America First Parents Polling Data

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) will offer polling data to provide transparency into the thinking of the American people on topics related to education, gender identity, and national pride. The polling, which is conducted by Scott Rasmussen and surveys registered voters, is strictly for informational purposes and is not a statement of AFPI’s policy positions. 

POLLING OF REGISTERED VOTERS:

HIGHLIGHTS

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters    

• 60% of registered voters do not think public schools in their area should allow biological males who identify as women to use the women’s locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms. (April 11-13, 2023)
• · 88% of registered voters either strongly or somewhat agree that America is not perfect, but it is good to be patriotic and proud of the country. (March 16-17, 2023)
• · Seven in ten registered voters believe that biological males have an unfair advantage over biological females when competing against each other in women’s sports. (March 9-10, 2023)
• · 84% of registered voters either strongly agree or somewhat agree that parents should be able to see all curriculum plans and materials for classes their children take. (December 6–8, 2022)
• · 74% of registered voters believe the most appropriate way to teach U.S. history is that “America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance. Our Nation has a tragic history of racial injustice, but we have made and continue to make progress.” 15% of registered voters believe the most appropriate way to teach U.S. history is that “America was founded on the ideas of racial oppression and white supremacy. We must recognize that the Founders of our Nation were racist and reject the system of government they created.” (December 6–8, 2022)
• · 72% of registered voters do not believe schools should teach children that they can change their gender. (October 18–20, 2022)
• · 78% of registered voters believe parents should be primarily responsible for passing on values related to sex and gender identity. (April 14–16, 2022)

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION  

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters 

August 7-8, 2023

• 61% of registered voters support placing video cameras in public school classrooms to help ensure student and teacher accountability.
• 82% of registered voters who favor the use of video cameras in classrooms believe it is appropriate to put cameras in high school classrooms.
• 77% of registered voters who favor the use of video cameras in classrooms believe it is appropriate to put cameras in middle school classrooms.
• 66% of registered voters who favor the use of video cameras in classrooms believe it is appropriate to put cameras in elementary school classrooms.
• 56% of registered voters favor allowing parents with children in public schools to watch a livestream of their child’s classroom.
• 78% of registered voters who favor allowing parents with children in public schools to watch a livestream of their child’s classroom support parents watching a livestream of their elementary school child’s classroom.
• 74% of registered voters who favor allowing parents with children in public schools to watch a livestream of their child’s classroom classrooms support parents watching a livestream of their middle school child’s classroom.
• 71% of registered voters who favor allowing parents with children in public schools to watch a livestream of their child’s classroom support parents watching a livestream of their high school child’s classroom.
• 76% of registered voters support the following as the most appropriate approach to teaching U.S. History: America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance. Our nation has a tragic history of racial injustice, but we have made and continue to make progress.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters   

April 27-28, 2023 

Parental Rights and General Education:  

• 75% of voters say that schools should not teach children that they can change their gender.
• 44%-30% of voters oppose vs favor teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) to public school students.
• 72% believe that U.S. history should be taught as the following: America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance. Our nation has a tragic history of racial injustice, but we have made and continue to make progress.
• 82% of voters agree that parents should be able to see all curriculum plans and materials for classes their children take.
• 71% of voters agree that most public schools have lowered standards rather than demanding more from students
• 70% of voters agree that home schooling is a good option for parents who have the time and ability to provide it
• 66% of voters agree that American education will never go back to the way it was before the pandemic.
• 61% of voters agree that private schools offer a better education than public schools.
• 55% of voters agree that public school boards do not respect the role of parents.
• 49% of voters agree that many schools teach a radical ideology that would be offensive to parents.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters   

February 21–22, 2023 

Parents’ Rights:  

• Roughly half of the registered voters, when asked to choose between a candidate who said that teachers and other education professionals should decide what students are taught and a candidate who said that parents need more control over what their children are taught, would choose the second candidate described. 

