What Americans Think about Daily Life

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 81% of American Adults plan to get together with family and friends this Thanksgiving, up slightly from last year. Only 27% plan to travel away from home for the holiday, unchanged from a year ago. Forty-eight percent (48%) rank Thanksgiving as one of our nation’s most important holidays, up from 41% last year. Only nine percent (9%) view today’s holiday as one of the least important, while 40% rate it somewhere in between. Americans have consistently rated Christmas and Fourth of July as the nation’s most important holidays over the years, although Veterans Day rose to second place this year. Thanksgiving usually rates fourth place, behind Memorial Day.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey found that 43% of American Adults said they’re likely to go shopping on the day after Thanksgiving to take advantage of Black Friday sales deals, with 19% who are Very Likely to do so. That’s up from last year, when 37% planned to shop on Black Friday. However, only 16% say they will spend more on gifts this holiday season than they did last year, while 37% expect to spend less and 41% say they’ll spend about the same on holiday gifts as they did last year. A year ago, 22% planned to spend more.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 34% of American Adults have watched or plan to watch any of the World Cup this year, while 55% haven’t watched, and 11% are not sure if they will. In 2018, 37% planned to watch at least some of the international soccer championship. This year’s tournament is being played in Qatar, where Team USA defeated Iran 1-0 Tuesday to advance to a knockout round game Saturday against the Netherlands. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of adults recognize that this year’s World Cup is a soccer event compared to four years ago when 76% correctly identified the World Cup sport.

This is actually catching on enough that even I have caught the end of a few games (at work), and I couldn't care less about soccer.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 47% of American Adults have gotten a flu shot this year, while 55% have not. In October 2019 – the last time we asked this question before the COVID-19 outbreak hit in early 2020 – 55% had gotten the influenza vaccine. Of those who haven’t gotten a flu shot yet, 16% say they intend to get one this year, while 69% don’t plan on it and another 15% are not sure if they’ll get a flu shot. Forty-two percent (42%) of adults say they had the flu last winter – more than three times the number who answered “yes” to this question in October 2019 – while 55% didn’t get the flu last year.

Whether I get a flu shot each year tends to be a coin toss, because whether I come down with the flu immediately after getting the shot also seems to be something of a coin toss.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 74% of American Adults will have a Christmas tree at their home this year. That’s up from 72% last year, but short of the all-time high of 78% in 2018. Seventy-one percent (71%) plan to decorate their home this holiday season – down from 74% last year – while 19% won’t and another 10% have made up their minds yet.

Yup, one of the 3/4ths of us that decorate. Of course, living in an apartment makes that easier.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 26% of American Adults plan to travel away from home this holiday season – up from 22% in 2018 – while 66% don’t expect to travel for this year’s holidays. Forty percent (40%) have friends or relatives traveling to their home to visit this holiday season, down slightly from last year. Fifty percent (50%) do not expect visitors. These numbers are identical to the 2018 findings.

I was one of the ones that kept the numbers up during the pandemic, so no difference there--of course, the family is less than two hours up the road so not exactly a hardship.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 65% of American Adults believe Christmas is over-commercialized, while 27% say it’s not. The number who think Christmas is too commercialized is up from 62% last year, but not as high as 2017, when 72% felt the holiday was too commercialized. Fifty-eight percent (58%) say stores start the Christmas season too early, while 31% disagree and 11% are not sure. Last year, 47% believed stores started the season too soon.

Everyone complains about the commercialization of Christmas, then rush out to spend the bucket-loads of cash that makes it worthwhile for businesses to do the commercializing....

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey found that as of last Wednesday, 52% of American Adults hadn’t finished their holiday gift shopping, while 42% said they’re all done with their gift list. Seventy-one percent (71%) have at least started their holiday gift shopping, but 25% have not. The number of last-minute holiday shoppers this year is up from 48% last year. Why are people waiting so late? Perhaps because, while 59% consider holiday gift shopping a fun experience, 27% view it as an unpleasant chore. Another 14% are not sure.

