Nation's Alienation Index Decreases As Fewer People Feel Powerless and Isolated

Nation's Alienation Index Decreases As Fewer People Feel Powerless and Isolated

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- At this time each year, The Harris Poll(R) measures the level of alienation in the United States. In the latest survey, the Alienation Index has fallen four points, to 50, which is one of the lowest levels of alienation, apart from 2001, recorded since 1973.

The current drop of four points since last year's measure of 54 can perhaps be attributed to the presidential election. History strongly suggests that presidential elections reduce the level of alienation. The democratic process seems to increase the public's sense that it has some control over events. In fact, during the past 20 years the Alienation Index dropped an average of four percentage points following presidential elections, as it has this year.

These are some of the results of a nationwide Harris Interactive(R) survey of 1,014 adults conducted by telephone between November 9 and 14, 2004.

The Index is based on the replies to five questions, designed to measure feelings of powerlessness and isolation, which have been asked regularly since 1966. All of the replies to these five questions have decreased to varying degrees since 2003 (i.e. alienation has fallen).

-- 68 percent believe that "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer"
(down insignificantly from 69 percent in 2003).

-- 53 percent believe that "most people with power try to take advantage
of people like you" (down sharply from 60 percent in 2003).

-- 51 percent feel that "what you think doesn't count very much any more"
(down from 56 percent in 2003).

-- 44 percent believe that "the people running the country don't really
care what happens to you" (down from 46 percent in 2003).

-- 34 percent feel that "you're left out of things going on around you"
(down from 40 percent last year).



Harris Interactive also asks one other question, but (because it was not asked before 1992) the responses to the question are not used to compute the Alienation Index. The results show that 67 percent feel that "the people in Washington are out of touch with the rest of the country." This has not changed in the past year remaining a full 16 points above the 51 percent measured in December 2001, but it is still well below the 72 to 83 percent recorded in the 1990s.

Who is more/less alienated

The level of alienation varies greatly in different segments of the population. The highest levels of alienation are found among African Americans (Alienation Index 74), Democrats (67), people with household incomes of $25,000 or less (63), and Hispanics (62).

The lowest levels of alienation are found among Republicans (26), college graduates without a postgraduate degree (35), people with incomes over $75,000 (37), and college graduates with a post graduate degree (39).

Historical trends

When these questions were first asked in 1966, the Alienation Index stood at only 29. By 1971 it had risen to 40, and by 1977 (because of Watergate and the Vietnam War) it had risen to 59. The Index rose to 66 in 1991, and touched its highest point ever, 67, in 1995. It fell to 55 in 2000 and then fell again to 47 in 2001, after the attacks of 9/11.

Between 1990 and 1999 there was only one year in which the Index fell below 60. The average Alienation Index in the 1990s was 63; and in the 1980s the average was 57. It seems therefore that the "9/11 effect" continues, but it is wearing off. For the past three years the Index has been creeping up since the low of 47 in 2001 measured soon after 9/11. This low mark may be attributed to the effect of bringing people closer together following the unprecedented terrorist attacks of 2001.

However, due to increased interest in our political process resulting from the recently completed elections, the Index has fallen. If past trends are any indication we would expect to see the Index rise again next year.

TABLE 1
ALIENATION INDEX - TREND SINCE 1966
The Harris Interactive Alienation Index is calculated by taking an average
(mean) of those who agree with the first five statements (see Table 3).


YEAR INDEX
2004 50
2003 54
2002 52
2001 47
2000 55
1999 62
1998 56
1997 62
1996 62
1995 67
1994 65
1993 65
1992 65
1991 66
1990 61
1989 58
1988 54
1987 55
1986 60
1985 56
1984 55
1983 62
1982 56
1978 51
1977 59
1976 57
1974 59
1973 55
1972 44
1971 40
1969 36
1968 36
1966 29



The Alienation Index was not calculated in 1967, 1970, 1975, 1979, 1980 and 1981.

(C)2004, Harris Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited without the express written permission of Harris Interactive.

