A new poll by the American Bar Association (ABA) has found that most Americans believe society is less civil than it was a decade ago. They blame social media and public officials for the decline. The ABA’s annual Survey of Civic Literacy involved 1,000 respondents, of whom 85% said civility in today's society is worse than ten years ago. Only 8% said it was better, and 6% said it was the same. When asked to identify the primary factor in declining civility, 29% of respondents blamed social media, 24% blamed the media, 19% blamed public officials, and 8% blamed the educational system. Only 2% of respondents cited courts as a factor.
The ABA's president, Deborah Enix-Ross, noted that "our country is experiencing a period of divisiveness," She is moderating an online panel today to discuss the findings. The survey results suggest that Americans are deeply concerned about civility in their society. They believe that social media and public officials have a significant role in the decline. As such, there will likely be growing pressure on social media companies and public officials to address this issue in the coming years.
Of the respondents, 34% felt that family and friends were primarily responsible for improving civility, while 27% felt that public officials should hold this responsibility. Ninety percent of respondents felt that parents and families were responsible for instilling civility in children, followed by schools at 6%.
The ABA allows respondents to define "civility" for themselves. ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross said that the country is experiencing a period of divisiveness, a matter to be discussed in an online panel on the survey's findings.
The ABA conducts this survey annually to assess public knowledge about laws and gauge public opinion on current events related to the law. It releases the study ahead of Law Day on May 1 to highlight the role of law in society and to improve the public’s understanding of the legal profession.
Declining civic literacy has been a national concern for years. In 2016, the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center conducted a survey that revealed that only a quarter of people could name all three branches of government. However, that figure will rise to 56% by 2021.
The American Bar Association's annual Survey of Civic Literacy has revealed that 85% of Americans think society is less civil than a decade ago. The majority of respondents, 29%, cited social media as the primary factor in declining civility, followed by 24% who said the media and 19% who said public officials. Family and friends were considered most responsible for improving civility, with 34% of respondents saying they should hold the primary responsibility, while 27% believed it should fall to public officials. Regarding instilling civility in children, 90% said parents and families were most responsible, followed by schools at 6%.
The survey also showed that 79% of respondents wanted government leaders to work towards compromise, while only 13% wanted them to hold their ground until they win. Additionally, 70% of respondents wanted to see a compromise on immigration reform, while 53% wanted it on gun rights, and 45% said they wanted a center on reproductive rights.
The ABA survey included questions about U.S. democracy, taken from the U.S. Naturalization Test. Unfortunately, only 59% correctly identified John Roberts as the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, while 19% mistakenly chose Clarence Thomas. The survey is conducted annually to assess public knowledge about laws and gauge public opinion on current events related to the law, with the results released ahead of Law Day on May 1, which recognizes the role law plays in society and aims to improve the public's understanding of the legal profession.
