The Way We Really Feel about Government, Policing, and Inequality: A Public Agenda/WNYC Poll
Is it okay for the rich to keep getting richer, as long as everyone else has a good chance to get ahead?
Does police presence pose as much of a threat as criminal activity in your neighborhood?
Is New York no longer the land of opportunity?
These questions and many more about government efficiency, inequality, and opportunity were posed to residents in the New York metropolitan area as part of a poll conducted by Public Agenda and WNYC. (Click here if you want to learn more about the poll and how it was conducted.)
WNYC is unpacking themes, stories, and questions emerging from these poll results in an effort to contextualize the issues that matter most to voters in the NY metro area. Over the course of one week, Will Friedman, the president of Public Agenda, and Carolin Hagelskamp, vice president and director of research for Public Agenda, join Brian Lehrer to discuss poll findings and what they say about our complex attitudes toward the government and the governed. Click below to hear the conversations:
The Middle Class Conundrum (October 12, 2015)
Many middle class people feel stuck in the face of rising costs, stagnating wages, and rising inequality. But they certainly don't resent wealth - 73% feel it's okay for wealthy people to get wealthier as long as everyone else has the opportunity to get ahead.
Solutions to Inequality (October 13, 2015)
Seventy percent of people in the New York Metro area think the government serves only the elite. So what do we expect government to do about inequality?
How to Divvy Up the Tax Pie (October 14, 2015)
Most people in the NY Metro area agree that high taxes are a serious problem and large corporations should bear the brunt.
How We Really Feel About Police Presence (October 15, 2015)
What happens when communities that are most concerned about crime are also most wary of police presence? Poll findings suggest the way we think about policing varies drastically based on race and location.
City vs. Suburb Mentality (October 16, 2015)
Hear about differing political and social attitudes of people living in the inner city, outskirts of the city, and the suburbs.