New York Times Economic Insecurity Poll, December 1995 (ICPSR 4505)

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This poll, fielded December 3-6, 1995 is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Bill Clinton was handling his job as president, and rated the condition of the national economy, whether they were getting ahead financially, and how easy it was for someone in their community to get a good job. Opinions were solicited about which political party would be better at handling issues such as unemployment and the country's prosperity, and whether there was a need for a new third political party. Respondents were queried about their economic and job insecurities, including saving for retirement, making cut-backs in day-to-day spending, and the possibility of being out of work in the following year. Respondents who were currently employed were asked whether they or a household member had been forced to work less hours, accept a reduction in pay, or find an extra job in the past three years. A series of questions asked respondents about their experiences with job layoffs in the past 15 years, as well as the experiences of other household members, and respondents not in the labor market were asked a variety a questions about what they would do to increase their chances of keeping a job. Additional questions addressed job satisfaction, company and worker loyalty, the general feelings of workers in the workplace, where blame should be placed for the loss of jobs in the country, whether the loss of jobs was a temporary problem, and whether the government could and should do something about the lay-offs. Information was also collected on whether respondents considered themselves part of the religious right movement, whether they listened to political call-in radio shows, which social class best described them, and whether they felt at risk of falling out of the middle class. Additional topics included sending peace-keeping troops to Bosnia, immigration, government responsibilities, national health care insurance, charity contributions, and volunteer work. Demographic variables include sex, race, age, employment status, occupation, frequency of religious attendance, household income, education level, marital status, household union membership, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter participation history and registration status, whether respondents had any children under the age of 18, and type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural).

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