Showing 1 – 50 of 299 results.
Curated
ABC News 9/11 Anniversary Poll, September 2006 (ICPSR 4665)
Released/updated on: 2008-01-24
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, conducted September 5-7, 2006, is a part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of political and social issues. The focus of this poll was the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way President George W. Bush was handling the presidency and issues such as the campaign against terrorism and the situation in Iraq. Information was collected on how closely respondents were following the upcoming congressional and gubernatorial election, whether they would vote for a Democratic or Republican candidate if the election for the United States House of Representatives were being held that day, and the single most important issue in their vote for Congress members. Other questions asked which political party they trusted to do a better job handling the main problems the nation would face over the next few years, and whether they approved of the way Congress and their own representative to the United States House of Representatives were handling their jobs. Views were also sought on the war in Iraq and Donald Rumsfield's handling of his job as Secretary of Defense. Respondents were asked how well they thought the campaign against terrorism was going, whether the country was safer from terrorism compared to before September 11, 2001, and whether Osama bin Laden would have to be captured or killed for the war on terrorism to be a success. Information was collected about the impact of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on respondents' lives, how concerned they were about the possibility of more major terrorist attacks in the United States, how much confidence they had in the government's ability to prevent another major terrorist attack, whether the federal government was intruding on the privacy rights of Americans in its investigation of possible terrorist attacks, and whether this intrusion was justified. Additional topics addressed the religion of Islam, new airport security measures, and how proud they felt to be an American. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, voter registration and participation history, political party affiliation, political philosophy, employment status, marital status, and type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural).
Curated
ABC News Angry Voter Poll, April 1992 (ICPSR 9942)
Released/updated on: 2007-04-02
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1992-04-08--1992-04-09
In addition to providing an ongoing evaluation of the Bush presidency and the 1992 presidential candidates and campaign, this survey addressed areas of potential discontent among the nation's voters. Respondents were asked to describe their feelings about the way the federal government worked, to express their approval of term limits for members of Congress and to indicate whether they agreed with a series of statements such as "It won't really make much of a difference who's elected this year," and "People like me don't have any say about what government does." Respondents also rated their level of confidence in the ability of government to solve problems and indicated whether their confidence level reflected the difficulty of the problems or the incompetency of the government. Respondents were also asked whether the elected leaders in Washington were really interested in solving the nation's biggest problems, whether the overall level of ethics and honesty in politics had fallen during the past ten years, and whether they thought that government was run by a few big interests looking out for themselves. In addition, respondents were queried on whether they thought that the current system of government needed drastic changes, or that the system itself was good but the people in government were not doing their jobs well enough. Background information on respondents includes political alignment, voter registration status, education, age, Hispanic origin, race, and sex.
Curated
ABC News Clinton Credibility Poll, August 1994 (ICPSR 3851)
Released/updated on: 2007-03-15
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, conducted August 16, 1994, was undertaken to assess public opinion of President Bill Clinton, his presidency, and his administration. Respondents were queried on whether they approved of his performance as president, whether they felt that his administration had begun to alter the political atmosphere that hindered progress, whether they trusted Democrats or Republicans to better handle the problems the nation was facing, whether President Clinton's proposed changes were right for the country, whether they were satisfied with President Clinton's honesty and integrity, how much they felt President Clinton had accomplished during his presidency, and whether, based on his performance so far, he deserved a second term as president. Opinions were solicited on Bill Clinton's strength as a leader, his vision for the country, his effectiveness, and trustworthiness. Additional opinions were gathered on whether President Clinton or congressional Republicans were more responsible for the successes during his presidency, whether President Clinton made more or fewer mistakes than usual as president, whether he was able to deal with the nation's problems, and whether the media treated him fairly. Background information includes education, ethnicity, political orientation, sex, and year of birth.
Curated
ABC News "Good Morning America" Health Care Poll, July 1994 (ICPSR 3850)
Released/updated on: 2006-12-01
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, fielded July 14-17, 1994, was undertaken to assess respondents' views of health care in the United States and proposed changes to the health care system. Respondents were asked to name the most important issue facing President Bill Clinton and the United States Congress, to give an assessment of President Clinton's proposed health care plan, to rate their level of knowledge of the proposed plan, whether they felt they would pay more, less, or the same costs under the proposed plan, and whether the quality of health care would improve, worsen, or stay the same under the proposed plan. Opinions were gathered on the state of the health care system, the most important goal for the health care system, whether it was more important to lower health care costs or to have guaranteed health care available to all, and whether basic insurance should cover abortion. Respondents were queried on whether they had health care coverage, whether they were on Medicare, their level of satisfaction with the quality, costs, and system of health care, whether they worried that their health care costs would not be taken care of in the future, whether they approved or disapproved of proposed health care changes, and whether individuals and groups like the American Medical Association, Hillary Clinton, hospitals, and political parties helped or hurt efforts to improve the health care system. Background variables include sex, year of birth, education, ethnicity, political orientation, employment status, and gross household income.
Curated
ABC News Government Shutdown Poll #2, January 1996 (ICPSR 6827)
Released/updated on: 2006-11-14
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, fielded on January 3, 1996, sought respondents' views on the federal government shutdown and the role that President Bill Clinton and congressional Republicans played in its development and its ongoing status. Those queried were asked whom they blamed for the shutdown and for the failure to end it. Additional topics covered whether the shutdown was a good or a bad thing, whether respondents had been personally inconvenienced, and whether they believed that the White House and Congress were honestly trying to end the shutdown. Background variables include sex and political party.
Curated
ABC News "Nightline" GOP Strategy Poll, May 1998 (ICPSR 2490)
Released/updated on: 2009-10-16
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll sought respondents' views on the presidency and on the GOP (Republican Party), specifically in regard to the actions of Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton, Gingrich, and the United States Congress, and to compare Clinton and Gingrich in the areas of honesty, personal moral and ethical standards, and the ability to understand the problems of the American people. Respondents were asked whether they believed Gingrich's charge of a White House cover-up of Clinton wrongdoing, including possible lawbreaking, and what motivated Gingrich to make such allegations. The results of the poll were announced on the ABC television program "Nightline." Background information on respondents includes sex, political party, political orientation, and impression of the conservative Christian political movement.
Curated
ABC News Politics Poll #1, March 1992 (ICPSR 9883)
Released/updated on: 2007-07-03
Geographic coverage: United States
This survey assessed the political climate of the United States on March 11, 1992. Those surveyed were asked whether the country was going in the right direction, whether they placed more trust in President George Bush or the Democrats in Congress to do a better job with the economy, whether they placed more trust in the Democratic or Republican party to cope with national problems, and whether Congress should meet the March 20 deadline set by President Bush for acting on his economic proposals. Respondents were also asked whether they had favorable impressions of the presidential candidates, whether Bush, Bill Clinton, or Paul Tsongas could be trusted to do a better job on the economy, whether they were concerned about Tsongas's ability to serve effectively as president because he had had cancer, whether they were satisfied that Clinton had the honesty and integrity to serve effectively as president, and whether they were better off financially than when Bush became president in 1989. In addition, respondents were asked if the United States needed a president that could set the nation in a new direction after four years of George Bush, or whether the United States needed to continue moving in the direction in which Bush had been taking it. The survey also addressed issues related to Congress, including whether the respondent felt inclined to vote for the re-election of his/her United States Representative, whether term limits for representatives should be adopted, and how the respondent viewed the congressional check-writing scandal. Background information on respondents includes political alignment, voter registration status, education, age, race, income, and sex.
