LifeSiteNews.com - 22 Mai 03

Harvard Survey Notes College Students Not So Liberal On Abortion
Campus Kids Called the 'Key Swing Group of the 2004 Elections'

CAMBRIDGE, Mass, May 22, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - While college students are normally believed to be more liberal, especially on social issues such as abortion, a new Harvard survey has found that on abortion college students are on par with the general U.S. population with 73% wanting total or partial legal restrictions on abortion.  College students can be a potent political force in 2004, according to the national survey of undergraduates conducted by Harvard University's Institute of Politics. These "Campus Kids", the offspring of the Soccer Moms and Office Park Dads, are a persuadable group who are not yet slanted to one major political party or ideology, notes the study.

"Campus Kids can be the key swing group of the 2004 elections if the campaigns and the candidates for office properly engage them," said Dan Glickman, Director of the Institute of Politics and a former US Cabinet Secretary and member of Congress. "This is an enormous reservoir of potential voters and volunteers, almost 10 million strong, who can be channeled to winning campaigns if they are nurtured. But candidates who ignore or alienate this demographic group risk losing their elections."

The survey asked, "Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances, or illegal in all circumstances?" only 26% responded it should be legal under any circumstances; 53% said it should be legal only under certain circumstances; and 20%  said it should be illegal in all circumstances (the current Roe v Wade mandated status).

In addition, a full 62% of respondents indicated that "the most important consideration when you vote for President" was "Agree with the candidates on the issues".

The full report is available online at:
www.iop.harvard.edu/2003survey.pdf