THE ERA CAMPAIGN NETWORK NATIONWIDE SURVEY
Overwhelmingly, Americans agree that male and
female citizens should have equal rights, and the vast majority of
Americans want those rights guaranteed by the US Constitution. Most,
however, mistakenly assume that the Constitution already guarantees those rights.
Those overall findings held true for both men
and women, and for all the other demographic categories examined, by
region, age, education, household income, race, and household makeup.
Following are all the actual questions asked, with the
tables showing the distribution of responses for the survey respondents
as a whole, and for men and women separately. In those instances in
which there are statistically significant differences in the responses
of men vs. women, that is so indicated. (If not indicated, any observed
differences are not statistically significant.)
- "In your opinion, should male and female citizens of the United States have equal rights?"
| TOTAL |
MEN | WOMEN |
|---|
| YES | 96% |
95% | 97% |
| NO | 3% |
4% | 2% |
| Don't know |
1% | 1% |
1% |
| In all demographic categories studied, between 93% and 99% agree that male and female citizens should have equal rights. |
- "As far as you know, does the Constitution of the United States
make it clear that male and female citizens are SUPPOSED to have equal
rights?"
| TOTAL |
MEN | WOMEN |
|---|
| YES (or I think so) |
72% | 75% |
69% |
| NO (or don't think so) |
18% | 16%* |
21%* |
| Have no idea (or don't know) |
10% | 9% |
10% |
|
* Statistically significant difference between men and women: Somewhat
more women than men are aware that the Constitution does not make it
clear. |
| In all other demographic categories studied, between
60% and 80% think the Constitution makes it clear that male and female
citizens are supposed to have equal rights, while only between 13% and
25% think it does not. Younger people are somewhat more knowledgeable
than older people in this regard: 22% of those in the 18-34 age range
are aware that the Constitution does not make it clear, while only 15%
of those 55 and up are aware – a statistically significant difference. |
- In your opinion, SHOULD the Constitution make it clear that male and female citizens are supposed to have equal rights?
| TOTAL |
MEN | WOMEN |
|---|
| YES | 88% |
85%* | 91%* |
| NO | 9% |
11%* | 6%* |
| Don't know |
3% | 4% |
3% |
|
* Statistically significant differences between men and women: Somewhat
more women than men believe the Constitution should make it clear. |
|
In all other demographic categories studied, between 83% and 94% believe
the Constitution should make it clear that male and female citizens are
supposed to have equal rights. |
|