Are Americans really pulling back from traditional values?

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal created buzz with its new poll detailing changes in American values. The findings pointed out that traditional American values such as patriotism, religion, having children and community involvement have all been in decline. But a closer look at the survey, and the historical comparisons used, raise questions about that conclusion.

The poll was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago using today’s gold standard of survey design, which recruits online panel participants via mail, email, telephone and in-person interviews. This thorough process attempts to recreate a true random sample that has been increasingly difficult to obtain since surveys went fully into the digital space. Ultimately, 980 of the 1,019 respondents answered survey questions alone via an online form.