Poll Finds Politics Increasingly Uncivil

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Most Americans believe that political discourse is becoming increasingly uncivil, and will consider the civility of presidential candidates an important factor in voting in the 2012 election, according to the second annual poll on Civility in America released today by Weber Shandwick and Powell Tate in partnership with KRC Research.

While more than 70 percent say pop culture, media, government and the music industry are notable hubs of incivility, 80 percent of Americans – the largest majority found in the survey – consider political campaigns uncivil, and many think the problem will worsen.

The poll found that 85 percent of respondents said that politics is becoming increasingly uncivil; in particular, nearly three-quarters (74 percent) said they expected a decline in the general tone and civility of the upcoming presidential election. The survey found that 66 percent of Americans described the 2010 mid-term election as uncivil, and 59 percent rated the 2008 presidential election that way.

Jack Leslie, Chairman of Weber Shandwick, says: "While everyone has the right to engage in vigorous debate, this kind of rampant incivility undermines our political process.  It turns people off, creating at best apathy and at worst antipathy toward elected leaders.  Sooner or later, I hope we'll reach a tipping point when people will demand more civil discourse."

More than twice as many Americans find President Obama civil as they do uncivil (67 percent compared to 28 percent).  But Congressional Democrats and Republicans and Tea Party supporters are all viewed as more uncivil than civil, the poll found.

The respondents said their perception of incivility will have an impact on how they cast their votes in next year's election.  The survey found that roughly 9 in 10 said "the way the candidate treats and deals with people he or she disagrees with" (90 percent) and "the candidate's tone or level of civility" (88 percent) will play an important role in determining their vote for president in 2012. These figures reflect a sharp change in attitude. About two-thirds of Americans (67 percent) reported that in the past they had decided against voting for a certain candidate because he or she acted uncivilly.

The online survey conducted by KRC Research in late May asked more than 1,000 Americans how civility affects their views and participation in politics and media, including social media, as well as how incivility impacts their buying behaviors and outlook on the nation's future. When asked to define "civility," respondents gravitated to the word "respect," and offered commentary such as: "treating others as you would want to be treated" and "interacting with others with politeness and patience even under difficult circumstances." The survey's executive summary is available at: http://bit.ly/Civility2011.

Weber Shandwick and Powell Tate released a similar survey last year, which found that many Americans considered a general lack of civility to be a major problem. In this year's poll, the biggest increases in uncivil behavior are: professional sports (+14 percentage points), Congressional Democrats (+12 percentage points), Tea Party supporters (+11 percentage points) and the American public (+9 percentage points).

The perceived lack of civility in the United States has far-reaching implications, the survey suggests, with 91 percent saying that incivility has negative consequences for the nation. Those polled said that incivility in government is harming America's future; that incivility in American life is harming our standing in the world; and that incivility prevents the country from moving forward.  

About half of the respondents (49 percent) said that the U.S. was among the most civil countries in the world.

"Our survey found that Americans believe that political campaigns are becoming more uncivil," said Pam Jenkins, President of Powell Tate.  "The media and political party leaders are seen as most to blame for fanning the flames of incivility.  Americans clearly don't want a reality show food fight when it comes to politics.  They want civil discourse of the issues."

For more information on Civility in America -- 2011, please visit Weber Shandwick at www.webershandwick.com or Powell Tate at www.powelltate.com or download the executive summary here: http://bit.ly/Civility2011.

About The Survey

The 2011 online survey was conducted in May among 1,000 American adults to assess attitudes towards civility online, in the workforce, in the classroom and in politics. The margin of error is +/- 2.6 percentage points.

About Powell Tate

Powell Tate is a leading strategic communications and bipartisan public affairs firm. Located in Washington, D.C., the firm specializes in public affairs; public education; reputation and crisis management; media relations; creative and interactive services; and research and advertising. The firm is a division of Weber Shandwick.

About Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick is a leading global public relations agency with offices in 74 countries around the world. The firm's success is built on its deep commitment to client service, our people, creativity, collaboration and harnessing the power of Advocates - engaging stakeholders in new and creative ways to build brands and reputation. Weber Shandwick provides strategy and execution across practices such as consumer marketing, healthcare, technology, public affairs, financial services, corporate and crisis management. Its specialized services include digital/social media, advocacy advertising, market research, and corporate responsibility. In 2010, Weber Shandwick was named Global Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report for the second year in a row; an 'Agency of the Decade' by Advertising Age, Large PR Agency of the Year by Bulldog Reporter, a Digital Firm of the Year by PR News, and Top Corporate Responsibility Advisory Firm by CR Magazine. The firm has also won numerous 'best place to work' awards around the world. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit http://www.webershandwick.com.

About KRC Research

KRC Research is a full-service market and opinion research firm that specializes in research to support public relations and marketing communications. We conduct surveys, focus groups, and interviews around the globe to generate insights, test ideas, develop messages, track awareness, and measure success. We also conduct research to attract attention—generating headlines and establishing our clients as thought leaders. Fully integrated with Weber Shandwick, KRC Research offers the quality and custom service of a small firm along with the reach of a global organization. For over 30 years, we have worked on behalf of corporations, governments, not-for-profits and the communications firms that represent them.

SOURCE Powell Tate; Weber Shandwick

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