American Aspirations Index Offers 'Compass to the Future' for Post-COVID Policymaking

BOSTON, March 3, 2021 (Newswire.com) - Today, the national think tank Populace released its inaugural American Aspirations Index, a national private opinion survey that represents the first-ever comprehensive study of the American people's long-term priorities for the future of the country, measured with survey methodologies that minimize the distortions found in many traditional public opinion polls. Using 55 attributes ranging from "is the most powerful country in the world" (ranked 51 out of 55) to "people have high quality healthcare" (2 out of 55), respondents used choice-based conjoint that distinguishes between personal opinion and perceived societal opinion.

"The results are consequential for anyone involved in politics, invested in business or even simply interested in how everyday Americans think of the future and one another. Decision-makers are justifiably asking 'where do we go from here?' amidst an international pandemic and following a historic election. This index provides answers to that question," said Dr. Todd Rose, Populace's co-founder and President. "The American Aspirations Index objectively and reliably measures our highest values, ideals, and aspirations for the country. It's as if the American people themselves gave policymakers a compass to the future we want the next generation to inherit." 

Some of the key findings from the report include:

• Across race, gender, income, education, generational cohorts, and 2020 presidential vote, there is stunning agreement on the long-term national values and priorities that should come to characterize America. Chief among them: high-quality healthcare as a necessity, not a privilege; an outsize commitment to individual rights; and upholding equal treatment for all, but not equal outcomes. 
• Where significant differences in aspirations do emerge, they are all but entirely political in nature. And even here, the evidence suggests Americans mistake intensity of partisan disagreement on a small number of issues (such as immigration) for breadth of partisan disagreement across a far-ranging number of issues. 
• Collective illusions — significant gaps between personal and perceived societal national aspirations — as an obstacle to progress. For example, there is a surprising level of support for action on climate change and conservation. However, Americans don't recognize it. Climate action privately ranks as the third-highest personally held national aspiration out of a full 55 possibilities; Americans believe that "most others" would register climate action as a back-half priority (#33). 
• Biden voters and Trump voters share a sense of urgency around five policy priorities. Voters from both political camps expect immediate progress on healthcare, keeping communities safe, helping the middle class, modernizing infrastructure, and criminal justice reform. 

The survey was conducted using a choice-based-conjoint (CBC) instrument that distinguishes between personal opinion and perceived societal opinion. Rather than directly asking respondents what aspirations they hold, this survey's CBC simulated real-world decision-making by forcing respondents to make tradeoffs. This not only reduces the ceiling effect where respondents can claim everything is important but also minimizes social desirability effects. Populace and YouGov's teams surveyed 2,010 U.S. adults who were varied by age, gender, income level, and political preferences. 

Populace is a Massachusetts-based think tank dedicated to building a world where all people have the chance to live fulfilling lives in a thriving society. 

For more information or to schedule an interview with Dr. Todd Rose, please contact Frank Schembari at [email protected].

Source: Populace