Curated
ABC News Politics Poll #2, March 1992 (ICPSR 9882)
Released/updated on: 2007-11-06
Geographic coverage: United States
This survey assessed the political climate of the United States on March 18, 1992. Those surveyed were asked whether they approved of the way the United States Congress was doing its job and, more specifically, the way their own United States Representative was doing his/her job, whether they felt enthusiastic about the way the federal government worked, and whether they had favorable impressions of the presidential candidates, and their wives. Respondents were also asked which presidential candidate they would trust to do the best job with the economy, whether they were satisfied that each candidate had the honesty and integrity to serve effectively as president, and whether each candidate understood the problems of the average American well enough to serve effectively as president. Additional questions probed respondents regarding the re-election of their own representatives to Congress, term limits for United States Representatives, and the congressional check-writing scandal. Background information on respondents includes political alignment, voter registration status, most recent presidential vote choice, education, age, race, income, and sex.
Curated
ABC News Poll, November 1990 (ICPSR 9561)
Released/updated on: 2007-07-03
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1990-11-01--1990-11-04
This data collection is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that evaluate the Bush presidency and solicit opinions on a variety of political and social issues. Topics covered include approval ratings for public officials (George Bush, Congress, the respondent's representative in Congress, Democrats, and Republicans) on the issues of job performance, handling of the economy, and handling of the situation caused by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, the budget deficit reduction plan (and the income group that would be most affected by it), and the income group that Bush, Democrats, and Republicans cared most about. Respondents also were asked how important various political issues were to their vote choice on election day, if they planned to vote in the upcoming general election, for which party they would vote, and whether they would vote to re-elect their own representative. Other questions focusing on the situation in the Persian Gulf addressed the issues of the use of military force if necessary to ensure Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait, long-term military presence of the United States in the Gulf region, the use of military force should the economic embargo prove unsuccessful, the likelihood that the United States would go to war with Iraq, and Americans and other foreigners being held hostage by Iraq. Background information provided includes political alignment, registered voter status, 1988 presidential and congressional vote choices, education, age, race, income, sex, and state/region of residence.
Curated
ABC News Pre-Election Poll, November 1994 (ICPSR 3871)
Released/updated on: 2006-11-13
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, conducted November 3-6, 1994, was undertaken to assess public opinion prior to election day. Respondents were polled on President Bill Clinton's handling of the presidency, their satisfaction with the way the federal government worked, whether the Democrats or the Republicans would do a better job dealing with the main problems facing the country, and the condition of the national economy. Questions regarding the upcoming United States House of Representatives election asked respondents how closely they were following it, the likelihood that they would vote, whether they would vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate, whether they planned to re-elect their own representative in Congress, and how often they voted in state elections when there was no presidential race. Background variables include sex, age, ethnicity, education, household income, political party affiliation, and voter participation and registration history.
Curated
ABC News/Stanford University/Time Magazine Environment Poll #1, March 2006 (ICPSR 4658)
Released/updated on: 2007-06-29
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, conducted March 9-14, 2006, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. The focus of this data collection was on environmental issues. Respondents rated the condition of the natural environment, and identified the most important environmental problem facing the world. Those polled were asked whether they approved of how President George W. Bush, the United States Congress, and American businesses were handling issues involving the natural environment, how much President Bush's policies, American businesses, and the American public did to help or harm the environment in the past year, and how much respondents wanted them to help the natural environment in the next year. Several questions asked how important the issue of global warming was to respondents, how much they knew about it, how serious a problem it was, and how much could be done to prevent future global warming and reduce its effects. Additional topics addressed changing local and worldwide weather patterns, scientists' assessments of the environment and global warming, whether the federal government should require companies and individuals to take measures to reduce global warming, and what type of vehicle respondents drove. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, religious preference, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), whether respondents had any children or grandchildren, and whether they considered themselves born-again or evangelical Christians.
Curated
ABC News Starr Report Poll #1, September 1998 (ICPSR 2638)
Released/updated on: 2008-10-24
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, fielded on September 11, 1998, sought respondents' views on Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's ongoing investigation of President Bill Clinton and the resulting "Starr Report," submitted to the United States Congress on September 10, 1998. Respondents were asked whether they believed that Clinton had done anything illegal regarding the Lewinsky matter. Their opinions were sought on whether the president should resign, be impeached, or be censured if it were proven that he either lied under oath, encouraged former White House intern Monica Lewinsky to lie under oath, or asked aides to lie under oath. Those queried were also asked for their opinions of the Starr Report and the Clinton response to that report, in which the White House argued against impeachment. Respondents were asked whether they believed Starr or Clinton, whether they believed that the Starr Report was fair or politically motivated, and whether this was more a personal matter for Clinton or a public concern. Background information on respondents includes gender and political party affiliation.
Curated
ABC News State of the Union Poll, January 1995 (ICPSR 3835)
Released/updated on: 2007-09-20
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, fielded January 24, 1995, was undertaken to assess respondents' views on the 1995 State of the Union Address delivered by President Bill Clinton. Respondents were polled immediately following the address on whether they had watched any of it, whether they approved or disapproved of most of what President Clinton said, and whether they supported or opposed specific proposals such as raising the minimum wage, giving tax breaks to middle class families with children, continuing funding for Americorps, and spending more money to enforce laws against illegal immigration. Opinions were solicited on whether President Clinton or the Republicans in Congress was taking a stronger leadership role in government and whether it was a good or bad thing, whether the country should go in the direction that President Clinton or the Republicans in Congress wanted it to go, and whether Clinton deserved a second term as president. Respondents were also asked whether they had watched any of the O.J. Simpson trial live on television that day. Background variables include sex and political party affiliation.
Curated
ABC News Terri Schiavo Poll, March 2005 (ICPSR 4320)
Released/updated on: 2006-06-09
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll was conducted in response to the controversy regarding the cessation of life support for Florida resident Terri Schiavo. Respondents were asked whether or not they had been following the case and if they supported or opposed the decision to remove the feeding tube. They were also asked if federal courts should be involved in this case, if Congress should get involved in similar cases, and whether politicians were more concerned for Schiavo or for gaining political advantage. The survey also contained questions about whether respondents would want to be kept alive if in a similar situation, if the case caused them to have discussions with friends and family regarding their wishes, and if any friends or family had passed away after terminating life support. Other information collected included political party affiliation, political philosophy, religious affiliation, and gender.
Curated
ABC News/The Washington Post Gun Poll, April 2007 (ICPSR 24587)
Released/updated on: 2010-08-05
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, fielded April 22, 2007, is a part of continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on various political and social issues. This poll focused on respondents' views on gun control and laws. Respondents were asked whether they favored stricter gun laws, whether they would support laws requiring a nationwide ban on semiautomatic handguns, a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons, a nationwide ban on people carrying a concealed weapon, and a law requiring a nationwide ban on the sale of handguns, except to law enforcement officers. Respondents were also asked whether they thought stricter gun control laws would reduce the amount of violent crime, whether the best way of reducing gun violence was either by passing stricter gun control laws or by stricter enforcement of existing laws, if the respondent or anyone in their home owned a gun, and whether they thought states should or should not be required to report mentally ill people to a federal database in order to prevent them from buying guns. Views were sought concerning the Virginia Tech shooting and university policies. Specifically, respondents were asked whether they thought school officials did or did not do enough to investigate concerns that the student who committed these shootings was mentally unstable, whether news organizations did the right thing or the wrong thing by airing photos and videos of the Virginia Tech gunman, whether they supported a law requiring universities to provide stricter screening and counseling for students who are suspected of being mentally unstable and possibly dangerous to themselves or others, and whether they supported changing confidentiality laws so that when a college student is suspected of being mentally disturbed, the school would be required to notify their parents. Views were also sought on the primary cause of gun violence in America and whether shootings like the one at Virginia Tech could happen in the respondent's community. Respondents were queried on whether they supported legislation giving Washington, D.C., a full voting member in the United States House of Representatives and whether they approved of the proposed law that would give Democratic D.C. a full voting member in the House, while also giving the Republican state of Utah another congressional seat. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education, political party affiliation, and political philosophy.
