Opinion Today
May 9, 2024
Growing Partisan Divisions Over NATO and Ukraine Pew Research Center As NATO approaches its 75th anniversary, Americans are increasingly divided in their views about the alliance. Most continue to believe the United States benefits from its membership, but partisan differences on ratings of NATO have widened in recent years. Meanwhile, about four-in-ten or more see China, Russia and Iran – nations often considered adversaries of the U.S. – as increasingly influential, including a 71% majority who say this of China. And about a third say India’s influence is getting stronger.
Most Americans have tried marijuana and 60% want it legalized Taylor Orth, YouGov New polling conducted just before the Biden administration announced plans to ease federal restrictions on marijuana finds that 60% of Americans support legalizing the drug, while half as many — 30% — are opposed. A little more than half of American adults have used marijuana, and most who have say their experiences with it have overall been positive.
Americans Expect Home Prices to Rise, See Market as Poor Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup More Americans than a year ago expect home prices to rise in their local area. At the same time, Americans remain highly pessimistic about the market for homebuyers -- 21% say it is a good time, and 76% say it is a bad time, to buy a house, essentially tying last year’s measures as the worst in Gallup’s trend. Campus protests on Gaza split Democrats, unite Republicans amid fears of violence Susan Page, Sudiksha Kochi & Rachel Barber, USA Today Protests at American colleges over the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza are dividing Democrats and unifying Republicans as fears of campus violence loom. An exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds complicated attitudes toward the protesters, their motives and their tactics. On this there is agreement: Two-thirds of voters (67%) express concern that the demonstrations and the police response will end up leading to violent confrontations. What issues would make Americans protest – even if they could be arrested? Abortion, civil rights lead list Sudiksha Kochi & Rachel Barber, USA Today More than 2,000 people have been arrested for engaging in pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses since April 18, but few Americans are willing to do the same, a new exclusive poll found. A small percentage of Americans said they were willing to protest over foreign conflicts, even if it meant getting arrested, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found. But what about issues not involving foreign conflicts?