Scott Rasmussen Iowa State Survey of Registered Voters  

January 30–February 6, 2023 

Curriculum Transparency and U.S. History:  

• A majority of registered voters in Iowa either strongly or somewhat support a proposal that would require public school teachers to put all lesson plans and materials online in advance so that parents can have access to them. 
• 45% of registered voters in Iowa believe that if parents object to particular lessons or materials being used in their children’s classrooms, they should have the right to opt out of those lessons. 
• Three-in-four registered voters in Iowa believe the most appropriate way to teach U.S. history is that “America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance. Our Nation has a tragic history of racial injustice, but we have made and continue to make progress.” Only 15% believe alternatively that the most appropriate way is to teach that “America was founded on the ideals of racial oppression and white supremacy. We must recognize that the founders of our Nation were racist and reject the system of government they created.” 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters   

January 19–20, 2023 

Curriculum Transparency:

• Over two-thirds of registered voters would favor a proposal that would require public school teachers to put all lesson plans and materials online and in advance so that parents can have access to them.
• A majority of registered voters believe parents should have the right to opt their children out of lesson plans if they object to particular lessons and materials being used in their children’s classrooms.
• A majority of registered voters do not believe it would be a significant burden requiring teachers to post lesson plans and curriculum materials online.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters   

 December 6-8, 2022

Critical Race Theory, U.S. History, and Schools

• Less than one-third of registered voters favor teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) to public school students.
• 74% of registered voters believe the most appropriate way to teach U.S. history is by teaching that “America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance. Our Nation has a tragic history of racial injustice, but we have made and continue to make progress.” Just 15% of registered voters believe the most appropriate way to teach U.S. history is by teaching that “America was founded on the ideas of racial oppression and white supremacy. We must recognize that the Founders of our Nation were racist and reject the system of government they created.”
• 72% of registered voters either strongly agree or somewhat agree that most public schools have lowered standards rather than demanding more from students.
• More than half of registered voters either strongly agree or somewhat agree that public school boards do not respect the role of parents.
• Nearly two-thirds of registered voters either strongly agree or somewhat agree that private schools offer a better education than public schools.
• 84% of registered voters either strongly agree or somewhat agree that parents should be able to see all curriculum plans and materials for classes their children take.
• Half of registered voters either strongly agree or somewhat agree that many schools teach a radical ideology that would be offensive to parents.
• More than two-thirds of registered voters either strongly agree or somewhat agree that homeschooling is a good option for parents who have the time and ability to provide it.
• 63% of registered voters either strongly agree or somewhat agree that American education will never go back to the way it was before the pandemic.
• 47% of registered voters believe that if someone is “woke,” they are likely to believe the U.S. was founded on slavery, oppression, and racism. Only 31% of registered voters believe that someone who is “woke” believes the U.S. was founded on freedom, equality, and self-governance.
• 58% of registered voters believe that if someone is “woke,” they are likely to be seen as very progressive.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters   

September 1-2, 2022

U.S. History:

• 73% of registered voters believe the most appropriate way to teach U.S. history is that “America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance. Our Nation has a tragic history of racial injustice, but we have made and continue to make progress.” 15% of registered voters believe the most appropriate way to teach U.S. history is that “America was founded on the ideas of racial oppression and white supremacy. We must recognize that the founders of our Nation were racist and reject the system of government they created.”

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters   

August 9-11, 2022 

Schools:

• 68% of registered voters either do not believe public schools provide the best education for elementary school students or are unsure.
• Over one-third of registered voters believe public schools provide the worst education for elementary school students.
• 69% of registered voters either do not believe public schools provide the best education for high school students or are unsure.
• Over one-third of registered voters believe public schools provide the worst education for high school students.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters   

April 14-16, 2022 

Transparency and Critical Race/Radical Gender Theory:

• 53% of registered voters believe parents should have the greatest say in what children are taught. 
• 78% of registered voters believe parents should be primarily responsible for passing on values related to sex and gender identity. 
• 44% of registered voters oppose teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) to public school students. 36% of registered voters support teaching CRT. 19% have never heard of CRT and 1% are not sure. 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

April 13-14, 2022 

Politics in Education, Teachers’ Unions, and Critical Race Theory: 

• 37% of registered voters believe that teachers’ unions in general are politically more liberal than most Americans. 20% of registered voters believe they are more conservative than most Americans. 20% believe they are politically neutral, and 23% are not sure. 
• 41% of registered voters oppose teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) to public school students. 33% of registered voters favor teaching CRT. 15% have never heard of CRT and 11% are not sure. 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

March 10, 2022 

School Reading Materials:

• 61% of registered voters believe books that include detailed descriptions of rape, sexual assault, profanity, and that encourage hatred against males should not be allowed in middle and high school libraries. 
• 58% of registered voters believe books that include profanity, racial discrimination, drug use, alcoholism, and promote distrust in the police should not be allowed in middle and high school libraries. 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