Curated
ABC News/USA Today/KFF Poll, September 2006 (ICPSR 4666)
Released/updated on: 2007-10-30
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, conducted September 7-12, 2006, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on various political and social issues. Respondents were asked which issues would be most important in their vote for Congress later that year, which party they trusted more to handle health care issues, how satisfactory the quality and total cost of health care was, and whether or not the number of Americans without insurance was a critical problem. Information was collected on the status of the respondents' own health insurance, including whether they were insured or not, what type of insurance they had, and how long they had been uninsured. Views were sought on whether health care premiums had been rising, why they were rising, how it had affected their household, and how job loss would affect the status and cost of health insurance. A series of questions asked whether new treatments should always be covered, whether efforts should go toward reducing health care costs or reducing the number of Americans without insurance, and whether there should be a universal health insurance program. The respondents rated the effectiveness of the current health insurance system, and they were asked under what conditions a universal health insurance program would be supported. They were also asked their opinions on whether or not employers should be obligated to provide coverage, and whether tax breaks should be offered to companies. Additional topics addressed terminally ill patients and the expense of keeping them alive. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, employment status, and marital status.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post 100 Days Poll, April 1995 (ICPSR 3840)
Released/updated on: 2007-01-26
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, fielded in April 1995, was undertaken to assess respondent approval ratings on job performance for President Clinton, Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, the Democrats and Republicans in Congress, the respondent's representative in Congress, and the United States Congress in general. Respondents were asked to evaluate the ability of Congress to deal with the big issues facing the country, how much Congress had accomplished within the past three months, and whether that represented a real change in the way Congress worked. Those polled were asked whether the Democrats and/or Republicans were doing what the respondent wanted done, and they were also asked to evaluate whether the Republicans in Congress or President Clinton was doing a better job with the main problems and needs of the country. On the subject of the Republicans in Congress, respondents were asked to evaluate how many of the items of the "Contract with America" they would support, and whether any of the items, in their view, had been accomplished. Respondents were also asked to evaluate President Clinton and Speaker Gingrich on traits such as strength in leadership, honesty, and trustworthiness. In addition, respondent views were solicited on issues such as privatization of welfare, line-item vetoes, and who they believed was responsible for failure of particular congressional initiatives, such as term limits. Demographic information gathered included political party identification, voter registration status, voting record, political philosophy, level of education, age, sex, religious preference, ethnicity, yearly household income, and willingness for call-back.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Bush Iraq Speech Poll, January 2007 (ICPSR 24582)
Released/updated on: 2009-04-10
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, fielded January 10, 2007, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on various political and social issues. The focus of this poll was the Iraq war and whether respondents watched President Bush's speech on Iraq on the night of January 10, 2007. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way President Bush was handling the situation in Iraq, whether the war with Iraq was worth fighting, and whether President Bush or Congress would do a better job handling the situation in Iraq. Opinions were solicited on Bush's proposal to send additional military forces to Iraq, whether increasing the number of military forces would make a difference in the length of the war, the ability of the Iraqi government to meet its' political and economic commitments, whether the United States is winning the war in Iraq, and whether the United States' involvement in Iraq is similar to the Vietnam war. Demographic information includes sex, age, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), and political party affiliation.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
ABC News/Washington Post Government Shutdown Poll, November 1995 (ICPSR 6684)
Released/updated on: 2013-12-18
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll sought respondents' views on the 1995 federal government shutdown as well as their opinions of President Bill Clinton, the United States Congress, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, and the Senate majority leader Bob Dole. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of trust in the federal government, with whom they placed blame for the federal government shutdown, and whether they supported the latest Republican budget proposal. Respondents were also asked if they experienced any personal inconvenience as a result of the shutdown and if they considered the country to be in a state of crisis. Demographic variables include respondent's sex, race, level of education, political orientation, and family income.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Hurricane Follow-Up Poll, September 2005 (ICPSR 4520)
Released/updated on: 2006-09-19
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, conducted September 9-11, 2005, 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. The focus of this poll was to ascertain the feelings and opinions of respondents surveyed about Hurricane Katrina and the federal government's response to the events leading up to and after the hurricane. This poll, surveying a different sample of respondents, is a follow-up to a post-hurricane Katrina poll (ABC NEWS/WASHINGTON POST HURRICANE KATRINA POLL, SEPTEMBER 2005 [ICPSR 4519]) conducted earlier in the same month. Respondents were queried on the federal government's overall emergency preparedness plan, as well as the government's preparedness and response efforts during Hurricane Katrina in regard to delivering food, water, and medical help, recovering and identifying those who lost their lives, dealing with the oil supply and rising gasoline prices, evacuating and resettling people who had lost their homes, and clearing and repairing the hurricane and flood damage. A series of additional questions dealt with how the government should pay for the hurricane relief effort, whether the government's lack of preparedness in New Orleans was racially or socio-economically driven, and the call by Congress for a full-scale congressional investigation of the government's Hurricane Katrina preparedness and response efforts. Respondents were also asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency, the economy, the situation in Iraq, and the United States campaign on terrorism. Demographic variables include race, gender, age, level of education, employment status, income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and religious affiliation.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Inaugural Poll, January 1997 (ICPSR 2173)
Released/updated on: 2008-01-14
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, conducted January 13-15, 1997, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. This data collection was undertaken to assess public opinion prior to President Bill Clinton's second-term inauguration as president of the United States. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Clinton and his handling of the first term of his presidency, whether he would do a better or worse job in his second term in office, whether they approved of his choices for Cabinet and other top positions in his administration, and what the nature of his relationship with Congress should be in his second term. Views were sought on whether President Clinton had made progress toward reducing unemployment and improving education during his first term, and whether he would make substantial progress in these areas during his second term. Respondents rated the most important issue facing the country, whether they were better or worse off financially compared to four years ago, whether they approved of the way Congress was handling its job, whether they expected Congress to do a better job in the next two years, and whether they trusted the Clinton administration or the Republicans in Congress to handle the main problems the nation would face over the next few years. Other questions asked whether respondents approved of the way Hillary Clinton was handling her job as first lady and the amount of influence she held over her husband, and whether she should play a greater role in her husband's second administration. A series of questions asked about recent allegations involving President Clinton, including Whitewater, the Democratic National Campaign Committee's acceptance of foreign contributions, and former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones's sexual harassment charges, and whether they would interfere with his ability to serve as president. Additional topics addressed what actions the government should take to protect the long-term financial stability of Social Security and the Medicare health system and the overall level of ethics and honesty in politics and the federal government. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and voter participation history.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Labor Day Poll, September 2007 (ICPSR 24590)
Released/updated on: 2009-06-04
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded September 4-7, 2007, is a 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 George W. Bush was handling his job as president, whether they approved of the way he was handling the situation in Iraq, and whether they approved of his handling of the United States campaign against terrorism. Respondent's opinions were solicited on whether they trusted the Democrats or the Republicans to do a better job in handling the war in Iraq and the campaign against terrorism. Respondents were asked for their opinions on multiple issues associated with the war in Iraq such as whether the war was worth fighting, whether respondents thought the United States would win or lose the war, how confident respondents were in the Iraqi government to fulfill their commitment to restore civil order in Iraq, whether the war had contributed to the security of the United States, and whether the United States had made progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq. Questions about the United States military force focused on whether respondents thought the increase in United States forces improved the situation in Iraq and Iraq's security situation within a few months, whether military forces should be further increased or decreased in Iraq, and whether withdrawing from Iraq would do more to increase the risk of a terrorist attack occurring in the United States. Additional questions addressed whether respondents were satisfied with the choice of candidates for the 2008 presidential election and for whom they were going to vote, General David Petraeus' progress report on the war in Iraq, respondent's confidence in the ability of the government to prevent further terrorist attacks against Americans, whether the war on terrorism could be a success without the United States winning the war, and whether the country was safer at the time of this poll versus September 11, 2001. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education level, household income, military service, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and voter registration status.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Lewinsky/Politics Poll, September 1998 (ICPSR 2643)
