Showing 1 – 50 of 52 results.
Self-published
Replication Files for "Why Do Right to Carry Laws Increase Violence? Effects on Gun Theft and Clearance Rates" (ICPSR 223881)
Released/updated on: 2025-03-24
Abstract: Since the 1970s most state restrictions on carrying handguns in public have been eased or eliminated. Several of the early impact evaluations of these changes tended to support the belief that laws that facilitated gun carrying by private citizens deterred violent crime (while possibly increasing property crime). But more recent studies of the impacts of right to carry (RTC) laws conclude that the net effect is to increase state-level violent-crime rates relative to more restrictive regimes. This finding implies that the deterrence mechanism is swamped by other mechanisms, but there has been little evidence on which ones are important in practice. Using a novel data set of 217 large cities over 41 years, we confirm that violent crime increases following RTC adoption. We then document two mechanisms that may account for this result, finding a 50 percent increase in gun theft and a 9-18 percent reduction in violent crime clearance rates. Further analysis of city-level heterogeneity in RTC-induced effects is consistent with the hypothesis that gun theft is a likely cause of the RTC-induced increase in violent crime and more tentative evidence points to clearance as a potential driver.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
National Lawful Use of Guns Survey (NLUGS), [United States], 2020 (ICPSR 38045)
Released/updated on: 2023-01-10
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2020-11-23--2020-12-03
The National Lawful Use of Guns Survey is a baseline internet-based survey of 2,086 gun owners who were surveyed in 2019 and again one year later. The survey measured a wide range of variables, including: (a) psychographics; (b) firearm-related knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, practices, and norms; (c) a wide range of personal values; (d) level of engagement with guns (emotional and moral attachment to guns); (e) association between firearms and personal values; (f) mindset towards firearm and other public health policies; (g) level of inclusion in or alienation from the gun control movement; and (h) level of civic engagement with gun violence prevention.
The National Lawful Use of Guns Follow-Up Survey was conducted in 2020 and sampled the same 2,086 gun owners who responded to the baseline survey. This survey tested several communication messages intended to try to increase the willingness of gun owners to participate in gun violence prevention activities.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
National Lawful Use of Guns Survey (NLUGS), [United States], 2019 (ICPSR 37834)
Released/updated on: 2022-09-14
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2019-01-01--2019-12-31
The National Lawful Use of Guns Survey is a baseline internet-based survey of 2,086 gun owners who were surveyed in 2019 and will be surveyed again one year later. The survey measured a wide range of variables, including: (a) psychographics; (b) firearm-related knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, practices, and norms; (c) a wide range of personal values; (d) level of engagement with guns (emotional and moral attachment to guns); (e) association between firearms and personal values; (f) mindset towards firearm and other public health policies; (g) level of inclusion in or alienation from the gun control movement; and (h) level of civic engagement with gun violence prevention.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
ANES 2020 Time Series Study (ICPSR 38034)
Released/updated on: 2021-07-13
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2020-08-18--2020-11-03, 2020-11-03--2021-01-04
This study is part of the American National Election Study (ANES), a time-series collection of national surveys fielded continuously since 1948. The American National Election Studies are designed to present data on Americans' social backgrounds, enduring political predispositions, social and political values, perceptions and evaluations of groups and candidates, opinions on questions of public policy, and participation in political life. As with all Time Series studies conducted during years of presidential elections, respondents were interviewed during the two months preceding the November election (Pre-election interview), and then re-interviewed during the two months following the election (Post-election interview). Like its predecessors, the 2020 ANES was divided between questions necessary for tracking long-term trends and questions necessary to understand the particular political moment of 2020. The study maintains and extends the ANES time-series 'core' by collecting data on Americans' basic political beliefs, allegiances, and behaviors, which are so critical to a general understanding of politics that they are monitored at every election, no matter the nature of the specific campaign or the broader setting. This 2020 ANES study features a fresh cross-sectional sample, with respondents randomly assigned to one of three sequential mode groups: web only, mixed web (i.e., web and phone), and mixed video (i.e., video, web, and phone). The new content for the 2020 pre-election survey includes coronavirus pandemic, election integrity, corruption, impeachment, immigration and democratic norms. The pre-election survey also includes protests and unrest over policing and racism. The new content for the 2020 post-election survey includes voting experiences, anti-elitism, faith in experts or science, climate change, gun control, opioids, rural-urban identity, international trade, transgender military service, social media usage, misinformation, perceptions of foreign countries and group empathy. Phone and video interviews were conducted by trained interviewers using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) software on computers. Unlike in earlier years, the 2020 ANES did not use computer-assisted self interviewing (CASI) during any part of the interviewer-administered modes (video and phone). Rather, in interviewer-administered modes, all questions were read out loud to respondents, and respondents also provided their answers orally. Demographic variables include respondent age, education level, political affiliation, race/ethnicity, marital status, and family composition.
