Surveys on Support of Flag Protection Amendment

The following material was originated by Mike Dabadie, Senior Research Executive for Wirthlin Worldwide, and contains information derived from a May, 1997 National Survey showing continued support to protect the flag.

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Consistent tracking of public opinion throughout the 1996 election cycle confirms the broad-based overwhelming support American voters have for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to protect the American flag from desecration. After interviewing nearly 8,500 American voters in two (2) national studies and twelve (12) state-wide surveys in nine (9) different states, we find that roughly three-quarters of voters across all demographic and geographic subgroups would personally vote for a Flag Protection Amendment.

WIRTHLIN MEMORANDUM TO CITIZENS FLAG ALLIANCE, FEBRUARY, 1997

As Congress moves to address protecting the American flag and as bi-partisan support from members such as Congressman Dick Gephardt, Congressman Martin Frost, Congressman Joe Kennedy, Congressman Henry Hyde, Congressman John Boehner and Congressman Gerald Solomon continues to grow, we conducted a national survey in May 1997 to assess American voter attitudes toward protecting the flag.

This recent survey found that the overwhelming support exhibited in 1996 has remained just as strong in 1997, a clear indication that this is a well understood issue and one that is not marginalized among any one voter group, region or party.

More importantly, however, is the fact that over the past two years we have polled a consistently high level of support for a constitutional amendment to protect the flag. Furthermore, support continues to cut across demographic, regional, party, ideological and attitudinal differences. Americans do not see this as a partisan or ideological issue; it is a common sense American issue that resonates throughout the country.

1. Fully 79% of voters believe that the American people should have the right to determine by vote whether or not the U.S. flag should be protected from desecration, with 65% saying they strongly agree with this. Just 18% of voters do not think that they should have the right to vote on protecting the flag.

Not only has this support remained constant over the past year but the intensity behind those who agree that they should have the opportunity to vote to protect the flag extends into every demographic and regional subgroup as outlined below:

2. Not only do voters want the opportunity to determine by vote whether the flag should or should not be protected, but if they were to vote today, 81% would vote for a constitutional amendment to protect the flag from desecration, while just 17% would vote against such an amendment. Another sign of the overwhelming intensity and broad-based support behind protecting the American flag lies in the fact that 69% of voters would definitely vote at this time for a constitutional amendment to protect the flag. Again, we see that this issue finds broad-based and bi-partisan support among a wide range of voter groups with the following percentages being:

3. To provide voters with a balanced and fair choice between the two arguments on if a law protecting the flag would infringe on certain freedoms, we provided respondents with two statements and asked them to choose which one was more like their own. To further minimize bias, both statements were rotated throughout the survey process.

(Some people say/Other people say) passing a law to protect the American flag from desecration DOES NOT limit anyone's freedom of speech or their right to disagree with our country's policies or laws, but simply recognizes the flag as the unique symbol of the basic freedoms and values that make this country great.

(Other people say/Some people say) passing a law to protect the American flag from desecration DOES limit freedom of expression and even though we might be disgusted by the action of burning the flag the protection of individual freedoms such as speech is more important than any punishment.

As the table below indicates, 66% of voters agree with the first statement that the flag is a unique symbol, while 26% say that freedom of speech is more important.And as a further sign how this issue has not wavered over the past year, there is no statistical difference between 1996 responses and 1997 responses.

4. While some opponents of protecting the flag argue that a constitutional amendment would jeopardize a voter's right to freedom of speech, 73% of American voters do not share this opinion, while just 23% believe that a constitutional amendment to protect the U.S. flag from desecration would jeopardize one's right to freedom of speech. Again, there has been no change in these figures since March of 1996 and the broad-based bi-partisan support we found with voters supporting an amendment even extends into the free speech argument. In fact, 69% of liberal Democrats do not believe that a constitutional amendment to protect the flag from desecration would jeopardize their freedom of speech.

Not only do voters not see a threat to their freedom of speech, but 83% also do not think that such acts as burning the flag, even though protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution, are an appropriate expression of freedom of speech. Just 15% of American voters actually believe that burning the flag is an appropriate expression of freedom of speech. Again, since we began tracking this issue in March 1996, there has been no change in public opinion.

We have conducted a great deal of polling over the years on issues to determine importance with the American voter. Most recently, these issues have ranged from the balanced budget amendment to term limits to the Chemical Weapons Treaty.