Released/updated on: 1999-02-25
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll sought public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, the economy, and foreign affairs. Those queried were also asked to provide opinions on the United States Congress, the operation of the federal government, and the upcoming November 1998 elections. Respondents were asked to compare the Democratic and Republican platforms in the following areas: the economy, crime, foreign affairs, education, the middle class, taxes, the federal budget, Social Security, Medicare, health care, moral leadership, and dealing with the Monica Lewinsky matter. They were asked to consider the importance given to those issues and the role of Clinton's affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky in their upcoming electoral decisions. Those queried were asked whether they believed that Clinton should remain in office, resign, be impeached, or be censured, if it were determined that he lied under oath or encouraged others to do so. If they answered that Clinton should not be impeached, respondents were asked to explain further. Respondents were asked to describe how impeachment hearings should be carried out, if they were held. Additional topics covered the motivation of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr and Congress regarding the Lewinsky investigation, and whether respondents believed that this scandal had damaged Clinton's ability to serve effectively as president. Background information on respondents includes age, sex, race, education, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, marital status, religion, family income, and age of children in household.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll #1, January 2006 (ICPSR 4654)
Released/updated on: 2008-03-13
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, conducted January 5-8, 2006, 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 opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency, ethics in government, and the United States campaign against terrorism. Views were sought on whether the war in Iraq was worth fighting, and whether the federal government was doing enough to protect the rights of American citizens and people suspected of involvement in terrorism. A series of questions addressed the level of honesty of members of the United States Congress, the level of corruption in federal, state, and local government, corruption charges against prominent lobbyist Jack Abrahmoff, and whether it should be legal for registered lobbyists to make campaign contributions to congressional members or candidates, give them gifts, or organize fund raisers on their behalf. Additional questions asked about upcoming Senate confirmation hearings for federal Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito and whether Alito would vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, religious preference, and whether respondents considered themselves to be born-again Christians.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, April 2009 (ICPSR 27764)
Released/updated on: 2010-04-29
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded April 21-24, 2009, 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 opinions of President Barack Obama and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy as well as opinions on Vice President Joe Biden. Respondents were asked whether the Obama administration, the Republicans or the Democrats in Congress could be trusted to do a better job coping with the economic problems the nation faced, whether things in the country were going in the right direction, and the capacity of President Obama to understand the problems and needs of the American citizen. Respondents were also asked their opinions of the effectiveness of the economic stimulus and federal controls to prevent waste and fraud in the economic recovery, as well as the appropriateness for United States automakers to declare bankruptcy and their role in the national economy. Non-economic questions concerned the role of the United States in Afghanistan, confidence in the Obama administration in the handling of Afghanistan and the campaign against terrorism, whether the United States should establish diplomatic/trade relations with Cuba, whether the Obama administration should investigate the legality of the use of torture during the previous Bush (George, W.) administration, concerns over greenhouse gases, gun control and its relationship to the level of violent crime in the United States and the legality of same-sex marriage. Additional questions asked respondents for their opinions on the effectiveness of immigration control and proposed amnesty plans for illegal immigrants, and legalizing possession of marijuana for personal use. Personal financial and economic topics addressed how concerned respondents were that they could maintain their current standard of living. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, political philosophy, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), education level, religious preference, employment status, household income, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, April 2010 (ICPSR 30204)
Released/updated on: 2011-09-21
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded April 22-25, 2010 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 opinions of President Barack Obama and his handling of the presidency, the federal budget deficit, health care, the situation in Afghanistan, regulation in the financial industry, nuclear weapons policy, the economy, and whether the Obama Administration or the Republicans in Congress could be trusted to do a better job handling these issues. Respondents were also asked their opinions on whether the Bush Administration or the Obama Administration were to blame for the current economic situation and federal budget deficit. Respondents were asked whether they supported or opposed stricter federal regulations on the way banks, other financial institutions, and Wall Street firms conducted their businesses, having the federal government regulate derivatives, and increasing federal oversight of the way banks and other financial companies make consumer loans. Opinions were collected on whether factors such as gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, race and professional experience would be in favor or against a Supreme Court nominee, whether respondents supported the Tea Party political movement, and whether the Tea Party, Democratic Party, or the Republican Party best represented their personal values, the needs of people like them, and best understood the economic problems of people in the country. Respondents were also asked whether they believed the support for the Tea Party movement was based on concern, dissatisfaction with the Republican Party, opposition to Obama and the Democratic Party's policies, based on distrust of government, or racial prejudice against Obama. Other topics covered included the national economy, the war in Afghanistan, the Supreme Court case Roe versus Wade, voter behavior for the United States House of Representatives election, and opinions of President Obama's birth place. Several questions addressed federal spending, the respondent's personal economic situation, and opinions on the war in Afghanistan. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, political philosophy, party affiliation, education level, religious preference, household income, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, August 2005 (ICPSR 4518)
Released/updated on: 2007-03-08
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded August 25-28, 2005, was undertaken to assess respondents' opinions on issues such as President George W. Bush's job performance on the war in Iraq, terrorism, gas prices, social security, the economy, abortion, and immigration. Respondents were asked similar questions regarding Congress. The survey contained questions concerning terrorist threats and the war in Iraq, including whether or not respondents felt troops should be withdrawn. Related questions asked for respondents' opinions regarding Cindy Sheehan and war protests. The survey also asked for opinions on the nomination of John J. Roberts to the Supreme Court, abortion, immigration, gasoline prices, and gay marriage. Respondents were also queried on how they felt about the Democratic Party's actions on the war, Roberts' nomination, and President Bush's policies. Demographic information includes political affiliation, political ideology, education, age, religious affiliation, military status, sex, race, and income.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, August 2010 (ICPSR 32544)
Released/updated on: 2012-02-15
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2010-08-01--2010-09-01
This poll, fielded August 30 - September 02, 2010, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling his job as president, the economy, the federal budget deficit, and the situation in Iraq. Respondents were also asked whether they approved of the way the United States Congress was doing its job, whether they trusted the Democrats or the Republicans to do a better job in coping with the nation's problems in future years, handling the economy, health care, immigration issues, the situation in Afghanistan, taxes, and the federal budget deficit. Multiple questions addressed the 2010 congressional elections including whether respondents would vote for the Democratic or the Republican House of Representatives candidate in their district if the election were held that day, whether they thought most Republicans and Democrats in Congress deserved to be re-elected, whether they planned to re-elect their representative in Congress, and what respondents considered the single most important issue pertaining to their congressional vote. Information was collected on respondents' opinions on Islam, whether respondents had a good understanding of the beliefs of Islam, whether respondents personally knew anyone who was Muslim, whether they had some feelings of prejudice against Muslims, and whether they supported the building of a Muslim community center near the former World Trade Center site. Additional opinions were solicited about President Obama, the Tea Party movement, the state of the nation's economy, the war in Iraq, respondents' feelings about the way the federal government works, and national security. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, December 2009 (ICPSR 29045)
Released/updated on: 2010-09-17
