Cynicism and Transience in Reactions of Southern Blue Collar Workers to the Carter Energy Proposal

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of President Carter's 1977 Energy proposals on the attitudes of Southern blue collar workers toward the reality of the energy crisis. A questionnaire was administered at different stages in the Carter presentations. The original cynicism toward the reality of the energy crisis decreased after the President's proposal but for some subjects this change of attitude was short-lived. The implications for public support of conservation measures are pessimistic.