliefnet Poll. Aug. 8-12, 2001. N=1,024 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3. Field work by TNS Intersearch.
			.
"On another subject, scientists have cloned animals, using basic genetic material from one animal to produce an offspring with the exact same genetic makeup. Supporters say cloning animals can lead to advances in medicine and agriculture. Opponents say cloning animals is morally wrong and may produce offspring with genetic abnormalities. Do you think it should be legal or illegal to clone animals in the United States?"
		%
	Legal	37
	Illegal	59
	No opinion	4
			.
"Scientists say it's also possible to clone humans, using basic genetic material from one person to produce a child with the exact same genetic makeup. Do you think it should be legal or illegal to clone humans in the United States?"
		%
	Legal	11
	Illegal	87
	No opinion	2
			.
"Some scientists want to use human cloning for medical treatments only. They would produce a fertilized egg, or human embryo, that's an exact genetic copy of a person, and then take cells from this embryo to provide medical treatments for that person. Supporters say this could lead to medical breakthroughs. Opponents say it could lead to the creation of a cloned person, because someone could take an embryo that was cloned for medical treatments and use it to produce a child. Do you think human cloning for medical treatments should be legal or illegal in the United States?"
		%
	Legal	33
	Illegal	63
	No opinion	4
			.
"Human cloning for medical treatments is legal in some other countries, such as England. Does this make you more likely or less likely to think it should be legal in the United States, or doesn't it affect your opinion on the issue one way or the other?"
		%
	More likely	7
	Less likely	10
	Doesn't affect opinion	82
	No opinion	1
			.
"What's had the most influence on your opinion on the issue of cloning: the views of your family and friends, things you've seen or read in the news, your education, your personal experience, your religious beliefs, your personal non-religious beliefs, or something else?"
		%
	Religious beliefs	36
	Non-religious beliefs	17
	Education	16
	The news	15
	Personal experience	4
	Family and friends	3
	Something else	9
	No opinion	1

Biotechnology See also: Health (nutrition, food safety)

CBS News/New York Times Poll. April 25-29, 2008. N=1,065 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3..
						.
"Some foods contain genetically modified ingredients in order to make them taste better and last longer. How much have you heard or read about this: a lot, some, not much or nothing at all?"
						.
		A Lot	Some	Not Much	Nothing at All
		%	%	%	%
	4/25-29/08	17	39	27	17

						.
"Do you think foods that contain genetically modified ingredients should be labeled indicating that or don't you think that is necessary?"
						.
		Should Be	Not Necessary	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/25-29/08	87	11	2

						.
"How likely is it that you would buy food that is labeled as having been genetically modified: very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not at all likely?"
						.
		Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Not Very Likely	Not at All Likely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/25-29/08	12	31	24	29	4

Gallup Poll. July 7-10, 2005. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"As you may know, some food products and medicines are being developed using new scientific techniques. The general area is called 'biotechnology' and includes tools such as genetic engineering and genetic modification of food. How closely have you been following the news about this issue: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all?"
						.
		Very Closely	Somewhat Closely	Not Too Closely	Not At All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/7-10/05	9	31	35	25	-
	7/7-9/03	9	32	34	25	-
	7/19-22/01	11	34	33	21	1
						.
"Overall would you say you strongly support, moderately support, moderately oppose, or strongly oppose the use of biotechnology in agriculture and food production?"
						.
		Strongly Support	Moderately Support	Moderately Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/7-10/05	9	36	29	16	10
	7/7-9/03	9	38	27	18	8
	7/19-22/01	9	43	24	14	10
						.
"From what you know or have heard, do you believe that foods that have been produced using biotechnology pose a serious health hazard to consumers, or not?"
						.
		Pose Hazard	Don't Pose Hazard	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/7-10/05	33	54	13
	7/7-9/03	34	54	12
	7/19-22/01	30	53	17

Virginia Commonwealth University Life Sciences Survey. Sept. 3-26, 2003. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"New technology in science and medicine may allow couples who want to have a baby to pick and choose the baby's genetic characteristics, such as hair color or the risk for certain diseases." This and the following question asked in random order: "Would you say that changing a baby's genetic characteristics for cosmetic purposes such as eye or hair color is making appropriate use of medical advances OR is it taking medical advances too far?"
		Appropriate	Too Far	Don't Know		.
		%	%	%		.
	9/03	4	94	2		.
						.
"Would you say that changing a baby's genetic characteristics to reduce the risk of serious diseases is making appropriate use of medical advances OR is it taking medical advances too far?"
		Appropriate	Too Far	Don't Know		.
		%	%	%		.
	9/03	41	54	6		.
						.
"New genetic techniques may prove able to slow down the aging process in human beings. How likely would you be to use genetic therapies if it meant you could live longer: very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not at all likely?"
		Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Not Too Likely	Not At All Likely	Don't Know
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/03	14	23	25	36	1

