University Communications

ST. LEO, FL – Americans are feeling a need to be charitable in 2017, although the year’s numerous natural disasters and resulting suffering has caused some individual givers to rethink where their gifts are most needed, the latest survey by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute shows (http://polls.saintleo.edu).

The survey was conducted nationally November 19 to 24, 2017, Thanksgiving week, among 1,000 respondents. Results have a margin of error of + or – 3 percentage points. The scope of the national survey takes in people who saw wildfires leave communities bereft in the West, to those who pummeled by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana, and those threatened by the  Atlantic hurricane season in the East.

The institute also conducted the same survey the same week among 500 residents in Florida, where the entire peninsula was drenched by Hurricane Irma in September. Florida also possesses a geographic and cultural view of the suffering of the islands in the Caribbean during the storm season, including the devastation Hurricane Maria inflicted on Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory. The results from the Florida survey have a margin of error of + or – 4.5 percentage points.

When respondents received the Saint Leo survey and answered questions about charitable giving, results showed that on the whole, Americans are trying at least to keep pace with their patterns from the previous year. There is a slight uptick in numbers who are giving and increasing levels of giving. And smaller percentages seem to be giving less and not at all.

Charitable Donation Intentions Over Three Years

 
2017
2017
2017
2016
2016
2016
2015
2015
2015

Thinking about your level of charitable giving throughout current year, would you say you will be…
U.S. – %
U.S. Catholics – %
FL – %
U.S.- %
U.S. Catholics – %
FL – %
U.S. – […]

ST. LEO, FL –  As his new book is released,  a poll shows Pope Francis continues to have a strong favorable opinion rating among Americans, especially Catholics; however, his popularity has dipped. An online poll by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute (http://polls.saintleo.edu) was conducted nationally during Thanksgiving week between November 19 and November 24, 2017, among 1,000 adults, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points in either direction.

The poll asked those surveyed if their opinion of the pope was strongly favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or not at all favorable. Overall favorability reflects the combined results of “strongly approve” and “somewhat approve” responses.

Francis’ favorability is 62.9 percent, according to the Saint Leo poll, which is down from 67.9 percent in September, and from 70.5 percent in March.

Among Catholics nationally, Pope Francis’ favorable rating is at 81.4 percent—down from 87.9 percent in September and 82.6 percent in March.

As a Catholic university, founded on Benedictine traditions, the Saint Leo University Polling Institute consistently polls on the public’s opinion of the pope.

Francis’ new book, Happiness in This Life: A Passionate Meditation on Earthly Existence, discusses core issues of his papacy—mercy, support for marginalized people, and diplomacy, according to publisher Random House. Some of those issues also are examined in the Saint Leo poll.

Pope Francis received strong approval ratings (strongly and somewhat approve) for the job he is doing on human rights (65.4 percent) and advancing the cause of the poor (65.6 percent). He earned more moderate ratings on his job performance for environmental issues (53 percent), marriage and family issues (51.4 percent), immigration issues (49.8 percent), and handling cases of sexual abuse involving Catholic clergy (40.6 percent).

Among Catholics, Pope Francis earned […]

ST. LEO, FL – Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus as the son of God, but most Americans say they view the holiday as cultural rather than religious, a new survey released by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute (http://polls.saintleo.edu) shows.

The poll, conducted online November 19-24, 2017, asked 1,000 adults nationwide: “How do you view Christmas today?” Of the poll respondents, 43 percent say they think it is all or mostly cultural, while 31.3 percent say it is evenly cultural and religious. Saying they view Christmas as mostly or all religious are 15.3 percent, while 10.3 percent say they are unsure or have no opinion.

The decline in viewing Christmas as religious corresponds to a decrease in religious participation and a rise in secularism in general, said Dr. Marc Pugliese, assistant professor of religion and theology at Saint Leo University. “The reasons for these are hotly disputed,” Pugliese said. “One factor often mentioned is the distrust, even suspicion of, traditional authorities and institutions that has accelerated since the cultural revolutions of the 1960s.”

While historically many people turned to places of worship and religion to meet many of their needs, now they are turning to other sources, Pugliese explained. Others point to changing demographics including an increase in non-traditional families and growing “mixed marriages” of spouses of different religious and ethnic backgrounds to explain changes in attitudes toward Christmas and religion.

“It is important to note, though, that there is growing number of persons who identify themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious,’ with ‘religious’ referring to being affiliated with a major religious tradition,” Pugliese said. “These individuals do, however, have ‘religious’ beliefs and practices, but they are eclectic and piecemeal.”

Age appears to play a role in poll respondents’ […]

ST. LEO, FL – As Americans conduct more personal and business activities online, we also report feeling more wary about the things that can go wrong and more cognizant of the cyber threats that exist, a new survey from the Saint Leo University Polling Institute http://polls.saintleo.edu/ shows.

For instance, those who say that their data is either very secure or somewhat secure when using the Internet was 55.1 percent nationally, down significantly from the 72.1 percent reported the prior year, when the Saint Leo University Polling Institute last surveyed on cybersecurity.

The latest online survey was conducted nationally during Thanksgiving week between November 19 and November 24, 2017, among 1,000 adults, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points in either directions. A separate sample of 500 adults answered the same questions in Florida, the home state of Saint Leo University and the Saint Leo University Polling Institute. Responses from Florida have a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points in either direction, but often mirror the national poll on this topic.

The results also shows this year a higher percentage of computer users report unease, compared to last year. Specifically, respondents gave these replies to the question:

In general, and overall, how secure is your personal data/information when using the Internet.
Would you say…very secure, somewhat secure, not very secure, not at all secure, or unsure?

Security of Personal Data While Using Internet
National  % November 2016
National % November 2017
Florida % November 2016
Florida % November 2017

Very secure
14.7
12.3
19.6
13.8

Somewhat secure
57.4
42.8
54.5
43.8

Total of Very and Somewhat secure
72.1
55.1
74.1
57.6

Not very secure
17.2
29.9
17.2
26.6

Not at all secure
4.4
9.7
3.6
10.6

Total of Not very and Not at all secure
21.6
39.6
20.8
37.2

Unsure
6.3
5.3
5.2
5.2

More computer users are wary of networks, including those away from home, the survey also revealed. In 2016, for instance, […]