External data
State Firearm Law Database: State Firearm Laws, 1991-2019 (ICPSR 37363)
Released/updated on: 2020-02-26
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1991-01-01--2019-12-31
The State Firearm Database catalogs the presence or absence of 134 firearm safety laws in 14 categories covering the 26-year period from 1991 to 2019. The classification system categorizes state firearm provisions using a methodology that both captures differences and maintains a level of comparability between states. Because of this, the database is not the most detailed nor the most comprehensive record of all state firearm policies. Other resources may provide users with a deeper understanding of individual provisions, while this database serves as an efficient way to compare the broad scope of state firearm laws across the country. These provisions covered 14 aspects of state policies, including regulation of the process by which firearm transfers take place, ammunition, firearm possession, firearm storage, firearm trafficking, and liability of firearm manufacturers. In addition, descriptions of the criteria used to code each provision have been provided so that there is transparency in how various law exemptions, exceptions, and other nuances were addressed.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
ANES 1996 Time Series Study (ICPSR 6896)
Released/updated on: 2016-09-20
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1992-01-01--1996-12-31
This study is part of a time-series collection of national surveys fielded continuously since 1948, designed to present data on Americans' social backgrounds, enduring political predispositions, social and political values, perceptions and evaluations of groups and candidates, opinions on questions of public policy, and participation in political life. The 1996 National Election Study contains both a pre- and a post-election component. The pre-election survey includes interviews in which approximately 77 percent of the cases are empaneled respondents who were first interviewed in the ANES 1992 TIME SERIES STUDY (ICPSR 6067) or the ANES 1994 TIME SERIES STUDY (ICPSR 6507), or both. The other 23 percent of the pre-election cases are a freshly drawn cross-section sample. Of the 1,714 citizens interviewed during the pre-election stage, 1,534 (89.5 percent) also participated in the post-election survey: 1,197 of these respondents were panel cases and 337 were cross-section. The content of the 1996 Election Study reflects its dual function, both as a traditional presidential election year time-series data collection and as a panel study. Substantive themes presented in the 1996 questionnaires included interest in political campaigns, evaluations of the political parties, knowledge and evaluation of the presidential and House candidates, political participation (including turnout in the presidential primaries and in the November general election as well as other forms of electoral campaign activity), and vote choices for president, the United States House of Representatives, and the United States Senate. Additional items focus on perceptions of personal and national economic well-being, positions on social welfare issues like the role of government in the provision of jobs and a good standard of living, positions on social issues (including abortion, women's roles, and prayer in the schools), racial and ethnic stereotypes, opinions on affirmative action, attitudes toward immigrants, opinions about the nation's most important problems, political predispositions, social altruism, social networks, feeling thermometers for a wide range of political figures and political groups, affinity with various social groups. The 1996 study also includes new measures related to the dynamics of the congressional campaign, questions regarding the importance of issues, and the respondents' level of certainty regarding their expressed opinions, as well as new items about crime, the environment, gun control and income inequality. An eight-minute module of questions included in the post-election survey was developed by a consortium of electoral scholars from 52 polities to facilitate comparative analysis of political attitudes and voting behavior. Social capital items assess trust in people and government as well as membership and activity in a wide variety of social, political, religious, and civic organizations. A full complement of variables on group membership and participation is also available in the Group Membership File which can be merged with the Main Data File. Detailed demographic information is provided, as well as measures of religious affiliation and religiosity.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
ANES 2012 Time Series Study (ICPSR 35157)
Released/updated on: 2016-05-17
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2012-09-01--2013-01-31
This study is part of the American National Election Study (ANES), a time-series collection of national surveys fielded continuously since 1948. The American National Election Studies are designed to present data on Americans' social backgrounds, enduring political predispositions, social and political values, perceptions and evaluations of groups and candidates, opinions on questions of public policy, and participation in political life. As with all Time Series studies conducted during years of presidential elections, respondents were interviewed during the two months preceding the November election (Pre-election interview), and then re-interviewed during the two months following the election (Post-election interview). Like its predecessors, the 2012 ANES was divided between questions necessary for tracking long-term trends and questions necessary to understand the particular political moment of 2012. The study maintains and extends the ANES time-series 'core' by collecting data on Americans' basic political beliefs, allegiances, and behaviors, which are so critical to a general understanding of politics that they are monitored at every election, no matter the nature of the specific campaign or the broader setting. For the first time in the ANES Time Series history, face-to-face interviewing was supplemented in 2012 with data collection on the Internet. Data collection was conducted in the two modes independently, using separate samples. While face-to-face (FTF) respondents were administered the single pre-election interview and single post-election interview traditional to Time Series presidential-election-year studies, for the internet sample