As we say in 1996, the Citizens Flag Alliance media campaign in key states successfully raised both awareness and the importance of the issue among voters. In fact, in states the Alliance ran ad campaigns, awareness of the issue reached upwards to 63%, with importance of the flag protection issue being 6.9 and 7.1 on a 10-point scale (10 being the most important). The data showed that passing an amendment becomes more important to voters as they become aware of the issue.

We have noticed that this issue resonates just as strongly, if not more, than that of balancing the budget, term limits, and reducing chemical weapons. One of the key factors that differentiates protecting the flag versus other topical issues is the strong intensity and overwhelming broad-based support for protecting the flag. Anytime we see consistent polling numbers over time which shows an issue that draws over 60% support from men and women, young and old, lesser educated and post graduates, whites and blacks, Democrats and Republicans, and even conservative and liberals, it is an indicator of the comprehensive and educated support for protecting the flag.

Towards this end, 69% of voters think it is important (33% extremely important and 36% very important) to make burning or desecrating the American flag against the law. Only 17% say that it is somewhat important and just 14% say this it is not very important at all to make desecrating the flag against the law.

Furthermore, this is an issue all Americans want addressed. Even Republicans and Democrats.

Over the past year we have seen that the American public has voiced their wishes for lawmakers to protect the American flag. When we see polling numbers with 60% or greater consistently backing an issue, it is a clear sign that support is not marginal nor uninformed. Outside of Washington, this issue is not about politics, not about partisanship, not about ideology, and not about regional differences. In fact, protecting the flag cuts to the heart of who we are as a nation and how our lawmakers respond to the wishes of those they represent.

NOTE: National results reflect sample sizes of 1,000 voters and a margin of error of + or - 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence interval. The May 1997 survey was conducted May 30 - June 1, 1997 among a sample size of 1,010 American adults, of which 847 were registered voters. The margin of error for a sample size of 847 is +/- 3.3 percentage points. All interviews were conducted by Wirthlin Worldwide trained personnel using computerized interviewing software.

MAY B 1997 NATIONAL QUORUM
FIELD DATES: MAY 30 - JUNE 1, 1997
N=847 REGISTERED VOTERS
MARGIN OF ERROR: +/- 3.4 PERCENTAGE POINTS IN 95 OUT OF 100 CASES

FIELD DATES: NOVEMBER 5, 1996
N=1030 ACTUAL VOTERS
MARGIN OF ERROR: +/- 3.1 PERCENTAGE POINTS IN 95 OUT OF 100 CASES

FIELD DATES: MARCH 25 - 28, 1996
N=1,023 REGISTERED VOTERS
MARGIN OF ERROR: +/- 3.1 PERCENTAGE POINTS IN 95 OUT OF 100 CASES

Thinking a little more specifically about the American flag...

1. The act of burning the U.S. Flag is currently protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Do you believe the physical act of burning the U.S. Flag is an appropriate expression of freedom of speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment?

2. And do you believe that a constitutional amendment designed to protect the U.S. Flag from desecration would jeopardize your right to freedom of speech, or not?

3. And do you believe the American people should have the right to determine by vote whether or not the U.S. flag should be protected from desecration, or not? And do you feel strongly about that?

4. How important do you think it is to make burning or desecrating the American flag againstthe law? This is, do you think it is extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not very important at all to make burning or desecrating the flag against the law?

5. If put to a vote today, would you vote for or against a constitutional amendment to protect the flag from desecration or the physical act of burning it?

Is that definitely FOR/AGAINST, or just probably FOR/AGAINST?

Now, I'd like to read you two viewpoints and please tell me which one comes closest to your own. (READ and ROTATE)

6. (Some people say/Other people say) passing a law to protect the American flag from desecration DOES NOT limit anyone's freedom of speech or their right to disagree with our country's policies or laws, but simply recognizes the flag as the unique symbol of the basic freedoms and values that make this country great.

(Other people say/Some people say) passing a law to protect the American flag from desecration DOES limit freedom of expression and, even though we might be disgusted by the action of burning a flag, the protection of individual freedoms such as speech is more important than any punishment.

Which viewpoint comes closer to your own?

(All of the following demographic results are reported from the May B 1997 National Quorum survey.)

7. What is your age, please?

8. Do you have any children? And how many children do you have?

9. What is the last grade of formal education you completed?

10. In politics today, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent or what?

11. In politics today, do you generally consider yourself to be conservative, or liberal on most issues?

12. What is your religious preference?

12A. Do you consider yourself to be a born-again Christian?

13. What is your total annual family income?

14. What is your main ethnic or racial heritage?

15. Are you married, separated, divorced, or single and never been married?

16. Do you have a regular full or part-time job outside the home?

17. Gender