State of the Wave — Public Support For Space is Robust

Published by Dr. Bruce Cordell at 3:01 am under Wave Guide 2: Public Opinion

Recent opinion polls suggest the American public's support for the space program is remarkably resilient, especially considering the current global recession.

Gallup shows that public support for space has increased since 1979. Click gallup1.doc.

Just prior to Apollo 11's 40th anniversary (July 10-12) Gallup found that 58% of respondents believe "the space program has brought enough benefits to justify its costs," while only 28% did not. This number has increased since the late 1970s when, 10 years after the first Moon landing, only 41% agreed with Gallup's statement; it was 47% in 1994 and increased to 55% in 1999.

This positive progression is what we'd expect as we approach the excitement of the 2015 Maslow Window, but it is especially impressive given that we're apparently at the bottom of the worst global contraction since the Great Depression.

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