the same questions were administered over a total of four shorter online interviews, two pre-election and two post-election. Web-administered cases constituted a representative sample separate from the face-to-face sample and were drawn from panel members of GfK Knowledge Networks. The face-to-face (FTF) sample of fresh cross-section cases featured oversamples of African-Americans and Hispanics. For the first time in the ANES Time Series, FTF respondents were administered CAPI interviews programmed as instruments on handheld tablets, which were employed by interviewers using touchscreen, stylus, attached keyboard or any combination of entry modes according to interviewer preference. In both the pre-election and post-election FTF interviews a special CASI (Computer Assisted Self-Interviewing) segment was conducted. In addition to content on electoral participation, voting behavior, and public opinion, the 2012 ANES Time Series Study contains questions about areas such as media exposure, cognitive style, and values and predispositions. Several items were measured on the ANES for the first time, including "Big Five" personality traits using the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI), skin tone observations made by interviewers in the face-to-face study, and a vocabulary test from the General Social Survey called "Wordsum." The Post-Election interview also included Module 4 from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES). Demographic variables include respondent age, education level, political affiliation, race/ethnicity, marital status, and family composition.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
CBS News/New York Times Poll, May #2, 2013 (ICPSR 36056)
Released/updated on: 2015-10-28
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2013-05-31--2013-06-04
This poll, the last of two fielded May 2013, 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, foreign policy, the threat of terrorism, and immigration. Opinions were collected on how well Congressional Republicans and Democrats were performing their job and the degree of gridlock in Washington. Respondents were asked to gauge the condition of the housing and job markets as well as the economy in general. This survey also asked respondents to provide the most important issue facing the nation. It also asked about respondent opinions on the budget sequestration, immigration reform, affirmative action, gun control, the use of unmanned aircraft (drones) in the Middle East, the voting rights act of 1965, the detention of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, and same-sex marriage. Respondents were also asked about their views on the 2012 attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, and IRS scandals. Demographic information include sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter-registration status, and whether respondents think of themselves as born-again Christians.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
CBS News Poll, February 2014 (ICPSR 36195)
Released/updated on: 2015-08-25
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2014-02-19--2014-02-23
The February 2014 poll is part of a continuing series on 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, foreign policy, and the economy. Additional topics included John Boehner's job performance, the Tea Party, and the amount of influence they have in the Republican Party. Respondents were also queried about the possibility of voting for different kinds of candidates in the next election based on their opinions on minimum wage, abortion, and health care. Further questions included opinions about amount of attention the Democratic and Republican party should be allocating to big business, gun control, minorities, and the middle class. Information was gathered about their thoughts on various domestic and foreign policy issues such as social security, education, privacy, and the military. Finally, respondents were presented with several possible candidates for the 2016 presidential election and whether respondents would like to see those candidates run. 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
Simple Crosstabs
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, January 2011 (ICPSR 35090)
Released/updated on: 2014-06-12
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2011-01-01--2011-01-31
This poll, fielded January 2011, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the performances of President Obama and Congress on a range of topics including: the economy, health care, Afghanistan, the budget deficit, taxes, and international relations. Additional queries investigated respondents' opinions of China, the Tea Party movement, the prioritization of political issues, the Affordable Care Act, gun control, partisan cooperation, and the quality of leadership provided by the political parties. Participants were asked if race relations have improved since Barack Obama took office, and whether the current state of political discourse encouraged violence, specifically referencing the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Additional questions included political partisanship, left-right political self-placement, and voting intentions. Demographic and other background information includes age, gender, race, religious affiliation, education, and locality of residence.
Curated
ANES 1989 Pilot Study (ICPSR 35133)
Released/updated on: 2014-05-19
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1989-07-01--1989-10-31
This study is part of a time-series collection of national surveys fielded continuously since 1952. The election studies are designed to present data on Americans' social backgrounds, enduring political predispositions, social and political values, perceptions and evaluations of groups and candidates, opinions on questions of public policy, and participation in political life. The 1989 Pilot Study, like its predecessors, provides an opportunity to refine existing National Election Study measures and to develop and test new instrumentation. These data include new measures of religious identity and the political salience of religion, media exposure and the type of information recalled, and individualism represented by predispositions to autonomy, self-reliance, laissez-faire, and limited government. A significant portion of the study is devoted to experiments contrasting different instrumentation for issue questions. New items on gun control, abortion, and the Alaska oil spill also are included.
