2008 Heritage Member Survey Results
December 3, 2008| By Nathaniel Ward
In the fall, we surveyed Heritage Foundation members to gauge their views on a variety of crucial issues.
Leadership for America
The following are The Heritage Foundation's 10 initiatives that serve as the framework of the Leadership for America campaign. Please rate how important each goal is to you.
First Principles: Revive a broad understanding and respect for the constitutional principles that form the very core of our freedoms.
Very Unimportant: 10%
Somewhat Unimportant: 1%
Somewhat Important: 5%
Very Important: 83%
Rule of Law: Return the judiciary to its constitutional role.
Very Unimportant: 10%
Somewhat Unimportant: 1%
Somewhat Important: 6%
Very Important: 82%
Family and Religion: Cultivate an environment in which the permanent institutions of family and religion can flourish.
Very Unimportant: 9%
Somewhat Unimportant: 3%
Somewhat Important: 14%
Very Important: 72%
No Response: 1%
Education: Provide the coming generations with the world's finest educational system.
Very Unimportant: 8%
Somewhat Unimportant: 5%
Somewhat Important: 18%
Very Important: 67%
No Response: 1%
Entitlements: Replace the culture of entitlement with one of mutual responsibility.
Very Unimportant: 8%
Somewhat Unimportant: 2%
Somewhat Important: 13%
Very Important: 73%
No Response: 2%
Health Care: Give every American freedom of choice in health care.
Very Unimportant: 8%
Somewhat Unimportant: 4%
Somewhat Important: 20%
Very Important: 66%
Energy and Environment: Provide energy and environmental solution to keep America safe, free, and prosperous.
Very Unimportant: 9%
Somewhat Unimportant: 3%
Somewhat Important: 13%
Very Important: 73%
Entrepreneurship: Unshackle American entrepreneurs by making the United States the most economically free country in the world.
Very Unimportant: 9%
Somewhat Unimportant: 2%
Somewhat Important: 16%
Very Important: 71%
No Response: 1%
Protect America: Protect America - and Americans – from freedom's enemies.
Very Unimportant: 10%
Somewhat Unimportant: 0%
Somewhat Important: 4%
Very Important: 84%
American Leadership: Restore American leadership and freedom in the world.
Very Unimportant: 10%
Somewhat Unimportant: 3%
Somewhat Important: 18%
Very Important: 66%
No Response: 1%
Issues
Please rate how important the following issues are to you.
Economic growth
Very Unimportant: 8%
Somewhat Unimportant: 1%
Somewhat Important: 20%
Very Important: 68%
No Response: 1%
Energy prices
Very Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Unimportant: 4%
Somewhat Important: 30%
Very Important: 56%
No Response: 1%
Islamist terrorism
Very Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Unimportant: 2%
Somewhat Important: 13%
Very Important: 76%
No Response: 1%
Homeland security
Very Unimportant: 9%
Somewhat Unimportant: 1%
Somewhat Important: 10%
Very Important: 77%
No Response: 2%
Russian aggression
Very Unimportant: 5%
Somewhat Unimportant: 9%
Somewhat Important: 40%
Very Important: 43%
No Response: 1%
Immigration
Very Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Unimportant: 3%
Somewhat Important: 15%
Very Important: 72%
No Response: 1%
Tax cuts
Very Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Unimportant: 5%
Somewhat Important: 30%
Very Important: 55%
No Response: 1%
Tax reform
Very Unimportant: 9%
Somewhat Unimportant: 2%
Somewhat Important: 18%
Very Important: 68%
No Response: 1%
Government regulation
Very Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Important: 32%
Very Important: 51%
No Response: 1%
Lawsuit abuse
Very Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Unimportant: 2%
Somewhat Important: 23%
Very Important: 64%
No Response: 1%
Government spending
Very Unimportant: 8%
Somewhat Unimportant: 0%
Somewhat Important: 6%
Very Important: 83%
No Response: 1%
Reducing the size and power of government
Very Unimportant: 8%
Somewhat Unimportant: 0%
Somewhat Important: 9%
Very Important: 80%