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded December 10-13 2009, 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 opinions of President Barack Obama and his handling of the presidency, the federal budget deficit, health care, the situation in Afghanistan, unemployment, global warming, and the economy. Respondents were asked whether the Obama Administration or the Republicans in Congress could be trusted to do a better job handling the economy, health care reform, the situation in Afghanistan and energy policy. Several questions addressed health care including whether respondents supported the health care system being developed by Congress and the Obama Administration, whether they believed health care reform would increase the federal budget deficit, whether government should lower the age requirement for Medicare, and what the respondents' plan preference was for people who are not insured. Noneconomic questions focused on the role of the United States in Afghanistan, confidence in the Obama Administration in the handling of Afghanistan and the Taliban, and the environment. Other questions focused on the topics of health care in the United States, job availability, personal finances as well as opinions on professional golfer Tiger Woods. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, political political philosophy, party affiliation, education level, religious preference, household income, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, December 2010 (ICPSR 32547)
Released/updated on: 2012-01-24
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded December 9-12, 2010, 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. A national sample of 1,001 adults was surveyed. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the economy, the war in Afghanistan, and the federal budget deficit. They were also asked whether they trusted President Obama or the Republicans in Congress more to do a better job with the economy, the federal budget deficit, the threat of terrorism, the situation in Afghanistan, health care reform, helping the middle class, and handling taxes. They were queried whether they thought the switch of control of the House of Representative from Democrats to Republicans was a good thing, whether the recession has hurt them financially, whether they thought the economy has begun to recover, whether anyone living in their household had been laid off or lost their job in the last year, and whether any close friends or immediate family members had been laid off or lost their job. They were asked what they thought was the best approach to the health care reform law, whether Obama was sincere in wanting to reduce the federal budget deficit, whether efforts to reduce the federal deficit should be taken now, and the best way to reduce the federal budget deficit. They were asked whether homosexuals who do not publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military, whether the war in Afghanistan had contributed to the long term security of the United States, whether they supported the increase of United States and NATO forces, and whether United States forces should start withdrawing sooner than summer 2011. They were also queried on whether they heard about the released classified documents pertaining to the State Department and United States diplomacy by WikiLeaks and whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be arrested and charged with a crime for releasing these confidential documents. Respondents were also asked for whom they would vote for in the next presidential election. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, political ideology, religious preference, whether they voted in the last election, and whether the respondent is a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, February 2009 (ICPSR 27762)
Released/updated on: 2010-04-30
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded February 19-22, 2009, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Opinions were sought on how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the economy, and appointments to his cabinet, and whether things in the country were generally going in the right direction. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Republicans and Democrats in Congress were doing their jobs, whether they trusted the Democrats in Congress, the Republicans in Congress or President Obama to do a better job in handling the economy and coping with the main problems the nation faced. Several questions addressed the stimulus plan asking respondents whether they supported the plan, whether the plan would help the local economy in their area or their personal financial situation, whether it would be enough to improve the economy, and whether the stimulus package went far enough in terms of tax cuts and aides to states and individuals. Information was collected on whether respondents were confident that the federal government would implement adequate controls to avoid fraud with the use of federal money used for the nation's economic recovery, how concerned they were about the size of the federal deficit, whether stricter regulations should be placed on the way financial institutions conduct business, whether the government should provide refinancing assistance to homeowners, and whether additional government loans should be given to United States automakers. Respondents were asked questions about the effect the economy had in their lives. They were asked how financially secure they felt, whether the recession hurt them financially, how optimistic they felt about the state of the economy and their family's financial situation, whether they had cut back on their spending, and whether the economic situation was a cause of stress in their lives. Respondents were also asked how long they thought the recession would last, how confident they were they would retire with enough income to sustain them for the rest of their lives, how concerned they were about having enough money to pay their rent or mortgage, and whether they or anyone they knew had experienced or was concerned about job loss or pay cuts. Other topics focused on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Washington DC's delegate in Congress being a nonvoting member of the United States House of Representatives. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, household income, religious preference, home ownership, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, February 2010 (ICPSR 30202)
Released/updated on: 2011-05-02
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded February 4-8, 2010, 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. A national sample of 1,004 adults was surveyed. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the economy, health care, and the federal budget deficit, and whether they had a favorable opinion of Barack Obama. Respondents were queried on whether they approved of the way the United States Congress was doing its job, which party they trusted more to do a better job coping with the main problems the nation faces over the next few years, and how often they thought republicans in the Senate should use their power to block legislation proposed by President Obama and the Senate democrats. Respondents were asked whether they thought Obama was doing too much or too little to compromise with the republican leaders in Congress on important issues, whether they thought republican leaders were doing too much or too little to compromise with Obama on important issues, whether they thought the recession was over, or not over, and whether they thought the economy has or has not begun to recover. Information was collected on whether respondents support or oppose stricter federal regulations on the way banks and other financial institutions conduct their business, whether they support or oppose the proposed changes to the health care system, whether they think lawmakers in Washington should keep trying to pass a comprehensive health care reform plan, or should give up on it, and whether they have some form of health insurance or health care coverage. Respondents were asked if they had a favorable impression of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, Sarah Palin, and the Tea Party, and whether or not they thought Palin was qualified to serve as president. Respondents were queried on whether they thought homosexuals who do not publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military, whether they thought homosexuals who do publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military, and whether they thought it should be legal or illegal for gay and lesbian couples to get married. Respondents were asked whether they would rather have suspects accused of involvement in the September 11 terrorist attacks be put on trial in the federal court system in the United States, or in a military tribunal, and whether they support or oppose the recent ruling by the Supreme Court that says corporations and unions can spend as much money as they want to help political candidates win elections. Finally respondents were asked whether they were inclined to vote to re-elect their representative in Congress in the next election, or whether they were inclined to look around for someone else to vote for, which party they would vote for in the upcoming United States House of Representatives elections, and whether their mood was anti-incumbent or pro-incumbent for the upcoming elections. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, political ideology, religious preference, and whether the respondent is a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, January 2009 (ICPSR 27761)
Released/updated on: 2010-06-10
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded January 13-16, 2009, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,079 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of 204 African Americans. Opinions were sought on how well George W. Bush handled his job as president, how Dick Cheney handled his job as vice president, and whether things in the country were going in the right direction. Respondents were asked their opinions about how they thought President George Bush would go down in history, how newly elected Barack Obama handled his presidential transition, the level of confidence they had in President Obama and Congress to make decisions for the country's future, the expectations they had for Obama's performance as president, whether he got off to a good start in dealing with the economy, and the confidence level they had that President Obama's economic program would improve the economy. Views were sought on the kind of priority the president and Congress should give several issues including the economy, the situation in Iran, in Israel, and in Afghanistan, the federal budget deficit, education, global warming, health care, immigration issues, the United States campaign against terrorism, and taxes. Respondents were also asked questions about and the kind of priority that should be given to items that could be included in the economic stimulus plan such as upgrading schools with new technology, computerizing American medical records, extending unemployment insurance and health care coverage, and putting a moratorium on home mortgage foreclosures. Several questions addressed race relations and asked such things as whether Blacks in the community receive equal treatment, whether respondents felt they were ever denied housing or a job because of their race, and whether they felt they had ever been stopped by the police because of their race. Additional topics covered included respondents' personal finances, the war in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan, the United States military prison at Guantanamo Bay, the treatment of terrorist suspects, embryonic stem cell research, and race relations. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, religious preference, and household income.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, January 2010 (ICPSR 30201)
Released/updated on: 2011-04-13
