The Gallup Podcast

Socialism is enjoying a renaissance in U.S. political discourse -- even though candidates who espouse a socialist policy perspective have had mixed results in primary elections and while Americans, as a whole, remain negative about socialism. Gallup recently updated a 1949 question asking how Americans define socialism. In this episode, two very different experts offer their opinions on the matter. David Boaz, executive vice president of the libertarian Cato Institute, and Dr. Susan Kang, a leader of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, weigh in on what socialism means and what its future in U.S. politics might look like.

In this update of current public opinion trends, Dr. Frank Newport reviews and highlights what’s important to know about American public opinion right now. How does the latest approval rating of President Donald Trump compare with those of previous presidents -- and do Americans view Trump more positively than Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election that put Trump in the White House? For the past several decades, Gallup has measured thousands of favorable ratings for public figures. Who has the highest -- and the lowest -- favorable ratings in Gallup’s history?

Just how big is the “gig” economy, in which employees have temporary or short-term assignments rather than working full time with one company? Are gig workers doing the kind of work they want? Who benefits the most in gig-work arrangements -- the employers or the employees? Will it become a more dominant part of the U.S. economy in the future? Shane McFeely, analyst and researcher on Gallup’s global practice team, explains the findings from the latest report, The Gig Economy and Alternative Work Arrangements. Later, what are Americans’ views of the pharmaceutical industry?

How much of the world experienced enjoyment yesterday? Did people smile, laugh or feel well-rested? Or did people feel angry, stressed or sad? Gallup World Poll Researcher and Analyst Julie Ray breaks down Gallup’s 2018 Global Emotions Report, which answers exactly these questions. Plus, in which countries around the world are people happiest -- and in which are they the least happy? The answers may surprise you. Later, what percentage of Americans believe President Donald Trump illegally colluded with Russians in his 2016 presidential campaign?

President Donald Trump often refers to polls, but just how accurate are his tweets about them? What will have a larger effect on midterm election outcomes -- presidential approval or economic confidence? How many Democrats react positively when they hear the word “socialism”? Frank Newport and Gallup Senior Editor Lydia Saad discusses the trends on these issues and more. Gallup has polled on Americans’ views of the late Sen. John McCain for decades -- Gallup analyst Andrew Dugan breaks down the trend in McCain’s favorability. Later, what percentage of Americans approve of labor unions?

What effect will Donald Trump’s ongoing legal woes have on his approval rating? And how has he maintained such a stable base of support among his party? What are the long-term repercussions of political division in the U.S., and how will the major political parties evolve in this climate? Ronald Brownstein, a senior political analyst for CNN and Atlantic Media who has covered presidents dating back to Ronald Reagan, offers his take on these questions and more. He even suggests what he believes would be a viable Democratic ticket to challenge Trump in 2020. Later, how do Americans rate the U.S. healthcare system compared with those of other modernized nations?

In a recent Gallup Poll, Americans told us what they try to include, and avoid, in their diet. How on target is their understanding of nutrition, and how much does their awareness of healthy eating actually translate into their eating behaviors? Plus, what percentage of Americans are vegetarian and vegan -- and just how healthy are these choices? Caroline West Passerrello, registered dietician and nutritionist, and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, joins the podcast to discuss Gallup’s trends. Later, what percentage of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S.?

Much has been speculated about the relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but what do the citizens of each country think about the two men? Which president has a higher approval rating in his own country? Are there any similarities between the views of Americans and Russians? In this episode, Neli Esipova, Gallup’s Regional Director for former Soviet states and Eastern Europe, explains the findings. Later, what percentage of Americans have a positive view of socialism?

How do Americans really feel about the challenges and policy decisions surrounding one of the most controversial topics of our time -- immigration? Is immigration good or bad for the U.S.? Why do some Americans so strongly support the idea of building a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border? How do Americans defend their positions on the issue of sending children brought to the U.S. illegally back to their home countries? What’s behind the strongly emotional support for, and opposition to, Trump’s policies on immigration? In this episode, we hear Americans’ views in their own words. Later, what percentage of Americans are vegetarian and vegan?

Is having one or two drinks a day good for you? And if so, what is the optimal amount one should drink? Dr. Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition and director of the program in cardiovascular epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, joins the podcast to discuss the trend in Americans’ views on moderate drinking and how these views square with scientific facts. Later, what percentage of Americans approve of the job the U.S. Supreme Court is doing?

