Acceptance of polygamy is at a record high

Support for polygamy in the United States is at an all-time high, and Americans’ love for TV may be one explanation for the trend.

Gallup polling on American values and beliefs in May found acceptance of a person having multiple spouses at one time has grown in the U.S., with 17 percent of people saying the practice is “morally acceptable.” That number marked the highest rate on record dating back to 2003, according to Gallup data.

Pinning down the exact cause of the trend is tricky, as Gallup notes it’s coincided with a general increase in liberal views on social issues like same-sex relationships and premarital sex, but hasn’t come with a correspondingly permissive legal shift on the issue. Polygamy, in fact, is illegal in all 50 states.