Religion dominates new SHU poll
Shaun Mitchell
Issue date: 12/1/05 Section: News
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The SHU Polling Institute was started in 2002 through an interest of Dr. Cernera.
"We teamed to begin the Polling Institute to provide students and faculty a new resource, a way to study current public opinion on new and old issues. It's also another opportunity for Americans, in all fifty states, to voice their opinions on the issues of the day," said Jerry Lindsley, director of the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute.
The Polling Institute completes 1,000 surveys across all fifty states through phone interviews at random. Each respondent was at least 18 years or older and one of the heads of the household.
Statistically, 1,000 telephone interviews will represent a margin for error of plus or minus 3 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
Basically, if this survey was conducted many times over with the same instruments, the results would be within 3 percent of the results the first time, 95 percent of the time.
"We decide what to poll by staying current on issues of the day and being innovative in looking at issues in different ways. We also try to do what other polling institutes do not do - that is to look at why people think the way they do in addition to studying what they think," said Lindsley.
In this case, two of the most recent polls were to see whether or not people support the temporary display of religious symbols on public greens during the holiday season, and whether or not people would be opposed to removing the phrase "under God" in the pledge of allegiance.
Regarding the temporary display of religious symbols, 80.8 percent of people polled support religious symbols on public greens during the holidays.
"The twenty percent of people who do not support the display of these religious symbols are not just atheists, but people who feel strongly about the separation of church and state as well," said Dr. June-Ann Greeley, professor of religious studies.
"When you put a display up, you are advocating that display," said Greeley.
To balance the holidays evenly, most towns will put a Christmas tree next to a Menorah to account for the two major holidays in December.