Since President George W. Bush declared a ban on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research (SCR) on 9 August 2001, numerous polls have sought to gauge whether the majority of the American public supports or opposes such research. Pollsters have predominantly asked whether participants approve or disapprove of stem cell research, and whether federal funding should or should not be allocated for this research.[1] Some polls have asked additional questions to gather more information regarding public opinion about the ethics of stem cell research, while others have focused on state-funded stem cell research initiatives.

This essay summarizes poll data pertaining to national attitudes toward SCR since August 2001.[2] In addition to this broad view, results from two specific polls, one conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for Public Policy and the other by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, are presented. Taken together, these data reveal that the majority of the American public supports SCR, and that this majority has remained consistent since 2003. In addition, positive correlations exist between support for SCR and the degree to which poll respondents feel well informed about scientific issues. Not surprisingly, religious affiliation is a factor in respondents’ attitudes toward embryonic SCR; however, data presented here indicate that most religious groups studied support such research. 

American Attitudes – A Broad View[3]

Figure 1 represents a broad view of public opinion polls over time, from the summer of 2001 to May 2006.[4] Those respondents who declined to answer (no answer, na), or who responded “I don’t know” (dk), were tallied together. For all polls appearing in Figure 1, the only question under consideration asked respondents whether they support/favor/approve or oppose/disapprove of SCR (please see reference 3 for specific criteria employed for this analysis). Overall, these composite data show that support for stem cell research has not changed dramatically over time, with the exception of a discernible trough formed by four polls conducted between August 2001 and September 2003. Approval for stem cell research fell below 50% in 5 out of 27 polls considered, or 18.5% of the time points represented. However, these 5 polls were all conducted between July 2001 (Fox News) and September 2003 (Virginia Commonwealth University). For the remaining time points, from June 2004 through May 2006, the average percent approval is 61%. The composite data also illustrate that variability in approval rates has lessened over time: the last poll in which approval fell below 50% was conducted in September 2003 (by Virginia Commonwealth University), with approval rates remaining at or above 50% since that time. Over the same time course, a slight decrease in the percentage of dk/na responses is apparent, although the average hovers around the 10% mark. It may be that respondents have become increasingly aware of SCR due to increased politicization of the subject over this time period, and hence have become more likely to report their opinions in terms of approval or disapproval.

Figure 1.  Support for Embryonic Stem Cell Research Fairly Constant in Recent Years.

Public Opinion Polls

When undertaking an analysis of any polling data, the issue of question wording is of great importance.[5] Upon closer examination, the polls compiled in Figure 1 can be subdivided into two groups: those polls in which the support/oppose question was preceded by a multiple-sentence background statement (‘descriptive’), and those in which the question was asked in the absence of any additional information (‘simple’).[6] Those polls that provided additional information about SCR yielded higher percentages of support among respondents, with an average of 68.2% compared to an average percent approval of 53.5% for ‘simple’ questions (Figure 2). It should be noted that in 6 out of 13 descriptive polls (denoted with asterisks in Figure 2), respondents were presented with statements both in favor and opposition to SCR, then asked with which statement they agreed. However, in the remaining 7 descriptive polls, the additional statements did not contain balanced favorable and opposing statements. In these latter cases, background information included words and phrases to convey practical benefits of SCR (e.g., curing of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease or diabetes) and to define the source of embryos used (“discarded,” “donated”). From these data, it may be concluded that public opinion regarding embryonic SCR is slanted toward approval by words and phrases that place the question in a utilitarian context.

Figure 2.  Polls with Additional Information about Embryonic Stem Cell Research Show Higher Levels of Public Support than Other Polls.
Note: Polls denoted with asterisks provided balanced background statements; remaining polls provided utilitarian words and phrases.

Trends over Time: Religion, Interest and Information

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for Public Policy has conducted the annual VCU Life Sciences Survey since 2001. The survey has asked many questions pertaining to controversial research areas, including human cloning, genetic testing, and embryonic stem cell research. In addition, the VCU survey has queried respondents about their interest in scientific developments, as well as the degree to which they are informed about such developments.

Data from polls conducted from 2001 through 2005 are currently available.[7]  In each case, VCU surveyed randomly-selected American adults and asked the same question pertaining to stem cell research: “On the whole, how much do you favor or oppose medical research that uses stem cells from human embryos – do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose this?” This consistency of question wording allows for direct comparisons over time. Figure 3 depicts responses to the stem cell question for each survey year available. As was apparent in Figure 1, the annual VCU data on the stem cell research question reveal a decrease in support between 2001 and 2002, in this case from 48% to 35%. At the same time, uncertainty (or refusal to answer) increased from 9% to 15%, while opposition also increased from 43% to 51%. From 2002 to 2005, however, a trend of increasing support becomes apparent, coupled with a decrease in opposition and a return to 2001 levels of uncertainty.