Not me! I was all done with all my gift shopping but one by the middle of December (thank heaven for Amazon Prime!).

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 57% of American Adults believe Christmas should be more about Jesus Christ than about Santa Claus. Only 22% put Santa first, while 20% are undecided. Two years ago, 63% said Christmas should be more about Jesus. Support for Jesus as the primary reason for the holiday which celebrates his birth has ranged as high as 76% in 2012. An overwhelming 90% of adults celebrate Christmas in their family, up from 85% two years ago. Of these Americans, 52% celebrate Christmas primarily as a religious holiday, while it’s chiefly a secular one for 37%. Eleven percent are not sure.

Public opinion often changes, but year in and year out, Christmas remains America’s favorite holiday. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 60% of American Adults consider Christmas to be one of our nation's most important holidays, up from 59% last year. Just six percent (6%) consider Christmas one of the least important holidays, while 29% place Christmas somewhere in between. Christmas has consistently been rated the most important holiday by Americans, usually followed by the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. This year, however, Veterans Day jumped into second place. Fifty percent (50%) of adults plan to attend a religious service this holiday season – up from 44% last year – while 34% won’t and another 16% are not sure.

 

[Doug64]

And for the final poll of last year (just a day late):

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that (45%) of American Adults would kiss someone at midnight to welcome the New Year – down from 51% last year – while 41% would not. Another 14% weren’t sure if they’ll get the traditional midnight kiss on New Year’s Eve. When the New Year arrived, 67% of adults expected to be at home, down from 74% last year. Thirteen percent (13%) planned to welcome 2023 at a friend's house, while eight percent (8%) said they’ll be at a restaurant or bar and seven percent (7%) would be somewhere else at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

I was one of the ones at home for this one, catching the fireworks--and lucky to have a fireworks show at all, even if it was truncated due to wind gusts.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 44% of American Adults believe the NFL should do more to protect players from serious injuries, while 37% think the NFL is already doing enough to protect players. Twenty percent (20%) are not sure. The final “Monday Night Football” game of the season was canceled after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed following a tackle. Sixty-two percent (62%) of Americans rate the NFL’s handling of the situation good or excellent. Only nine percent (9%) give the league a poor rating for its handling of Hamlin’s injury.

Hamlin was lucky. I've been seeing a disturbingly high number of articles reporting young athletes dropping dead....

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 42% of American Adults believe Philadelphia is most likely to win the National Football League championship, while 28% think Kansas City will win Sunday. Thirty percent (30%) are not sure. Oddsmakers also have the Eagles as favorites by a slender 1.5-point spread, with an over/under (total points scored by both teams) at 51. Philadelphia and Kansas City both finished the regular season with 14-3 records. In nine previous matchups between the two teams, the Chiefs lead 5-4, most recently beating the Eagles 42-30 in October 2021. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of adults say they’re likely to watch the Super Bowl this year, including 36% who are Very Likely to watch Sunday’s big game. Thirty-eight percent (38%) aren’t likely to watch Super Bowl LVII, including 22% who are Not At All Likely to watch the game broadcast nationally on the Fox network.

Not a huge sports fan (I barely pay attention to baseball, and even then only to the Salt Lake Bees), so I won't be one of those watching the game. It can be fun to watch all the fanatics at work, though....

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 56% of American Adults say what they would like most for Valentine's Day is dinner with someone special, up from 53% last year. Thirteen percent (13%) would like chocolate candy most, while 11% say flowers would be their preferred Valentine’s Day gift. Another 20% are not sure. Just 10% of Americans think Valentine’s Day is one of the nation’s most important holidays while 48% say it’s one of the least important and 38% place it somewhere in between. Last year, only 12% rated Valentine’s Day as one of the most important holidays. Americans consistently rank Christmas as the most important holiday, usually followed by the Fourth of July, with Valentine’s Day trailing far behind near the bottom of the list. Forty-one percent (39%) of Americans say they look forward to Valentine’s Day, but another 19% say it’s a day they dread, while 42% are not sure.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 28% of American Adults say they have already filed their income taxes. Another 55% intend to file by the April 15 deadline, while six percent (6%) are planning on getting an extension. Ten percent (10%) say they are not sure. Thirty-three percent (33%) of Americans anticipate getting a refund, down from 39% last year. Twenty-one percent (21%) say they will owe the government money, while 29% expect to pretty much break even. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 41% of American Adults say they have already filed their income taxes, down from 44% in early March last year. Another 41% now expect to file by the April 15 deadline, while six percent (6%) are planning to get an extension and 11% are not sure. Thirty-three percent (33%) of Americans anticipate getting a refund, down six points from a year ago. Twenty-four percent (24%) say they will owe the government money, while 25% expect to pretty much break even. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure.

