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Who Is Occupy DC and What Is Their Agenda?

In many of our conversations with friends, colleagues and clients weve found a common question posed about the various Occupy movements: who are they and what is their agenda? To answer that question APCO Insight conducted an informal survey of 82 Occupy DC participants in McPherson Square to better understand the demographic composition of those participating in the movement in Washington, DC as well as capture broad attitudes towards the Occupy movement. Surveys have been conducted by interested organizations and individuals at multiple Occupy sites, including New York, Chicago, Oakland, and Boston to achieve the same goal. This memo is not intended to speak to the Occupy movement as a whole nor its specific manifestation in DC. Rather it is simply a snap shot in time summarizing who was at the McPherson Square Occupy Site in the midafternoon on November 14th. We make some comparisons between this study of DC Occupy participants and other studies, yet recognize that the methodologies between the various studies differ; the characteristics of those who participate likely vary from location to location and those who participated early in the movement may differ than those still active two months later. For more information about this study or APCO Insights research practice please contact Karen Buerkle at 202 778-1471.

KEY FINDINGS The average age of respondents is 32 years old, with the youngest being under 25 years old and the oldest being over 65 years old generally consistent with other Occupy surveys. Occupy DC participants are less educated than their counterparts on Wall Street. Nearly 1 in 5 of respondents describe themselves as either homeless or traveler prior to Occupy DC, while (separately) 1 in 4 respondents lived with their family and friends. The site draws in many new participants. One in three respondents said this was their first time participating in a march, rally, or protest. Occupy DC participants overwhelmingly (86%) feel that the entire movement has been effective notably in raising awareness and changing public dialogue. The biggest criticism of the movement among participants is a lack of organization and a coherent goal.

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DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION In terms of demographic composition of the sample, we found similarities in gender and age, but differences in education and employment between Occupy DC and the other locations polled. Male-dominated Settlements Among Occupy DC respondents, the male-to-female ratio is 7:3; a near-identical gender split to that of the Occupy Boston survey conducted in October. An OWS face-to-face study in New York showed a slightly more balanced gender demographic (61% males and 39% females). Male 70%
Female 30% 1% 33% 29% 17% 9% 5% 2% 4%

The Young Are the Restless One in three respondents is younger than 34, which is generally consistent with other surveys of the Occupy movement. Occupy DC residents 18-24 years old (33%) make up three times the national average of adults at their age (10%). The average age of Occupy DC participants is 32 years old, making them roughly the same age as participants in New York (33) and Boston (30) * . Notably, female participants skew younger than male counterparts the average age of female participants is 28 years old five years younger than males.

Refused to answer 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Refused to answer

One in Three Participants is a College Graduate The majority of Occupy DC respondents have received some form of higher education, however; this sample is less educated than those found in the other locations surveyed. Strictly compared to a survey of OWS in New York, where 31% of the respondents have a high school degree or less, a little more than half that number (17%) has a high school education or less High school or less 17% among our sample of DC participants. A key difference in education is Some college 44% at the post graduate level, where 22% of those surveyed at OWS have College degree 32% a post-graduate degree and only 2% of our DC respondents have above a college degree. Post graduate studies 2%
Refused to answer 1%

Democrat Republican Independent Libertarian Anarchy Liberal None Other Refused

20% 10% 6% 2% 5% 4% 40% 4% 9%

Distaste for Party Politics We asked political party was an open-ended question, rather than asking respondents if they consider themselves a Republican, Democrat or Independent. Roughly half of our Occupy DC respondents claim no political affiliation. Indeed, only 6% of Occupy DC voluntarily identify themselves as Independent, and an additional 40% say they do not identify with any political party. Somewhat similar results are shown in OWS, where 39% of respondents do not identify with any party, 25% identify as Democratic, and 2% identify as Republican.

Chicago and Oakland do not make their data on age publicly available.