March 8, 2022 

Religion in Education and School Choice:

• 55% of registered voters believe teachers should be allowed to lead prayers in public schools. 
• 68% of registered voters believe students should be allowed to hold Bible studies and other religious activities in public schools. 
• 76% of registered voters believe that if parents are unhappy with the public school their children attend, they should be allowed to send their children to a different public school at no additional cost. 
• 36% of registered voters believe the competition created by additional options for schooling their children has no impact on public schools. 29% of registered voters think the competition makes public schools better, 18% think it makes public schools worse, and 16% are not sure. 
• 84% of registered voters believe state and local governments should be supportive of parents who choose to homeschool their children.  

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

February 24-27, 2022 

Critical Race Theory, and Religion in Education:

• 75% of registered voters are concerned about what their children are being taught in schools these days. 
• 69% of registered voters believe it is appropriate to teach that America was founded on noble ideals and is a force for good in the world in elementary school education.
• 70% of registered voters believe it is appropriate to teach that slavery and legalized racism played a major role in U.S. history in elementary school education. 
• 51% of registered voters believe it is appropriate to teach stories and examples from the Bible in elementary school education. 
• 55% of registered voters believe it is inappropriate to teach that America was founded on racism and white supremacy in elementary school education. 
• 72% of registered voters believe it is appropriate to teach that America was founded on noble ideals and is a force for good in the world in high school education. 
• 74% of registered voters believe it is appropriate to teach that slavery and legalized racism played a major role in U.S. history in high school education. 
• 50% of registered voters believe it is appropriate to teach that Communism is evil in high school education.
• 63% of registered voters believe books that speak truthfully about slavery in America should not be banned from elementary school education.
• 56% of registered voters do not believe that the Bible should be banned from high school education.
• 74% of registered voters do not believe books that speak truthfully about slavery in America should be banned from high school education. 
• 61% of registered voters do not believe books that present the Founding Fathers as heroes should be banned from high school education. 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters 

January 24-25, 2022

Critical Race Theory:

• 72% of registered voters agree that their identity as an American is more important than their racial and ethnic heritage. 
• 75% of registered voters agree with the statement, “America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance. Our nation has a tragic history of racial injustice, but we have made and continue to make progress.” 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

November 22, 2021 

College Education:

• 40% of registered voters believe most college graduates do not have the practical skills needed to earn a living when they finish college. 39% of registered voters think college graduates do have the practical skills needed, and 20% are not sure. 
•  49% of registered voters believe colleges should provide a patriotic education. 26% of registered voters disagree, and 25% are not sure. 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

August 3, 2021 

COVID-19 School Policies and Critical Race Theory:

• 63% of registered voters want schools open for in-person learning this fall. 
• 69% of registered voters believe students should be taught that " America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance. Our nation has a tragic history of racial injustice, but we have made and continue to make progress.” 
  • 18% disagree and believe students should be taught that “America was founded on the ideas of racial oppression and white supremacy. We must recognize that the founders of our nation were racist and reject the system of government they created.” 

GENDER IDENTITY 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

August 7-8, 2023  

• 76% of registered voters do not support schools teaching children that they can change their gender. Only 11% support schools teaching children that they can change their gender.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

April 11-13, 2023  

Gender Identity, Gender Identity in Schools, and “Gender-Affirming Care”: 

• At least one in five registered voters say the public schools in their area allow biological males to participate in women’s sports.
• A majority of registered voters do not think public schools in their area should allow biological males to participate in women’s sports.
• One in five registered voters say the public schools in their area allow biological males who identify as women to us the women’s locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms.
• 60% of registered voters do not think public schools in their area should allow biological males who identify as women to use the women’s locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms.
• Twice as many registered voters say the increase in the number of transgender teens in America is somewhat or very bad than those who say it is somewhat or very good.
• Given the choice between a presidential candidate who says we must make it illegal to perform gender transition surgery on children under 18 and a presidential candidate who says we must make it illegal for schools to let parents know about a student’s decisions to change his or her gender identity, 71% of registered voters say they would vote for candidate that makes gender transition surgery illegal for minors.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

March 16-17, 2023  

Gender Identity: 