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded January 12-15, 2010, 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. A national sample of 1,083 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the economy, health care, and the federal budget deficit, and whether they had a favorable opinion of President Obama. Respondents were queried on whether they thought the country was headed in the right direction, and whether they were confident that the Democratic Party and the Republican Party would make the right decisions for the country's future. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way that Nancy Pelosi was handling her job as Speaker of the House, whether they approved of the way Harry Reid was handling his job as Majority Leader of the Senate, and what was the one most important problem they would like to see President Obama and the Congress deal with this year. Information was collected on whether respondents thought Obama had accomplished a lot during his presidency, whether he was keeping most of his major campaign promises, and who they thought was to blame for the country's economic situation. Respondents were queried on how they thought the United States campaign against terrorism was going, whether the federal government should investigate possible terrorist threats, even if that intrudes on personal privacy, and whether police and other authorities should or should not be permitted to use personal characteristics like religion, or ethnicity, or nationality in deciding who to search in security lines at airports or other locations. Respondents were asked whether they approved or disapproved of President Obama's decision to close the United States military prison in Guantanamo Bay, whether they support or oppose the proposed changes to the health care system, whether they preferred the public option, and whether they have health insurance. Respondents were queried on whether they thought the federal government should try to limit the size of the bonuses banks can pay to their top employees, whether they would support or oppose a special tax on bonuses over one million dollars, and whether they would support or oppose higher taxes targeted at banks that do a lot of trading in the stock market. Finally, respondents were asked whether Obama's presidency has helped or hurt race relations in the United States, whether they favor smaller government with fewer services, or larger government with more services, whether they favor or oppose legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal and medical use, and whether they voted in the last presidential election. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, political ideology, religious preference, and whether the respondent is a born-again Christian.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, January 2011 (ICPSR 35090)
Released/updated on: 2014-06-12
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded January 2011, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the performances of President Obama and Congress on a range of topics including: the economy, health care, Afghanistan, the budget deficit, taxes, and international relations. Additional queries investigated respondents' opinions of China, the Tea Party movement, the prioritization of political issues, the Affordable Care Act, gun control, partisan cooperation, and the quality of leadership provided by the political parties. Participants were asked if race relations have improved since Barack Obama took office, and whether the current state of political discourse encouraged violence, specifically referencing the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Additional questions included political partisanship, left-right political self-placement, and voting intentions. Demographic and other background information includes age, gender, race, religious affiliation, education, and locality of residence.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, July 2008 (ICPSR 27321)
Released/updated on: 2010-11-09
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded July 10-13, 2008, 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. A national sample of 1,119 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans. Information was collected on how closely respondents were following the 2008 presidential race and the chances that they will vote in upcoming presidential election in November. Respondents were also queried on which candidate they would vote for if the 2008 presidential election were being held that day and who they would like to see win the Democratic nomination. Views were sought on how well George W. Bush was handling the presidency and if he has improved America's image in the rest of the world. Respondents were asked if they approved of the way the United States Congress is doing it's job and to rate how important certain issues are in their choice for president. Respondents were also queried on whether they thought the war in Iraq and Afghanistan were worth fighting, whether significant progress was made toward restoring civil order and whether they thought the United States must win the war in Iraq and Afghanistan for the war on terrorism to be a success. Several questions asked respondents to compare Barack Obama and John McCain, and which candidate they trusted to handle issues such as the war in Iraq, immigration, international affairs, the economy, and social issues, such as abortion and gay civil unions. Respondents were asked how financially secure they felt and if financial situations were a major cause of stress in their life. Information was also collected on respondents views of homosexuals serving in the military. Demographic variables include sex, age, marital status, race, income, voter registration status, political ideology, political party affiliation, political philosophy, military status, education level, religious preference, labor union membership, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, July 2009 (ICPSR 27766)
Released/updated on: 2010-10-11
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded July 15-18 2009, 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 opinions of President Barack Obama and his handling of the presidency, the federal budget deficit, health care, the situation in Afghanistan, and the economy. Respondents were asked whether the Obama Administration or the Republicans in Congress could be trusted to do a better job handling the economy, health care, and the federal budget deficit. Respondents were also asked their opinions of Obama, whether the Bush Administration or the Obama Administration were to blame for the current economic situation, whether they approve of the parties in Congress and the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor. Several questions addressed federal spending, the respondent's personal economic situation, opinions on the wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq as well as opinions on Vice President Joe Biden, Republican Sarah Palin, the United States space program and the 1969 moon landing. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, political philosophy, party affiliation, education level, religious preference, household income, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, July 2010 (ICPSR 32543)
Released/updated on: 2012-01-24
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded July 7 - 11, 2010, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. This poll surveyed an oversample of approximately 241 Gulf Coast residents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling his job as president, the economy, the situations in Afghanistan and Iraq, health care, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the president's duties as commander-in-chief. Respondents were also asked their opinions about the national economy, how much confidence they had in the Republicans and Democrats in Congress to make the right decisions for the country's future, and who they trusted to do a better job, the Democrats or the Republicans, in handling the economy. Multiple questions addressed the oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. Respondents were asked about their personal feelings about the oil spill, their rating of the federal government, their local and state government, and the oil company, BP's, overall response to the oil spill, whether the federal government should pursue criminal charges against BP, whether the oil spill was a major environmental disaster, whether the spill affected the economy in their area and their personal finances, and whether respondents were concerned with the long term impacts of the oil spill on the economy, tourism, the environment, and on the safety of seafood that was consumed in the area. Additional questions asked respondents about their congressional voting preferences, their opinions regarding the federal government, an unemployment benefits extension, the war in Iraq, and the war in Afghanistan. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, military service, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born again Christians.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, June 2009 (ICPSR 27765)
Released/updated on: 2010-11-09
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded June 18-21, 2009, 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. A national sample of 1,001 adults was surveyed. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and the economy. Respondents were queried on whether or not they thought the country was headed in the right direction, whether they had a favorable impression of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, and whether they approved of the way Nancy Pelosi was handling her job as Speaker of the House. Information was collected on respondents opinions of having a smaller government with fewer services or having a larger government with more services. Respondents were asked whether they thought the United States Senate should or should not confirm judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court as well as a number of other questions dealing with her. Information was collected on whether respondents had health insurance or health care coverage, how satisfied they were with the overall health care system in the country as well as their own health care, and how concerned they were about their family's health care costs in the future. Respondents were asked a number of questions about health care reform, whether they were concerned about reform, whether they thought the government should require everyone to have health insurance, and whether the government should create a new health insurance plan to compete with private health insurance plans. Information was collected on respondents opinions of the economic stimulus plan, whether they thought the plan has helped or hurt the national economy, and whether they were concerned with the size of the federal budget deficit. Respondents were asked whether they thought Obama's policies were making the United States safer from terrorism and whether they approved or disapproved of closing the United States military prison in Guantanamo Bay. Finally respondents were queried on whether or not the federal government should regulate the release of greenhouse gases to reduce global warming, whether they supported cap and trade, and whether abortion should be legal or illegal. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, religious preference, whether respondent is a born-again Christian, employment, and union membership.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, June 2010 (ICPSR 30205)
Released/updated on: 2011-10-12