Curated
ANES 1996 Time Series Study (ICPSR 35142)
Released/updated on: 2014-05-19
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1990-01-01--1996-12-31
This study is part of a time-series collection of national surveys fielded continuously since 1952, designed to present data on Americans' social backgrounds, enduring political predispositions, social and political values, perceptions and evaluations of groups and candidates, opinions on questions of public policy, and participation in political life. The 1996 National Election Study contains both pre- and post-election components. The Pre-Election Survey includes interviews in which approximately 77 percent of the cases are comprised of impanelled respondents first interviewed in either AMERICAN NATIONAL ELECTION STUDY, 1992: PRE- AND POST-ELECTION SURVEY [ENHANCED WITH 1990 AND 1991 DATA] (ICPSR 6067) or in AMERICAN NATIONAL ELECTION STUDY, 1994: POST-ELECTION SURVEY [ENHANCED WITH 1992 AND 1993 DATA] (ICPSR 6507). The other 23 percent of the pre-election cases are a freshly drawn cross-section sample. Of the 1,714 citizens interviewed during the pre-election stage, 1,534 (89.5 percent) also participated in the Post-Election Survey (1,197 of these were panel cases and 337 were cross-section). The content of the 1996 Election Study reflects its dual function, both as the traditional presidential election year time-series data collection and as a panel study. Substantive themes presented in the 1996 questionnaires included interest in topics such as political campaigns, evaluations of the political parties, knowledge of and evaluation of presidential and House candidates, political participation (including turnout in the presidential primaries and in the November general election and other forms of electoral campaign activity), and vote choice for president, the United States House of Representatives, and the United States Senate, including second choice for president. Additional items focused on perceptions of personal and national economic well-being, positions on social welfare issues like the role of government in the provision of jobs and a good standard of living), positions on social issues (including abortion, women's roles, and prayer in the schools), racial and ethnic stereotypes, opinions on affirmative action, attitudes toward immigrants, opinions about the nation's most important problem, political predispositions, social altruism, social connectedness, feeling thermometers on a wide range of political figures and political groups, affinity with various social groups, and detailed demographic information and measures of religious affiliation and religiosity. Previous updates added a core battery of campaign-related items in the pre-election wave to better understand the dynamics of congressional campaigns, several questions related to issue importance and uncertainty both in relation to respondents and to candidates, an eight-minute module of questions developed by a consortium of electoral scholars from 52 polities to facilitate comparative analysis of political attitudes and voting behavior, and a measure of exposure to entertainment programs as an indirect measure of exposure to campaign advertisements. Additional items from previous updates concerned social issues, the environment, like air quality and the safety of drinking water, and the media. The fifth version of the data adds an auxiliary file consisting of merged data on group membership previously found in 1996 Pre-Post releases. In addition, the documentation for variable V961454, included in both the new Auxiliary file and in the 1996 Pre-Post file, was incorrect. The variable information has been corrected in the codebooks and variable labels for the Auxiliary File but not corrected in the 1996 Pre-Post codebook or variable labels.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
CBS News/New York Times National Survey, April #2, 2013 (ICPSR 34999)
Released/updated on: 2014-04-16
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2013-04-01--2013-04-30
This poll, the last of two fielded April 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked how Barack Obama was handling the presidency, foreign policy, the national economy, the threat of terrorism, the federal budget deficit, immigration, and gun policy. Multiple questions asked respondents how Congress was handling their job, including whether they thought members of Congress were interested in serving the people they represent or special interest groups, and whether they had favorable opinions of the Republican and Democratic parties in Congress. Opinions were also collected on the condition of the national economy, and which party respondents trusted to make the right decisions. Further questions asked respondents about their opinion of Islam, and whether they believed it encouraged violence. Respondents were also asked multiple questions about immigration, including whether terrorism has increased as a result of legal immigration, who they trusted more to make the right decisions concerning immigration, whether legal immigration should be increased, decreased, or stay the same, and whether respondents would vote for a candidate who does not share their view on immigration. Respondents were also asked multiple questions about the federal budget deficit including who they trusted more to make the right decisions, what effect it would have on the national economy, and how they would reduce the deficit. Additional topics included the budget sequestration, gun laws, the bombings at the Boston Marathon, and terrorism. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, 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
Simple Crosstabs
CBS News National Poll, March #2, 2013 (ICPSR 34996)
Released/updated on: 2014-04-02
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2013-03-01--2013-03-31
This poll, second of three fielded March 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked how Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the economy, federal budget deficit, taxes, and foreign policy. Opinions were also collected on Obama's relationship with Israel, respondents' attention to the violence in Syria, and whether North Korea and Iran were threats to the United States. Further questions asked whether respondents approve of the way Congress and the Supreme Court were handling their jobs, and whether they had favorable opinions of the Republican and Democratic parties. Respondents were also asked their opinions on gun control laws, the health care law enacted in 2010, and same-sex marriage/relationships. A variety of questions addressed the condition of the national economy, the budget sequestration, the job market, the stock market, and the federal budget deficit. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, gun ownership, voter registration status, marital status, number of children in the household, education level, household income, 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
Simple Crosstabs
CBS News/60 Minutes/Vanity Fair National Poll, April #1, 2013 (ICPSR 34997)
Released/updated on: 2014-04-02
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2013-04-01--2013-04-30
