Showing 1 – 50 of 90 results.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
United States Congressional Roll Call Voting Records, 1789-1990: Reformatted Data (ICPSR 9822)
Released/updated on: 2026-08-17
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1789-01-01--1990-12-31
This study consists of roll call voting records from the United States Congress, including both the House of Representatives and Senate, from 1789 to 1990. The data is organized by distinct sessions of Congress, from 1st to 100th session of Congress. The units of analysis are individual members of Congress. Each record contains a member's voting action on every roll call vote taken during that session. The data also includes information associated with each record such as name, state, party code, ICPSR ID, member and occupancy codes, and Congress session number. The codebook files also contain supplemental information such as legislative citation codes, the voting date, the outcome tally, the relevant location, and a description of the voting issue.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
Job Satisfaction in the House of Representatives, 1999 (ICPSR 36584)
Released/updated on: 2016-10-24
Geographic coverage: United States
Job Satisfaction in the House of Representatives, 1999, reflects data collected from a mail survey of former members of the House of Representatives conducted in the Summer of 1999. The survey was funded by a grant from the Dirksen Congressional Center and the Caterpiller Foundation.
The collection includes data about former members who left congress between 1970 and 1999; of the 401 former members who were sent surveys 228 responded for a response rate of about 57%. The respondents were surveyed about reasons why they left congress, their relationships with their colleagues, satisfaction with position, and aspects of their family. Demographic variables included in this dataset are marital status and political party affiliation.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
ANES 2004 Time Series and Panel Contextual File (ICPSR 4294)
Released/updated on: 2016-09-06
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2004-01-01--2004-12-31
This study is part of the American National Election Study (ANES) Series, a time-series collection of national surveys fielded continuously since 1948, and designed to gather information on Americans' social backgrounds, enduring political predispositions, social and political values, as well as their perceptions and evaluations of political groups and candidates, opinions on questions of public policy, and participation in political life. The 2004 ANES auxiliary file of contextual data was created to provide a core of information for analysts interested in examining the 2004 general elections in a larger framework; thus, the dataset includes candidate biographical data, as well as information about past elections, expenditures, House and Senate member records and ratings, and district and state descriptions. The 436 records represent all of the United States Congressional Districts (and, for population description, the District of Columbia) and therefore may be used with both the ANES 2004 TIME SERIES STUDY [ICPSR 4245] and the ANES 2004 PANEL STUDY [ICPSR 4293].
Curated
ANES 2000-2004 Merged File (ICPSR 35146)
Released/updated on: 2014-05-19
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2000-01-01--2004-12-31
This data file does not represent new content, but instead it is the result of merging data from the 2000 NES, the 2002 NES, and the 2004 ANES Panel Study. The 2000 ANES contains questions in areas such as values and predispositions, media exposure, social altruism, and social networks. Special-interest and topical content includes a sizable battery on the Clinton legacy and a smaller retrospective battery on former President George H.W. Bush, new social trust questions specific to neighborhood and workplace, expanded content on civic engagement, questions related to the debate about campaign finance reform, and the first ANES time series appearance of measures on cognitive style. The 2002 ANES contains questions in areas such as social trust and civic engagement. Special-interest and topical content includes questions on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the war on terrorism, economic inequality, the 2000 Presidential election, recent corporate scandals, the 2001 tax cut, and proposed elimination of the estate tax. The 2004 phase of the panel study was given in large part to questions that capture the likely consequences of the election contest of 2000 and the terrorist attack of September 11th, as understood and interpreted by ordinary Americans. This included instrumentation on participation in political and civic life, satisfaction with democratic institutions, support for administration policy, and views on Afghanistan, Iraq, and homeland security. Demographic variables include sex, race, age, marital status, family income, education level, religious preference, political party affiliation, voter participation history, and registration status.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
Congressional Candidate Websites (ICPSR 34895)
Released/updated on: 2013-11-25
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2002-01-01--2006-12-31
The Congressional Candidate Websites study uses congressional candidate Web site data from 2002 to 2006 to understand campaign behavior. The content analysis data includes information on major party House and Senate candidates, their districts/states, and aspects of their campaign Web sites including their use of technology and political variables such as endorsements, issue positions, image promotion, and negative commentary.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
CBS News/New York Times National Poll, October #3, 2012 (ICPSR 34654)
Released/updated on: 2013-07-10
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2012-10-01--2012-10-31
This poll, the last of three fielded October 2012, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. A number of questions were asked about respondents' voting intentions for and opinions of the 2012 presidential campaign and election, as well as the 2012 election for the United States House of Representatives. Respondents were also asked if they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy, whether the country was headed in the right direction, and if they approved of the way Congress was handling its job. Further questions asked about the condition of the economy, the Bush-era tax cuts, illegal immigration, the best way to reduce the federal budget deficit, their opinion of Obama, Romney, Biden, and Ryan, and the most important issues in deciding how to vote in the presidential election. Additional topics included respondents' views on Obama's economic policies, the recent attack on the American consulate in Libya and the killing of the United States ambassador, abortion, the health care law, Medicare, withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, and Iran. Finally, respondents were asked about their main source of political news and information, whether they were a supporter of the Tea Party movement, and how much attention they had been able to pay to the 2012 presidential campaign. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, social class, marital status, household composition, education level, household income, employment status, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voting history, voter registration status, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.
Curated
American National Election Studies: Evaluations of Government and Society Study 1 (EGSS 1), 2010-2012 (ICPSR 32701)
Released/updated on: 2012-03-19
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2010-10-01--2010-10-31
The American National Election Studies: Evaluations of Government and Society Study 1 (EGSS 1), 2010-2012, is a series of relatively small, short, cross-sectional studies of the American electorate. Its chief aims are to measure public opinion well in advance of the 2012 election and to pilot test new instrumentation. Survey questions for the EGSS mainly come from the public proposal process on the American National Election Studies Online Commons. Topics include vote choice, Tea Party support, interest in politics, attitudes toward political parties, candidates, and Obama, political participation and knowledge, tax policy, racial attitudes, and the war in Afghanistan. Data collection is on the Internet using nationally representative probability samples. EGSS is not a panel design; different respondents complete each survey. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education, employment status, occupation, household income, household size, household type, marital status, religious preferences, religiosity, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and whether respondent is a citizen of the United States.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, October 2010 (ICPSR 32546)
Released/updated on: 2012-03-15
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2010-10-01--2010-10-31
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
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, October 2010 (ICPSR 33061)
Released/updated on: 2012-03-09
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2010-10-01--2010-10-31
This poll, fielded October 1-5, 2010 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 how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the economy, whether the stimulus package impacted the economy, whether the banks and automobile companies should have been allowed to fail, and what they thought about the cost of Social Security and Medicare. In addition, respondents were asked for their opinions of the United States House of Representatives, their district's representative, the Tea Party movement, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Respondents were also asked how much attention they paid to the 2010 election campaign, how likely it was that they would vote in the 2010 election for Congress and whether they would vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate, and what they thought was the most important problem facing the nation at that time. Respondents were queried about Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner, and Sarah Palin, whether they were aware of the Republican's "Pledge to America" and if they support that pledge. Finally respondents were asked whether they voted in the 2008 presidential election and for whom they voted, whether they voted in the 2006 election for the United States House of Representatives and the party of the candidate they chose, what was the most recent election of any kind that they participated in, and whether they were currently registered to vote. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, employment status, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.
