https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/liberals-have-won-the-culture-war
Opinion on sex, drugs, and abortion have all moved left over time.
Ignore the article's over-sensational headline. This is actually a great look at how and why opinions on sensitive cultural issues have changed over time.
Buchanan and his supporters wanted, at a minimum, to stop the leftward drift that they believed was happening in the United States on social issues. If not push the country in a more conservative direction. Well, I’ve looked at the data from the General Social Survey and it’s clear to me that Christian conservatives failed miserably in this endeavor. On every single social issue, the average American is more liberal today than they were just two decades ago.
WTF is up with number 1. What is your opinion about a married person having sexual relations with someone other than the marriage partner--is it always wrong, almost always wrong, wrong only sometimes, or not wrong at all? (% who say not wrong at all.). Thats not a liberal or concervative thing? Who the heck thinks its ok to cheat on a spouse?! Thats a moral question. Don't get married. Now I could see it if its about sex outside of marriage in general which would be a heavily left/right thing.
Having sex with someone other than your spouse doesn't automatically equate to cheating on your spouse. Threesomes/hotwifing/wife swapping/cuckoldry all require more than two consenting participants.
Which means I think you're right: the question is worded poorly for what it seems like it's trying to gauge.
It would be interesting to see the question split into ethical non-monogamy and cheating. Not that I think a question like that can get accurate results. But I bet that the confusion you had over the question is common and that even more people are ok with it if it's clarified that it's with the consent and knowledge of both partners.
And yet up to 20% of married people do cheat.
But I think the subtext is more Bill Clinton than personality morality about cheating, or as the other person pointed out: threesomes, consensual non monagamy, etc.
Im betting in most cases that 20% were the ones who did not like a boyfriend/girlfriend but would stay with them to have one and then drop a girlfriend/boyfriend after starting a relationship with someone "better".
I'm pretty sure they mean have sexual relations with anyone not a spouse. Not cheating, just having sex with partner, but you aren't legally married. Sex outside marriage is traditionally not allowed in Christianity.