Data restored from a 1978 survey show a majority of Iowans at the time reporting opposition toward gay people in general. When asked about them working in various occupations, opposition was stronger for some occupations, such as teachers, than for others. These data come from Iowa Poll #229, a random sample survey of 600 Iowans from March 1978, which has been restored as part of a larger IPOL project to recover lost data from past Iowa Polls.

Data restored from a 1978 survey indicates that while Iowans' sympathies were with the Israelis, a majority favored establishing a Palestinian homeland in the Middle East in 1978, though this support dropped substantially when a follow up asked supporters if they still felt that way even it meant war. These data come from Iowa Poll #229, a random sample survey of 600 Iowans from March 1978, which has been restored as part of a larger IPOL project to recover lost data from past Iowa Polls.

IPOL presented some of our findings from Iowa Poll #229 from 1978 in Des Moines.

Data restored from a 1978 survey indicates that Iowans believed President Carter sided with the poor and factory workers more than he did with the wealthy, middle class, and farmers. These data come from Iowa Poll #229, a random sample survey of 600 Iowans from March 1978, which has been restored as part of a larger IPOL project to recover lost data from past Iowa Polls.

Data restored from a 1978 survey indicates that Iowans Iowans were generally open to women holding various positions in society, but overwhelmingly preferred men to hold them. These data come from Iowa Poll #229, a random sample survey of 600 Iowans from March 1978, which has been restored as part of a larger IPOL project to recover lost data from past Iowa Polls.

Starting in fall 2022, IPOL has been working to enter and analyze data from some recently unearthed Iowa Polls from the 1940s through the 1980s. This academic year we are working with Iowa Poll #229 from 1978. Keep an eye out for our news releases and full report this spring.

The Iowa Policy and Opinion Lab (IPOL) just released its Public Opinion Report on Iowa Poll #249--which was originally conducted by the Des Moines Register in September 1981--after restoring its contents. The report evaluates Iowans' responses on this survey, focusing on sets of questions related to constitutional rights, teaching Iowa history, the Iowa Caucuses, race, and personalities and trends from 1981 that people were most tired of.

Data restored from a 1981 survey indicates that while a near-majority of Iowans supported keeping the Iowa Caucuses in January, nearly one-third preferred to shift them to March or April. These data come from Iowa Poll #249, a random sample survey of 1021 Iowans from October 1981, which has been restored as part of a larger IPOL project to recover lost data from past Iowa Polls.

Four decades ago, Iowans were most unhappy about high interest rates, massage parlors, the neutron bomb, and clothes with alligators, among other items. They were less bothered by a royal wedding, coin operated video games, and Dan Rather. The question asked specifically, “Choose three things you are least thankful for in 1981” and offered a list of twelve items as shown in the figure below. For the first choice, there was a clear front-runner, with 65% saying they’re least thankful for high interest rates. The second and third most frequently cited options were Iran, with 43%, and massage parlors, with 39%. The least frequently given option was Dan Rather, 2% listing him among their three choices.

Recently reconstituted data from 1981 reveal that 44% of Iowans would eliminate at least one of the Ten Commandments. The top three chosen were “thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods” with 9%, and “remember the sabbath day to keep it holy” with 9%, and “though shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” with 8%. These results come from IPOL’s efforts to recover lost data from historical Iowa Polls, starting with Iowa Poll #249, a random sample survey of 1021 Iowans from October 1981.