Figure 3.  Data from Virginia Commonwealth University Show Increasing Support for Embryonic Stem Cell Research between 2002 and 2005.

For the years 2002 and 2003, VCU used an “interest and information index”[8] to determine how interested and/or informed respondents believed they were at survey time. In 2002, respondents with a higher index were as likely to favor embryonic SCR as to oppose it (45% v. 43%, respectively), while those with a lower index were nearly twice as likely to oppose embryonic SCR (29% in favor v. 55% opposed). In 2003, respondents with a higher interest and information index

were 1.6 times more likely to favor embryonic SCR, while those with a lower index were 1.3 times more likely to oppose. The index was not used in the 2004 VCU survey; rather, each question gauging interest or information was tabulated separately. When asked, “How well informed are you about medical discoveries,” respondents who thought they were well informed were 1.8 times more likely to favor embryonic SCR, while those who felt less informed were 1.3 times more likely to oppose. These data indicate a positive correlation between feeling well informed and embryonic SCR attitudes, such that those respondents who felt well informed were more likely to favor embryonic stem cell research. In addition, support for such research increased over the time course studied.  (It is important to note that respondents self-reported the degree to which they were informed in each of these cases; hence, the results may not be an accurate reflection of the knowledge base actually possessed.)

For the years 2002, 2003 and 2004, VCU compiled responses to the stem cell question by subgroup, based on respondents’ answers to other questions from the survey. Respondents were asked whether they considered religion to be an important part of their lives. Those who answered “yes” were asked an additional question: “Would you say your religious beliefs provide some guidance in your day-to-day living, quite a bit of guidance, or a great deal of guidance in your day-to-day living?” In addition to “some guidance,” “quite a bit,” and “a great deal,” “not important” responses were recorded. For all three survey years, a linear relationship existed between degree of religious guidance and opposition to embryonic stem cell research: as degree of religious guidance increased, support for embryonic SCR decreased (Figure 4).

Figure 4.  Extent of Religious Guidance Plays a Large Role in Attitudes Toward Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

Among Opponents, Religious Affiliation Matters

The Pew Research Center (PRC) has conducted four polls that included a question pertaining to stem cell research (March 2002, August 2004, December 2004 and July 2005). In each, adults were asked, “All in all, which is more important:  conducting stem cell research that might result in new medical cures, or not destroying the potential life of human embryos involved in this research?” The wording of this question differs from the simplified support/oppose framework used in polls summarized in Figure 1, in that it asked respondents to choose between “research cures” or “not destroying the potential life of human embryos.” (“Don’t know/Refused” responses were also tabulated for this question.)  Figure 5 depicts responses to the stem cell question as asked by PRC, and illustrates that importance of conducting embryonic SCR increased from March 2002 (43%) through December 2004 (56%), and remained constant through July 2005 (57%).

Figure 5. Americans Place Greater Importance on Conducting Embryonic Stem Cell Research than on Preserving Embryos.

Results from the July 2005 PRC poll included subgroup analysis based on respondents’ reported religious affiliation. Respondents who placed greater importance on conducting embryonic SCR outnumbered those placing greater importance on preserving embryos by nearly 2:1. Analysis of religious affiliation revealed some interesting deviations from this figure. White Catholics as well as “High Commitment” White Non-Evangelical Protestants closely mirrored poll totals, with each placing greater importance on embryonic SCR by 2:1. White Catholics who identified as “High Commitment,” along with Black Protestants, were approximately evenly split in their responses (1:1), while White Non-Evangelicals placed greater importance on research by a margin of 3:1. Only White Evangelical Protestants placed greater importance on not destroying embryos by appreciable margins (1.6:1), with those identifying as “High Commitment” doing so by a margin of 2:1. The greatest fold difference between embryonic SCR support and opposition occurred among those identified as Secular, who placed greater importance on stem cell research by 6:1.  

Conclusion

On 19 July 2006, President Bush used his veto power for the first time during his presidency to prevent a more permissive stem cell research bill from becoming law,[9] saying “it crosses a moral boundary that our decent society needs to respect.”[10] Taken together, the data presented here indicate that a majority of the American public disagrees with the President.

Indeed, a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted 21-23 July 2006 revealed that 58% of adult Americans disapproved of President Bush’s decision to veto this bill, while 36% approved of the decision, and 6% had no opinion.[11] These figures closely mirror other polls that measure public approval for embryonic stem cell research. [12] The Gallup poll also asked whether respondents thought Bush’s veto decision was based on personal moral beliefs or an attempt to gain political advantage.  Sixty-one percent of respondents felt it was the former, while 32% believed it was the latter. These statistics raise the possibility that, in disapproving of his decision to veto, the majority of the American public was likewise dissatisfied with his perceived motivation for doing so. Of course, the poll did not pose this question directly. Hopefully, future polls will forge an understanding of the public’s attitude toward the use of religious guidance in the making of national policy decisions. 