Judicial activism
Very Unimportant: 6%
Somewhat Unimportant: 4%
Somewhat Important: 16%
Very Important: 68%
No Response: 4%
Social Security reform
Very Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Unimportant: 3%
Somewhat Important: 29%
Very Important: 57%
No Response: 2%
Health care reform
Very Unimportant: 6%
Somewhat Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Important: 40%
Very Important: 42%
No Response: 2%
Education reform
Very Unimportant: 6%
Somewhat Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Important: 32%
Very Important: 50%
No Response: 4%
Abortion
Very Unimportant: 11%
Somewhat Unimportant: 11%
Somewhat Important: 19%
Very Important: 55%
No Response: 2%
Gun rights
Very Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Unimportant: 9%
Somewhat Important: 28%
Very Important: 52%
No Response: 2%
Religious freedom
Very Unimportant: 6%
Somewhat Unimportant: 2%
Somewhat Important: 13%
Very Important: 76%
No Response: 1%
Free speech
Very Unimportant: 7%
Somewhat Unimportant: 2%
Somewhat Important: 9%
Very Important: 80%
No Response: 1%
Opinion survey
1. The Economy
Do you think the left's attacks on the free-market system are having an effect?
Yes: 81%
Undecided: 13%
No Response: 3%
What changes would improve our economy?
reduce unneeded regulation on business: 71%
increase regulation on business: 6%
reform the legal system to prevent frivolous lawsuits: 81%
reduce taxes on business: 80%
reduce taxes on individuals and families: 68%
increase taxes: 1%
cut government spending: 90%
stop bailing out failing businesses and industries: 65%
increase government aid to ailing businesses and families: 6%
increase free trade: 37%
decrease free trade: 13%
Other:13%
No Response: 1%
2. Energy Policy
What do you think is the reason for the rise in energy prices?
There is not enough supply to meet the demand: 54%
The world is running out of oil: 7%
The oil companies are price-gouging: 25%
Not enough investment in alternative energy: 26%
Other: 28%
No Response: 2%
Do you believe the government should continue to mandate the use of ethanol?
Yes: 10%
No: 69%
Undecided: 17%
No Response: 3%
Which of the following measures do you think the government should take to lower energy prices?
allow oil and natural gas exploration offshore: 94%
allow oil and natural gas exploration in ANWR: 87%
allow extraction of oil from shale in the western states: 86%
ease unnecessary regulation to speed up the building of nuclear power plants: 85%
allow the reprocessing of nuclear fuel as is done in France and other countries: 73%
ease unnecessary regulation to speed up the building of oil refineries: 79%
prevent frivolous litigation that blocks the building of nuclear power plants and refineries: 82%
increase subsidies to develop alternative energy sources: 39%
increase subsidies for the production of hybrid cars: 24%
increase taxes on the profits of the oil companies: 18%
Other: 5%
3. National Security
How do you rate the Islamist terrorist threat against us?
the most important issue of our time: 57%
very serious: 38%
not important: 0%
invented by the Bush administration: 0%
No Response: 2%
What do you think of the war in Iraq?
We are well on our way to winning and need to stay until the country can defend itself: 86%
We have won and can now withdraw: 4%
We are losing and should withdraw as soon as possible: 1%
Other: 4%
No Response: 3%
Do you think it is important to have good relations with the European nations?
Yes: 80%
No: 7%
Undecided: 0%
No Response: 3%
Do you think it is important for the U.S. to remain in the United Nations?
Yes: 23%
No: 59%
Which of these do you consider serious threats to U.S. security, direct or indirect?
Iran: 82%
North Korea: 50%
Venezuela: 41%
Russia: 63%
China: 58%
Other repressive regimes: 22%
Civil wars: 5%
Religious repression: 29%
Terrorism: 83%
No Response: 2%
Do you think the U.S. should continue to develop the Strategic Defense Initiative to defend America from ballistic missiles?
