Search Results

This data collection explores respondents' opinions about the savings and loan industry. Respondents were asked whether they had any savings in federally insured savings and loan institutions, whether they had withdrawn their monies within the last few months and, if so, the reason for withdrawal, and whether they planned to withdraw monies in the future. Respondents also were asked if they had heard or read about the financial crisis in the savings and loan industry, if this crisis has affected them personally or would in the future. Respondents were queried about their level of confidence in the federal insurance system's ability to compensate if savings and loan institutions go out of business, Bush's plan to raise money for the federal savings bank insurance program, and Bush's opinion that there was no danger for persons with money in savings and loan institutions. Additionally, respondents were questioned regarding President Bush's cabinet choices, specifically his nomination of John Tower as secretary of defense. Respondents were asked if Tower's nomination should be confirmed or denied based on charges made during confirmation hearings. Background information on respondents includes sex and age.

This special topic poll gauged public opinion on President Bill Clinton's nomination of Zoe Baird as attorney general in light of revelations concerning her hiring of illegal immigrants and subsequent failure to pay Social Security taxes for them. Items of inquiry focused on respondents' opinions regarding Baird's Senate confirmation, the ethics of her hiring illegal immigrants, whether it was a mistake for Clinton to have nominated Baird for attorney general, and the importance of Clinton's next nominee being a woman if Baird did not become attorney general. Respondents were also asked if they approved of most of the choices Clinton had made for his Cabinet and other top positions in his administration. Background information on respondents includes political party, age, and sex.

The nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court was the central focus of this survey. Respondents were asked if they approved or disapproved of the nomination, whether the Senate should confirm Thomas's nomination, whether the Supreme Court was too conservative or too liberal in its decisions, and whether the presence of Thomas on the court would make the court more conservative or liberal. Respondents were also queried regarding their awareness of the Senate hearings on Thomas's nomination, if Thomas was one of the best available people for the job, and whether the Senate should consider Thomas's political views as well as his background and qualifications. Further questions included whether the respondent agreed or disagreed with Thomas's opposition to programs that gave minorities preference in jobs and education to make up for past inequalities, whether Thomas understood the concerns of most Black Americans, whether the respondent favored or opposed the 1973 ruling to legalize abortion and if Thomas should be confirmed on the basis of his support or opposition to legalized abortion, whether Thomas should have discussed his views on abortion laws at the confirmation hearings, and whether the opposition to the Thomas nomination by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and National Organization for Women (NOW) influenced the respondent's support for Thomas. Other topics covered in this survey include the Bush presidency, terms used to describe Black Americans, whom the respondent would vote for in a Democratic presidential primary or caucus, Israel and the Palestinians, and relations between Israel and the United States.

This data collection consists of telephone surveys concerning the delay of the vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas due to the charge by former co-worker Anita Hill that he sexually harassed her on the job. Demographic information on respondents includes sex, race, age, state of residence, and political party alignment. Parts 1 and 2 (October 8 and 9 Polls), conducted the day the vote was delayed and the day after, examined whether respondents had heard or read about the charge of sexual harassment brought against Clarence Thomas, whether they approved of the Senate's delaying the confirmation vote in order to look into the charge, and whether the Senate should confirm Thomas's nomination to the Supreme Court. Respondents were also asked whether the charge of sexual harassment had changed their opinion on whether to support Thomas, whether the charge, if true, would be reason enough for the Senate to reject his nomination, and whether the charge against Thomas was true according to their best guess. Additional questions probed respondents' opinions on the way the Senate had handled the Thomas nomination, whether the respondent was more likely to believe the man or the woman if a woman said she was sexually harassed on the job by a man, and if the respondent had ever been sexually harassed at work. Part 3 (October 12 Poll), in addition to repeating questions from Parts 1 and 2, examined how closely the respondent had been following the news about charges of sexual harassment brought against Clarence Thomas, whether Hill or Thomas was the more believable witness, whether Thomas was qualified to be a Supreme Court justice, whether Bush could have selected a more qualified candidate, and if the respondent had ever been sexually harassed outside the job. Part 4 (October 13 Poll) replicated previous questions and probed new areas, such as whether Clarence Thomas had been treated fairly or unfairly as a Supreme Court nominee, whether Anita Hill had been treated fairly or unfairly, and whether the person who leaked Anita Hill's Senate Judiciary Committee statement to the news media should face criminal charges. Additional questions included whether respondents approved/disapproved of various people and groups who had been involved in the Senate hearings on Thomas, whether respondents had discussed the issue of sexual harassment with other people as a result of the charge against Thomas, whether the attention given to the issue of sexual harassment would make men be more careful in the way they relate to women in the workplace, whether sexual harassment of women in the workplace is a problem in this country, and whether the Senate investigation of the sexual harassment accusation would end up being a good or a bad thing for the country. Part 5 (October 14 Poll) repeated previous questions and added a new query addressing the issue of whether the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the sexual harassment charge against Clarence Thomas should have been held in private, in public, or not at all.

