Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
For a preview of what divides people, consider a recent
Gallup poll that asked Americans whether they have a posi-
tive or negative image of free enterprise. The vast major-
ity (88-94%) of both Democrats and Republicans viewed it
positively (see figure 1.1). 1.1). Americans of both political camps
apparently respect the pursuit of an honest buck. Of course,
Republicans and Democrats do not agree on everything, and
the Gallup poll discovered that Democrats and Republicans
view large institutions, like big business and big government,
differently. Whereas 75 percent of Republicans view big busi-
ness positively, only 44 percent of Democrats feel likewise.
When asked about the federal government, most (75%) of
Democrats view it favorably, compared to only 27 percent of
Republicans. The data are clear: Republicans dislike big gov-
ernment and Democrats dislike big business (or, at least, that
is what they say), and as we will see, some controversies have
just as much to do with attitudes towards large corporations
as they do the science of farming. What isn't up for debate is
100
Democrats
Republicans
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Free Enterprise
Big Business
The Federal
Government
Figure 1.1 Political Ideologies in the United States
Note that “Democrats” refers both to people who call themselves Democrats and those who
lean towards the Democrats. A similar statement can be made about the “Republicans.”
Source
: Frank Newport, “Democrats, Republicans Diverge on Capitalism, Federal Gov't,”
Gallup Politics
, November 29, 2012.