This poll, the first of two fielded in April of 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked their opinions on legalization of marijuana, gun control, patriotism, voting behavior, relation to someone with cancer, parenting, consumer behavior, and least important right granted by the Constitution. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, type of residential area (e.g. urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voting behavior, whether respondents were registered to vote, religious affiliation, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born again Christians.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
CBS News/New York Times National Poll, January #1, 2013 (ICPSR 34991)
Released/updated on: 2014-04-01
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2013-01-01--2013-01-31
This poll, the first of two fielded in January of 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling foreign policy, the economy, the federal budget deficit, taxes, and his job as president. Respondents were also asked whether they approved of the way Democrats in Congress, and Republicans in Congress were handling their jobs. Respondents' opinions were solicited on whether things were going better than they were five years prior, their predictions about how the United States would be five years in the future, whether they thought things in the country were going in the right direction, the condition of the national economy, and whether the economy was getting better. Opinions were also solicited on Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, John Boehner, Harry Reid, the National Riffle Association, and gun control laws. Respondents were asked how confident they were in Barack Obama's ability to make the right decisions about the economy, Afghanistan, protecting the country, and illegal immigration. Questions were asked about Obama's second term in office including whether respondents were optimistic about the next four years with Barack Obama as president, what they wanted to see Obama accomplish in the next four years, and whether they expected the economy and the health care system to improve by the end of Obama's second term as president. Opinions on the federal budget deficit were collected including the best way to reduce it, which programs respondents would be willing to change in order to cut spending, and who respondents trusted more to make the right decisions about the deficit. Multiple questions addressed the topic of firearms including bans on semi-automatic weapons, high capacity magazines, and people other than law enforcement carrying concealed weapons. Additionally questions were asked regarding background checks on potential gun buyers, the creation of a national database to track gun sales, and gun violence prevention. Additional topics covered include personal finance, job security, and consumer attitudes. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, social class, employment status, religious preference and participation, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians, marital status, household composition, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, voting behavior, and the number of phones in respondents' household.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
CBS News National Poll, February #1, 2013 (ICPSR 34993)
Released/updated on: 2014-03-25
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2013-02-01--2013-02-28
This poll, the first of two fielded in February 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked their opinions on how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency, foreign policy, the economy, the situation in Afghanistan, threat of terrorism, the federal budget deficit, immigration, gun policy, energy policy, and whether Obama had clear plans and priorities going forward. Respondents were also asked about the national economy and whether they thought it was getting better, the best way to reduce the federal budget deficit, their experiences with the job market in their areas and how easy it was to find a job. Opinions were solicited regarding respondents' approval of Congress, the Republican and Democratic parties, John Boehner, Joe Biden, and Hilary Clinton. Additional topics included alternative energy, immigration, gun policy, global warming, Saturday mail delivery service, same-sex marriage, unmanned aircraft ("drone") use, Iran, employment opportunities, and the 2013 State of the Union Address. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, type of residential area (e.g. urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voting behavior, whether respondents were registered to vote, religious affiliation, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born again Christians.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs
CBS News/60 Minutes/Vanity Fair National Survey, January #2, 2013 (ICPSR 34992)
Released/updated on: 2014-03-20
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2013-01-01--2013-01-31
This poll, the last of two fielded January of 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked their opinions about global warming, immigration, women's role in joining combat units in the military, consumer behaviors, violence in video games, gun use, gun control, arming teachers at school, and whether they thought things in the country were going in the right direction. Opinions were solicited about genetically modified foods, respondents' level of concern regarding genetically modified foods, whether respondents would eat genetically modified food, and whether foods containing genetically modified ingredients should be labeled. Additional topics included information on the respondent's first valentine, TV viewing behaviors (e.g. Oscars, State of the Union address), 2013 Super Bowl, sports and the importance of winning, respondents' opinions on other people's choice to not have children, and the recovery in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, type of residential area (e.g. urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voting behavior, whether respondents were registered to vote, religious affiliation, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born again Christians.
External data
International Social Survey Program: Role of Government I-IV, 1985-2006 (ICPSR 34857)
Released/updated on: 2013-08-15
Geographic coverage: Great Britain, United States, Italy, Australia, Germany, Global
Time period: 1985-01-01--2006-12-31
The International Social Survey Program (ISSP) is an ongoing program of crossnational collaboration. Formed in 1983, the group develops topical modules dealing with important areas of social science as supplements to regular national surveys. This collection presents cumulative data from two surveys exploring the "role of government" topic. These data report citizens' opinions on the functions of their national governments and on what governments should and should not be doing. Questions were asked concerning taxes, gun control, cuts in government spending, government creation of new jobs, government spending on environmental concerns, law enforcement, health issues, education, defense, unemployment benefits, and the cultural arts. Other items focused on the role of public protest meetings, publications, and demonstrations. Respondents were also queried about the role of government in several industries, including electric power, steel, banking, and insurance. Demographic variables include age, sex, marital status, employment status, occupation, union membership, education, political party affiliation, religion, vote in the last election, subjective social class standing, size of household, family income, and occupation.
