POLL RESULTS

POLL RESULTS

Girls Incorporated asked 1055 girls and boys ages 8-18 to share their priorities for national policy, personal worries and perspective on who holds power in the United States. The online survey was conducted by Harris Interactive during April, 2001.

Results

Girls have little confidence that people who have power to shape our nation care about them.

• While 70% of girls say that the President has the power to change things, only 31% believe he cares most about kids. As girls get older, they are less likely to believe that the president cares about kids. (37% of 8-9 year-olds vs. 23% of 16-18 year-olds.

• Thirty percent of girls believe that senators can change things, but only 11% believe that they care about kids.

When asked, what three things they would do first if they were president, girls cited education, universal healthcare and gender equity as their top priorities. In many cases, girls' priorities were different from boys'.

• Twice as many girls as boys (43% vs. 22%) said they would make sure girls and boys have the same chance to do well.

• More girls than boys (61% vs. 56%) said they would make schools better.

• More girls than boys (51% vs. 45%) said they would make sure everyone could go to the doctor if they needed to.

Consistent with identifying education as a national priority, both girls and boys say that they worry a lot about their own education.

• 65% of girls and 64% of boys say they worry a lot about doing well in school.

• More girls than boys (42% vs. 31%) say they worry about having enough money to pay for college.

• More girls than boys (32% vs. 26%) say they worry that their school and neighborhood are safe.

Both girls and boys believe that few people, other than the president, have the power to make a difference in the United States.

• 70% of girls and 74% of boys believe the president can change things in the USA.

• Girls are more likely to believe that a celebrity or sports star can change things than a senator. (35% vs. 30%)

• 42% of boys and girls believe that a religious leader can change things.