skip to main content
Society's Moral Boundaries Expand Somewhat This Year

Society's Moral Boundaries Expand Somewhat This Year

More say death penalty, embryonic stem cell research, and out-of-wedlock births are OK

by Joseph Carroll

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- The boundaries of moral propriety have expanded a bit in the last year, according to Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs survey, which tracks public perceptions of the morality of many issues and personal behaviors. Specifically, more Americans today than a year ago say that the death penalty, embryonic stem cell research, and having a baby out of wedlock are morally acceptable. At the same time, the survey shows no significant changes in the perceived morality of 13 other items.

Americans are most likely to say the death penalty, divorce, medical testing on animals, gambling, wearing fur clothing, and embryonic stem cell research are morally acceptable, while adultery, polygamy, cloning humans, and suicide are viewed as the least acceptable.

More generally, the survey shows that few Americans describe the current state of moral values in this country positively, and most say moral values are getting worse. The public's ratings of moral values in this country have shown only modest variations over the past several years.

Death Penalty Is Acceptable, but Adultery, Polygamy, Human Cloning Are Not

Over the past several years, Gallup has asked Americans to evaluate the moral acceptability of a number of issues facing the country.

Six issues in the current poll, conducted May 2-5, are viewed as morally acceptable by at least 6 in 10 Americans -- including the death penalty, which tops the list this year: 70% say it is morally acceptable. Other issues widely held to be morally acceptable are divorce (66%), medical testing on animals (66%), gambling (64%), buying and wearing fur clothing (64%), and medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos (60%).

Next on the list is sex between an unmarried man and woman, and having a baby outside of marriage, both of which are viewed as morally acceptable by a majority of Americans (58% and 54%, respectively). Between half and one-third of Americans say doctor-assisted suicide (49%), homosexual relations (44%), abortion (40%), and cloning animals (35%) are morally acceptable.

The four issues that are the least acceptable are suicide (13%), cloning humans (9%), polygamy (6%), and married men and women having an affair (5%).

 

Moral Acceptability of Issues


May 2-5, 2005
(sorted by percentage saying "morally acceptable")

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

%

%

The death penalty

70

25

Divorce

66

27

Medical testing on animals

66

30

Gambling

64

32

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur

64

32

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos

60

33

Sex between an unmarried man and woman

58

39

Having a baby outside of marriage

54

43

Doctor-assisted suicide

49

46

Homosexual relations

44

52

Abortion

40

51

Cloning animals

35

61

Suicide

13

82

Cloning humans

9

87

Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time

6

92

Married men and women having an affair

5

93

Since 2001, when Gallup first asked this question, there have only been modest variations in the results for most of the items on the list. The results this year show interesting changes in views about the death penalty, stem cell research, and having a baby outside of marriage.

  • The death penalty. Gallup's 2001 survey found that 63% of Americans said the death penalty was morally acceptable. This sentiment showed only minor variations from 2002 through 2004. Now, the perceived moral acceptability of the death penalty has reached its highest point to date, with 70% saying it is acceptable.

  • Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos. The moral acceptability of embryonic stem cell research also reached a new high this year, with 60% saying it is acceptable. In the three previous polls in which Gallup asked this question, only a slight majority of Americans said embryonic stem cell research was morally acceptable.

  • Having a baby outside of marriage. Fifty-four percent of Americans currently say it is morally acceptable to have a baby outside of marriage -- the highest percentage Gallup has found on this measure. In recent years, the percentage saying this was morally acceptable hovered around the 50% mark, with ratings at 45% in 2002, 51% in 2003, and 49% in 2004.

Three other issues -- medical testing on animals, buying or wearing clothing made from animal fur, and cloning animals -- also reached the highest percentages to date, in terms of their perceived moral acceptability among Americans. However, these high points are not significantly higher than what Gallup has found in recent years.

One in Five Americans Give Positive Ratings to Country's Moral Values

The poll also finds that only about one in five Americans rate the overall state of moral values in the country today as excellent (2%) or good (17%). Nearly 4 in 10 adults nationwide rate moral values as poor. Over the past four years that Gallup has asked this question, the results have essentially been the same each year, with one minor exception. In 2003, the percentage rating morality in the country as poor was slightly lower, at 35%.

Americans remain quite pessimistic that the state of moral values in the country is going to improve in the future. More than three in four Americans, 77%, say moral values in the country are getting worse; only 16% say they are getting better. These results show no change since last year, but Americans were just slightly more optimistic about the outlook for morality in 2002 and 2003. In those two polls, one in four Americans said the state of moral values was getting better, while two-thirds said it was getting worse.

The responses to these two questions can be combined to produce an overall "moral values outlook" measure. All told, the data show that 70% of Americans categorize the state of moral values as negative. Nine percent have a positive outlook on moral values, and 18% have mixed views. These results also show no change since last year. However, Americans were marginally less negative about the state of moral values in 2002 and 2003, when roughly two in three categorized the state of moral values as negative.

Interestingly, ratings of moral values do not show huge variations between Republicans and Democrats. Nearly three in four Republicans (74%) categorize the state of moral values as negative, compared with two in three Democrats (68%).

