Two Thirds of Americans believe society uncivil

Jun 25, 2010 by Dan Taylor    3 Comments    Posted under: News

66 percent of all Americans believe there to be a general lack of civility. Moreover, 72 percent think that bad behavior has gotten worse in recent years. 75 percent of those surveyed think that the financial crisis and recession have lessened the level of American civility.

One thing is clear, most Americans believe that their friends and family are not uncivil, but the majority of the public views those outside this circle as being uncivil. Particularly hard hit in the survey were politics, high schools, talk radio, motorways, and Hollywood and professional sports.

72 percent of Americans think the government has got it all wrong. This overall opinion has appears to be having an impact on participation and interest in the political process. Nearly half of all Americans are simply no longer interested in politics, with 63 percent indicating that the general tone and level of civility (or lack thereof) as a major factor in their decision to tune out. 46 percent are no longer interested in opinion and editorials in the media, 45 percent citing incivility as the driving force.

When it comes down to the naming of names, 71 percent of Democrats surveyed said that they thought Republicans were uncivil. 74 percent of all Republicans viewed Democrats as uncivil. Political independents view Republicans more uncivil than Democrats, although independents think that both parties are more uncivil than civil (58 and 50 percent, respectively).

“Our research provides hard evidence that constituents and consumers alike are fed up with the polarization of our political system and the uncivil tone of our country as a whole,” said Jack Leslie, Chairman of Weber Shandwick. “As a result, Americans are tuning out and turning away from news, information and informed opinions that make up the very foundation of American democracy.”

Outside the political world, Americans are still hopping mad about the general incivility of the nation. Three quarters of Americans believe that companies that exhibit uncivil behavior should be boycotted. 56 percent of Americans have refrained from purchasing one company or another’s products based on their own perceived levels on corporate incivility. 55 percent have reevaluated their opinions of said company, while 49 percent indicated that they’ve advised friends and family against purchasing a company’s product.

And while the majority of Americans view their nation to be uncivil and are quick to point fingers in every direction, they still believe that there is hope to turn the tide. When asked who is responsible for improving civility, 87 percent answered “The American public.” 83 percent said political leaders, and 81, 79, and 76 percent indicated news media, businesses and places of worship.

The online survey was conducted by KRC Research and polled more than 1,000 Americans on how civility affect’s individual views of and participation in social media, politics, and buying behaviors. The executive summary of this survey is available here.

I have but one quote to offer to this news: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Ghandi