Curated
CBS News Monthly Poll #2, July 2010 (ICPSR 32702)
Released/updated on: 2012-02-17
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2010-07-01--2010-07-31
This poll, fielded July 9-12, 2010 is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. A national sample of 966 adults was surveyed. Respondents were asked how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the gulf oil spill, the wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq, and foreign policy. In addition, respondents were asked if President Obama was spending too much time on financial system reform, health care reform, the gulf oil spill, and the economy. Respondents were also asked how much attention they paid to the 2010 election campaign, how likely it was that they would vote in the 2010 election for Congress and whether they would vote for the Democratic or the Republican candidate, what they thought was the most important problem facing the nation at the time of this survey, what they thought was the most important economic problem and how long they thought the effects of the recession would last. Respondents were queried on whether they believed BP (British Petroleum) would stop the gulf oil leak by Fall of 2010, if BP would fairly compensate those affected by the spill, whether they favored or opposed an Arizona immigration law, and whether the federal or state governments should pass immigration laws. Finally respondents were asked whether they voted in the 2008 presidential election and who they voted for, whether they voted for a United States House of Representative in the 2006 election and which candidate they voted for, what year was the most recent election of any kind that they had voted in, and whether they were registered to vote. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, employment status, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.
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--2010-10-31
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
Washington Post Monthly Poll, March 2010 (ICPSR 30203)
Released/updated on: 2011-05-05
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2010-03-01--2010-03-31
This poll, fielded March 23-26, 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 1,000 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 thought the country was headed in the right direction. Respondents were queried on whether they approved of the way the United States Congress was doing its job, whether they approved of the way 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, and which party they trust more to do a better job in coping with the main problems the nation faces over the next few years. 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 have health insurance, whether they thought health care costs would increase or decrease as a result of the changes to the health care system, and whether they thought these changes to the health care system would increase or decrease the federal budget deficit. Information was collected on whether the respondents thought the health care plan created too much government involvement in the nation's health care system, whether respondents had a good basic understanding of the upcoming changes to the health care system, whether respondents have contacted their senators or representatives in Congress about the health care reform, and whether they thought these changes to the health care system represent a major change in the direction of the country. Respondents were queried on whether they would vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate in the upcoming election for United States House of Representatives, whether respondents thought it would be a good thing or a bad thing if control of Congress switched from Democrats to Republican, whether they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the Tea party, and Sarah Palin. Finally respondents were asked a number of question about the United States Post office, whether they thought the post office would still be used by most people at the end of the century, and whether respondents thought abortion should be legal or illegal in all cases. 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
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #4, October 1998 (ICPSR 2666)
Released/updated on: 2010-11-15
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded October 26-28, 1998, 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 Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy, as well as their views on the United States Congress, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, the Democratic party, and the Republican party. Those queried were asked whether they intended to vote in the upcoming November 1998 congressional elections, for which party's candidates they intended to vote, whether their congressional representative deserved to be reelected, and whether government would work better if all new people were elected that year. Respondents were asked which party they felt would make the right decisions regarding Medicare, education, crime, family values, health care reform, the needs of families, Social Security, and leading the country into the 21st century. Their views were sought on whether Clinton should remain in office, resign, be impeached, or be censured if it were proven that he either lied under oath about his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, or asked her to lie under oath about their relationship. Additional questions on this topic covered the manner in which the House Judiciary Committee was handling the impeachment matter, whether the situation was a crime or "politics", whether respondents had communicated with their congressional representatives regarding the matter, and whether the "Clinton factor" would play a role when they voted for Congress. Additional questions addressed the National Basketball Association labor dispute, including which side was right, the players or the owners, and whether the dispute had affected respondents' interest in professional basketball. Additional questions covered United States spending on space exploration programs, including the upcoming space mission involving John Glenn, and whether the respondent would travel to space if given the opportunity. Background information on respondents includes age, race, sex, political party, political orientation, religion, education, voter registration and participation history, marital status, family income, financial status, age of children in household, and political radio show listening history.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, August 1990 (ICPSR 9503)
Released/updated on: 2010-09-16
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1990-08-16--1990-08-19
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 foreign policy, the national economy, taxes, respondents' views of the most important problem facing the country and which political party could best handle it, present consequences and future expectations regarding Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the United States' response, whether inflation or unemployment was a more important problem, the federal budget deficit, respondents' party preferences in the 1990 United States House of Representatives election and 1992 presidential election, standards of ethics in government, and factors affecting respondents' preferences in congressional elections. Additionally, respondents were questioned regarding the savings and loan crisis. They were asked how banks compared with savings and loans and who has benefited most from the policies of the federal government. Other topics covered include abortion, respondent's financial situation, whether voting, jury duty, and military service is a duty or a choice, national handgun laws, capital punishment, whether convicted murderers serving life sentences should be paroled, and opinions of George Bush, Neil Bush, David Souter, Congress, and the Democratic and Republican parties. Demographic information collected includes sex, age, race, education, parental status, family income, employment status, religion, ethnicity, political orientation, party preference, voting behavior, party of United States Representative, jury duty service, and service in the armed forces.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #3, October 1998 (ICPSR 2665)
Released/updated on: 2010-09-10
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded October 12-13, 1998, 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 Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy, as well as their views on the United States Congress, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde. Those queried were asked whether they planned to vote in the upcoming November 1998 congressional elections, for which party's candidates they intended to vote, what issue was most influential in terms of their electoral decisions, the impact that the Clinton scandal would have on their choices, and whether their votes could be viewed as votes for or against Clinton. Respondents were asked for their opinions of the past year's congressional record, specifically, Congress's work in the areas of campaign fundraising, the economy, Social Security/Medicare, patients' rights, and the budget. Those queried were also asked whether Clinton should remain in office, resign, be impeached, or be censured if it were determined that he either lied under oath about his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, or asked her to lie under oath about their relationship. A series of questions was posed about the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry. Topics covered the length of the inquiry, whether Republicans and Democrats would be able to work together in a nonpartisan manner, and whether this inquiry and the prior investigation were sound uses of time, effort, and money. Additional questions addressed the impact of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal on Congress and on the Clinton administration, and whether Clinton could still be an effective president. Background information on respondents includes age, race, sex, political party, political orientation, marital status, employment status, voter registration and participation history, religion, education, family income, and age of children in household.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #4, September 1998 (ICPSR 2611)
Released/updated on: 2010-08-27
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton, his leadership, and his morals, the United States Congress, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde. Respondents were asked whether they intended to vote in the upcoming 1998 congressional elections, how much attention they had paid to the campaigns, and whether their electoral behavior had been influenced by the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal. A series of questions were asked about the relationship between Clinton and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Those queried were asked how closely they had followed the investigation, whether the relationship was a public or a private matter, whether Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's investigation had been impartial, whether Clinton encouraged Lewinsky to lie under oath, and what should happen to Clinton if it was proven that he obstructed justice. A series of questions addressed the videotape of Clinton's testimony before a grand jury that was released to the public September 21, 1998. Topics covered the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee's decision to release the tape, how much of the tape respondents had watched, whether Clinton appeared to be cooperative during his testimony, and whether it was appropriate for the lawyers to ask about specific details of Clinton's sexual relationship with Lewinsky. Respondents were also asked a series of questions about the ramifications of this scandal. Topics covered whether Clinton would resign, be impeached, or censured, whether impeachment hearings should be held, who was to blame for Congress' inability to work in a nonpartisan manner, the scandal's effect on the Clinton administration and the congressional agenda, and whether Clinton could still be an effective president. An additional question addressed the Major League Baseball race to win the homerun title. Respondents were asked whether they wanted Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals or Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs to win, or for the race to end in a tie. Background information on respondents includes age, sex, race, ethnicity, education, religion, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, marital status, employment status, family income, and age of children in the household.
