|
|
Favor |
Oppose |
Sample Size |
|
|
% |
% |
|
|
Overall |
72 |
25 |
2,028 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Republican |
93 |
5 |
750 |
|
Conservative |
84 |
13 |
892 |
|
Income $30,000 to less than $50,000 |
79 |
19 |
455 |
|
Men |
78 |
20 |
964 |
|
White |
78 |
20 |
1,673 |
|
Reside in West |
77 |
21 |
441 |
|
Some college education |
77 |
21 |
587 |
|
Income $50,000 or greater |
77 |
21 |
960 |
|
Have children under 18 |
76 |
22 |
394 |
|
30-49 years
old |
75 |
23 |
844 |
|
Suburban |
75 |
22 |
1,030 |
|
Rural |
75 |
22 |
452 |
|
65 years and
older |
73 |
25 |
353 |
|
Reside in Midwest |
73 |
24 |
474 |
|
High school education or less |
72 |
26 |
644 |
|
Reside in South |
71 |
26 |
656 |
|
Moderate |
70 |
27 |
744 |
|
No
children under 18 |
70 |
26 |
619 |
|
50-64 years
old |
69 |
27 |
517 |
|
College graduate only |
69 |
28 |
367 |
|
Women |
66 |
32 |
1,064 |
|
18-29 years
old |
66 |
32 |
301 |
|
Reside in East |
66 |
32 |
457 |
|
Independent |
66 |
31 |
667 |
|
Other race |
63 |
34 |
114 |
|
Urban |
62 |
36 |
546 |
|
Postgraduate education |
60 |
38 |
419 |
|
Income less than $30,000 |
58 |
38 |
507 |
|
Democrat |
53 |
44 |
584 |
|
Liberal |
44 |
54 |
369 |
|
Black |
29 |
68 |
141 |
Following is the
rest of the Gallup Report
The beginning of war
with Iraq brought about a rally in support for military action, from
percentages in the high 50s prior to the breakdown of the diplomatic
process to the current 71% who say they favor the war. A closer look
at the data from two Gallup Polls conducted since the war began
shows that a majority of most demographic groups favor the war, with
two exceptions being blacks and ideological liberals. Opposition
among blacks is especially widespread, at 68%. Wide gaps in support
also exist by party, gender, education, and income. A special
analysis reveals that the strongest independent predictor of opinion
on the war is approval of President Bush, followed by race,
ideology, party, and income.
Support for the War
by Group
Seventy-eight
percent of men favor the war, compared with 66% of women -- a
12-percentage-point gap. Gender gaps have traditionally been evident
in support for military action, although those gaps have narrowed in
the post-Sept. 11 world. However, the current difference in support
by gender is nearly identical to what it was at the beginning of the
1991 Persian Gulf War. Then, a 10-point gap existed, as 86% of men
and 76% of women approved of the United States' decision to go to
war with Iraq to drive the Iraqis out of Kuwait.
The racial gap --
more appropriately called a racial divide -- is much larger than the
gender gap. While 78% of whites favor the war, just 29% of blacks
do, for a gap of 49 points. Nearly 7 in 10 blacks, 68%, oppose the
war.
About two in three
Americans residing in the East favor the war, the lowest level of
support among the four regions of the country. This compares with
73% support in the Midwest, 71% in the South, and 77% in the West.
Throughout much of
the prelude to the war, Americans with postgraduate educations were
among the groups least in favor of military action against Iraq, and
that is still the case now. Although a majority of postgraduates,
60%, favor the war, that level of support is significantly lower
than that found in other educational groups. Roughly 7 in 10
Americans at other levels of educational attainment favor the war --
69% of college graduates with no postgraduate education, 77% of
those who attended college but did not receive a degree, and 72% of
those who did not attend college at all.
There are clear
income differences in the data. Among those whose household incomes
are less than $30,000, just 58% favor the war. This compares with
78% of those whose incomes exceed $30,000 (there is essentially no
difference in support among income groups above the $30,000
threshold).
Political leanings
have always been a major factor in support for the military action
against Iraq, and that trend continues. Ninety-three percent of
Republicans favor the war, compared with 66% of independents and 53%
of Democrats. Similarly, 84% of conservatives favor the war, as do
70% of moderates but only 44% of liberals. A majority of political
liberals, 54%, oppose the war.
The starkest
difference occurs when the data are divided according to Americans'
evaluations of President Bush. Ninety-two percent of Americans who
approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president favor the
war. Among those who disapprove of Bush, 21% favor the war and 76%
oppose it.