This data collection contains information regarding the nomination of John Tower as secretary of defense and other political issues. Respondents were asked if they approved of the choices Bush made for his Cabinet, specifically John Tower, whether the president should be allowed to choose his cabinet without Senate approval, if Tower was treated fairly by the Senate, and if a delay in naming a secretary of defense would threaten the country's national security. Additionally, respondents were queried about John Tower's drinking habits, his fitness to be secretary of defense, and whether the Senate's rejection of Tower's nomination would be a defeat for President Bush. Background information on respondents includes political alignment and sex.

This special topic poll was undertaken to assess respondents' views concerning John G. Roberts, the United States Court of Appeals judge nominated to the United States Supreme Court by President George W. Bush. Respondents were queried as to whether they thought the United States Senate should confirm Roberts' nomination, and whether a senator who believed Roberts was qualified, but disagreed with his judicial philosophy, should vote against the nomination. They were also asked whether Democrats or Republicans in the Senate would be too aggressive or not aggressive enough during the confirmation hearing, and if, during the confirmation hearing, Roberts should answer questions about how he would have ruled on past cases that have come before the Supreme Court. Respondents were also asked if the Roe v. Wade case came before the court again, would they want Roberts to vote to uphold or to overturn the ruling. Respondents were queried as to whether they felt disappointment that President Bush did not nominate another woman to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, if the Supreme Court tended to be too conservative, too liberal, or balanced in its decisions, and on what criteria the United States Supreme Court should base its rulings. Demographic variables include race, gender, age, level of education, employment status, income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and religious affiliation.

This poll, fielded September 6-7, 2005, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other social and political issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency and issues such as the situation in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. Those polled identified the most important problem facing the country, and they expressed their level of confidence in the federal government to protect the country against terrorism and respond to natural disasters. Views were sought on how well federal, state and local government officials prepared for and responded to Hurricane Katrina, who was to blame for the disaster, and whether race and National Guard deployment in Iraq were factors in the government's response. Other questions asked whether the looting and violence in New Orleans in the days following Hurricane Katrina were understandable, whether New Orleans would ever be a working city again, and how well the media covered the hurricane and its aftermath. Respondents were also asked whether they had ever visited New Orleans, whether they or someone they knew was directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, and whether a member of their household made a charitable donation to the victims. Additional topics addressed gasoline prices and availability after the hurricane, United States troop levels in Iraq, whether the United States Senate should confirm United States Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, and how often respondents watched network television news programs. Demographic variables included sex, age, race, marital status, household income, education level, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, and for whom the respondent voted in the 2004 presidential election.

This poll, conducted July 29-August 2, 2005, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of the way President George W. Bush was handling the presidency and issues such as foreign policy and Social Security. They were also asked to voice their concerns about what they viewed as the most important problem facing the country, to give their opinions of the condition of the national economy and the Republicans and Democrats in the United States Congress, and to rate how well Congress was doing its job. A series of questions addressed the success of the war against terrorism and the war in Iraq, whether the result of the war with Iraq was worth the costs, whether it was a part of the war on terrorism, the likelihood of another terrorist attack against the United States, and whether Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Several questions focused on the United States Supreme Court, Supreme Court Justice nominee John Roberts, the Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion, how important it was that the Senate understood Roberts' position on abortion before voting on his confirmation, and whether Supreme Court justices should take public opinion and their own personal views into account when deciding cases. Views were also sought on White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and the recent investigation into the disclosure of the identity of an undercover Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent to news reporters, whether someone in the Bush Administration was responsible, and whether the leak was a mistake or part of a wider effort to discredit critics of the Bush Administration. Additional topics focused on immigration, NASA and the Space Shuttle, the death penalty, same-sex marriage, abortion, physician-assisted suicide, how often respondents watched network television news programs, and whether they felt that Democrats and Republicans shared their values and goals. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, religious affiliation, frequency of religious service attendance, education level, household income, marital status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, for whom the respondent voted in the 2004 presidential election, whether there were children in the household, whether a member of the household was currently in college, and whether the respondent or a family member was serving in the United States armed forces.

