CBS News/New York Times Clinton/Dole Comparison Poll, June 1996 (ICPSR 4510)

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This special topic poll, fielded May 31-June 3, 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 to give their opinion of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, and of various issues such as foreign policy and the economy. Opinions were solicited on the condition of the national economy, what was the most important problem facing respondents and their families, their communities, and the country, how much the president could help with those problems, and whether they approved of the way Congress was handling its job. Respondents were asked whether they had been paying attention to the 1996 Presidential campaign, which candidate they would vote for if the presidential and United States House of Representatives elections were being held that day, and to give their opinions of Senator Bob Dole, First Lady Hillary Clinton, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. Several questions asked whether respondents leaned more toward Bill Clinton or Bob Dole based on specific issues, such as unemployment, family values and illegal drugs, whether it is better to have a president from the same political party that controls Congress, and whether the campaigns of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole have been more positive than past presidential campaigns. Respondents were asked whether they knew about the Clinton's past involvement in the Arkansas real estate development called Whitewater, whether the Clintons were trustworthy, whether the Whitewater issue was of great importance to the nation, and whether the verdicts in the Whitewater trial of Bill Clinton's former business partners affected their opinion of Bill Clinton. A series of questions asked about issues dealing with crime, including whether crime increased in the country and in respondents' communities within the last year, teenage crime, whether respondents or their family members had been the victim of a crime within the last year, whether the respondent's community was safe for women and children, what was the most important cause of crime, whether parents should be held legally accountable for their school-aged children's crimes, and whether respondents would approve of a curfew for children under the age of 18 within their community. Information was also collected on whether respondents considered themselves part of the religious right movement, and whether they listened to political call-in radio shows. Additional topics included abortion, the environment, the government, taxes and the budget deficit, job and financial security, and union involvement in political campaigns. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, voter registration status and participation history, household income, religious preference, household union membership, political ideology, political party affiliation, political philosophy, whether respondents had any children under the age of 18, and whether respondents had any children entering the ninth grade in the fall.

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