Yes: 87%
No: 2%
Undecided: 7%
No Response: 3%
Do you think enough is being done to protect Americans from attack here at home?
Yes: 21%
No: 44%
Undecided: 30%
No Response: 4%
Do you think the government should have the power to conduct surveillance of telephone calls from suspected terrorists outside the United States?
Yes: 93%
No: 0%
Undecided: 3%
No Response: 2%
4. Immigration
Which statement comes closest to your view on immigration?
Immigrants take jobs away from Americans and we should severely limit immigration: 17%
Immigrants add valuable talent and energy to America and we should keep a high rate of immigration: 5%
Immigrants vary in their value to America and we should be more selective in who we admit: 71%
No Response: 6%
Which goals do you support for our immigration policy?
controlling our borders: 87%
making sure there is no shortage of workers: 5%
attracting the most skilled people from around the world: 44%
giving illegal aliens a path to citizenship: 11%
reducing the number of illegal aliens: 82%
making English our official language: 87%
teaching immigrants American history and civics: 52%
ending birthright citizenship: 57%
No Response: 3%
5. Taxes
Do you think you pay too much in taxes?
Yes: 67%
No: 16%
Undecided: 11%
No Response: 5%
Would you prefer a flat tax on income to our current income tax system?
Yes: 63%
No: 9%
Undecided: 21%
No Response: 6%
Would you prefer a national sales tax to our current income system?
Yes: 43%
No: 23%
Undecided: 23%
No Response: 9%
6. Values and the Family
Do you think that activist judges have taken over powers that belong to the legislatures and changed society in ways that elected representatives would and could not?
Yes: 89%
No: 1%
Undecided: 6%
No Response: 2%
Do you think the traditional family is under assault from the media and the general culture?
Yes: 91%
No: 3%
Undecided: 3%
No Response: 2%
Do you think it is important to reverse the decline of marriage and the acceptance of illegitimacy in our society?
Yes: 87%
No: 6%
Undecided: 4%
No Response: 2%
Do you think parents should have the right to raise their children with minimal interference from government?
Yes: 96%
No: 0%
Undecided: 1%
No Response: 1%
Do you think children would get a better education if their parents could choose which school they attend?
Yes: 80%
No: 5%
Undecided: 11%
No Response: 3%
Do you think we need a constitutional amendment to stop the imposition of same-sex marriage by the courts?
Yes: 4%
No: 89%
Undecided: 4%
No Response: 1%
Do you think private organizations such as the Boy Scouts should have the right to adhere to traditional values?
Yes: 97%
No: 0%
Undecided: 0%
No Response: 1%
Do you think the government should put limits on free speech through such measures as the Fairness Doctrine, campaign finance reform and hate-speech laws?
Yes: 12%
No: 73%
Undecided: 12%
No Response: 2%
7. Social Security Reform
Do you think the Social Security system needs to be reformed in order to have the resources to continue paying benefits to retirees over the next few decades?
Yes: 80%
No: 5%
Undecided: 9%
No Response: 4%
Do you think younger workers should be able to put some of their Social Security payments into private investment accounts?
Yes: 67%
No: 14%
Undecided: 15%
No Response: 2%
Do you think personal Social Security accounts would bring a higher income to retirees than the current system?
Yes: 54%
No: 12%
Undecided: 30%
No Response: 3%
8. Health Care Reform
Do you think America's health care system needs reform?
Yes: 59%
No: 18%
Undecided: 20%
No Response: 2%
Do you think that giving the federal government control of America's health care would be an improvement over what we have now?
Yes: 2%
No: 89%
Undecided: 5%
No Response: 2%
Do you think there is a way to improve our health care that would not involve more government control?
Yes: 75%
No: 8%
Undecided: 14%
No Response: 2%