• 79% of registered voters either strongly or somewhat agree with the statement: “People who want to live as a gender different from their biological sex should have that right and not be discriminated against. However, there are issues around child consent to transitioning and participation in women’s sports that are complicated and not settled.” 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

March 9-10, 2023  

Gender Identity, “Gender Affirming Care,” Women’s Sports: 

• Over three-quarters of registered voters either strongly or somewhat agreed with the following statement: Every American should be treated equally, but it’s important to acknowledge that there are significant biological differences between men and women.
• About two-thirds of registered voters believe it should be against the law to perform gender-affirming surgery, which alters a person’s physical sexual characteristics to match their gender identity, on anyone who is under 18.
• Seven in ten registered voters believe that biological males have an unfair advantage over biological females when competing against each other in women’s sports.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

January 30–February 6, 2023  

Gender Identity and “Gender-Affirming Care”:  

• Almost two-thirds of registered voters in Iowa do not think schools should teach children that they can change their gender. 
• A majority of registered voters in Iowa believe that if a student tells his or her teacher of a desire to change his or her gender, name, or personal pronouns, the teacher should be required to notify the child’s parents. 
• Three-fifths of registered voters in Iowa think it should be against the law to provide “gender-affirming care,” which involves puberty blockers or surgery to help transition a boy to a girl or a girl to a boy to children. 
• A majority of registered voters in Iowa believe conducting gender-transition surgery on children is a form of child abuse.  

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

January 18–19, 2023  

Gender Identity in Schools and the Military: 

• 67% of registered voters believe a high school student that is born a boy and chooses to identify as female but retains all the physical characteristics and reproductive organs of a man should be required to use the men’s restroom.   

October 25-27, 2022 

Radical Gender Theory, and “Gender-Affirming Care”:

• When given the choice between two candidates for Congress, 56% of registered voters responded that they would vote for the candidate who said it should be illegal to provide surgery to help children transition from one gender to another. 25% of registered voters responded that they would vote for the candidate who said it would be immoral to restrict surgery that helps children transition from one gender to another.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters   

October 18-20, 2022 

Radical Gender Theory, and “Gender-Affirming Care”:

• 72% of registered voters do not believe schools should teach children that they can change their gender.
• 62% of registered voters believe that it is inappropriate for schools to teach children that they can change their gender, regardless of what grade they are in.
• 80% of registered voters believe that if schools teach children that they can change their gender, parents should be given advance notice and the choice to opt out their children from the curriculum.
• 54% of registered voters believe that school officials who implement curriculum teaching children that they can change their gender do so because they are pushing an ideological or social agenda, not because they have children’s best interests at heart.
• 73% of registered voters believe that if a boy tells his teacher or school official that he wants to identify as a girl, the teacher or school should notify the parents.
• 59% of registered voters believe it should be against the law to provide “gender-affirming care”, which involves puberty blockers or surgery to help transition a boy to a girl or a girl to a boy, to children.
• 56% of registered voters believe conducting gender-transition surgery on children is a form of child abuse.
• 73% of registered voters either strongly or somewhat disagree with people who advocate that children should be allowed to receive “gender-affirming care”, including puberty blockers and surgery, without the permission of the parents.
• When asked who should pay for “gender-affirming care” if children are allowed to receive it without their parents’ permission, 77% of registered voters responded that children should NOT be allowed to receive “gender-affirming care” without their parents’ permission.
• 60% of registered voters believe it is a form of child abuse when a teacher or school encourages students to change their gender identity.
• 60% of registered voters believe it is not a form of a child abuse for parents to encourage their child to retain his or her biological gender if they express a desire to transition to another gender.
• 69% of registered voters either strongly or somewhat oppose a proposal that would require all public schools to treat people according to their chosen gender identity. For example, this proposal would allow a biological male who identifies as female to compete in women’s sports and use the women’s locker room.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters 

September 1-2, 2022 

• One-third of registered voters have never heard of “gender-affirming care.” Of those who are familiar, 27% had an unfavorable opinion of gender-affirming care, 23% had a favorable opinion, and 18% were not sure whether they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion. 
• 58% of registered voters agreed it should be against the law to provide children with puberty blockers, drugs, and/or surgery to help them transition from one gender to another.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters   

August 9-11, 2022 

Title IX, and Radical Gender Theory:

• 73% of registered voters either do not know what Title IX policies are or are unsure.
• 61% of registered voters either strongly or somewhat oppose allowing biological males who identify as female to use girls’ bathrooms.
• 69% of registered voters believe it is either very or somewhat inappropriate to withhold school lunch funding from schools that do not follow the Title IX guidelines. 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

