January 2-6, 2016: AllState/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll on the Middle Class and the American Dream
Question: Compared to your parents when they were your age, would you say you have…?
| Opportunity Compared With Parents (Trend Data Among Total Sample) | 07/09 | 05/11 | 09/12 | 09/13 | 05/15 | 01/16 |
| More opportunities to get ahead | 54% | 44% | 48% | 45% | 41% | 44% |
| Fewer opportunities to get ahead | 18% | 29% | 23% | 27% | 29% | 29% |
| About the same amount of opportunity | 26% | 24% | 28% | 26% | 26% | 25% |
| Don’t know/ refused | 2% | 3% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 2% |
Question: Thinking ahead to when today’s children are your age, do you think they will have…?
| Children’s Opportunity In The Future (Trend Data Among Total Sample) | 07/09 | 12/10 | 05/11 | 09/12 | 09/13 | 01/16 |
| More opportunities to get ahead | 31% | 25% | 33% | 32% | 20% | 32% |
| Fewer opportunities to get ahead | 36% | 39% | 35% | 32% | 45% | 33% |
| About the same amount of opportunity | 29% | 30% | 26% | 31% | 30% | 28% |
| Don’t know/ refused | 5% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 6% |
Question: Now, I’m going to read you two statements. After each one, please tell me if you agree or disagree.
In the United States today, children from all races growing up today have adequate opportunities to be successful.
| Adequate Opportunities For All Races (Trend Data Among Total Sample) |
07/09 | 01/16 |
| Agree | 65% | 51% |
| Disagree | 33% | 47% |
| Don’t know/ refused | 2% | 2% |
In the United States, children from all income groups growing up today have adequate opportunities to be successful.
| Adequate Opportunities For All Income Groups (Trend Data Among Total Sample) | 07/09 | 01/16 |
| Agree | 48% | 40% |
| Disagree | 50% | 59% |
| Don’t know/ refused | 2% | 1% |
Question: In general, in the last ten years, do you believe that the United States is doing better, worse or about the same at providing equal opportunity for people of …?
| U.S. On Providing Equal Opportunity For All Races (Trend Data Among Total Sample) | 05/11 | 01/16 |
| Doing better | 48% | 33% |
| Doing worse | 17% | 29% |
| About the same | 33% | 36% |
| Don’t know/ refused | 2% | 3% |
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| U.S. On Providing Equal Opportunity For All Income Groups | 01/16 | |
| Doing better | 21% | |
| Doing worse | 40% | |
| About the same | 36% | |
| Don’t know/ refused | 2% | |
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| U.S. On Providing Equal Opportunity For All Generations | 01/16 | |
| Doing better | 27% | |
| Doing worse | 33% | |
| About the same | 36% | |
| Don’t know/ refused | 4% |
Via Heartland Monitor Poll
Universe: Country: United States
Method: Telephone: Landline and Cellphone
Sample Size: 1,000