TABLE 2
ALIENATION INDEX: DECADE AVERAGES (MEAN)

The 1960s 34
The 1970s 52
The 1980s 57
The 1990s 63
The 2000s (so far) 52



(C)2004, Harris Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited without the express written permission of Harris Interactive.

TABLE 3

ALIENATION - INDIVIDUAL QUESTION TREND

"Now I want to read you some things some people have told us they have felt

from time to time. Do you tend to feel or not feel (READ LIST)?"


1972 1977 1985 1990 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
% % % % % % % % % %

The rich get
richer and the
poor get poorer 67 77 79 82 83 78 79 76 78 72

What you think
doesn't count
very much
anymore 50 61 62 62 62 66 71 65 63 60

Most people with
power try to
take advantage
of people like
yourself 43 60 65 64 71 70 72 67 69 58

The people
running the
country don't
really care what
happens to you 46 60 57 53 60 63 60 59 57 54

You're left out
of things going
on around you 25 35 48 44 48 49 51 43 43 33

The people in
Washington are
out of touch
with the rest
of the country* N/A N/A N/A N/A 83 83 81 75 76 76


1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Change
Since
Last
Year
% % % % % %
The rich get
richer and the
poor get poorer 74 69 69 72 69 68 -1

What you think
doesn't count
very much anymore 68 56 49 55 56 51 -5

Most people with
power try to take
advantage of people
like yourself 60 59 48 61 60 53 -7

The people running
the country don't
really care what
happens to you 62 53 36 44 46 44 -2

You're left out of
things going on
around you 46 39 33 30 40 34 -6

The people in
Washington are out
of touch with the
rest of the
country* 72 73 51 60 67 67 0

*Not included in the Alienation Index.



NOTE: These questions have always been asked at the end of the year, usually in December.

(C)2004, Harris Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited without the express written permission of Harris Interactive.

TABLE 4
ALIENATION INDEX BY DEMOGRAPHICS

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
All Adults 62 56 62 55 47 52 54 50
Sex:
Men 59 55 61 52 46 51 53 45
Women 65 56 63 59 48 54 56 54
Race/Ethnicity:
White 61 54 60 53 43 49 50 45
African American 70 62 72 63 66 68 68 74
Hispanic 70 55 59 54 54 56 64 62
Education:
High school graduate
or less 70 63 68 63 52 60 62 56
Some college 60 54 64 54 47 50 53 51
College graduate 51 42 47 46 36 40 38 35
Post graduate 42 46 43 32 39 40 47 39
Household Income:
$15,000 or less 70 63 64 64 60 65 71 62
$15,001 to $25,000 69 65 70 65 58 60 61 63
$25,001 to $35,000 65 56 67 53 48 60 63 58
$35,001 to $50,000 63 54 57 53 49 50 61 56
$50,001 to $75,000 57 54 62 54 45 51 54 46
$75,001 or more 52 45 55 46 34 40 40 37
Party Identification:
Republican 56 51 59 46 35 41 34 26
Democrat 65 57 63 62 54 62 66 67
Independent 64 56 65 53 49 55 58 55



(C)2004, Harris Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited without the express written permission of Harris Interactive.

Methodology

The Harris Poll(R) was conducted by telephone within the United States between November 9 and 14, 2004 among a nationwide cross section of 1,014 U.S. adults (ages 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults, number of voice/telephone lines in the household, region and size of place were weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.

In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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Q505-Q506

About Harris Interactive(R)


Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/), the 15th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, is a Rochester, N.Y.-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and application. Known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.

Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and technology to advance market leadership through U.S. offices and wholly owned subsidiaries: London-based HI Europe (http://www.hieurope.com/), Paris-based Novatris (http://www.novatris.com/), Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan, through newly acquired WirthlinWorldwide (http://www.wirthlinworldwide.com/), a Reston, Virginia-based research and consultancy firm ranked 25th largest in the world, and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V

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Press Contacts:

Nancy Wong
Harris Interactive
585-214-7316

Kelly Gullo
Harris Interactive
585-214-7172



Source: Harris Interactive

CONTACT: Nancy Wong, +1-585-214-7316, or Kelly Gullo, +1-585-214-7172,
both of Harris Interactive

Web site: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/


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