ABC News Poll. July 9-13, 2003. N=1,024 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (total sample). Field work by TNS Intersearch.
						.
"How confident are you that the food we eat in the United States is safe: very confident, somewhat confident, not very confident or not at all confident?"
		Very	Some- what	Not Very	Not At All	Not Sure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/03	39	49	9	3	1
	11/97	27	56	12	4	-
						.
"Scientists can change the genes in some food crops and farm animals to make them grow faster or bigger and be more resistant to bugs, weeds and disease. Do you think this genetically modified food, also known as bio-engineered food, is or is not safe to eat?" Half sample
		Safe	Not Safe	Not Sure
		%	%	%
	7/03	46	46	9
	6/01	35	52	13
						.
"Do you think the federal government should or should not require labels on food saying whether it has been genetically modified or bio-engineered?" Half sample
		Should	Should Not	Not Sure
		%	%	%
	7/03	92	6	2
	6/01	93	6	1
						.
"If you saw a label on food at your market saying it had been genetically modified or bio-engineered, would you be more likely to buy it, less likely to buy it, or would it make no difference in your buying decision?" Half sample
		More	Less	No Difference	Not Sure
		%	%	%	%
	7/03	6	55	37	2
	6/01	5	57	34	3
						.
"Some livestock and poultry are fed antibiotics and hormones to make them disease resistant and faster-growing. Do you think food from farm animals that are fed antibiotics and hormones is or is not safe to eat?" Half sample
		Safe	Not Safe	Not Sure
		%	%	%
	7/03	49	42	10
						.
"Do you think the federal government should or should not require labels on food saying whether it's from farm animals that have been fed antibiotics or hormones?" Half sample
		Should	Should Not	Not Sure
		%	%	%
	7/03	85	11	4
						.
"If you saw a label on food at your market saying it's from farm animals that have been fed antibiotics or hormones, would you be more likely to buy it, less likely to buy it, or would it make no difference in your buying decision?" Half sample
		More	Less	No Difference	Not Sure
		%	%	%	%
	7/03	4	47	45	4

ABC News.com Poll. June 13-17, 2001. N=1,024 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3. Field work by TNS Intersearch.
			.
"If you saw a label on food at your market saying it had been grown or raised organically, without the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers or feed additives, would you be more likely to buy it, less likely to buy it, or would it make no difference in your buying decision?"
		%
	More likely	52
	Less likely	10
	Make no difference	36
	No opinion	2

Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology poll conducted by the Mellman Group (D) and Public Opinion Strategies (R). Jan. 22-28, 2001. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
						.
"How much have you seen, read or heard recently regarding genetically modified food that is sold in grocery stores? Have you heard a great deal, some, not too much, or nothing at all recently regarding genetically modified food that is sold in grocery stores?" Asked of half the sample.
		%
	A great deal	9
	Some	35
	Not too much	29
	Nothing at all	25
	Don't know	1
						.
"How likely would you be to eat genetically modified foods? Would you be very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not at all likely to eat genetically modified foods?"
		%
	Very likely	10
	Somewhat likely	29
	Not too likely	23
	Not at all likely	31
	Don't know	8
						.
"As far as you know, have you ever eaten genetically modified foods?"
		%
	Yes	19
	No	62
	Don't know	19
						.
"When you go to the grocery store how important is it to you to know whether a product contains genetically modified agricultural products? Is it very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important for you to know whether a product contains genetically modified agricultural products?"
		%
	Very important	46
	Somewhat important	29
	Not too important	11
	Not at all important	10
	Don't know	4
						.
"To the best of your knowledge, how much of the food in a typical American grocery store is genetically modified -- that is, food modified through biotechnology -- or contains genetically modified ingredients?"
		%
	Less than 25%	38
	25% to 50%	22
	50% to 75%	10
	More than 75%	4
	Don't know	25
						.
"Do you think genetically modified foods are basically safe, basically unsafe, or don’t you have an opinion on this?"
		%
	Basically safe	29
	Basically unsafe	25
	Don't know	46
						.
"Now, as you may know, more than half of products at the grocery store are produced using some form of biotechnology or genetic modification. Knowing this, do you think genetically modified foods are basically safe, basically unsafe, or don’t you have an opinion on this?"
		%
	Basically safe	48
	Basically unsafe	21
	Don't know	31
						.
"Now I'm going to read you a list of organizations from which you can get information about genetically modified foods. After each, please tell me how much you trust what each organization says about genetically modified foods. Do you trust what they have to say about genetically modified foods a great deal, some, not too much, or not at all? If you have never heard of the organization, or don’t know, please say so and we'll move on. . . ."
		Great Deal	Some	Not Too Much	Not At All	Unsure/ Never Heard Of
		%	%	%	%	%
	The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA	41	44	7	8	1
	Friends and family	37	43	11	7	2
	Farmers	34	48	9	6	2
	Scientists and academics	33	49	8	7	4
	The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA	33	48	9	8	2
	Food safety groups	32	54	7	4	3
	Research centers	28	54	9	5	3
	Environmental groups	23	51	12	11	3
	Consumer groups	21	56	11	9	4
	Grocery stores	9	51	22	15	2
	Food manufacturers	8	44	24	23	2
	Local community leaders	6	46	23	22	4
	Elected officials	3	30	25	39	2