The data presented here illustrate that solid majority support for embryonic SCR has been consistent since 2003, with support not falling below the 50% mark, and has in fact increased over the time period. Though a correlation is difficult to prove with certainty, the “trough” in support observed in Figure 1 might be explained by fervent support for President Bush post-9/11. In the time period surrounding the invasion of Iraq, American citizens understandably felt compelled to unite in support of the Bush administration’s response to terrorist attacks. The observed increase in opposition to embryonic SCR may have resulted from broad public support of the president’s policies, which extended from foreign policy into domestic issues.

References

[1] Pollingreport.com is an online directory of state and national polling data produced by the nonpartisan Polling Report, Inc. Several of the polls cited in this article appear under the “Stem Cell Research” subheading of the Science and Nature section (www.pollingreport.com/science.htm).

[2] A lucid tutorial on sampling standards (“How are polls conducted?” by Frank Newport, Lydia Saad and David Moore) appears in Where America Stands 1997, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

[3] Poll data compiled for broad analysis were selected according to several criteria. First, only questions asking whether respondents support/favor/approve or oppose/disapprove of SCR were included. Second, all polls were conducted over the telephone by established polling firms; online polls were excluded. Third, all responses were compiled by random sampling of American adults (age 18 or older) and weighted to represent national demographics, per industry standards; polls limited to a particular demographic (e.g., women) were excluded. Margins of error ranged from plus or minus 2.5 to 4 percentage points, with a 95% confidence interval. Finally, questions pertaining to the permissibility of human cloning were omitted. In some cases, “strongly support/favor/approve” and “somewhat support/favor/approve” responses were combined, as was done for “strongly oppose/disapprove” and “somewhat oppose/disapprove” responses.

 [4] In chronological order, polls cited are as follows: 20-24 June 2001, ABC News/Washington Post; 23-25 June 2001, NBC News/Wall Street Journal;  11-12 July 2001, Fox News; 26-30 July 2001, ABC News/Washington Post; 10-12 Aug 2001, Ipsos-Reid; 23 Aug-2 Sept 2001 and 4-16 Sept 2002, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU); 15-16 July 2003, Fox News; 3-26 Sept 2003, VCU; 10-13 June 2004, Results for America, Civil Society Inst.; 25-28 June 2004, NBC News/Wall Street Journal; 16-23 Aug 2004, Integrity of Science Working Group; 21-24 Aug 2004, Los Angeles Times; Aug 2004, CBS News; 7-17 Sept 2004, VCU; 14-15 Oct 2004, Time/SRBI; 16-18 Oct 2004, NBC News/Wall Street Journal; 3-6 Feb 2005, Results for America, Civil Society Inst.; 18-21 Mar 2005,Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR); 21-24 Apr 2005, ABC News/Washington Post; 20-23 May 2005, CBS News; 2-5 Jun 2005, ABC News/Washington Post; 4-9 June 2005, PARADE/Research! America; 13-14 June 2005, CBS News; 9-19 Sept 2005, Genetics and Public Policy Center; 14-29 Sept 2005, VCU; 5 May 2006, CAMR.

[5] For example, a poll commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that used “destroying human embryos” in its question wording found more opposition to embryonic stem cell research than other polls (http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/archives/2006/06-109.shtml).

[6] Exact wording of questions used in CBS News polls could not be determined, and were therefore excluded from this analysis. In addition, three polls (Results for America 2004 and 2005, and CAMR 2005) yielded both simple and descriptive data sets, which were assigned into respective groups for analysis.

[7] Links to VCU Life Sciences Survey data from 2001 to 2005 are available at (http://www.vcu.edu/lifesci/centers/cen_lse_ surveys .html).

[8] The interest and information index combined responses from four questions to gauge how interested and informed respondents were about both scientific and medical discoveries (see page 20 of the 2002 VCU Life Sciences Survey report for exact question wording).

[9] President Bush’s veto message to the House of Representatives may be found in the White House Office of the Press Secretary’s release at (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060719-5.html).

[10] Bush vetoes embryonic stem-cell bill, September 25, 2006, CNN.com

[11] Poll results may be found at (http://www.usatoday.com/news/polls/tables/live/2006-07-24-poll.htm#stemcell).

[12] Slight Majority of Public Disapproves of  Bush Stem Cell Veto, Matthew C. Nisbet,  (http://scienceblogs.com/framing-science/2006/07/slight_majority_of_public_disa.php). See also Nisbet, Matthew C. “Public opinion about stem cell research and human cloning,” Public Opinion Quarterly 68(1):131-154, for insightful analysis of poll data pertaining to stem cell research.