I was checking out one of the national rags this morning http://www.nationalpost.com and there’s a story about how Canadians are different from Americans.
The number one example used in the article is as follows.
**Michael Adams, president of Environics Research Group, singled out responses to one particular question to illustrate the changes in Canadian and U.S. attitudes. In 1983, and every year since, he has asked Canadians if they agree with this statement: “The father of the family must be master in his own house.”
In 1983, 42% of Canadians agreed with the statement; in 1992, 26% agreed; and by 2000, only 18% did.
Remarkably, agreement with the statement in every year the poll was taken declined among Canadians but increased among Americans.
Mr. Adams surveyed Americans on the statement in 1992, 1996 and 2000. The percentage who agreed with it rose from 42% to 49% over those eight years.**
I find the figures staggering. Do half of Americans really think that men have to be in charge of the household? No wonder so many of you hate Hilary so much 
What’s the deal Dopers? Do American men need to be in charge of their family?
I find those numbers rather boggling. Where were they polling? There’s a huge difference in picking your 100 representative Americans from Oklahoma, as opposed to California.
Unfortunately the original article never says how many people were polled, nor where they lived.
That’s a shame. In my experience, most Americans I know are rather egalitarian as far as family structure goes.
That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve heard in a long time.
There’s not a soccer mom in this country whose husband is the master of the house. Give me a freaking break.
Apparently, on your alien planet manners have not yet been developed.
Let’s take a poll. I can easily think of 40 or 50 households I’ve encountered over the years where both parents work and have equal authority. Of course, I’m in Michigan, not in whatever backwater swamp you apparently live in.
Slortar, I believe I’ve been misunderstood.
My statement: “That’s the biggest load of crap…” was intended at the premise of the OP (that Americans believe that the husband is the master of the household), not toward any statements you or anyone else made.
And my statement about soccer moms: again, I was stating that most (if not all) soccer moms share authority with their husbands.