How Americans View World Population Issues: A Survey of Public Opinion [Paperback]

Sally Patterson (Author), David M. Adamson (Author), Nancy Belden (Author), Julie Davanzo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 2000

This report presents results of a national survey of how Americans view global demographic trends and issues in the context of U.S. international economic assistance. The survey asked about three groups of topics: attitudes about U.S. economic assistance overseas and priorities for targeting U.S. aid; knowledge and views of global demographic facts and trends; and views of specific issues, including family planning programs, abortion, and congressional actions on population-policy measures. The survey found that, notwithstanding a perception that Americans have become more absorbed with domestic problems since the end of the Cold War, a majority feels that U.S. economic assistance to other countries is necessary and appropriate.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This report presents the results of a survey of Americans' views aboutglobal demographic trends and issues in the context of U.S. inter-nationaleconomic assistance. The survey was conducted in August-September 1998 by Belden Russonello & Stewart, a public-opinionresearch firm in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with RonaldHinckley of Research/Strategy/Management, and coordinated bySally Patterson of Wagner Associates Public Affairs Consulting, Inc., apublic-affairs consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., and NewYork, N.Y. The work was performed jointly for RAND, with fundingfrom the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Centre forDevelopment and Population Activities (CEDPA).The survey explored public knowledge about world population factsand trends and public views on specific issues, such as U.S. inter-nationaleconomic assistance, family planning, and abortion. Thisreport should be of interest to anyone concerned with what the pub-licknows and thinks about population-related issues.RAND's portion of this research was conducted for the PopulationMatters project within RAND's Labor and Population Program. Aprincipal goal of Population Matters is to inform public and eliteaudiences about findings of demographic research and their impli-cationsfor policy. We also hope to identify information gaps andmisperceptions and determine which of these can effectively be filledby scientific information. A related report explores congressionalviews on population issues (How Does Congress Approach Populationand Family Planning Issues? Results of Qualitative Interviews withLegislative Directors, RAND, MR-1048-WFHF/RF/UNFPA).The Population Matters project is funded by grants from the Williamand Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and theDavid and Lucile Packard Foundation. For further information onthe Population Matters project, contact:Julie DaVanzo, Director, Population MattersRANDP.O. Box 21381700 Main St.Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138Julie_DaVanzo@rand.

About the Author

David M. Adamson (Ph. D., University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) , EnglishStudies) is a communications analyst, RAND Corporation.

JULIE DaVANZO (University of California, Los Angeles Ph.D., Economics) is the Director, Population Matters Project at RAND.

Product Details

• Paperback: 123 pages
• Publisher: Rand Publishing (October 26, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0833028235
• ISBN-13: 978-0833028235
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,477,526 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)