Higher Unemployment/Underemployment Rates While 27% of the Occupy DC participants are employed, close to 60% of the respondents are unemployed or underemployed. 5% are full-time students, and 5% self-describe themselves as having Other employment situations. No distinctions were made between full-time and part-time employment. Of those who identified as unemployed or underemployed, about 55% believe that they lost their job as a result of the economic downturn.
Refused Other Did you lose your job as a result of the economic downturn?

Student
Yes Employed Unemployed/ Underemployed No

Compared to studies conducted in other locations, DC respondents face a more difficult employment environment. Some of this may reflect the location of the DC encampment McPherson Square is the home or gathering spot of some of the citys homeless population. In comparison to our DC results, half the protesters in Unemployed / Underemployed Employed Boston are employed and in New York, the Washington, DC 60% 27% unemployment/underempl Boston 50% 50% oyment rate is the lowest New York (Face-to-Face) 46% 30% at 46%. Data on employment is Chicago Not available Not available unavailable for Chicago Oakland Not available Not available and Oakland.

Somewhat Transient Living Situations Nearly 1 in 5 of respondents was without a home (including traveling) prior to Occupy DC, while (separately) 1 in 4 respondents lived with their family and friends. This question was not found in any other surveys but it demonstrates that roughly half of the DC sample is somewhat transient with only 46% of respondents claiming they own or rent their house or apartment.
Own 9%

Rent 37% Live with family/friends Homeless (volunteered) Traveling (volunteered) Other Refused to answer 24% 16% 4% 9% 2%

BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES The results of our sample of Occupy DC participants suggest that the Occupy movement has attracted a large number of newly frustrated Americans committed to affect the public dialogue. They feel that while the movement has been effective in communicating their voice, they lack the organization to make concerted efforts to mobilize nationally. Many first time protesters among the ranks For 37% of the sample, Occupy DC is their first time participating in a march, rally, or protest. For the other 63% who have participated before, 45% of them say that theyve participated in fewer than five marches, rallies or protests. For 41% of those who have participated in protests before have done so more than 10 times, and 14% of experienced protesters have participated in roughly 5 to 10 protests, rallies, or marches.

Motivations and Goals are Aspirational When asked about goals or motivations to participate in Occupy DC, nearly 1 in 5 respondents say they have a desire to change politics and government. Nearly as many say raising awareness is their main motivation for participating in the movement. Other common responses involve creating a sense of unity or community.

Still Working Out the Kinks Nearly 86% of those surveyed say that the Occupy movement has been somewhat or very effective. The majority of Occupy DC participants (54%) believe that they have been most effective at raising awareness and changing the public dialogue. Other top mentions include mobilizing and empowering people (15%), creating a community or unity (10%), and garnering positive media attention (7%).

Although they remain fairly upbeat, Occupy DC participants note that the movement is not perfect. When asked how the movement has been ineffective, 17% of the participants say that it lacks organization. Participants feel that they have earned the attention of the media and a national voice, but many note that there is no clear national organization for the movement. Participants also say the movement has been ineffective due to internal conflicts (9%), violence and crime (9%), and needing more outreach and broader communication (9%). Others are frustrated that the movement isnt doing enough (7%) and change isnt happening (6%).

BIBLIOGRAPHY Professor Costas Panagopoulos. (2011, October 26). Occupy Wall Street Survey Results October 2011. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/images/academics/graduate_schools/gsas/elections_and_campaign_/occupy %20wall%20street%20survey%20results%20102611.pdf Metz, D. & Lewis, G. (2011, November 22). Key Findings from Recent Survey of Occupy Oakland Protesters. Retrieved from http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/files/2011/11/330-163-Occupy-OaklandSummary-Memo-Final.pdf Rocheleau, M. & Rosso P. (2011, November 25). At Occupy, disparate group finds harmony in protest. Boston Globe. Retrieved from http://articles.boston.com/2011-11-25/news/30441808_1_protestersrange-social-worker Campana, D. (2011, November 24. Benedictine University Occupy Chicago Survey Results. Wheaton Patch. Retrieved from http://wheaton.patch.com/articles/benedictine-university-occupy-chicago-surveyresults

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