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The State of the First Amendment is a project of the First Amendment
Center, an operating program of the Freedom Forum associated with
the Newseum. Its affiliation with Vanderbilt University is through
the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies.
This public opinion survey is conducted every year with a sample
of more than 1,000 adults. Some questions are asked every year,
which means responses can be compared over time.
1. As you may know, the First Amendment is part of the U.S. Constitution.
Can you name any of the specific rights that are guaranteed by
the First Amendment? (PROBE: Are there any others you can name?)
| |
1997 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| Freedom of the press |
11% |
12% |
12% |
14% |
14% |
16% |
15% |
16% |
| Freedom of speech |
49% |
44% |
60% |
59% |
58% |
63% |
58% |
63% |
| Freedom of religion |
21% |
13% |
16% |
16% |
18% |
22% |
17% |
20% |
| Right to petition |
2% |
2% |
2% |
1% |
2% |
2% |
1% |
3% |
| Right of assembly/association |
10% |
8% |
9% |
10% |
10% |
11% |
10% |
14% |
| DK/Ref. (to all questions/follow-ups)*
|
N/A |
N/A |
37% |
36% |
35% |
37% |
35% |
29% |
2. The First Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution more than 200 years
ago. This is what it says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom
of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Based on your own
feelings about the First Amendment, please tell me whether you agree or disagree
with the following statement: The First Amendment goes too far in the rights
it guarantees.
| |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| Strongly agree |
16% |
10% |
29% |
41% |
19% |
19% |
13% |
| Mildly agree |
12% |
12% |
10% |
8% |
15% |
11% |
10% |
| Mildly disagree |
22% |
26% |
19% |
15% |
18% |
21% |
16% |
| Strongly disagree |
45% |
48% |
39% |
32% |
42% |
44% |
56% |
| DK/Ref. |
5% |
5% |
3% |
3% |
7% |
5% |
5% |
3. Overall, do you think the press in America has too much freedom to do what it
wants, too little freedom to do what it wants, or is the amount of freedom the
press has about right?
| |
1997 |
1999 |
1999f |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| Too much freedom |
38% |
53% |
42% |
51% |
46% |
42% |
46% |
42% |
39% |
| Too little freedom |
9% |
7% |
8% |
7% |
8% |
8% |
9% |
12% |
10% |
| About right |
50% |
37% |
48% |
41% |
42% |
49% |
43% |
44% |
47% |
| DK/Ref. |
3% |
2% |
3% |
2% |
3% |
1% |
1% |
3% |
4% |
4. Even though the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, government
has placed some restrictions on it. Overall, do you think Americans have too
much religious freedom, too little religious freedom, or is the amount of religious
freedom about right?
| |
1997 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| Too much freedom |
6% |
8% |
5% |
4% |
6% |
8% |
7% |
6% |
| Too little freedom |
21% |
26% |
29% |
32% |
20% |
24% |
27% |
26% |
| About right |
71% |
63% |
63% |
62% |
70% |
66% |
64% |
65% |
| DK/Ref. | 2% |
3% |
3% |
2% |
4% |
3% |
3% |
4% |
5. Musicians should be allowed to sing songs with lyrics that others might find
offensive.
| |
1997 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| Strongly agree |
23% |
27% |
32% |
34% |
31% |
35% |
34% |
31% |
| Mildly agree |
28% |
29% |
27% |
27% |
26% |
26% |
25% |
25% |
| Mildly disagree |
16% |
15% |
12% |
9% |
14% |
10% |
12% |
14% |
| Strongly disagree |
31% |
26% |
28% |
28% |
27% |
26% |
26% |
24% |
| DK/Ref. |
3% |
4% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
3% |
3% |
7% |
6. People should be allowed to say things in public that might be offensive to
racial groups.
| |
1997 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| Strongly agree |
8% |
8% |
15% |
16% |
14% |
18% |
17% |
21% |
| Mildly agree |
15% |
13% |
17% |
18% |
20% |
20% |
18% |
22% |
| Mildly disagree |
14% |
16% |
15% |
15% |
16% |
14% |
14% |
14% |
| Strongly disagree |
61% |
62% |
52% |
49% |
48% |
47% |
49% |
39% |
| DK/Ref. |
2% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
3% |
7. People should be allowed to say things in public that might be offensive to
religious groups.
| |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2005 |
| Strongly agree |
22% |
25% |
29% |
26% |
23% |
| Mildly agree |
24% |
22% |
28% |
23% |
25% |
| Mildly disagree |
15% |
16% |
14% |
14% |
15% |
| Strongly disagree |
38% |
35% |
28% |
36% |
35% |
| DK/Ref. |
1% |
3% |
2% |
1% |
4% |
* "DK/Ref." refers to the respondent saying Don't Know to a question or refusing to answer the question.
Source: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org
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