Curated
ABC News/The Washington Post Gun Poll, April 2007 (ICPSR 24587)
Released/updated on: 2010-08-05
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2007-04-01--2007-04-30
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
United States Congressional Roll Call Voting Records, 1789-1998 (ICPSR 4)
Released/updated on: 2010-05-06
Time period: 1789-01-01--1998-12-31
Roll call voting records for both chambers of the United States Congress through the second session of the 105th Congress are presented in this data collection. Each data file in the collection contains information for one chamber of a single Congress. The units of analysis in each part are the individual members of Congress. Each record contains a member's voting action on every roll call vote taken during that Congress, along with variables that identify the member (e.g., name, party, state, district, uniform ICPSR member number, and most recent means of attaining office). In addition, the codebook provides descriptive information for each roll call, including the date of the vote, outcome in terms of nays and yeas, name of initiator, the relevant bill or resolution number, and a synopsis of the issue.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, October 1990 (ICPSR 9615)
Released/updated on: 2010-03-31
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1990-10-08--1990-10-10
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. Demographic information collected includes sex, age, race, education, family income, religion, ethnicity, political orientation, party preference, and voting behavior. Specific topics covered in this survey include foreign policy, the economy and the recession, the federal budget deficit, Dan Quayle, state election campaigns, voter registration status, party preference in the 1990 election for United States House of Representatives, likelihood of voting in the 1990 elections for Congress, and term limits for members of Congress. Other areas on which respondents' opinions were sought include the savings and loan crisis, whether the interests of the government and Congress were self-serving or beneficial to all, re-election of respondent's representative and members of Congress, Democratic vs. Republican control of the White House and House of Representatives, the Cold War, whether the Soviet Union and Germany were peace-loving or aggressive, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the response of the United States, female reporters in professional sports team locker rooms, and major league baseball. A series of items focusing on marriage included whether divorce or constant domestic arguments were more harmful to children, respondent's marital status, likelihood of remarriage if divorced, initiating party in divorce, divorce vs. keeping the marriage together, quality of communication and trust in marriage, and whether the respondent would marry the same person again.
Curated
CBS News Monthly Poll #2, October 2008 (ICPSR 26826)
Released/updated on: 2010-01-29
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2008-10-01--2008-10-31
This special topic poll is 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. In this poll, fielded October 28-30, 2008, respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency, whether the country was going in the right direction, whether the condition of the economy was good, and whether their family was financially better off compared to four years ago. Those who were registered to vote were asked about how much attention they were paying to the 2008 presidential campaign, their opinions of the campaigns, their opinions of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates and their policies, their degree of support for the candidates, whether they had voted in a Democratic or Republican primary or caucus that year, the issue that was most important in deciding which candidate to vote for, the likelihood that they would vote in the general election and for whom, and whether they planned to vote in person on election day, by mail or absentee ballot, or at an early voting location. Respondents were also asked about whether they would vote for a Republican or Democratic candidate in the United States House of Representative election, which party had more members in the United States House of Representatives, whether they approved of the way Congress was handling its job, and whether they approved of the job their own district's representative was doing in Congress. Other topics addressed respondent's social class, job security, respondent's concerns and confidence level in having their vote counted properly for the presidential election, television commercials for Barak Obama and John McCain, whether a person's race affected their chances of getting ahead in today's society, and whether the United States was justified for taking military action against Iraq. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, length of time at current residence, whether there were children under the age of 18 living with the respondent, military service, religious preference, religious service attendance, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
CBS News Monthly Poll #3, October 2008 (ICPSR 26827)
Released/updated on: 2010-01-29
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2008-10-01--2008-10-31
This special topic poll is 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. In this poll, fielded October 29-31, 2008, respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency, whether the country was going in the right direction, whether the condition of the economy was good, and whether their family was financially better off compared to four years ago. Those who were registered to vote were asked about how much attention they were paying to the 2008 presidential campaign, their opinions of the campaigns, their opinions of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates and their policies, their concerns for the candidates, whether they had voted in a Democratic or Republican primary or caucus that year, the issue that was most important to them in deciding which candidate to vote for, the likelihood that they would vote in the general election and for whom, and whether they planned to vote in person on election day, by mail or absentee ballot, or at an early voting location. Respondents were also asked about whether they would vote for a Republican or Democratic candidate in the United States House of Representatives election, which party had more members in the United States House of Representatives, and whether they approved of the way Congress was handling its job. Other topics addressed job security, television commercials for Barak Obama and John McCain, whether a person's race affected their chances of getting ahead in today's society, and whether the United States was justified for taking military action against Iraq. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, length of time at current residence, whether there were children under the age of 18 living with the respondent, military service, religious preference, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #3, October 2008 (ICPSR 26824)
Released/updated on: 2010-01-25
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2008-10-01--2008-10-31
This poll, fielded October 17-19, 2008, 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. This poll interviewed 1,152 adults nationwide, including 1,046 registered voters, about the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency, whether the country was moving in the right direction, and the condition of the national economy. Registered voters were asked how much attention they were paying to the 2008 presidential campaign, whether they had voted in a presidential primary or caucus that year, the likelihood that they would vote in the general election, and whether they planned to vote in person on election day, by mail or absentee ballot, or at an early voting location. Views were sought on presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, the spouses of the presidential candidates, Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain, vice-presidential candidates Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Respondents were asked which presidential candidate they would vote for if the general election were held that day, which candidate they expected to win, and whether they knew anyone who supported or opposed Obama because of his race. Those who had already voted were asked which presidential candidate they had voted for. A series of questions asked for opinions of the Democratic and Republican parties, how well the United States Congress and the respondent's own representative were doing their jobs, and whether they would vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate from their district if the United States House of Representatives election were held that day. Additional topics addressed the economic bailout plan, personal finances, temporary tax cuts passed in 2001, and whether income taxes should be raised on households making over $250,000 a year to pay for health insurance for those without it. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, household income, perceived social class, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, military service, religious preference, frequency of religious attendance, whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian, and whether a child under 18 years of age was living in the household.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, December 1998 (ICPSR 2672)
Released/updated on: 2010-01-20
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded December 13-15, 1998, 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 Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency and foreign policy, as well as their views of the United States Congress, Vice President Al Gore, House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, and the Republican and Democratic parties. Those queried were asked if they believed that Clinton had said enough regarding his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, whether their affair was a public or a private matter, and whether Clinton could be trusted. A series of questions addressed the Judiciary Committee's December 12, 1998, vote to send the four articles of impeachment to the full House of Representatives for a vote. Topics covered the committee's handling of the inquiry, whether respondents believed that Clinton committed perjury or obstructed justice, whether they had watched any part of the hearings, how they viewed the party-line vote that resulted, and how the decision made them feel. Their views were also sought on how they wanted their representative to vote on the articles of impeachment, what the outcome should be if the House sent the articles to the Senate and a trial were held, whether Clinton's actions warranted impeachment, and the impact that a Senate impeachment trial would have on the nation and the economy. In addition, respondents were asked whether they believed that federal prosecutors should charge and prosecute Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice after he left office, whether it was more important for a president to be a role model or an effective leader, and whether Clinton could still be an effective president. Background information on respondents includes age, race, sex, education, religion, political party, political orientation, marital status, voter registration and participation history, Hispanic descent, and family income.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #4, October 2008 (ICPSR 26825)
Released/updated on: 2010-01-04
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2008-10-01--2008-10-31
This poll, fielded October 25-29, 2008, 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. This poll interviewed 1,439 adults nationwide, including 1,308 registered voters, about the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency, their financial situation compared to four years ago, whether the country was moving in the right direction, and the condition of the national economy. Registered voters were asked how much attention they were paying to the 2008 presidential campaign, whether they had voted in a Democratic or Republican primary or caucus that year, the likelihood that they would vote in the general election, for which presidential candidate they would vote, and whether they planned to vote in person on election day, by mail or absentee ballot, or at an early voting location. Those who had already voted were asked which presidential candidate they had voted for. Views were sought on presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, vice-presidential candidates Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, and whether the presidential candidates' choices for vice president would affect their vote. Respondents were also asked whether they had seen television commercials for the candidates, whether most people they knew would vote for a Black president, and whether race affected a person's chances of getting ahead in society. Additional topics addressed the Iraq war, how well the United States Congress and respondent's own representative were doing their jobs, which political party held a majority in the United States House of Representatives, and whether respondents would vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate from their district in the upcoming election. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, household income, perceived social class, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, military service, religious preference, frequency of religious attendance, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian, and whether they had a child under 18 living in the household.