External data
International Social Survey Program: Role of Government, 1985-1986 (ICPSR 34854)
Released/updated on: 2013-08-14
Geographic coverage: Great Britain, Austria, United States, Italy, Australia, Germany, Global
Time period: 1985-01-01--1986-12-31
This study is designed to supplement regular, national, social science surveys in the following countries: West Germany, Great Britain, United States, Italy, Austria, and Australia. The data report citizens' opinions on the functions of their national governments and on what governments should and should not be doing. Included are respondents' attitudes towards civil liberties e.g., measures against extremism, power of police), the family (intervention in parenting, welfare provision), inequality (the role of government in correcting inequalities of race, sex, class, income, and education), and economic intervention (measures to prevent unemployment, intervention in industrial disputes). Demographic data on respondents are also provided.
External data
International Social Survey Program: Role of Government II, 1990 (ICPSR 34847)
Released/updated on: 2013-08-12
Geographic coverage: Great Britain, Hungary, United States, Norway, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Australia, Germany, Global
Time period: 1990-01-01--1990-12-31
The International Social Survey Program (ISSP) is an ongoing program of cross-national collaboration. Formed in 1983, the group develops topical modules dealing with important areas of social science as supplements to regular national surveys. This survey is the second one to explore the "role of government" topic. The first survey was conducted in 1985-1986. Participating countries in the 1990 survey include the Federal Republic of Germany, Great Britain, the United States, Italy, Hungary, Norway, Ireland, and Israel. These data report citizens' opinions on the functions of their national governments and on what governments should and should not be doing. Questions were asked concerning taxes, gun control, cuts in government spending, government creation of new jobs, government spending on environmental concerns, law enforcement, health issues, education, defense, unemployment benefits, and the cultural arts. Other items focused on the role of public protest meetings, publications, and demonstrations, and the legality of police surveillance, including telephone taps, opening mail, and detaining people overnight for questioning. Respondents were also queried about the role of government in several industries, including electric power, steel, banking, and insurance. Demographic variables include age, sex, marital status, employment status, occupation, union membership, education, political party affiliation, religion, left-right self-placement, vote in the last election, subjective social class standing, size of household, family income, and parents' education and occupation.
External data
International Social Survey Program: Role of Government III, 1996 (ICPSR 34841)
Released/updated on: 2013-08-07
Geographic coverage: Cyprus, Hungary, United States, Japan, Philippines, Global, Russia, Spain, New Zealand, Canada, Sweden, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Latvia, Norway, Ireland, Poland, Italy, Israel, Slovenia, Australia, France, Bulgaria, Germany
Time period: 1996-01-01--1996-12-31
The International Social Survey Program (ISSP) is an ongoing program of cross-national collaboration. Formed in 1983, the group develops topical modules dealing with important areas of social science as supplements to regular national surveys. This survey is the third in a series exploring the "role of government" topic. The first survey on this topic was conducted in 1985-1986 and the second in 1990. Participating countries in the 1996 survey include Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. Citizens' opinions were elicited on the function of their national governments and on what governments should and should not be doing. Respondents were asked whether they approved of economic policies such as wage and price controls, job creation programs, including public work projects, support for ailing private industries, and the forced reduction in the industrial work week, as well as conservative measures, such as reductions in government spending and business regulations. Government spending was another topic, with respondents questioned as to their support for greater spending on the environment, health care, police and law enforcement, education, military and defense, culture and the arts, old age pensions, unemployment benefits, and housing for the poor. A number of questions dealt with respondents' attitudes regarding democracy, political power, and protest. Respondents were asked for their views on the rule of law when it is in conflict with private conscience, various forms of anti-government protest (public meetings, protest marches and demonstrations, nationwide strikes), whether the right to protest should be afforded to those who advocate the overthrow of the government by revolution, and the conflict between security needs and privacy rights. Other questions focused on the role of elections in democracies, including whether voters understand political issues, whether elections force governments to confront pressing political issues, whether certain institutions (unions, government, business and industry) have too much power in affecting election results, whether politicians really try to keep their election promises, whether civil servants can be trusted to work in the public's interest, and whether various industries (power companies, hospitals, banks) are better off being run by the private sector or by the government. Opinions were also elicited as to whether government had a legitimate role in the redistribution of wealth in the country, by tax policy or otherwise. Demographic variables include age, sex, education, marital status, personal and family income, employment status, household size and composition, occupation, religion and church attendance, social class, union membership, political party, voting history, and ethnicity.