I really need to get that taken care of....

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 36% of American Adults plan to have a drink to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, while 51% won’t be drinking and 13% aren’t sure. The number who’ll have a drink for St. Patrick’s Day is up from 32% last year. The traditional celebration of Irish heritage appears to be booming in popularity this year. Sixteen percent (16%) say they consider St. Patrick’s Day one of our nation’s most important holidays – up from nine percent (9%) last year – while 40% see it as one of the least important holidays and another 40% view it as somewhere in between. Americans consistently rank Christmas as the most important holiday, usually followed by the Fourth of July.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 50% of American Adults plan to watch an MLB game on TV this year, while 40% do not and 10% are not sure. Last summer, 40% said they’d watched baseball on TV. MLB instituted rule changes this year – including a pitch clock – intended to make the game more fan-friendly. Twenty-eight percent (28%) of adults say they’ll attend a major league game in person this year, while 62% don’t plan to attend a game and 10% are not sure. Last summer, only 12% said they had attended an MLB game. Baseball still has a long way to go in terms of popularity. Fourteen percent (14%) of adults say baseball is their favorite sport to follow, ranking third behind football (31%) and basketball (17%). Other sports are in single digits, with six percent (6%) choosing soccer as their favorite sport to follow, five percent (5%) for hockey, four percent (4%) for auto racing and tennis and two percent (2%) for gold. Nine percent (9%) say some other sport is their favorite.

Not a sports fan myself, I'd barely rank baseball as my favorite sport--but minor league, not major, so I won't be watching it on TV. My team is the Salt Lake Bees.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 51% of American Adults say they have already filed their income taxes, down from 53% in late March last year. Another 29% now expect to file by April 15, while six percent (6%) are planning to get an extension and 14% percent are not sure. Because the usual April 15 deadline falls on a Saturday, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has made this year’s deadline Monday, April 18. Significantly fewer Americans expect a tax refund this year. Thirty-five percent (35%) of Americans now anticipate getting a refund, slightly up from 33% in early March, but still well below the 42% who expected a refund a year ago. Twenty-four percent (24%) say they will owe the government money, while another 24% expect to pretty much break even. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure.

Yeah, one of those 29% expecting to file by the 15th....

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 40% of American Adults say it is likely their next automobile purchase will be an electric car, including 19% who say it’s Very Likely. As recently as September 2021, only 28% said it was likely their next car would be an electric vehicle, while 63% said it was unlikely. Fifty-four percent (54%) still aren’t likely to make an electric vehicle their next automobile purchase, including 32% who say it’s Not At All Likely. Thirty-four percent (34%) believe electric cars today are practical for most drivers. Forty-eight percent (48%) think electric cars aren’t practical, while 18% say they’re not sure. Last August, 54% did not think electric cars were practical for most drivers. President Joe Biden recently proposed strict emissions rules to make most cars electric by 2032. However, 75% of Americans say that, looking ahead a decade, it is likely is it that most cars will still run primarily on gasoline, including 42% who say it’s Very Likely. Only 19% believe it’s unlikely most cars will still be using gasoline 10 years from now.