Curated
CBS News Federal Budget Deficit Poll, October 1990 (ICPSR 9614)
Released/updated on: 2009-07-20
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1990-10-07--1990-10-07
This survey focuses on issues related to difficulties encountered by the federal government in reaching agreement on a federal budget deficit reduction plan. Respondents indicated their approval or disapproval of President Bush's handling of both his presidency and the budget deficit, identified President Bush or Congress as being more to blame or equally to blame for the difficulties in dealing with the deficit, and specified whether Republicans or Democrats in Congress were more at fault or equally at fault in dealing with the deficit situation. Respondents were queried regarding their general knowledge of the problem, including how closely they had followed the difficulties with the budget, their perception of the difficulties as either a true crisis or a political machination, and their opinion of the House of Representatives' rejection of the deficit reduction compromise arrived at by the President and leaders of Congress. Regarding the House's rejection of the compromise, those surveyed indicated whether they would vote for their representative based on his/her vote on the compromise, and if they knew how their representative had voted. Respondents also reacted to Bush's shutting down of various government services rather than signing a bill to extend them another week and indicated whether they had been affected by the shutdown or if they anticipated being affected. In addition, respondents revealed their preference for a large across-the-board cut in all government programs and services or a federal budget deficit reduction plan, and speculated about whether Congress was likely to arrive at a plan that would be fair. Those surveyed also indicated whether they would be willing to comply with a series of measures to reduce the deficit, including paying an additional $100 to $500 a year in taxes, raising the charge for Medicare, raising the tax on beer, wine, liquor, and gasoline, limiting government health and education services, and raising taxes for people with incomes of over $100,000 a year. Respondents also evaluated the strength of Bush's leadership in trying to settle the budget, indicated whether or not they were registered to vote and if they would vote for the Republican or Democratic candidate in their district for the House of Representatives if that election were held today, commented on whether most congressmen have made decisions based on what is best for the country or what they think will insure re-election, and characterized the cause of difficulty in reaching a budget agreement as either disagreement over important issues or political bickering. Background information on respondents includes political alignment, employment of a household member by the federal government, income, education, age, race, sex, number of adults at home, and state/region of residence.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, January 1999 (ICPSR 2717)
Released/updated on: 2009-04-29
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded January 3-4, 1999, 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 Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy, as well as their opinions of the United States Congress, Vice President Al Gore, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, the Republican and Democratic parties, the federal government, and the news media. Views were also solicited on the condition of the national economy, public trust in government, whether political leaders shared the moral values of and cared about the needs and problems of the American people, priorities for national governmental action in the near future, and predictions regarding such action. Special emphasis was given to the presidential impeachment proceedings on Capitol Hill. Respondents were asked how much attention they paid to and how they viewed the House of Representatives impeachment vote, and what their desires and expectations were for the prospective Senate impeachment trial (including possible Senate censure or Clinton resignation) and for the ultimate resolution of the impeachment proceedings. Opinions were also solicited on the news media's handling of the impeachment process. Background information on respondents includes age, race, sex, education, religion, marital status, voting registration status, political party preferences and political orientation, computer, Internet, and e-mail accessibility and use, age of children in the household, and family income.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #4, January 1999 (ICPSR 2720)
Released/updated on: 2009-04-29
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1999-01-30--1999-02-01
This poll, fielded January 30-February 1, 1999, 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 Bill Clinton, the United States Congress, Vice President Al Gore, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr, former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, and the Republican and Democratic parties. Respondents were next asked a series of questions comparing the two main political parties, including which party had better ideas for both solving the nation's current problems and for leading the country into the 21st century, as well as which party was better at upholding traditional family values. Opinions were also elicited as to which party was the more likely to make the right decisions about Social Security, to improve education and the health care system, and to reduce taxes and crime. Respondents were also asked how they would recommend that Congress use the budget surplus projected over the coming years, including cutting taxes, paying down the national debt, and preserving programs like Medicare and Social Security. Particular emphasis was given in this poll to the Senate impeachment trial of President Clinton. Respondents were queried as to how closely they were following the news of the trial, whether they approved of the Senate's handling of the matter, and what their expectations were for the length of the trial. Opinions were elicited on the need for witness testimony, whether President Clinton's actions were serious enough to warrant removal from office, and the constitutional necessity of a final Senate vote. Other questions focused on each political party's role in the impeachment matter, whether the parties were working in a partisan manner, whether the parties' actions would help or hurt their respective images and prospects in the 2000 election, and whether House or Senate members of each party handled themselves more responsibly. Respondents were also asked whether they had learned anything new from the trial, whether the Senate should take into account public opinion when making their decisions, how the respondent wanted his or her senator to vote, and whether the respondents cared about the outcome. Finally, respondents were asked for their predictions as to whether President Clinton would be removed from office and, if not, whether he could still remain effective as president. Attention was also directed toward the Republican party, in terms of whether it was out of touch with the American people--or even rank and file Republicans--on the impeachment matter, and whether the party was too conservative. Background information on respondents includes age, race, sex, education, religion, marital status, political party, political orientation, recent voting history, and family income.