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
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, April 2009 (ICPSR 27764)
Released/updated on: 2010-04-29
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2009-04-01--2009-04-30
This poll, fielded April 21-24, 2009, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Barack Obama and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy as well as opinions on Vice President Joe Biden. Respondents were asked whether the Obama administration, the Republicans or the Democrats in Congress could be trusted to do a better job coping with the economic problems the nation faced, whether things in the country were going in the right direction, and the capacity of President Obama to understand the problems and needs of the American citizen. Respondents were also asked their opinions of the effectiveness of the economic stimulus and federal controls to prevent waste and fraud in the economic recovery, as well as the appropriateness for United States automakers to declare bankruptcy and their role in the national economy. Non-economic questions concerned the role of the United States in Afghanistan, confidence in the Obama administration in the handling of Afghanistan and the campaign against terrorism, whether the United States should establish diplomatic/trade relations with Cuba, whether the Obama administration should investigate the legality of the use of torture during the previous Bush (George, W.) administration, concerns over greenhouse gases, gun control and its relationship to the level of violent crime in the United States and the legality of same-sex marriage. Additional questions asked respondents for their opinions on the effectiveness of immigration control and proposed amnesty plans for illegal immigrants, and legalizing possession of marijuana for personal use. Personal financial and economic topics addressed how concerned respondents were that they could maintain their current standard of living. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, political philosophy, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), education level, religious preference, employment status, household income, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
CBS News Monthly Poll, April 2000 (ICPSR 2982)
Released/updated on: 2010-03-01
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2000-04-01--2000-04-30
This poll, fielded April 15-17, 2000, 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 likely nominees of the two major parties in the upcoming 2000 presidential campaign, Vice President Al Gore and Texas governor George W. Bush, and to indicate who they thought would do a better job dealing with issues such as education, gun control, and school violence. Respondents were then asked a series of questions related to separate violent incidents that had anniversaries in April. Respondents were asked whether they thought their neighborhood schools were safe, to give their explanations for why the school shooting in Littleton, Colorado occurred a year ago, whether there was more school violence to be expected, and whether anything had been learned since that event to prevent its repeat. A second series of questions dealt with the aftermath of the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995. Respondents were queried as to whether they thought there was more or less anti-government feeling in the country since then, whether additional acts of domestic terrorism could be expected, and whether anything was learned from that incident. Another series of questions dealt with the FBI siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. Respondents were queried regarding whether they approved of the FBI's handling of the incident, whether they thought there was a governmental cover-up of the facts, and what their opinion was of Attorney General Janet Reno. Respondents were then asked a series of questions to gauge familiarity with the events surrounding the war in Vietnam. Queries were made as to the justification for the United States being involved in that war, whether it was a noble cause, whether respondents believed that there were MIA prisoners still alive in Vietnam, what the impact and lesson of our involvement there was, and if they knew whether Al Gore or George W. Bush served in the military then. Other subjects covered included the National Rifle Association, the Elian Gonzalez custody case and the motives of its principal players, participation in the year 2000 Census, the proper role of the presidential spouse and whether Hillary Rodham Clinton's performance as First Lady had changed the national perspective on that role, and participation in and prognosis for the stock market. Background information on respondents includes age, sex, race, education, religion, veteran status, voter registration and participation history, political party, political orientation, Hispanic descent, marital status, age of children in household, and family income.
Curated
Washington Post District of Columbia Poll, January 2008 (ICPSR 24602)
Released/updated on: 2009-10-12
Geographic coverage: District of Columbia, United States
Time period: 2008-01-01--2008-01-31
This special topic poll, fielded January 3-8, 2008, is a part of continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on various political and social issues. The District of Columbia was the focus of this poll. Residents were asked for their feelings about the future of the District of Columbia, whether they thought the District was moving in the right direction, and the biggest problems facing the District at that time. Respondents were asked for their opinions of Mayor Adrian Fenty and whether they approved of the way he was handling his job and other issues such as improving city services, reducing crime, creating more jobs for District residents, the number of African Americans serving in city government, as well as their opinions of Mayor Fenty's relations with the District Council. Opinions were also solicited on the District of Columbia Council, respondents' own ward council members, the District police, Ward Eight Representative Marion Barry, head coach of the Washington Redskins Joe Gibbs, Police Chief Cathy Lanier, District Council Chairman Vincent Gray, Chancellor of the District of Columbia public schools Michelle Rhee, and District of Columbia Chief Financial Officer Natwar Ghandi. Several questions asked about issues in the respondents' own neighborhood, including safety from crime, how the process of redevelopment would affect the rich and poor, the neighborhood, and the city overall, whether respondents thought they would be forced from their homes due to the redevelopment, and whether respondents thought they could find a home they could afford within the District if they had to move that day. A series of questions focused on District public schools, including the school system's budget, violence and crime in the schools, lack of parental involvement, what was the biggest problem facing District public schools, and whether the transfer of control of District public schools to the mayor had made a difference. Additional topics included the theft of millions of dollars from the city by employees in the District's Tax and Revenue Department, respondents' financial situation, the Washington Nationals major league baseball team and new publicly funded baseball stadium, opinions on financing a soccer stadium for the team D.C. United, terrorist attacks in the Washington area, and gun control. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education level, household income, whether anyone in the household worked for the federal or city government, frequency of religious attendance, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), whether respondents rented or owned their home, voter registration status and participation history, political party affiliation, political philosophy, the presence of children under 18 in the household, and whether respondents had children in the District of Columbia public school system.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #2, October 2002 (ICPSR 3710)