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded June 3-6, 2010 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 opinions of President Barack Obama and his handling of the presidency, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the federal budget deficit, immigration, and the economy. Respondents were asked their opinons about regulation of the offshore oil industry, the economy, the Tea Party movement, and Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. Respondents were asked whether they supported or opposed stricter federal regulations on greenhouse gasses and increasing federal oversight of the way the oil industry drills offshore. Opinions were collected on whether the Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan, should be confirmed, whether she should state her position on abortion, and whether she should indicate how she would have ruled in past cases before the court. Respondents were also asked whether they supported the Tea Party political movement, and whether the Tea Party, Democratic Party, or the Republican Party best represented their personal values, the needs of people like them, and best understood the economic problems of people in the country. Other topics included the national economy, and voter behavior in the United States House of Representatives election. Several questions addressed federal spending, the national economic situation and whether respondents thought criminal charges should be sought in the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, political philosophy, party affiliation, education level, religious preference, household income, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, June 2011 (ICPSR 35093)
Released/updated on: 2014-07-08
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded June 2011, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the performance of President Obama and Congress on a range of topics including: the economy, the budget deficit, interventions in Afghanistan and Libya, terrorism, and job creation. Queries also investigated respondents' opinions of the Tea Party movement, health care and Social Security reform, economic recovery, and the quality of leadership provided by the political parties. Additional subjects included: nuclear power, the price of gasoline, and the 2012 elections, political partisanship, left-right political self-placement, and voting intentions. Demographic and other background information includes age, gender, race, religious affiliation, income, education, and locality of residence.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, March 2009 (ICPSR 27763)
Released/updated on: 2010-04-29
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded March 26-29, 2009, 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 opinions of President Barack Obama and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy. Respondents were asked whether the Obama administration or the Republicans in Congress could be trusted to do a better job coping with the economic problems the nation faces and whether things in the country were going in the right direction. Respondents were also asked their opinions of First Lady Michelle Obama as well their opinions on the roles of banks, the Bush administration, large businesses and consumer debt, and the state of the national economy. Non-economic questions focused on the role of the United States in Afghanistan, confidence in the Obama administration in the handling of Afghanistan and the Taliban, efforts made in building relationships between the United States and Muslim-majority nations, and the general world image of the United States. Personal financial and economic topics addressed how concerned respondents were that they could maintain their current standard of living and in what areas they are experiencing spending cutbacks. Additional topics addressed familiarity and understanding of the Islamic religion and Muslims, and whether respondents had shopped at a Walmart store in the past 12 months. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, political political philosophy, party affiliation, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), education level, religious preference, employment status, household income and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, November 2009 (ICPSR 29043)
Released/updated on: 2010-10-21
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded November 12-15, 2009, 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. A national sample of 1,001 adults was surveyed. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and the economy, and whether they had a favorable opinion of Barack and Michelle Obama. Respondents were queried on whether they thought the country was headed in the right direction, whether they had a favorable impression of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, and which party they trusted more to do a better job coping with the problems the nation faces over the next few years. Respondents were asked whether they thought President Obama's views on most issues were too liberal or too conservative, whether they thought the leaders of the Republican Party were mainly presenting alternatives to President Obama's proposals or mainly criticizing his proposals without presenting alternatives. Information was collected on whether respondents thought Obama's policies are making the United States safer from terrorism. Respondents were asked a number of questions about the changes to the health care system in the country, whether they had some form of health insurance or health care coverage, and whether they thought the quality of health care would get better, worse, or remain the same. Respondents were queried on whether they would support or oppose having the government create a new health insurance plan to compete with private health insurance plans, whether they would support or oppose a federal law requiring all companies with a payroll of at least $500,000 either to offer health insurance or pay money into a government fund that would provide assistance buying insurance for people who could not get insurance through work, and whether they would be more likely or less likely to support a candidate for Congress if the candidate supported the proposed changes in health care. Respondents were also asked whether they thought someone who bought private health insurance with government assistance should be allowed to use the coverage for abortions, whether they thought insurance companies that use private funds should cover abortions, and whether they had a good basic understanding of the changes being proposed to the health care system or thought the changes were too complicated. Information was collected on respondents opinions of the economic stimulus plan, whether they thought the plan has helped or hurt the national economy, and whether they felt the economy had begun to recover. Respondents were queried on whether anyone living in their household had been laid off or lost their job in the last year, whether the job loss happened to them, and whether they had found a new job. Respondents were asked a number of questions about the war in Afghanistan, whether they thought the war was worth fighting, how confident they were that Obama would come up with a strategy that would succeed, and whether they thought Obama was giving United States military leaders too much or too little influence. Respondents were queried on whether they thought global warming was happening, how serious a problem global warming was, whether they supported cap and trade, whether they had planned to get the swine flu vaccine for themselves or their children, and whether they were confident that the flu vaccine is safe. Finally, respondents were asked if they were inclined to re-elect their representative in Congress, whether they would vote for Sarah Palin if she runs for president 2012, whether they thought she was qualified to serve as president, and whether terror suspects involved in the September 11 attack should be put on trial in federal courts or in a military tribunal set up for that purpose. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, religious preference, and whether the respondent is a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, October 2006 (ICPSR 22162)
Released/updated on: 2008-12-09
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, conducted October 5-8, 2006, 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 opinions regarding President George W. Bush's and the United States Congress' handling of the United States campaign against terrorism, of the economy, and of the war in Iraq. Respondents gave their opinions on the upcoming congressional elections, the issues that were the most important to them, and the performance of Democrats and Republicans in Congress, particularly on issues such as the economy, immigration, and health care. Respondents were further asked for their opinions on ethics in Congress, including the Mark Foley scandal. Additional questions addressed the war in Iraq, gas prices, and gun control. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, religious preference, whether respondents considered themselves to be born-again Christians, and military service and union membership in the household.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, October 2010 (ICPSR 32546)
Released/updated on: 2012-03-15
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded October 25-28, 2010, 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 Barack Obama was handling the presidency and the economy, how closely they were following the congressional election, what the chances were that they would vote in the upcoming congressional election, which party they would vote for in their congressional district, whether they normally vote in mid-term elections, whether they were inclined to vote to re-elect their representative in Congress, and whether or not they thought it would be a good thing if control of Congress switched from the Democrats to the Republicans after the November elections. Information was collected on whether respondents approved of the way the United States Congress was doing its job, whether they had a favorable or unfavorable impression of Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner, which party they trusted more to do a better job in coping with the main problems the nation faces over the next few years, which political party they trusted to do a better job handling the economy, and whether they thought that things in this country were generally going in the right direction. Respondents were queried on what they thought was a bigger risk, the Democrats putting in place too many government regulations or the Republicans not putting enough government regulations in place, whether they favored smaller government with fewer services or larger government with more services, and whether they had recently been contacted by an organization working in support of a candidate for Congress, asking for their vote. Respondents were also asked how they would describe the state of the nation's economy, whether they thought the economy was getting better or worse, whether they supported the political movement known as the Tea Party, whether they had a favorable or unfavorable impression of Sarah Palin and whether they thought Palin was qualified to serve as president. Finally, respondents were asked how important they thought it was to know who pays for campaign advertisements, who they would vote for if the candidates for president were Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, and whether they favored or opposed legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, political ideology, religious preference, union membership, and whether the respondent is a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, September 2010 (ICPSR 32545)
