Unfazed by this year's midweek holiday, three-quarters of Americans say Independence Day should continue to be celebrated July 4, no matter what day of the week that is. Only a fifth want it moved to the nearest Monday, to make for a long weekend.
That result belies the popular notion of an overworked populace pining for longer vacations. (In reality, only a quarter of Americans say they feel overworked.) Indeed majorities have favored a traditional Fourth of July for more than 30 years, since the first poll on this subject back in 1967 (when the Fourth fell on a Tuesday).
Independence Day
|
| |
Move it to a Monday |
Keep it July 4 |
| 2001 |
20% |
76 |
| 1985 |
21 |
75 |
1975 |
20 |
75 |
1967 |
33 |
64 |
Previous polls found similar results in 1975 (when the Fourth fell, more conveniently, on a Friday); 1978 (a Tuesday) and 1985 (a Thursday).
Traditionalism knows no partisanship: Three quarters of Democrats and Republicans alike prefer to keep the Fourth on the fourth. Indeed, there's no group among which support for a built-in long Independence Day weekend exceeds about a quarter.
But the Fourth isn't always on the fourth: In 2004, when Independence Day falls on a Sunday, federal workers will get their day off on Monday, July 5.
Methodology
This ABCNEWS.com survey was conducted by telephone June 27-July 1 among a random national sample of 1,021 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation were done by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.
ABCNEWS polls can be found on the Internet in our Poll Vault.
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