This poll, conducted August 29-31, 2005, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency and issues such as the economy and Hurricane Katrina. A series of questions focused on the effects of the recent rise in gasoline and oil prices, who or what was responsible, whether prices were expected to rise in coming months, and whether higher gasoline prices would change their travel plans, driving habits, future car purchases, or lead to household spending cuts. Questions involving the war in Iraq included whether it was worth the costs, whether President Bush was accurately describing the situation in Iraq, what the possible effects of a withdrawal of United States troops would be, and what was the likelihood that Iraq would become a stable democracy. Views were also sought on Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, including how important it was that the United States Senate understood his position on issues such as abortion before confirming his appointment, whether the Republican and Democratic parties would be able to work together to conduct a fair and non-partisan confirmation hearing, and whether he would be confirmed. Additional topics addressed airport security, the success of the United States' war against terrorism, Cindy Sheehan (the peace activist who camped outside President Bush's ranch in Texas), and how often respondents watched network television news programs. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, religious preference, voter registration status, for whom the respondent voted in the 2004 presidential election, whether there were college students and children under 18 living in the household, and whether the respondent or a family member was currently in the United States armed forces.

This data collection consists of a series of surveys focused primarily on issues related to the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, both before and after charges of sexual harassment were brought against Thomas by former aide Anita Hill. The September 3-5 Poll included queries regarding the respondent's opinion of Clarence Thomas, such as whether the Senate should vote to confirm Thomas, whether the Supreme Court would become more liberal or conservative if Thomas's appointment was confirmed by the Senate, and whether Bush nominated Thomas because he is Black. Additional questions included whether Thomas's decisions as a Supreme Court justice would be impacted because he is Black, whether Thomas was "turning his back on his own people" by not taking a liberal position on affirmative action, and whether his opposition to most forms of affirmative action made respondents feel more or less favorable toward him. Questions concerning the confirmation of Supreme Court nominees included whether the Senate should consider how a nominee might vote on major issues, whether a nominee's personal history and character should be considered, and whether endorsements by groups such as the NAACP or the U.S. Chamber of Commerce should be considered. Other topics covered in the September 3-5 Poll included the Bush presidency, job discrimination against Blacks and women, welfare, and abortion. The October 9 Panel Survey focused on issues relative to the charges of sexual harassment brought against Clarence Thomas by Anita Hill, including whether the respondent thought the charges were true, whether the Senate treated the charges as seriously as they should have when the charges were first made, if the presence of more women in the Senate would have caused the Senate to consider the charges more seriously, whether Thomas should be confirmed if the charges are true, and whether it was proper for the Senate to delay its vote on Thomas' confirmation in order to hear more testimony regarding the charges. Additionally, female respondents were asked if they had ever experienced sexual harassment on the job and male respondents were asked if their behavior at the workplace had ever been interpreted as sexual harassment by a female co-worker. Respondents were also asked whether sexual harassment could include unwanted sexual conversations without physical contact. The October 13 Panel Survey posed new questions, including the respondent's opinion of Anita Hill, if the respondent watched the live broadcast of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings and whose testimony they watched more, whether Hill and Thomas had been treated fairly in the hearings, whether Thomas and Hill had told the entire truth in their testimonies, and whether the respondent believed Hill or Thomas more. Additional questions focused on whether the Senate Judiciary Committee had been tougher or easier on Thomas because he is Black, whether the questions and testimony had been appropriate for a public hearing, whether Thomas should take a lie detector test because Anita Hill had done so, and if any good came from having the hearings. The October 14 Panel Survey addressed new questions, including whether Thomas should be confirmed if there is doubt about whether the charges are true, whether the Senate Judiciary Committee made progress in clearing up the charges, and if women would be more or less willing to report incidents of sexual harassment as a result of the hearings.

This collection provides information on the personal and career backgrounds of Senate-confirmed presidential appointees over the last twenty years. The data were gathered in order to assess the attitudes of appointees toward their government service and to evaluate the quality of appointees and reasons for short tenure in government service. The variables measured were designed to investigate the educational and occupational histories of appointees, tenure in appointed positions, and the experiences and attitudes of appointees in the following areas: conflict of interest laws, financial disclosure, financial sacrifice, family adjustment problems, selection process, Senate confirmation process, preparation and orientation for the job, relations with the bureaucracy, Congress, and White House, frustrations and satisfactions with the job, and employment after their most recent position as a full-time presidential appointee.