The Harris Poll. June 8-12, 2000. N=1,015 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"How much have you seen, read, or heard about [see below]: a lot, some, not much, or nothing at all?"
		A Lot	Some	Not Much	Nothing At All	Not Sure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"new genetically modified foods"
		15	42	28	14	1
						.
	"new types of plants and crops which have been genetically engineered"
		16	42	27	14	1
						.
"How likely do you think it is that the following will happen because of the use of new types of plants and crops developed by genetic engineering: very, somewhat, not very, or not at all likely? . . ."
		Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Not Very Likely	Not At All Likely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Food based on these new crops will be poisonous or cause diseases in people who eat them"
		14	31	22	25	7
						.
	"Agricultural production will increase"
		29	37	16	13	6
						.
	"They will upset the balance of nature and damage the environment"
		25	31	22	15	6
						.
	"They will make food less expensive than it would be otherwise"
		14	28	23	29	6
						.
"Do you think the government should require the labeling of all packaged and other food products stating that they include corn, soy or other products which have come from genetically modified crops, or is that not important?"
		%
	Should require	86
	Not important	13
	Not sure	1
						.
"Overall do you think the benefits of developing and growing these new plants and crops outweigh the risks of doing this, or do you think the risks outweigh the benefits?"
			%
	Benefits outweigh the risks		38
	Risks outweigh the benefits		48
	Not sure		14

Space Exploration

CBS News Poll. July 9-12, 2009. N=944 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Forty years ago, the United States spent a great deal of time, effort, and money to land men on the moon. Looking back now, do you think that effort was worth it, or not?" 8/99: "Thirty years ago . . . ."
						.
		Worth It	Not Worth It	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	71	24	5
	8/99	71	24	5
						.
"Since the moon landing forty years ago, do you think the U.S. space program has accomplished more than you expected, less than you expected, or about what you expected it to accomplish by now?"
						.
		More Than Expected	Less Than Expected	About What Expected	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	27	32	36	5
						.
"Would you favor or oppose the United States sending astronauts to explore Mars?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	51	43	6
	1/12-15/04	48	47	5
	8/1-3/99	58	35	7
	7/13-14/97	54	41	5
	6/20-22/94	55	40	6

Gallup Poll. July 10-12, 2009. N=1,018 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"How would you rate the job being done by NASA, the U.S. space agency? Would you say it is doing an excellent, good, only fair, or poor job?"
						.
		Excellent	Good	Only Fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/10-12/09	13	45	26	7	10
	9/14-16/07	16	40	29	8	6
	6/23-25/06	17	40	30	7	6
	8/5-7/05	16	44	29	8	3
	6/24-26/05	11	42	34	6	7
	9/8-10/03	12	38	36	10	4
	12/99	13	40	31	12	4
	7/99	20	44	20	5	11
	11/98	26	50	17	4	3
						.
"Now I'd like to ask you about government spending on NASA. In answering, please bear in mind that sooner or later all government spending has to be taken out of the taxes that you and other Americans pay. Do you think spending on the U.S. space program should be increased, kept at the present level, reduced, or ended altogether?"
						.
		Increased	Present Level	Reduced	Ended	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/10-12/09	14	46	30	8	2
	6/23-25/06	17	48	28	5	2
	8/4-6/03	24	51	17	7	1
	2/03	25	49	17	7	2
	12/99	16	49	24	10	1
	7/99	18	45	26	8	3
	11/98	21	47	26	4	2
						.
"It is now forty years since the United States first landed men on the moon. Do you think the space program has brought enough benefits to this country to justify its costs, or don't you think so?"
						.
		Has Brought Enough	Don't Think So	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/10-12/09	58	38	4

ABC News Poll. Jan. 25-29, 2008. N=1,019 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"How likely do you think it is that in the years ahead ordinary people will travel in outer space? Do you think this will definitely happen, will probably happen, will probably not happen or will definitely not happen?"
					.
		Definitely Happen	Probably Happen	Probably Not Happen	Definitely Not Happen	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/25-29/08	18	47	24	9	2
					.
"If you had a chance in your lifetime to travel in outer space, would you do so, or not?"
					.
		Would	Would Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/25-29/08	39	60	1
	4/98	47	52	1
	1/86	44	54	2
	8/81	42	55	3
					.
"Thinking about NASA, which runs the space program, do you think NASA should or should not be working on ways to establish permanent settlements where large numbers of people could live in outer space or on other planets?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/25-29/08	38	58	4
					.
"Do you believe that some form of intelligent life does or does not exist in outer space?"
					.
		Does	Does Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/25-29/08	55	37	8
	7/97	56	37	7

USA Today/Gallup Poll. June 23-25, 2006. N=516 adults nationwide. MoE ą 5.