Most Americans pessimistic about nation's moral values, study shows

Most Americans pessimistic about nation's moral values, study shows


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SALT LAKE CITY — Most Americans are still highly pessimistic about the direction in which moral values nationwide are headed.

In a recent Gallup poll, 72 percent of the respondents said moral values in the U.S. as a whole are getting worse. That's essentially unchanged from 73 percent last year, but an improvement over the time period of 2006-2008. During that time, more than 80 percent of respondents had a dismal view of the nation's moral values.

In the most recent poll, 20 percent said values are getting better and 6 percent said they are staying the same.

Additionally, 19 percent of Americans said moral values in the U.S. are "excellent" or "good," and 36 percent said they are "only fair"-- both about the same as they were last year.

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Other findings include:

  • Republicans are far more likely than Democrats and independents to have negative assessments of moral values
  • Married, upper- and middle-income, and regular church attenders tend to have more negative views of moral values than their counterparts
  • No major demographic group evaluates moral values positively overall

Gallup said Americans' "sour outlook on U.S. values may have more to do with basic matters of civility than with the more controversial moral issues."

Last year, researchers asked about the most important problem with moral values and found lack of respect or tolerance for other people was cited more often than divisive political and social issues like abortion or same-sex marriage.

Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs survey was conducted May 2-7.

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Linda Williams

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