|
|
 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Poll: Clinton scandal has not taught young Americans it's OK to lieBy Keating Holland/CNN
February 17, 1999 WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, February 17) -- Although adults worry about the effect of the Monica Lewinsky scandal on the nation's children, 11- to 17-year-olds say President Bill Clinton's behavior has not taught them it is OK to lie or break the law, according to a new CNN poll.
Nor have young Americans turned cynical about government or public officials as a result of the impeachment process, though only a quarter of them want to grow up to be president. According to the poll, 11- to 17-year-olds are tougher on Clinton than adults are. Nearly half of them think he should have been removed from office, compared to only a third of adults. A majority have an unfavorable view of Clinton, while most adults think favorably of him. But opinions of Clinton have not spilled over into young Americans' views of government. More than half of 11- to 17-year-olds say the federal government can be trusted to do what is right most or all of the time -- only a third of adults share that sunny view -- and only a third of all youths say most public officials are liars.
What about the Lewinsky scandal's effect on youth views of right and wrong? Most adults think Clinton's behavior has made children feel that you can sometimes lie and get away with it. Adults also think Clinton's behavior has made children feel that important people can break the law and get away with it. But here's the good news: 11- to 17-year-olds report that Clinton's behavior has not affected them that way. Only 40 percent say his behavior has made them feel that lying is OK. And only 42 percent say Clinton has taught them that influential people can get away with breaking the law. One reason is that 11- to 17-year-olds do not consider presidents or other elected officials to be role models. That honor falls to sports stars, entertainers and, topping the list, parents. Where did young Americans get their information on the Lewinsky scandal? Eighty-three percent say the issue was raised by their teachers. By contrast, only half say their parents discussed issues raised by Clinton or the impeachment process. The survey of 1,022 adult Americans and 305 youths ages 11 to 17 was conducted on February 4-8 by the Gallup Organization. The questions have a margin of sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points, unless otherwise indicated. Here are the questions and results: Do you think that the Senate should have voted to remove Bill Clinton from office?
11-to-17
Adults Year Olds
Yes 36% 47%
No 62% 50%
Sampling error: +/- 6 percentage points Please tell me whether you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Bill Clinton.
11-to-17
Adults Year Olds
Favorable 55% 43%
Unfavorable 44% 53%
Sampling error: +/- 6 percentage points How much of the time do you think you can trust government in Washington to do what is right -- just about always, most of the time or only some of the time?
11-to-17
Adults Year Olds
All/most of the time 34% 55%
Only some of the time 64% 44%
Sampling error: +/-6 percentage points Do you personally think most public officials today are liars, or do you not feel this way?
11-to-17
Adults Year Olds
Yes 55% 34%
No 41% 62%
Sampling error: +/- 6 percentage points Thinking about the possible effects on children of Clinton's behavior in the Monica Lewinsky and impeachment matters, do you think Clinton's behavior has made children feel that ...
Adults
They can get away with lying 68%
VIPs can break the law 60%
Breaking the law is OK 47%
Has Bill Clinton's behavior in the Monica Lewinsky and impeachment matters made you feel that ...
11-17
year olds
You can get away with lying 40%
VIPs can break the law 42%
Breaking the law is OK 7%
Sampling error: +/- 6 percentage points Thinking about the possible effects on children of Clinton's behavior in the Monica Lewinsky and impeachment matters, do you think Clinton's behavior has made children feel that you can sometimes lie and get away with it?
Adults
Yes 68%
No 30%
Has Bill Clinton's behavior in the Monica Lewinsky and impeachment matters made you feel that you can sometimes lie and get away with it?
11-17 year olds
Yes 40%
No 59%
Sampling error: +/- 6 percentage points Would you like to see any of your children grow up to be President of the United States someday, or not?
Adults
Yes 45%
No 55%
Would you, personally, like to grow up to be President of the United States someday, or not?
11-17 year olds
Yes 26%
No 72%
Sampling error: +/- 6 percentage points Please tell me whether each of the following are people you, personally, look up to as role models in your life. How about ...
11-to-17
Year Olds
Parents 94%
Teachers 77%
Friends 72%
Sampling error: +/- 6 percentage points Please tell me whether each of the following are people you, personally, look up to as role models in your life. How about ...
11-to-17
Year Olds
Sports stars 65%
Entertainers 61%
Elected officials 41%
The President 34%
Sampling error: +/- 6 percentage points Have the allegations concerning Bill Clinton or the impeachment process been brought up by your parents or teachers?