Curated
CBS News Monthly Poll, June 2002 (ICPSR 3698)
Released/updated on: 2009-04-29
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2002-06-01--2002-06-30
This poll is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit opinions on the presidency and on other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions on the following: the effectiveness of President George W. Bush and his administration, the war in Afghanistan, terrorism and the effects of the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States Department of Homeland Security, the scandals in the Catholic Church, possible military action in Iraq, and the 2000 United States presidential and 2002 House of Representatives elections. Questions addressed President Bush's handling of fighting in the Middle East, terrorism, foreign policy, and the economy, the goals of the Bush administration and its domestic policies, who was setting the administration's policies, and how respondents viewed United States Attorney General John Ashcroft. Other questions focused on the progress of the war in Afghanistan and the ramifications and likelihood of capturing or killing al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Questions probed for respondents' opinions about the likelihood of another terrorist attack, the use of military tribunals as opposed to civilian courts to try terrorists, the government's actions to prevent terrorism, the likelihood of a nuclear attack being launched by another country as opposed to a terrorist organization, the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, pre-emptive strikes against other countries, and the Central Intelligence Agency's involvement in weakening foreign governments. Respondents were also queried about the effectiveness of the Catholic Church and the Pope in handling sexual abuse allegations against priests and drafting policies on how to deal with future allegations. Background variables include age, sex, education, ethnicity, political orientation, marital status, the lack or presence of children in the household, ages of the children, and household income.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, August 1992 (ICPSR 6083)
Released/updated on: 2009-04-06
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1992-08-11--1992-08-14
This poll is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Questions were posed regarding respondents' vote intentions for the 1992 presidential election, their opinions of the 1992 presidential candidates, and the likelihood of their voting in the 1992 presidential election. Items relating to George Bush and Bill Clinton dealt with their ability to deal with an international crisis, their ideas to end the recession, their moral values, their ability to deal with problems, and their areas of concentration during the campaign. Those surveyed also assessed Bush's handling of the presidency, foreign policy, the situation in Iraq, and the economy. In addition, respondents gave their opinions of Ronald Reagan, Ross Perot, Hillary Clinton, and Barbara Bush. Other questions focused on the situation in Yugoslavia, the national economy, pornography, abortion, the United States House of Representatives election, the candidates for vice president, Ronald Reagan, and Jimmy Carter. Background information on respondents includes sex, age, race, marital status, education, religious preference, family income, political orientation, and party preference.
Curated
Database of [United States] Congressional Historical Statistics, 1789-1989 (ICPSR 3371)
Released/updated on: 2009-02-03
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1789-01-01--1989-12-31
This data release is composed of tables from a database of United States Congressional statistics spanning the time period 1789 through 1989. The sources of the data were studies in the ICPSR collection and other historical texts and studies. There are eleven data files in total, including two additional tables that have been added since the first release. Some files contain records for additional Congresses. The rows in the various files describe different entities. For example, in the Votes Table file, each row contains a record of a vote by a particular member on a particular roll call vote. The Member Table file contains a record for each member of Congress, while the Serves Table file contains a record for each member for every Congress in which he or she served. See the descriptions of each file in the codebook for details about its contents. The data from the various files can be combined by matching the fields that they have in common. Cross-file searches should be conducted using the Member_ID field. However, not every file has the Member_ID field. In those cases, an alternative common field should be used.
Curated
American National Election Studies, 2000, 2002, and 2004: Full Panel Study (ICPSR 21500)
Released/updated on: 2009-01-30
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2000-01-01--2004-12-31
This data file does not represent new content, but instead it is the result of merging data from the 2000 NES, the 2002 NES, and the 2004 ANES Panel Study. The 2000 ANES contains questions in areas such as values and predispositions, media exposure, social altruism, and social networks. Special-interest and topical content includes a sizable battery on the Clinton legacy and a smaller retrospective battery on former President George H.W. Bush, new social trust questions specific to neighborhood and workplace, expanded content on civic engagement, questions related to the debate about campaign finance reform, and the first ANES time series appearance of measures on cognitive style. The 2002 ANES contains questions in areas such as social trust and civic engagement. Special-interest and topical content includes questions on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the war on terrorism, economic inequality, the 2000 Presidential election, recent corporate scandals, the 2001 tax cut, and proposed elimination of the estate tax. The 2004 phase of the panel study was given in large part to questions that capture the likely consequences of the election contest of 2000 and the terrorist attack of September 11th, as understood and interpreted by ordinary Americans. This included instrumentation on participation in political and civic life, satisfaction with democratic institutions, support for administration policy, and views on Afghanistan, Iraq, and homeland security. Demographic variables include sex, race, age, marital status, family income, education level, religious preference, political party affiliation, voter participation history, and registration status.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, October 2006 (ICPSR 22162)
Released/updated on: 2008-12-09
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2006-10-01--2006-10-31
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
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, February 1996 (ICPSR 2299)
Released/updated on: 2008-09-11
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1996-02-01--1996-02-29
This poll, conducted February 22-24, 1996, 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 of this poll were asked about their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, the economy, and the situation in Bosnia. Respondents were also asked to give their opinions about presidential candidates Bob Dole, Pat Buchanan, Lamar Alexander, and Steve Forbes. Respondents were asked for whom they would vote if the 1996 presidential and United States House of Representatives election were being held that day, which candidate they felt cared most about people's needs and problems, and whether each candidate had the ability to be an effective president. A series of questions addressed issues pertaining to Social Security benefits including whether respondents thought the Social Security system would have money available to provide benefits to them when they retire, whether Social Security taxes should be increased, whether Social Security benefits should be reduced for individuals with higher incomes, and whether some of the Social Security trust fund should be invested in the stock market. A series of questions asked respondents with children between the ages of 2 and 12 about the amount of time their child spent watching cable television, video tapes, using a personal computer, and playing video games the previous day. Additional questions in this poll addressed the condition of the national economy, abortion, homosexuals and homosexual relationships, organized prayer in public schools, immigration, the sale of pornography and handguns, and United States trade. Demographic variables include sex, race, age, household income, education level, the presence of children and teenagers in the household, marital status, religious preference, whether or not respondents considered themselves to be born-again Christians, political party affiliation, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, voter participation history and registration status, and political philosophy.
