By David Lauter | Los Angeles Times
The last several years have seen huge shifts in polls on two intensely debated issues: marijuana legalization and same-sex marriage. On one, the change in opinion has prompted public officials to shift ground en masse; on the other, few have changed their stands.
What accounts for the difference?
The latest evidence of change in public opinion comes from a survey released Thursday by the Pew Research Center, which shows a majority of adult Americans, 52% to 45%, now support legalizing marijuana. The finding marks the first time in more than four decades of Pew’s polling that a majority has taken that position. As recently as a decade ago, only about one-third backed making marijuana legal.
Attitudes on same-sex marriage have undergone a similarly rapid shift. Pew’s polls show that since 2013, Americans’ views on same-sex marriage have gone from widespread disapproval, 33% to 58%, to support, 49% to 41%.
On same-sex marriage, the shift among elected officials has been dramatic. In the Senate, for example, 50 members, including 46 Democrats, both independents and two Republicans, now say they support the right of same-sex couples to marry legally. Most of those senators have announced their positions in the last two years.