11-to-17
Year Olds
Your teachers 83%
Your parents 52%
Sampling error: +/- 6 percentage points Scandal's impact on political futureWhat effect will the events of the last year have on the politics of the future? Fifty-three percent of 11- to 17-year-olds have a favorable view of the Democratic party, compared to the 41 percent who have a favorable view of the GOP. Nonetheless, most 11- to 17-year-olds don't identify with either party. And more than half -- 57 percent -- say they are independents; only a fifth say they are Democrats or Republicans. Please tell me whether you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party.
11-to-17
Year Olds
Favorable 53%
Unfavorable 22%
Unsure 25%
Sampling error: +/- 6 percentage points Please tell me whether you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Republican Party.
11-to-17
Year Olds
Favorable 41%
Unfavorable 34%
Unsure 25%
Sampling error: +/- 6 percentage points What questions will candidates face?Note: The poll questions from this point forward were asked of adults only. The public's view of the media has actually improved since last January, but half the country still believes that the media acted irresponsibly in the Lewinsky matter and that the media are out of touch with average Americans. What do Americans want to know about future presidential candidates? They draw the line at sex: 65 percent say it is not necessary for the public to know if a candidate has had extramarital affairs, and 61 percent say it is not necessary for the public to know whether a candidate is a homosexual. But most Americans think it is necessary for the public to know if a candidate were an alcoholic, a tax cheat or someone who had been accused of sexual harassment. They are split on whether it is necessary to know whether the candidate had used drugs in the past. Overall, do you feel the news media have acted responsibly or irresponsible in this matter?
Jan.
Now 1998
Yes 48% 37%
No 50% 55%
Do you think the media are out of touch with average Americans, or are they generally in touch?
Now 1995
Yes 48% 60%
No 50% 38%
Now I'm going to read some issues a person might have in their life. For each one, please say if that is the kind of thing the American public would need to know about a presidential candidate in order to evaluate him or her, or whether it would not be necessary for the public to know about that issue. Please keep in mind that these are not meant to describe any particular candidates, but are just hypothetical issues. How about ...
Yes No
Has cheated on taxes 84% 15%
Is an alcoholic 79% 21%
Was accused of 75% 24%
sexual harassment
Now I'm going to read some issues a person might have in their life. For each one, please say if that is the kind of thing the American public would need to know about a presidential candidate in order to evaluate him or her, or whether it would not be necessary for the public to know about that issue. Please keep in mind that these are not meant to describe any particular candidates, but are just hypothetical issues. How about ...
Yes No
Had used drugs in past 53% 46%
Is a homosexual 38% 61%
Had affairs 34% 65%
Now that the impeachment process has concluded, what does the public have to say about the events of the past year? Most Americans say that the country would not have been better off if Clinton had resigned a year ago and prevented the impeachment process from happening. In your view, would the country have been better off or not, if Clinton had resigned a year ago and prevented the impeachment process from happening? Yes 43% No 54% Views on government largely unchangedWhat effect has the impeachment process and the Monica Lewinsky scandal had on the public's view of government? None at all, particularly in comparison to Watergate. The number of Americans who had confidence in the presidency dropped from 73 percent in 1972 to just 40 percent in April 1974. By contrast, there was almost no movement between December 1997 -- pre-Lewinsky days when 62 percent had confidence in the presidency -- to now, when 64 percent do. In the same vein, the number of Americans who thought that the federal government could be trusted to do what is right all or most of the time dropped from 53 percent in 1972 to just 36 percent in 1974. In June 1997 (agin, pre-Lewinsky), 32 percent of the public trusted the federal government to do what's right all or most of the time. Now 34 percent do. Trust in government is anemic, but it has not dropped during Clinton's time of trouble in the way that it did during Watergate. Do you have confidence at this time in the executive branch of government headed by the president? 1972 73% 1974 40% 1997 62% Now 64% Do you think you can trust government in Washington to do what is right all or most of the time? 1972 53% 1974 36% 1997 32% Now 34% Do you feel generally optimistic or pessimistic about our system of government and how well it works as far as the future is concerned? Optimistic 53% Pessimistic 19% |
|
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MORE STORIES:Wednesday, February 17, 1999
• Judge rejects Hubbell's motions to dismiss six charges • Clinton warns against across-the-board tax cut • Sen. Lautenberg says he will not seek re-election • Muddling through impeachment • Poll: Clinton scandal has not taught young Americans it's OK to lie • Labor leaders plan to pour $40 million into 2000 campaigns • With impeachment over, pressure on Hastert to produce • Private GOP poll shows broad tax cut not enough to get elected • Clinton, congressional leaders plan meeting next week • Perhaps conservatives should tune out, turn off and drop out, one says | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RELATED VIDEO