Curated
Party Strength in the United States: 1872-1996 (ICPSR 6895)
Released/updated on: 2008-09-10
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1872-01-01--1996-12-31
This data collection contains a set of index numbers that can be used as measures of party strength at the polls and changes in party strength since 1872, the year of the second presidential election after the end of the Civil War. The file consists of statewide percentages of the actual vote won by Democratic, Republican, and other candidates/parties for the offices of president, governor, United States House of Representatives, and, beginning in 1914, the two Senate seats allocated to each state. The percentages for the Senate seats are designated according to the Senate class (I, II, or III) to which the particular race refers. Data are also presented for the presidential, gubernatorial, and senatorial vote percentages in biennial form, as achieved by averaging the percentages from the previous and following election. Sets of composite percentages are included as well: one set of composite numbers combines the data for all four offices, a second set combines the data for the three offices other than president, and a third set combines the data for senators and representatives in Congress. Biennial office data and composite data are also included for aggregate groupings of states. Regional data are provided for states grouped as Northeast, Middle West, South, and West. In addition, states are grouped based on party competitiveness between 1896 and 1930 as either predominantly Republican, predominantly Democratic, or competitive. Biennial office data and composite indices are also included for the nation as a whole.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Clinton/Dole Comparison Poll, June 1996 (ICPSR 4510)
Released/updated on: 2008-09-03
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1996-05-01--1996-06-30
This special topic poll, fielded May 31-June 3, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinion of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, and of various issues such as foreign policy and the economy. Opinions were solicited on the condition of the national economy, what was the most important problem facing respondents and their families, their communities, and the country, how much the president could help with those problems, and whether they approved of the way Congress was handling its job. Respondents were asked whether they had been paying attention to the 1996 Presidential campaign, which candidate they would vote for if the presidential and United States House of Representatives elections were being held that day, and to give their opinions of Senator Bob Dole, First Lady Hillary Clinton, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. Several questions asked whether respondents leaned more toward Bill Clinton or Bob Dole based on specific issues, such as unemployment, family values and illegal drugs, whether it is better to have a president from the same political party that controls Congress, and whether the campaigns of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole have been more positive than past presidential campaigns. Respondents were asked whether they knew about the Clinton's past involvement in the Arkansas real estate development called Whitewater, whether the Clintons were trustworthy, whether the Whitewater issue was of great importance to the nation, and whether the verdicts in the Whitewater trial of Bill Clinton's former business partners affected their opinion of Bill Clinton. A series of questions asked about issues dealing with crime, including whether crime increased in the country and in respondents' communities within the last year, teenage crime, whether respondents or their family members had been the victim of a crime within the last year, whether the respondent's community was safe for women and children, what was the most important cause of crime, whether parents should be held legally accountable for their school-aged children's crimes, and whether respondents would approve of a curfew for children under the age of 18 within their community. Information was also collected on whether respondents considered themselves part of the religious right movement, and whether they listened to political call-in radio shows. Additional topics included abortion, the environment, the government, taxes and the budget deficit, job and financial security, and union involvement in political campaigns. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, voter registration status and participation history, household income, religious preference, household union membership, political ideology, political party affiliation, political philosophy, whether respondents had any children under the age of 18, and whether respondents had any children entering the ninth grade in the fall.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Presidential Election Poll #2, October 1996 (ICPSR 4514)
Released/updated on: 2008-08-26
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1996-10-01--1996-10-31
This poll, conducted October 30 - November 2, 1996, 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 of this poll were asked about their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy. Respondents were also asked to give their opinions of the 1996 presidential and vice-presidential candidates Bob Dole, Ross Perot, Al Gore, Jack Kemp, and Pat Choate. Respondents of this poll were asked for whom they would vote if the 1996 presidential and United States House of Representatives election were being held that day, their interest in the 1996 presidential campaign, their predictions about the outcome of the presidential election, and whether the presidential candidates spent more of their campaign time attacking each other or explaining their intentions as president. Other questions about the presidential candidates and their campaigns asked whether the candidates were addressing issues that were important, whether the candidates could be trusted to keep their word, whether they possessed honesty and integrity, and whether the candidates had made their intentions as president clear. Additional questions in this poll addressed the condition of the national economy, job layoffs, and ethical issues concerning the Clinton Administration. Demographic variables include sex, race, age, household income, education level, marital status, religious preference, whether or not respondents considered themselves to be born-again Christians, political party affiliation, type of residential area (e.g. urban or rural), political party affiliation, voter participation history and registration status, and political philosophy.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Presidential Election Poll #1, October 1996 (ICPSR 4512)
Released/updated on: 2008-08-14
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1996-10-01--1996-10-31
This poll, conducted October 10-13 and 16, 1996, 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 about their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy. Respondents also were asked for whom they would vote if the 1996 presidential and United States House of Representatives election were being held that day, their interest in the 1996 presidential campaign, whether the campaign was more positive than previous campaigns, and their feelings about the candidates' television advertisements. Respondents were also asked to give their opinions of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, whether the presidential candidates spent more of their campaign time attacking each other or explaining their intended actions as president, and of the first presidential and vice-presidential debates, including which candidate won, and how the debate affected respondents' opinions of the candidates. Other questions asked whether federal spending on education should be increased, whether teachers' unions played a positive role, the quality of public schools in this country, and whether parents should receive tax-funded vouchers to help pay for their children to attend private or religious schools. Information was also collected on how often respondents watched comedians on late-night television and whether they had heard anything new about the presidential candidates on those shows. Additional topics in this poll addressed the O.J. Simpson trial, the condition of the national economy, job layoffs, and abortion. A subset of respondents were contacted on October 16, 1996, after the second presidential debate between candidates Bill Clinton and Senator Bob Dole. Respondents were asked whether they had viewed or listened to the debate, which candidate did the best job, whether the debate changed respondents' opinions of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, whether the debate changed respondents' minds about who they were going to vote for, and whether they learned anything new about the issues or the candidates from the debate. Demographic variables include sex, race, age, household income, education level, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, voter participation history and registration status, and political philosophy.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, October 1994 (ICPSR 3869)
Released/updated on: 2008-07-31
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1994-10-01--1994-10-31
This poll, fielded October 20-23, 1994, 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 for their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, the economy, and foreign affairs. Respondents were asked their opinion on the condition of the nation's economy and how much credit they gave to Clinton for being responsible for it. Respondents were asked to provide approval ratings for the United States Congress, for the Republicans and Democrats in Congress, and their own representative in Congress. Additional questions asked respondents how much they believed that Congress had accomplished in the past year and which party they believed could better handle the problems that currently faced the country. Questions regarding the United States House of Representatives included whether the respondent was inclined to re-elect their current representative, and whether they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supported President Clinton. Those surveyed were asked whether a switch of control in Congress from Democrats to Republicans in the upcoming November election would be a good thing and if they thought it would make a difference. Questions also included whether the respondents trusted the government in Washington and whether they were enthusiastic about how the federal government worked. Respondents were asked to rate which president did the best job, choosing from among Bill Clinton, George Bush, or Ronald Reagan. Respondents were also asked how closely they had been following the upcoming election (which in some states included gubernatorial and senatorial races) and how likely they were to vote in that election. Background information on respondents includes political affiliation, voter registration status, voting record, political philosophy, level of education, age, sex, religious preference, class, area of residence, marital status, labor union membership, employment status, ethnicity, and total household income.
Curated
CBS News Monthly Poll, January 1996 (ICPSR 4507)
Released/updated on: 2008-07-14
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1996-01-01--1996-01-31
This poll, conducted January 16-17, 1996, 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 of this poll were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, Hillary Rodham Clinton and her handling of the job as first lady, the magnitude of her influence on decisions Bill Clinton made as president, her influence on policy, and the type of treatment she received from the news media. Respondents also were asked to give their opinions of the job performances of the Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich and Majority Leader of the Senate, Bob Dole, and which candidate they would vote for if the presidential elections were being held that day. Information was collected concerning the budget standoff, including whether respondents trusted Bill Clinton or Congress more in making decisions about balancing the federal budget, which party should carry more blame, and whether there would be a negotiation in the near future. A series of questions solicited respondents' opinions about the Whitewater investigation, including whether Congress should have been holding hearings to investigate events surrounding Whitewater, whether Bill and Hillary Clinton had cooperated with the Whitewater investigators and been entirely truthful, whether Hillary Clinton should have testified, and whether the news media spent enough time covering the Whitewater investigation. Additional questions asked whether respondents listened to call-in radio shows and whether they considered themselves to be part of the religious right movement. A sample of respondents were contacted on January 23, 1996 after President Clinton's State of the Union speech to Congress and asked whether they viewed or listened to the speech, whether they approved of the president's proposals, and whether they blamed Bill Clinton or Congress more for the budget standoff. These respondents were also asked whether they thought the government in Washington could have a positive impact on people's lives, whether they were better off at the time of the survey compared to four years ago, and whether they thought President Clinton or Congress better understood the needs and problems. Demographic variables include sex, race, age, household income, education level, type of residential area (e.g. urban or rural), political party affiliation, voter participation history and registration status, and political philosophy.
