Civility
Percentage of Americans who: Think incivility is a serious problem: 89 Think mean-spirited political campaigns are to blame: 73 Think rock music is to blame: 67 Think talk radio is to blame: 52 Think their own behavior is uncivil: 1
U. S. News & World Report (4/22/96)
Family
Percentage of mothers of children under age 3 who are not in the workforce: 46 Percentage of mothers of children under age 3 who are employed part-time: 19
U. S. News & World Report (7/1/96)
Percentage of U. S. children living apart from their biological fathers in 1960: 17 Percentage of U. S. children living apart from their biological fathers in 1990: 36 Juvenile violent crime arrests in 1960: 18,000 Juvenile violent crime arrests in 1990: 118,000
Utne Reader (Sept.-Oct./96)
Confidence
Percentage of people who have great confidence in the military: 64 Who have great confidence in the police: 58 Who have great confidence in organized religion: 57 Who have great confidence in the presidency: 45 Who have great confidence in the justice system: 20
Emerging Trends (Vol. 18, No. 4) Princeton Religion Research Center
Religion in America
More than 65 million adult Americans attend a Christian church service in a typical week. There are fewer than 8 million Jews in this country. Mormons have plateaued at about 5 million people. Muslims account for less than 2 million, while agnostics and atheists number almost 25 million adults.
The Barna Report (Vol. 1, No. 2)
Self-image
Percentage of women age 35-44 who would not likely consider plastic surgery “to improve their looks,” even if money were no object: 68
USA Today (6/18/96)
Percentage of people in an Adweek poll who said they’d rather be rich than thin: 82
Men’s Health (Jul.-Aug./96)
Smoking
Percentage of children who recognize Mickey Mouse: 91 Percentage of children who recognize Joe Camel: 91 Number of cigarettes Americans smoked in 1984: 600,000,000,000 Number of cigarettes Americans smoked in 1994: 486,000,000,000 Number of Americans who die each day from smoking: 1,300.
Office on Smoking and Health, cited in Smart Money (9/96)
Work
Percentage of major U.S. companies that routinely test new employees for illegal drugs: 81 Percentage of positive tests: 1.9 Percentage of work places that have been the site of an act of violence: 33
American Management Association (4/96); Men’s Health (Jul.-Aug./96)
1997 by Christianity Today/Leadership Journal.