July 12-13, 2022 

• When asked about a biological man that transitioned and considered themselves a woman, 46% said they would still consider the person to be a man. 33% said they would consider the person a woman. 22% were not sure. 
• 78% of registered voters do not have any close friends or family members that transitioned from one gender to another. 
• When asked, “Should a child under 18 be encouraged to explore and define his or her own gender identity, or should he or she be encouraged to accept the gender that aligns with his or her biological sex?” 49% said a child should accept the gender that aligns with his or her biological sex. 32% said a child should define his or her own gender identity, and 19% were not sure. 
• 62% believe that, should a public school encourage students to explore and define their own gender identities, parents who disagree with the policy should have the right—at no cost—to send their children to a different school that encourages students to accept the gender that aligns with their biological sex. 
• 61% of registered voters have never met someone who expressed preferred personal gender pronouns. 
• 85% of registered voters have never introduced themselves to others by expressing their own preferred personal pronouns. 
• Voters learned that, “In one school, a female student transitioned over the summer and began identifying as a male. A teacher agreed to use the student’s new name but refused to identify the student as male. He believed that there are unchangeable biological realities and that people are born male and female.” When asked if they agreed or disagreed with the teacher, 51% of registered voters agreed with the teacher. 
  • 59% of registered voters do not believe it was appropriate for the teacher in the story to be fired for refusing to identify the transitioned student as male. 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

March 31-April 2, 2022  

• 78% of registered voters say it is very easy or somewhat easy to define what a woman is.  
• 73% of registered voters said a person is a woman if they were born female but are unable to have children.
• 56% of registered voters said a person born male but considers themselves to be a woman is a man.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

March 10-12, 2022 

• 70% of registered voters believe that young elementary school children should not be taught that they can change their gender (only 15% said yes).
• When asked “Some people advocate “gender-affirming care” which involves surgery to alter a person's physical sexual characteristics to match their gender identity, which can be used to transition a boy to a girl or a girl to a boy. Should it be against the law to perform such a surgery on young children?” 63% of registered voters said “yes”.
• 66% of registered voters said it should be against the law to perform such a surgery on anyone under 18.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

February 24-27, 2022 

• 67% of registered voters believe biological males have an unfair advantage competing against biological females in women’s sports. 
• 64% of registered voters do not believe biological males who identify as women should be allowed to compete in women’s sports events. 
• 50% of registered voters believe biological males who identify as women should be required to use the boys’ room in public school restrooms. 
• 71% of registered voters agree that science proves there are only two genders, male and female. 
• 60% of registered voters agree that students should be taught normal sexual relations involve a man and a woman. 
• 51% of registered voters believe it is inappropriate to teach that children can choose their own gender identity in elementary school education. 
• 73% of registered voters disagree that students should be encouraged to have sexual relations with both men and women.  
• 59% of registered voters agree that students should be encouraged to wait and have a sexual relationship only with the person they marry. 

PRIDE IN AMERICA 

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

March 16-17, 2023

• 88% of registered voters either strongly or somewhat agree that America is not perfect, but it is good to be patriotic and proud of the country.
• Over three-quarters of registered voters either strongly or somewhat agree that discrimination and racism are bad, but they are not the cause of all disparities in America.
• More than 80% of registered voters either strongly or somewhat agree that no one is completely without bias, but calling all white people racists who benefit from white privilege and American society a white supremacist society is not right or fair.

Scott Rasmussen National Survey of Registered Voters  

May 10-11, 2022  

• 55% of registered voters believe America is still the land of opportunity. 
• 36% of registered voters believe it would be better for European nations to become more like the United States. 29% believe the U.S. should become more like Europe, and 35% were not sure. 
• 81% of registered voters say they are proud to be an American. 

 Counterpolling™ surveys of 1,200 Registered Voters were conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, with field work conducted by RMG Research, Inc. Certain quotas were applied, and the samples were lightly weighted by geography, gender, age, race, education, internet usage, and political party to reasonably reflect the nation’s population of Registered Voters. Other variables were reviewed to ensure that the final sample is representative of that population.

The margin of sampling error for the full samples is +/- 2.8 percentage points.

These surveys were paid for by RMG Research, Inc. as part of the service provided for Gold Circle Members.