Curated
Washington Post District of Columbia Poll, July 2006 (ICPSR 22167)
Released/updated on: 2008-06-13
Geographic coverage: District of Columbia, United States
Time period: 2006-07-01--2006-07-31
This special topic poll, conducted July 13-18, 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. This poll surveyed 1,350 residents of the District of Columbia, including 1,013 registered voters. Residents were asked about their level of interest in the upcoming mayoral election and whether they were registered to vote. Registered Democrats were polled on the likelihood that they would vote in the Democratic primary election for mayor and DC city council chairman, for whom they would vote in these races, and how strongly they supported their candidates. Views were sought on the quality of life in the District of Columbia, the biggest problems facing the district, and the quality of local public schools and municipal services. Opinions were solicited on mayoral candidates Michael Brown, Linda Cropp, Marie Johns, Adrian Fenty, and Vincent Orange, how well Mayor Anthony Williams was handling his job, and the type of people who should be elected as the next mayor and city council chairman. Respondents were asked about the perceived level of safety in their neighborhood, the effect of immigration on their community, and their confidence in the district's ability to respond to a terrorist attack in the area. A series of questions addressed redevelopment efforts in the city, including which groups would benefit, the likelihood that it would force respondents to move out of their current neighborhood, whether they owned or rented their current residence, and the affordability of relocating within the city. Information was also collected on which ward respondents resided in, how often they voted in local elections, how long they had lived in Washington, DC, and whether anyone in their household was employed by the federal or city government. Additional topics addressed plans to build a stadium for the Washington Nationals baseball team, and whether the District of Columbia should become a voting member in the United States House of Representatives. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, education level, presence of children in the household, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and voter registration status.
Curated
CBS News Monthly Poll #1 and Call-Back Poll, October 1996 (ICPSR 4482)
Released/updated on: 2008-05-14
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1996-10-01--1996-10-31
This poll, fielded October 7-9, 1996, 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 survey solicited public opinion prior to and immediately following the vice-presidential debate held October 9, 1996. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency and issues such as foreign policy. Several questions asked how much respondents had been paying attention to the presidential campaign, whether they were likely to vote in the election for president, which candidate they would vote for if the presidential elections were being held that day, whether they had favorable opinions of the candidates, and who they expected to win. Opinions were collected on the condition of the national economy, how taxes would be affected based on which candidate was voted president, whether respondents preferred the federal budget deficit to be reduced or taxes to be cut, and whether the government could reduce the deficit and cut taxes at the same time. Respondents were asked whether they watched Sunday's debate between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, which candidate did the best job or won, whether they learned anything new about the candidates, and how likely it was that they would watch the October 9 vice-presidential debate. The call-back poll, conducted on October 9, 1996, concerned respondents' reactions about the debate between Al Gore and Jack Kemp. Views were sought on whether respondents watched the debate, which candidate did the best job or won, whether the candidates addressed issues that mattered, whether respondents had changed their minds about their choice for vice president, and for whom they would vote had the elections been held that day. Demographic variables include sex, race, age, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter participation history and registration status, whether respondents had any children starting ninth grade, length of time living at current residence, and type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural).
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Call-Back Poll, November 2006 (ICPSR 4648)
Released/updated on: 2008-05-13
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2006-11-01--2006-11-30
This poll is 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 survey, fielded November 11-14, 2006, is a call-back of the October 27-31, 2006, cohort CBS NEWS/NEW YORK TIMES MONTHLY POLL #4, OCTOBER 2006 (ICPSR 4647). In the poll conducted prior to the election, respondents gave their opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency, and issues such as foreign policy and the economy. Respondents were asked about the upcoming midterm elections, how well members of the United States Congress were doing their jobs, whether the country was moving in the right direction, and the condition of the national economy. Views were also sought on the war in Iraq, corrupt politics in Washington, DC, environmental protection, illegal immigration, North Korea's development of weapons, and gay marriage. In the call-back poll conducted a week following the election, respondents were asked whether they had voted in the United States House of Representatives election and for whom, when they decided for whom they would vote, and whether they were pleased with the outcome of the elections for Congress. Those polled were again asked their opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency and Iraq, whether they had favorable opinions of the Republican and Democratic parties, and whether George W. Bush and the Democrats in Congress would be able to work together. Information was collected on whether the president's political party and the political party that controls Congress should be the same, the effect the Democratic party might have on issues such as taxes, the minimum wage, and the threat of terrorism, and whether the United States did the right thing in taking military action against Iraq. Information was also collected on which voting method respondents used, and the likelihood that they would participate in an exit poll. Demographic information includes voter registration status and participation history, political party affiliation, political philosophy, marital status, sex, religious preference, frequency of religious attendance, education level, age, household income, race, whether respondents had any children under the age of 18, household union membership, military service, length of time living at current residence, and type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural).
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, July 1992 (ICPSR 6080)
Released/updated on: 2008-04-14
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1992-07-08--1992-07-11
This poll is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to comment on what they thought was the most important problem facing the country, and to give their approval rating of George Bush with respect to his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy. Questions were also posed regarding respondents' vote intentions for the 1992 presidential election, their opinions of 1992 presidential candidates, and the likelihood of their voting in the 1992 presidential election. Respondents were asked about the amount of attention they had paid to the 1992 presidential campaign, media coverage of the candidates, and the importance of a candidate's party affiliation. Those surveyed were asked whether George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ross Perot had strong qualities of leadership, whether they had said enough about where they stood on the issues, whether they really said what they believed most of the time, and how much they cared about the needs and problems of the people. The poll also posed questions pertaining to whether the candidates exhibited good judgment under pressure, whether they were likely to raise taxes, if they shared the moral values of other Americans, and whether they had offered specific ideas to solve important problems. Additional questions dealt with national health insurance, abortion, gasoline taxes, family finances, selling Mexican goods in the United States, the national economy, buying a new car or house, how well congressional representatives were handling their jobs, and how the United States House of Representatives should vote if none of the candidates wins an Electoral College majority. Background information on respondents includes sex, age, race, marital status, employment status, education, family income, political orientation, party preference, and religious preference.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, May 2006 (ICPSR 4616)
Released/updated on: 2008-02-27
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2006-05-01--2006-05-31
This poll, conducted May 4-8, 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 on the current direction of the country, the most important problem the country was facing, the national economy, the war in Iraq, and how the respondent would rate the job performance of United States Congress and his or her representative in it. Respondents were also asked about the way President George W. Bush was handling certain issues such as the economy, foreign policy, the war in Iraq, terrorism, gas prices, and immigration, and whether they approved of his overall job performance. The survey also sought respondents' opinions of Vice President Dick Cheney, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, Senator John Kerry, John McCain, and the Republican and Democratic parties. Additional questions addressed immigration, a security fence between the United States and Mexico, global warming, the nuclear threat of Iran, and Medicare prescription drug plans. Background information on respondents includes military service, voter registration status, party identification, marital status, sex, religious affiliation, education record, age, ethnicity, and income.
