ABC News/Washington Post Poll, January 2001 (ICPSR 3193)

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This poll 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. It was fielded January 11-15, 2001, just prior to the end of the Bill Clinton presidency. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the economy, foreign affairs, race relations, the welfare system, crime, and the health care system. A series of questions focused on Clinton and his presidency, including whether Clinton was honest and trustworthy, possessed high personal moral and ethical standards, understood the problems of the American people, had kept the economy strong, had been a strong leader, how he would go down in history, whether the House of Representatives was right to impeach him, and whether he should be charged with a crime for giving false testimony in 1999 regarding his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Respondents were asked which of the following issues should be given the highest priority by incoming president George W. Bush and Congress: maintaining a strong economy, protecting the Social Security system, holding down the costs of health care/health insurance, keeping the federal budget balanced, reducing the use of illegal drugs, reforming campaign finance laws, reducing political partisanship in Washington, DC, raising pay and benefits for military personnel, improving opportunities for women and minorities, cutting taxes, improving education, expanding health care coverage, helping the elderly pay for prescription drugs, protecting the environment, upgrading military systems and equipment, banning partial-birth abortions, establishing uniform standards for presidential elections, and improving race relations. A series of questions focused on the incoming Bush administration. Respondent views were sought on Bush's nomination of John Ashcroft for attorney general, Bush's nomination of Gale Norton for secretary of the interior, whether Bush was legitimately elected as president, whether Bush had a mandate to carry out his campaign promises, what type of president Bush would be, and Bush's handling of the presidential transition. Those queried were also asked whether they thought Bush would work for or against the following interest groups: labor unions, large corporations, the poor, the wealthy, the middle class, women's rights groups, the military, environmental groups, religious conservatives, Blacks or African-Americans, Hispanics, other racial and ethnic minorities, and white males. A series of questions on the economy covered whether the economy was headed toward a recession, respondent stock investments, whether stock investments were safe, whether the market would go up or down next year, whether changes in the stock market personally affected the respondent, and what type of tax cut they would prefer. Additional topics covered respondent views on homosexuals serving in the military, gun control laws, abortion, school voucher programs, the construction of a missile defense system, drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, energy conservation vs. finding new energy sources, preferential treatment of minorities and women, tobacco companies, and mad cow disease. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, political orientation, voter participation history, education, race, Hispanic origin, labor union membership, household income, and whether the respondent ate beef.

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