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This month, Gallup is releasing the results of their annual Values and Beliefs survey where they measure public attitudes on many issues pertaining to public morality. This year Gallup polled 1,011 adults between May 1 and May 24. The results that they have released for this year have been somewhat surprising. Most notably, they found that 38 percent of Americans identify as “socially conservative.” This was a five percentage point gain since 2022 and the highest percentage of Americans identifying as socially conservative since 2012.
The demographic breakdown of the results of the Gallup poll was interesting. There was little change in social conservatism among Americans over 65. However, the poll found that increasing percentages of people in all younger age demographics identified as “socially conservative.” Also, the percentage of Republicans who identify as socially conservative increased by six percentage points between 2022 and 2023. There was a smaller increase in the percentage of independents who identify as socially conservative. However, the Gallup poll found little change among Democrats.
It is not clear why social conservatism has made gains in the court of public opinion during the past year. According to recent Gallup data, public attitudes toward same sex marriage have remained steady. Contrary to media spin, public attitudes toward abortion have also remained fairly constant – even after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. Indeed, the Knights of Columbus/Marist polls found when people were asked about specific abortion policies, there was little change in attitudes between January 2022 and January 2023.
One possibility for the change is shifts in public opinion on issues pertaining to transgenderism. The Gallup poll found that since 2022 there was a four percentage point increase in the number of Americans who said that changing one’s gender was “morally wrong.” There was also a 7 percentage point gain in the number of Americans that said transgender athletes should only be allowed to play on sports teams that match their birth gender.
Any time the electoral performance of Republican candidates falls beneath expectations, mainstream media pundits are quick to blame social conservatives. The 2022 election cycle was certainly no exception. However, the results of this Gallup poll and other polls should give social conservatives heart. Multiple polls show that public attitudes on abortion have remained fairly stable. Furthermore, the positions espoused by Democratic elected officials on transgenderism are becoming increasingly unpopular with the general public.
Michael J. New is a Research Associate at The Catholic University of America and a Senior Associate Scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_J_New.