What percentage of Americans are vaping, and how does this figure compare with the percentage who smoke cigarettes? How will this new technology affect trends on smoking in the U.S.? Dr. Kenneth Warner, Avedis Donabedian Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, joins the podcast to explain vaping and what effect -- good or bad -- this new habit could have on the health of Americans. Later, some Americans say “nothing” is going well in the country -- listen to find out what percentage?

Americans overwhelmingly say the news media are biased, and many also say news media are inaccurate. Why is this the case, and what can be done about it? How do Americans’ perceptions of specific media outlets’ bias and accuracy play a role in this loss of confidence? Sam Gill, vice president of communities and impact at Knight Foundation, joins the podcast to explain the latest findings from Knight Foundation’s ongoing research with Gallup that explore Americans’ perceptions of the media. Later, what percentage of Americans believe that Roe v. Wade should be overturned, and what percentage say it should be upheld?

Why are U.S. fertility rates declining? What are Americans’ ideas and preferences about children, and how do these attitudes relate to overall fertility in the U.S.? Dr. Caroline Sten Hartnett, sociologist and demographer on the faculty at the University of South Carolina, discusses the latest findings and offers her predictions for the future. Later, what percentage of Americans have confidence in the Supreme Court?

President Donald Trump has made the issue of trade and tariffs a centerpiece of his recent policymaking -- but it’s not necessarily one Americans know a lot about. This episode explores new data measuring Americans’ attitudes and beliefs about trade policy with Gallup Senior Scientist Justin Wolfers, professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan. Dr. Wolfers offers his take on how views on trade are formed, what the state of international trade looks like today and how Trump’s executive actions square with the consensus of economists. Later, what percentage of Americans believe that legal immigration is a good thing for the country?

How do statements made by public officials stack up against public opinion? Sarah Huckabee Sanders says her credibility is higher than the media’s but is that true? Bill Clinton contends that two-thirds of the American people stayed with him after the Monica Lewinsky scandal, but is that exactly what happened? The Department of Justice watchdog report focused on Hillary Clinton’s emails during her 2016 presidential campaign, but how big of a factor were the emails in her loss? And later, do Americans think it’s easier to raise a girl or a boy?

Abortion remains one of the nation’s most contentious policy issues, and Americans’ views on the subject are essentially fixed -- changing little over past decades. Gallup Senior Editor Lydia Saad explores the intricacies of Americans’ views on legal restrictions on abortion, how the trimester timeline changes views on abortion, and how opinions on the subject vary by demographic group. Later, what percentage of Americans say they would like to be rich? And how has this figure changed over Gallup’s 28-year trend?

Many Americans don’t think about retirement until it looms in their immediate future. So ow confident are Americans that they will have enough money when they retire? And how much are they relying on Social Security and 401(k)s? When is the ideal time to withdraw from Social Security? And what can we do to increase Americans’ financial literacy? Annamaria Lusardi, Denit Trust Chair of Economics & Accountancy at the George Washington University School of Business, joins the podcast to discuss these questions and others. And later, are Americans already accepting the fact that gas prices are going to go up even higher this year?

Why is it important that we measure the number of people in the U.S. who identify as LGBT? And what are the challenges involved in measuring this population? Dr. Gary Gates, one of the nation’s most renowned experts on the geography and demography of the LGBT population and coauthor of The Gay & Lesbian Atlas, joins the podcast to explain the significance of these measures and to discuss the changes Gallup has seen over hundreds of thousands of interviews since 2012. Later, Gallup’s Chief Methodologist Stephanie Marken describes in-depth how Gallup has partnered with UCLA to tackle the unique challenge of measuring the transgender population.

This week, Dr. Frank Newport examines in-depth five key aspects of current American public opinion. What’s behind Donald Trump’s latest job approval ratings? What percentage of Americans are paying attention to his tweets? How should Americans’ feelings about complex foreign policy initiatives be taken into account? How much are Americans’ views of traditional social and sexual norms shifting? And, a look at month-to-month changes in Americans’ views of guns as the nation’s top problem.

What the whole world wants is a good job, but how do you measure what a good job is? Gallup World Poll Editor Julie Ray explores the latest findings from the 2018 Global Great Jobs Briefing. What regions of the world have the highest and lowest percentages of adults with good jobs? And what is a great job? Later, do Americans view their personal financial health through a political lens?