GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- According to CNN, police sources in Washington D.C. say that California Representative Gary Condit has admitted to having a romantic relationship with intern Chandra Levy, who was last seen April 30.
It is not the first time an older, married, male political figure has admitted to having an affair with a younger, female intern. Given Americans' general belief that many men and women have adulterous affairs, it probably does not come as a shock to the public. Still, the vast majority of Americans continue to say that extramarital affairs are wrong, even though such behavior is not considered to be a highly important factor in making decisions about political candidates.
A Gallup poll conducted May 10-14, 2001 found that 91% of Americans consider it to be either always or almost always wrong for married people to have sexual relations with someone other than their spouses, and in response to a separate but related question, 89% say that "married men and women having an affair" is morally unacceptable.
Unlike many sexual mores in American society, intolerance of infidelity has actually grown over the last two decades. In 1973, a survey done by the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center found that 84% of Americans considered extramarital sex to be wrong. In contrast, a 1969 Gallup poll found that 68% of Americans thought it wrong for couples to engage in sexual relations before marriage, although that sentiment has changed -- now only 38% of Americans say it is wrong for a man and a woman to have sexual relations before marriage.
Despite the apparent stigma, many Americans seem to be aware of the inherent conflict between a moral ideal and actual behavior. Gallup polling shows that more than half of Americans know someone who has taken part in an extramarital affair, and a 1997 poll shows that 64 % of Americans believe that half or more of all married men have had an affair.
A 1998 Gallup poll asked Americans whether certain moral issues should or should not be considered in assessing a candidate's fitness to be president. Just one in three (33%) said voters should know whether a candidate had had an extramarital affair, compared to 83% who wanted to know whether a candidate had not paid his or her debts or was an alcoholic. Eight in 10 (80%) wanted to know about a candidate's gambling problems, and 56% considered it important to know whether a candidate had ever used illegal drugs.
A May 10-14 Gallup poll shows a complete analysis of both pre-marital and extramarital sexual relations.
These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,012 adults, 18 years and older, conducted May 10-14, 2001. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 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.
There is a lot of discussion about the way morals and sexual attitudes are changing in this country. What is your opinion about this? Do you think it is wrong for a man and a woman to have sexual relations before marriage, or not?
BASED ON -- 491 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A; ±5 PCT. PTS.
|
Yes, wrong |
No, not wrong |
No opinion |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2001 May 10-14 |
38 |
60 |
2 |
|
1998 Nov 20-22 |
40 |
56 |
4 |
|
1996 May 28-29 |
40 |
55 |
6 |
|
1991 Aug 29-Sep 3 |
40 |
54 |
6 |
|
1987 Jul 10-13 |
46 |
48 |
6 |
|
1985 Apr 12-15 |
39 |
52 |
9 |
|
1973 Jul 6-9 |
47 |
43 |
9 |
|
1969 Jul 24-29 |
68 |
21 |
11 |
In general, do you think it is wrong or not wrong for a man and a woman to have sexual relations when they are not married?
BASED ON -- 521 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B; ±5 PCT. PTS.
|
Yes, wrong |
No, not wrong |
No opinion |
|
|
2001 May 10-14 |
32% |
64 |
4 |
What is your opinion about a married person having sexual relations with someone other than their marriage partner -- is it always wrong, almost always wrong, wrong only sometimes, or not wrong at all?
|
Always |
Almost |
Wrong only |
Not wrong |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2001 May 10-14 |
79 |
12 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
|
1998 Nov 20-22 |
76 |
15 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
|
1997 Jun 10 |
79 |
11 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
|
National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago Trend |
|||||
|
1998 Feb-Jun |
79 |
13 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
|
1996 Feb/May |
77 |
15 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
|
1994 Jan-May |
77 |
12 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
|
1993 Feb-Apr |
76 |
14 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
|
1991 Feb-Apr |
75 |
13 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
|
1990 Feb-Apr |
78 |
13 |
7 |
1 |
2 |
|
1989 Feb-Apr |
77 |
13 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
|
1988 Feb-Apr |
78 |
13 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
|
1987 Feb-Apr |
73 |
16 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
|
1985 Feb-Apr |
74 |
14 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
|
1984 Feb-Apr |
70 |
18 |
9 |
2 |
1 |
|
1982 Feb-Apr |
72 |
13 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
|
1980 Feb-Apr |
69 |
16 |
10 |
4 |
2 |
|
1977 Feb-Apr |
72 |
14 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
|
1976 Feb-Apr |
68 |
15 |
11 |
4 |
1 |
|
1974 Feb-Apr |
73 |
12 |
11 |
2 |
1 |
|
1973 Feb-Apr |
69 |
15 |
12 |
4 |
1 |
