Summer fun out of the sun
Welcome to YouGov's weekly newsletter The Surveyor, with new polling data, insights, and charts on politics, life, and other topical issues — from our U.S. News team.
This week, we're spotlighting surveys about summer activities, high temperatures, the Fourth of July, patriotism, democracy, wisdom teeth, the budget, and the Sean "Diddy" Combs verdict.
Hot weather and cold treats
Summer is only Americans' third favorite season — 21% say it's their favorite, ranking it behind fall (39%) and spring (26%) — but many summer pastimes are enjoyed by majorities of Americans. Eating ice cream or popsicles and vacationing are two of Americans' most beloved summertime activities, a new YouGov poll shows. They are loved by the most Americans out of 30 classic summer activities, and are followed by grilling or barbecuing, road tripping, going to the beach, and going on a nature walk. Many also love swimming in a pool — more than say the same about swimming in an ocean or a lake.
Some of the summer activities that Americans are least fond of — that is, most likely to say they hate or dislike — involve sports: playing them outdoors or indoors, or attending sporting events. Sunbathing is also unpopular: Nearly half of people say they dislike or hate it.
How do Americans intend to spend Fourth of July weekend? Most have something planned: 35% will attend a family get-together, 32% will attend a cookout, barbecue, or picnic, and 31% will watch TV (excluding sports). 45% say they will stay home and relax — itself a plan. (Respondents could choose as many plans as applied to them.)
Most Americans (81%) say they enjoy fireworks, and 23% say they plan to watch them this Fourth of July weekend. 15% say they will attend a professional fireworks display and 11% will light their own fireworks (3% say both).
58% of Americans say this summer in their local area has been much or somewhat hotter than usual, and 74% say the past week has been much or somewhat too hot for them. 81% of Americans say temperatures have reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in the past week where they live; only 16% say they prefer temperatures in this range during the summer.
To try to beat the heat, 90% of Americans have some form of air conditioning in their homes, though many who do — 59% — have at times turned it down or off in order to save money. Around one-quarter with AC have turned it off or down in order to avoid environmental harm (23%) and a similar proportion have dialed down the AC to avoid burdening the electric grid (26%).
Charting opinions
Pride in being American has fallen in the past year
Fewer Americans describe themselves as proud to be American now than did in 2024, and more describe their fellow citizens as reactionary. 68% of Americans say they are proud to be an American, including 48% who say they are very proud. In June 2024, a higher percentage said they were proud to be American (83%), including 56% who said they were very proud. Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say they are very proud to be an American (82% vs. 27%). In June 2024, a much larger share of Democrats said they were proud to be American (52%), though still less than the share of Republicans at the time (74%). (Jamie Ballard)
Young American adults challenge the conventional wisdom on tooth removal
In a recent survey, YouGov found that while most older adults in the United States have had their wisdom teeth removed, most young adults have not. Wisdom tooth removal is widespread among Americans 45 and older, with about two-thirds of reporting that all of their wisdom teeth have been removed. For younger Americans, wisdom tooth removal is less common. Less than half of Americans between 35 and 44 have had their wisdom teeth removed (49% of 40- to 44-year-olds and 46% of 35- to 39-year-olds). This rate is even lower among younger adults: 36% of 30- to 34-year-olds and 26% of adults under 30. (Alexander Rossell Hayes)
More Americans think the U.S. is in a constitutional crisis than think the U.S. is a democracy
38% of Americans think it’s very or somewhat likely that within the next 10 years, the U.S. will no longer be a democracy. Similar proportions believe that there will be a total breakdown of law and order (40%), that there will be a civil war (40%), and that there will be a civil war between people who are Republicans and Democrats (40%). 45% think it’s likely that the U.S. will no longer be a global superpower in 10 years; just as many believe there will be a total economic collapse in the U.S. (Jamie Ballard)
Quick takes
The Sean Combs verdict: 59% of Americans think the verdict against Sean "Diddy" Combs — which found him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution but not other charges — was not harsh enough; 16% say it was about right and 2% think it was too harsh
Backlash to the budget: By 53% to 32%, Americans oppose the Trump administration's proposed budget. 50% of people think it will increase the deficit, and 57% expect the wealthy will be most likely to benefit
A Venetian wedding: More Americans have negative than positive views of Jeff Bezos and his new wife Lauren Sánchez. Views of his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, are net positive
Actor identification: 27% of Americans say they always or usually know the names of lead actors appearing in popular movies; 26% say they always or usually look up information on actors appearing in the movies they watch
Hating the humidity: 48% of Americans say they hate high humidity; 29% dislike it, 14% feel neutral about it, and 7% love or like it
Elsewhere
Polling partnerships
Yahoo + YouGov on approval of Donald Trump, mass deportation raids, and the bombings of Iran
The Economist + YouGov on dislike of congressional Democrats, patriotism, July 4, political division, and extremism
Polling abroad
A year after the 2024 election, which voters have abandoned the Conservative party and why? (YouGov UK)
Polling in the press
Trump Is Now More Responsible for the Economy Than Biden, Voters Say (Wall Street Journal)
Trump visits ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ sending a political message (Washington Post)
44 percent say US becoming less patriotic: Survey (The Hill)
New AI safety group launches ad buy to build right-left alliance to protect humanity (The Hill)
Which Decade(s) Saw the Greatest Change in Popular Music? A Statistical Analysis (Stat Significant | Daniel Parris' Substack)
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Taylor Orth and Carl Bialik contributed to this newsletter.
Who are these insane 7% who like high humidity?