As the debate over controversial issues such as book banning and transgender policies in the U.S. rages, the latest Fox News Poll asks voters how much of a problem these issues are.
When it comes to public schools, a majority views book banning as problematic with 60% saying it’s a major problem. About half rate too much focus on race (49%), parents not having enough say in what’s being taught (48%), and overly accommodating transgender policies (48%) as major problems.
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On more specific transgender issues, 57% think political attacks on families with transgender children is a major problem, while 54% say the same about female transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
Among parents, about 6 in 10 say book banning is a major problem (56%) – that’s mostly driven by moms (63% say it’s a major problem vs. 47% of dads). About half of parents cite too much of a focus on race (51%) as a major problem, with similar numbers for transgender policies (49%), and parents not getting enough of a say (48%).
In general, parents think attacks on trans families are more problematic (57% major problem) than trans women competing in female sports (49%).
There are sharp partisan divides when it comes to public school concerns and transgender issues.
Democrats see book banning as the most problematic issue when it comes to schools (70% a major problem), far outdistancing too much of a focus on race (34%), transgender policies (28%), and parents not having a say (26%).
It’s the reverse among Republicans, as they prioritize transgender policies (71% a major problem) and parents not having enough say (70%), followed by too much focus on race (63%), and book banning (48%).
Democrats (69%) are more likely than Republicans (43%) to say political attacks on families with transgender kids are a major problem, while twice as many Republicans (72%) as Democrats (35%) say female transgender athletes in women’s sports is a major issue.
"The partisan divide is enormous when it comes to how voters perceive what’s going on in the public schools," says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps conduct the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. "Many Republicans see school administrators pursuing a woke, progressive ideological agenda with respect to educational curricula, while many Democrats see outside forces pushing for censorship and discrimination."
Still, when asked to say, without the aid of a list, what they feel is the most important issue facing the county, just 1% cite wokeness/transgender issues.
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Conducted April 21-24, 2023, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with 1,004 registered voters nationwide who were randomly selected from a national voter file and spoke with live interviewers on both landlines and cellphones. The total sample has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