Released/updated on: 2011-12-01
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2010-09-01--2010-10-01
This poll, fielded September 30 through October 2010, 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. A national sample of 1,002 adults was surveyed. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and the economy, whether they approved of the way the United States Congress was doing its job, which party they trusted more to do a better job in coping with the main problems the nation faces over the next few years, and who they trusted more to do a better job handling the economy, health care, immigration issues, the war in Afghanistan, the federal budget deficit, and taxes. Respondents were queried on whether they approved of the way their own representative in Congress was handling their job, whether they have heard about Republican congressional candidates signing something called a "Pledge to America" that pledges them to keep certain campaign promises if they are elected, whether they were inclined to vote to re-elect their representative in Congress in the next election, whether they were following the November election closely, whether they were planning to vote in the Congressional election in November, which party they would vote for in the election, whether they thought that this congressional election was more important or less important as past congressional elections, and whether voting in midterm elections was something they usually do. Respondents were also asked whether they thought it would be a good thing or a bad thing if control of Congress switched from the Democrats to the Republicans after November's election, which party they thought had better ideas about the right size and role of the federal government, how they would rate the state of the nation's economy, whether they thought that the nation's economy was getting better or worse, and whether they thought the money the federal government had spent on the economic stimulus had been mostly well spent or mostly wasted. Finally respondents were asked whether they supported or opposed the changes to the health care system that have been enacted by Congress and the Obama Administration, whether they would support or oppose an effort to cancel these changes in the health care system, whether they support or oppose the Tea Party movement, and how much they thought a Tea Party candidate would change the culture in Washington if they were elected. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, political ideology, religious preference, and whether the respondent is a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, April 2006 (ICPSR 4659)
Released/updated on: 2007-11-19
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, conducted April 6-9, 2006, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the current presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,229 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of 27 Black respondents and 202 respondents aged 65 and older. Part 1 contains data on non-oversample respondents and Black oversample respondents, while Part 2 contains information asked only of respondents aged 65 and older, including the aged 65 and older oversample. Respondents were queried on whether they approved of the way President George W. Bush was handling the presidency, and issues such as the economy and the campaign against terrorism. Respondents were also asked whether they approved of the way the United States Congress and their own representatives were handling their jobs, whether they would vote for a Democratic or Republican candidate in the upcoming United States House of Representatives election, the importance of issues such as health care in their voting choice, and which party they trusted to handle the main problems the nation would face over the next few years. Views were also sought on the war in Iraq, whether United States military forces in Iraq should be withdrawn, and whether Iraq was currently in a state of civil war. A series of questions asked how much respondents knew about the new Medicare prescription drug program, whether they approved of it, and who was responsible for its creation. Respondents aged 65 and older were asked whether they took prescription drugs, whether they had signed up for the new Medicare prescription drug program, whether it saved them money, and whether the enrollment deadline should be extended. Other topics addressed the recent increase in gasoline prices, illegal immigration, government waste, a new Massachusetts law requiring all residents to have health insurance, and whether Congress should officially reprimand or impeach President Bush for authorizing wiretaps on suspected terrorists without court approval. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, marital status, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, religious preference, whether respondents considered themselves born-again or evangelical Christians, and whether they and their parents were born in the United States.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, August 2006 (ICPSR 4663)
Released/updated on: 2007-11-30
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, conducted August 3-6, 2006, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls 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 President George W. Bush was handling the presidency and issues such as the situation in Iraq and the economy. Those registered to vote were asked how closely they were following the upcoming congressional elections in November, whether they would vote for a Democrat or Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives if the election were held that day, and which issue was most important in their vote. All respondents were polled on which political party they trusted to handle issues such as the United States campaign against terrorism, which party was more concerned with the needs of people like themselves, whether they approved of the way the United States Congress was handling its job, and whether the Democrats were offering a clear direction that was different from that of the Republicans. Views were also sought on the war in Iraq, whether Iraq was in a state of civil war, and whether the Bush Administration and the Democrats in the United States Congress had a clear plan for handling the situation. A series of questions regarding the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon asked which group was to more to blame, whether Israel was justified in bombing Hezbollah targets in civilian areas, whether Israel should agree to an immediate, unconditional cease-fire in Lebanon, whether the conflict would make Israel more secure from attacks, and whether it would help or hurt the situation for the United States in Iraq. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, religious preference, and whether respondents considered themselves born-again or evangelical Christians.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, December 2007 (ICPSR 24593)
Released/updated on: 2009-07-13
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded December 6-9, 2007, is a part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on various political and social issues. A national sample of 1,136 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans, for a total of 205 African Americans respondents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of George W. Bush and the way he was handling the presidency and other issues such as the economy and terrorism, whether they approved of the way Congress was handling its job, and which political party they trusted to handle issues such as the war in Iraq. Opinions were also solicited on the 2008 presidential candidates. Respondents were asked who they would vote for if the 2008 Democratic and Republican primaries were being held that day, what was the single most important issue in their choice for president in the 2008 presidential election, and whether they were more likely to vote for a candidate based on qualities such as religion, race, gender, or political interests. A series of questions asked how closely respondents were following the 2008 presidential race and how likely they were to vote in the 2008 presidential primary in their state, which candidate they thought was most likely to be elected president, and how much candidates' religious beliefs, endorsements, spouses, and professional abilities weighed in deciding who to support for president. Respondents were also asked whether Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Barack Obama made them more likely to support him. Several questions asked about the war in Iraq, including whether the Iraq War was worth fighting, whether United States military forces should remain in Iraq until civil order is restored there, and whether the war in Iraq has contributed to the long-term security of the United States. Additional topics included abortion, whether the respondents considered themselves feminists, whether respondents had a good, basic understanding of the Mormon religion, respondents' own financial situation, and the state of the national economy. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education level, household income, religious preference, frequency of religious attendance, marital status, whether respondents own or rent their home, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), voter registration status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and the presence of children under 18 in the household.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, March 2006 (ICPSR 4657)
Released/updated on: 2007-06-01
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, conducted March 2-5, 2006, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked their opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency as well as his handling of issues such as the situation in Iraq and health care. Those polled also gave their opinions of the condition of the national economy, the United States Congress, Vice President Dick Cheney, Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator John McCain, and the Democratic and Republican parties. A series of questions asked whether the war in Iraq was worth fighting, whether United States military forces should be increased, decreased, or maintained, whether progress was being made to restore civil order in Iraq and establish a democratic government, and whether the Bush Administration and the Democrats in Congress had a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq. Views were also sought on the use of wiretapping and surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Security Agency in conducting the war on terrorism, whether the government was doing enough to protect the rights of American citizens, and whether the country was safer from terrorism now, as compared to before September 11, 2001. Additional topics addressed the bird flu virus, the Terri Schiavo case, the recent controversy surrounding a merger deal that would give management of six United States ports to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates, the religion of Islam, and whether respondents and any of their friends and relatives were prejudiced against Muslims and Arabs. Demographic variables included sex, age, race, household income, education level, religious affiliation, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural).