Public Opinion Polls: Insights into Employment, Finances, and Well-being
This paper examines recent Gallup polls on employment, finances, and well-being, exploring key findings and methodological aspects like sample size and margin of error. It emphasizes the importance of understanding these elements when interpreting survey data. The analysis aims to provide a clear, accessible overview of public sentiment on these crucial issues.
Employment and Retirement Prospects
A 2017 Gallup poll, “Most U.S. Employed Adults Plan to Work Past Retirement Age” (Swift, 2017a), reveals a significant trend in American employment: A majority of employed adults intend to work beyond the traditional retirement age. This topic was selected due to its relevance in today’s evolving economic landscape, where longer lifespans and financial considerations influence retirement decisions. The most compelling finding is that 68% of employed Americans plan to work past age 65, a substantial increase from previous years. This shift reflects changing perceptions of retirement, potentially driven by financial anxieties or a desire for continued engagement in the workforce. The total sample size was 1,265 adults, with a margin of error of ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. This means that if the survey were repeated 100 times, 95 of those times, the results would fall within 4 percentage points of the reported figures.
Financial Concerns and Saving Habits
The report “Financially Stressed in US Now Prefer Saving to Spending” (Norman, 2017) offers insights into Americans’ financial anxieties. Chosen for its relevance to economic stability and consumer behavior, the report highlights a growing preference for saving over spending among financially stressed individuals. The most striking finding is the shift in priorities, with 63% of financially stressed Americans prioritizing saving over spending, compared to 50% in 2007. This change suggests a heightened awareness of financial vulnerability and a desire to build a safety net. The survey included 1,024 adults and had a margin of error of ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, indicating a high degree of reliability in the findings.
Well-being Across the United States
“Hawaii Leads US States in Well-Being for Record Sixth Time” (Witters, 2017a) examines well-being across different U.S. states. This topic was chosen due to its focus on quality of life and its potential implications for policy decisions. The most interesting finding is Hawaii’s consistent ranking as the state with the highest well-being, suggesting the influence of factors like social support, community engagement, and access to nature. The study, based on telephone interviews with over 176,000 U.S. adults, had a margin of error of less than 1 percentage point at the 95% confidence level. The large sample size contributes to the study’s statistical power and generalizability.
Keywords: Public Opinion, Employment, Finances, Well-being
References
Auter, Z. (2017). Second Thoughts on College Major Linked to Source of Advice. Gallup.
Norman, J. (2017). Financially Stressed in US Now Prefer Saving to Spending. Gallup.
Swift, J. (2017a). Most U.S. Employed Adults Plan to Work Past Retirement Age. Gallup.
Witters, D. (2017a). Hawaii Leads US States in Well-Being for Record Sixth Time. Gallup.
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a. To answer some of the questions you might have about public opinion polls and surveys:
1. First, read Langers’ (2008) article, “ABC News’ Guide to Polls & Public OpinionLinks to an external site..”
2. Second, make sure you understand the article’s answer to the concern that “[the pollsters] never call me.”
3. Third, make sure you understand the article’s answer to the concern that “nobody I know says that.”
b. To better understand what “margin of error” means in statistics:
1. First, read Rumsey’s (no date) article, “How to Interpret the Margin of Error in StatisticsLinks to an external site..”
2. Second, make sure you understand the difference between sampling a population and surveying (or polling) an entire population.
3. Third, make sure you understand what a margin of error means in a public opinion poll or survey.
c. Choose three of the following five topics for which Gallup has recently conducted a public opinion poll. Then, within each of the two topics you’ve chosen, read one of the listed reports.
1. Employment
Harter and Adkins (2015): “Engaged Employees Less Likely to Have Health ProblemsLinks to an external site.”
Newport (2017a) “Email Outside of Working Hours Not a Burden to US WorkersLinks to an external site.”
Newport and Dugan (2017): “Americans Still See Manufacturing as Key to Job CreationLinks to an external site.”
Newport (2018a): “Average American Predicts Retirement Age of 66Links to an external site.”
Swift (2017a): “Most U.S. Employed Adults Plan to Work Past Retirement AgeLinks to an external site.”
2. Finance
Newport (2017b): “Young, Old in US Plan on Relying More on Social SecurityLinks to an external site.”
Jones (2017a): “Worry About Hunger, Homelessness Up for Lower-Income in USLinks to an external site.”
Norman (2017): “Financially Stressed in US Now Prefer Saving to SpendingLinks to an external site.”
Jones (2017b): “Half of Non-Homeowners Expect to Buy Homes in Five YearsLinks to an external site.”
Newport (2018b): “Americans’ Views of Their Spending and SavingLinks to an external site.”
3. Well-Being
Rigoni and Nelson (2016): “Millennials Want Jobs That Promote Their Well-BeingLinks to an external site.”
Witters (2017a): “Hawaii Leads US States in Well-Being for Record Sixth TimeLinks to an external site.”
Witters (2017b): “Naples, Florida, Remains Top US Metro for Well-BeingLinks to an external site.”
4. National Policy
McCarthy (2017a): “US Support for Gay Marriage Edges to New HighLinks to an external site.”
McCarthy (2017b): “Americans More Positive about Effects of ImmigrationLinks to an external site.”
Swift (2017b): “More Americans Say Immigrants Help Rather Than Hurt EconomyLinks to an external site.”
Reinhart and Ray (2018): “Record Unhappiness with Women’s Position in U.S.Links to an external site.”
5. Higher Education
Auter (2018): “Half of College Students Say Their Major Leads to a Good JobLinks to an external site.”
Maturo (2017): “One in Three Veterans Consult Coworkers About College MajorLinks to an external site.”
Auter (2017): “Second Thoughts on College Major Linked to Source of AdviceLinks to an external site.”
d. Make a new post of at least 300 total words in which you provide the following information for each of the three reports you chose to read (three topics x one report per topic). It will be easiest if you write a separate paragraph for each of the three reports.
1. What was the topic of the public opinion poll?
2. Why did you choose this topic (and read this report)?
3. What finding from this public opinion poll do you think is the most interesting – and why do you think this finding is interesting?
4. What was the total sample size?
5. What was the poll’s margin of error?
6. Was the margin of error calculated at the 95% confidence level?
7. What does it mean that the margin of error was calculated at the 95% confidence level?