Survey Methods

Results in the current survey are based on telephone interviews with 1,005 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted May 2-5, 2005. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

7. How would you rate the overall state of moral values in this country today -- as excellent, good, only fair, or poor?

 

 

Excellent

Good

Only fair

Poor

No opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

2

17

40

39

2

           

2004 May 2-4

1

18

40

40

1

2003 May 5-7

2

20

42

35

1

2002 May 6-9

1

17

41

40

1

8. Right now, do you think the state of moral values in the country as a whole is getting better or getting worse?

 

 

Getting
better

Getting
worse

SAME (vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

16

77

5

2

         

2004 May 2-4

16

77

5

2

2003 May 5-7

24

67

7

2

2002 May 6-9

24

67

7

2

(vol.) = Volunteered response

MORAL VALUES OUTLOOK GROUPS (Q.7-8 COMBINED RESPONSES)

 

 

Positive

Mixed

Negative

Undesignated

 

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

9

18

70

3

         

2004 May 2-4

9

19

70

2

2003 May 5-7

13

22

62

3

2002 May 6-9

12

20

65

3

39. Next, I'm going to read you a list of issues. Regardless of whether or not you think it should be legal, for each one, please tell me whether you personally believe that in general it is morally acceptable or morally wrong. How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

A. Abortion

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

40

51

8

--

1

           

2004 May 2-4

40

50

8

*

2

2003 May 5-7

37

53

9

*

1

2002 May 6-9

38

53

8

*

1

2001 May 10-14

42

45

11

1

1

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

B. The death penalty

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

70

25

4

*

1

           

2004 May 2-4

65

28

4

1

2

2003 May 5-7

64

31

4

--

1

2002 May 6-9

65

28

5

*

2

2001 May 10-14

63

27

7

1

2

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

C. Doctor-assisted suicide

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

49

46

4

*

1

           

2004 May 2-4

53

41

3

1

2

2003 May 5-7

45

49

5

--

1

2002 May 6-9

50

44

4

*

2

2001 May 10-14

49

40

8

*

3

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

D. Medical testing on animals

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

66

30

2

*

2

           

2004 May 2-4

62

32

4

*

2

2003 May 5-7

63

33

3

*

1

2002 May 6-9

63

30

3

1

3

2001 May 10-14

65

26

5

1

3

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

E. Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

64

32

2

1

1

           

2004 May 2-4

63

31

2

2

2

2003 May 5-7

60

36

2

1

1

2002 May 6-9

59

35

2

2

2

2001 May 10-14

60

32

2

3

3

(vol.) = Volunteered response

F. Sex between an unmarried man and woman

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

58

39

2

*

1

           

2004 May 2-4

60

36

1

1

2

2003 May 5-7

58

41

1

*

*

2002 May 6-9

53

42

2

*

3

2001 May 10-14

53

42

3

1

1

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

G. Married men and women having an affair

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

5

93

1

*

1

           

2004 May 2-4

7

91

1

*

1

2003 May 5-7

6

93

*

*

1

2002 May 6-9

9

87

1

1

2

2001 May 10-14

7

89

3

*

1

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

H. Divorce

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

66

27

6

*

1

           

2004 May 2-4

66

26

6

1

1

2003 May 5-7

66

27

6

*

1

2002 May 6-9

63

28

8

*

1

2001 May 10-14

59

28

12

*

1

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

I. Cloning animals

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

35

61

1

*

3

           

2004 May 2-4

32

64

1

1

2

2003 May 5-7

29

68

1

*

2

2002 May 6-9

29

66

3

1

1

2001 May 10-14

31

63

2

1

3

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

J. Cloning humans

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

9

87

1

1

2

           

2004 May 2-4

9

88

1

*

2

2003 May 5-7

8

90

1

*

1

2002 May 6-9

7

90

2

*

1

2001 May 10-14

7

88

1

1

3

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

K. Suicide

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

13

82

3

*

2

           

2004 May 2-4

15

79

3

1

2

2003 May 5-7

14

81

2

1

2

2002 May 6-9

12

83

3

*

2

2001 May 10-14

13

78

6

1

2

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

L. Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

60

33

3

--

4

           

2004 May 2-4

54

37

3

*

6

2003 May 5-7

54

38

3

--

5

2002 May 6-9

52

39

2

1

6

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

M. Having a baby outside of marriage

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

54

43

2

*

1

           

2004 May 2-4

49

45

3

1

2

2003 May 5-7

51

46

2

*

1

2002 May 6-9

45

50

3

1

1

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

N. Gambling

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

64

32

2

1

1

           

2004 May 2-4

66

30

1

2

1

2003 May 5-7

63

34

2

*

1

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

O. Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

6

92

1

*

1

           

2004 May 2-4

7

91

1

*

1

2003 May 5-7

7

92

1

--

*

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

P. NOT ASKED

Q. Homosexual relations

BASED ON 516 NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A

 

 

Morally
acceptable

Morally
wrong

DEPENDS ON
SITUATION
(vol.)

NOT A
MORAL
ISSUE
(vol.)

No
opinion

 

%

%

%

%

%

2005 May 2-5

44

52

2

*

2

2004 May 2-4 ^

42

54

1

1

2

2003 May 5-7 ^

44

52

2

*

2

2002 May 6-9 ^

38

55

2

1

4

2001 May 10-14 ^

40

53

3

1

3

^ WORDING: Homosexual behavior

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response


Gallup https://news.gallup.com/poll/16318/Societys-Moral-Boundaries-Expand-Somewhat-Year.aspx
Gallup World Headquarters, 901 F Street, Washington, D.C., 20001, U.S.A
+1 202.715.3030