Curated
United States House of Representatives Committee Assignment Request Data, 80th-103rd Congress (ICPSR 21080)
Released/updated on: 2008-02-26
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2004-01-01--2004-12-31
These data were collected by Scott Frisch and Sean Kelly between 2000 and 2004 from the archived papers of former members of the United States Congress. In most cases, Frisch, Kelly, or both traveled to archives to collect the textual materials from which the data were generated. In most cases, the request data come from the committee request summaries (briefing books) compiled for the Democratic Members of the Committee on Ways and Means, the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, and the Republican Executive Committee on Committees. In addition to Committee notebooks, copies of the letters that individual members wrote in support of their assignment requests were collected. The format of these letters typically consists of a lengthy justification of the member's qualifications and need for his or her first request, with perhaps a paragraph devoted to a list of additional committees to which assignment would be acceptable. In a few instances, when no briefing book was available, preferences were reconstructed from the request letters submitted by the members to their party committees. In these cases, the most recent letter was considered the definitive statement of the member's preferences. Data regarding subcommittee assignments are not included in these data, nor are temporary committee assignments, nor are assignments that were not made at the beginning of a Congressional term. Committee requests for temporary, joint committees, boards, select committees and the like are also not included. The total number of committee preference listings is 2,480. Included are the committee preferences of 1,163 first-term members, as well as committee transfer requests made by 1,317 incumbents. For Democrats, the data cover the 80th through the 103rd Congress (but not the 85th Congress, which has not been located), comprising the committee preferences of 1,366 members, 655 first-term Democrats, and 711 incumbent Democrats. For the Republicans, the data cover the 86th through the 102nd Congress, reflecting the committee preferences of 1,114 Republican members, including 452 first-term Republicans and 662 incumbent Republicans. Republican data prior to the 86th Congress could not be located and were apparently lost during an effort to consolidate the records of congressional leaders prior to the 86th Congress. Data for Republicans from the 103rd Congress have not been located.
Curated
Setting the Alcohol-control Agenda: Popular Attitudes and Legislative Responses Toward Alcohol Control and Prohibition in the United States, 1890-1950 (ICPSR 20903)
Released/updated on: 2008-02-06
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1890-01-01--1950-12-31
These datasets were constructed to discern whether the dramatic policy punctuations associated with the Eighteenth and Twenty-First Amendments to the United States Constitution, which instituted and repealed, respectively, the policy of alcohol prohibition, could best be accounted for through the use of punctuated equilibrium theory. To that end, two datasets were constructed. The first attempts to gauge public attitudes toward alcohol control and prohibition, as well as its place on the public agenda, through a coding of all entries related to alcohol control and prohibition in the READER'S GUIDE TO PERIODICAL LITERATURE, from 1890 through 1950, using a simplified version of the general coding protocols of the Policy Agendas Project (PAP). The second dataset seeks to gauge legislative activity and the issues placed on the legislative agenda through a similar coding of the hearings sections in the Congressional Information Service's CIS ANNUAL: ABSTRACTS OF CONGRESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS AND LEGISLATIVE HISTORY CITATIONS for the same time period.
Curated
CBS News Monthly Poll #1, April 2006 (ICPSR 4614)
Released/updated on: 2007-12-20
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2006-04-01--2006-04-30
This poll, conducted April 6-9, 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 on the current direction of the country, the most important problem the country is facing, the national economy, and to rate the job performance of the United States Congress. Respondents were also asked about the way George W. Bush was handling certain issues, such as the economy, immigration, the war in Iraq, and terrorism, whether or not they approved of his overall job performance, and whether or not he and his policies would affect the way they would vote in Congressional elections. The next section of the survey addressed immigration, legal and illegal immigrants, amnesty, and a security fence between the United States and Mexico. The survey also contained questions about Pope Benedict XVI, the Catholic clergy, various religious groups, Creationism, the Bible, and the respondent's religious background, beliefs, and practices. Respondents were then asked for their opinions on the Republican and Democratic parties, and the war in and the future of Iraq. Additional questions solicited information on whether or not the respondents or someone they knew had served in Iraq, as well as the respondents' television news viewing habits. Background information on respondents includes military service, voter registration status, party identification, marital status, sex, religious preference, education record, age, ethnicity, and income.
Curated
CBS News Monthly Poll #2, February 2006 (ICPSR 4612)
Released/updated on: 2007-12-19
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2006-02-01--2006-02-28
This poll, conducted February 22-26, 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 on the current direction of the country, the most important problem the country is facing, the national economy, the threat posed by Iran, and the war in Iraq. Respondents were also asked about the way President George W. Bush was handling certain issues such as the economy, the energy situation, the war in Iraq, and terrorism, and whether or not they approved of his overall job performance. The survey also asked for opinions about Vice President Dick Cheney, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Senator John McCain. The next section of the survey addressed the government's response to Hurricane Katrina and the evacuation and rebuilding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Additional questions solicited opinions about wiretapping, Vice President Cheney's hunting accident, Islam, and a federal gasoline tax. Background information on respondents includes military service, voter registration status, party identification, marital status, sex, religious preference, education record, age, ethnicity, and income.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, April 2006 (ICPSR 4659)
Released/updated on: 2007-11-19
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2006-04-01--2006-04-30
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, December 1991 (ICPSR 9890)
Released/updated on: 2006-12-22
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1992-12-11--1992-12-15
This poll 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. Respondents were asked whether they approved or disapproved of Bush's handling of the presidency and why, whether the nation's economy could be described as excellent, good, not so good, or poor, whether they were better off financially than in 1989 when Bush became president, and whether Bush cared equally about serving people of all income levels. Concerning political parties, respondents were asked whether the Democrats or Republicans could do a better job of coping with the main problems the nation would face in the coming years and which party could better handle issues such as the economy, crime, foreign affairs, education, defense, and health care. Concerning Congress, respondents were asked whether they approved of the way their own United States Representative was handling his or her job, whether they approved of the way Congress in general was doing its job and why, and whether they approved of the way the Democrats in Congress were handling the nation's economy. In addition, those surveyed were asked whether Bush or the Democrats in Congress could be trusted to do a better job on the economy, whether Bush and the Democrats in Congress were more interested in doing what's best for the economy or what's best for themselves politically, and whether the United States needed a new president that would set the nation in another direction. Respondents were also asked whether cutting taxes or increasing domestic spending was more important at the present time, whether their biggest problem was high taxes, slow income growth, or too much debt, whether it had become more difficult to get a promotion or a better job in the past year, whether their hours and overtime had been reduced in the past year, and if their latest pay raise had been higher or lower than usual. Concerning the 1992 presidential election, respondents were asked for whom they would vote if their state held a Democratic or Republican primary/caucus for president, toward whom they were leaning for the primary/caucus at the time of the interview, what the chances were that they would vote in the 1992 presidential election, whether they would vote for Bush or various other prospective candidates/nominees were the national election held at the time of the interview, and toward whom they were leaning for the national election at the time of the interview. Additionally, respondents were asked whether they would consider voting for David Duke, whether they would like to see the 1992 national elections result in a Republican president with a Democratic majority in Congress or various other combinations and how important that was, and how much a candidate's position on health care influenced the respondent's vote. Other topics included living wills, the cost and availability of health care, approaches to financing health care, and health benefits provided by employers. Background information on respondents includes political alignment, voter registration status, most recent presidential vote choice, education, age, race, income, economic class, religion, marital status, household composition, labor union membership, urban/suburban/rural residence, and sex.