Count me as one of the 32% that says it's Not At All Likely, not for years and years--neither the product nor the infrastructure is close to being there yet.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 68% of American Adults have a favorable impression of Amazon, including 25% with a Very Favorable opinion. Twenty-three percent (23%) view Amazon unfavorably and 11% are not sure. In February 2022, 60% had a favorable view of Amazon. Twenty-two percent (22%) of Americans purchase products from Amazon at least weekly, and another 24% shop Amazon about once a month. Thirty-five percent (35%) say they occasionally buy from Amazon, while 17% rare or never use Amazon. Among those who purchase products from Amazon at least once a week, 90% view the company favorably, including 49% with a Very Favorable impression.

Yeah, I'm one of those that uses Amazon a lot.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 56% of American Adults believe being a mother is the most important role for a woman to fill in today’s world – up from 52% in 2018. Thirty percent (30%) disagree, while 14% are not sure. Thirty-four percent (34%) believe Mother’s Day is one of our nation’s most important holidays – up from 31% in 2018 – while 13% think it’s one of the least important holidays, and 49% say it’s somewhere in between.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 51% of American Adults consider Memorial Day, the day when we honor those who have died while serving in the U.S. military, to be one of our nation's most important holidays. That’s up from 47% last year and is the highest since Rasmussen Reports began asking this question. Only seven percent (7%) view Memorial Day one of our least important holidays, while 37% say it’s somewhere in between. Americans consistently rank Christmas as the most important holiday, usually followed by the Fourth of July. Eighteen percent (18%) of the adults surveyed say they have served in the U.S. military, while 80% have not. Forty percent (40%) of Americans have close friends or relatives who have given their lives while serving in the military.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 50% of American Adults say they plan to take a summer vacation this year – up from 44% in May 2022 – while 41% aren’t. Last June, with the average price of a gallon of gas near $5 nationwide, 57% of Americans said soaring fuel prices had affected their vacation plans. Now, the average gasoline cost is down below $3.70 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Forty-six percent (46%) of Americans took a vacation last summer, but a majority (51%) did not. Of those who didn’t take a summer vacation last year, 24% say they plan to take a vacation this summer.

 

[Rumpel]

You have to sign-in or create an account to read it. Frankly, when reading what Americans like or dislike, I get depressed. With all due respect.

Why depressed?

 

[HIP56948]

Why depressed?

Polls have shown that actually, 60-70 percent of Americans would like the advantages of the Nordic and Netherlands countries, regarding
the lifestyle, Health care and a cornucopia of other wonderful "Just being alive" reality.
BUT, (As I've read)..when it comes to actual voting for that better lifestyle, they chicken-out. Scared of change...What will happen?...We better not rock the boat.
I suppose I feel that>>>> "You say you're brave and love freedom and will fight for liberty..Blah..Blah..Blah..but ACUALLY...You are scared little sheep.
I wish you had more backbone.
Keep in mind My occupation was a scientist ..so..I'd be the first one to admit that I'm in error, if someone would prove me wrong.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 22% of American Adults say they or someone they know has seen a UFO – slightly up from 19% two years ago – while 66% say no one they know has ever seen one, and another 12% aren’t sure. In his debut video on Twitter, former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson highlighted reports that a whistleblower revealed the U.S. government has a UFO retrieval program. Sixty-two percent (62%) of Americans believe it’s likely that the U.S. government has been covering up the truth about UFOs, including 36% who consider such a cover-up Very Likely. Twenty-nine percent (29%) see a government UFO cover-up as unlikely, including 10% who say it’s Not At All Likely, while another 11% aren’t sure.

 

[Rumpel]

What Americans Think about Daily Life​

What do you think?

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 29% of American Adults say it’s likely they will shoot fireworks at their own home during the Fourth of July weekend, including 15% who think it’s Very Likely. That’s slightly down from 31% last year. Seventy percent (70%) don’t expect to be shooting backyard fireworks this year, including 49% who say it’s Not At All Likely. According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, consumer fireworks sales rose to $2.3 billion last year, more than doubling since 2019, Forty-nine percent (49%) of American Adults believe shooting off your own fireworks is a fun way to celebrate the Fourth of July, while 41% think fireworks are dangerous and should be left to professionals. Another 10% are not sure.