Released/updated on: 2009-04-29
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2002-10-01--2002-10-31
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 George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy. In addition, respondents were asked to give their opinions of their representatives in Congress and the importance of these issues: the possible war in Iraq, the economy, political affiliation, and gun control. Respondents were asked if they believed that Democrats or Republicans had clear plans for the United States should either party gain control of Congress, and if they had knowledge of North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and the possibility of military action in Iraq. Opinions on the situation in Iraq were elicited: whether military action would and should be taken, when military action should be taken, if the potential loss of American lives was worth the removal of Saddam Hussein, how they felt about the loss of Iraqi civilian lives and long-term military engagement, and whether terrorism would increase or decrease as a result of military action. Respondents were asked to give opinions of both the Republican and Democratic parties, particularly whether each party protected the interests of "ordinary" Americans or large corporations, and which party would more likely lead the United States to prosperity, make the right decisions regarding Social Security, strengthen the military, deal with terrorism, make prescription drugs affordable for the elderly, and do a better job dealing with gun control. Respondents were then asked to give opinions regarding terrorism: whether the Bush Administration had a clear plan to counter it, the likelihood of another terrorist attack within the next few months, concern for terrorism in their local area, how well the war on terrorism was going, Americans' sense of safety, respondents' personal sense of safety, and whether the federal government had done all it could. Respondents were also asked about finances: if their family's financial situation was better or worse compared to two years ago, whether respondents invested in stock, whether they participated in employer-sponsored 401k plans, the value of their 401k plans, and their level of concern over the possible loss of their job within the next year. Respondents were then asked a variety of questions concerning their opinions on the National Rifle Association, intake of caffeinated beverages, and voting behavior. Respondents were asked whom they voted for president and which party they voted for the House of Representatives, the last time they had voted, the last time they had registered to vote, party affiliation, and views on political matters. Background information on respondents includes whether they owned a firearm, marital status, religion, education, age, Hispanic descent, race, how long they had lived in their present community, income, and additional phone lines.
Curated
CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, April 2007 (ICPSR 23443)
Released/updated on: 2008-12-16
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2007-04-01--2007-04-30
This poll, fielded April 20-24, 2007, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to say whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling his job as president and other issues such as the war in Iraq, to rate the condition of the environment in the world and their own community, and whether the Republican party or the Democratic party was more likely to protect the environment, make the United States less dependent on foreign oil, and ensure the United States has enough sources of energy. Respondents were asked several questions about protecting the environment, including which environmental problem was the most important, whether they would vote for a candidate based on their views of the environment, the responsibility of federal and state governments to set environmental protections, drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife refuge in Alaska, and whether it was more important to stimulate the economy or protect the environment. Respondents were asked whether the Iraq war has affected the price of gasoline, whether they would favor an increased tax on gasoline if it would reduce the United States' dependence on foreign oil or if the money was used for research into renewable sources such as solar and wind energy, and whether using ethanol as a substitute for foreign oil is a good idea. Respondents were asked whether they would approve of building more plants powered by coal to generate electricity, whether using coal, natural gas, nuclear power, and/or renewable sources to generate electricity was a good idea, and whether global warming needs to be a priority for government leaders. They were also asked about the causes of global warming and ways to reduce global warming. Other topics included the firings of United States attorneys by the Justice Department and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, United States troop levels and withdrawal from Iraq, whether respondents recycle and purchase recycled and/or energy-efficient products, car pool to work or use mass transit, and whether they would seriously consider buying or leasing a hybrid vehicle. Additional topics included the laws covering the sale of handguns, gun control, and the Virginia Tech shooting incident, respondents' own financial situation, horse racing and the Triple Crown races, professional basketball, and athlete's use of steroids. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education level, household income, marital status, military service, religious preference, frequency of religious attendance, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, the presence of children under 18 and household members between the ages of 18 and 24, and whether respondents had any children planning to attend a four-year college.
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
Examination of Crime Guns and Homicide in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1987-1998 (ICPSR 2895)
Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: United States, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh
This study examined spatial and temporal features of crime guns in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in order to ascertain how gun availability affected criminal behavior among youth, whether the effects differed between young adults and juveniles, and whether that relationship changed over time. Rather than investigating the general prevalence of guns, this study focused only on those firearms used in the commission of crimes. Crime guns were defined specifically as those used in murders, assaults, robberies, weapons offenses, and drug offenses. The emphasis of the project was on the attributes of crime guns and those who possess them, the geographic sources of those guns, the distribution of crime guns over neighborhoods in a city, and the relationship between the prevalence of crime guns and the incidence of homicide. Data for Part 1, Traced Guns Data, came from the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Gun trace data provided a detailed view of crime guns recovered by police during a two-year period, from 1995 to 1997. These data identified the original source of each crime gun (first sale to a non-FFL, i.e., a person not holding a Federal Firearms License) as well as attributes of the gun and the person possessing the gun at the time of the precipitating crime, and the ZIP-code location where the gun was recovered. For Part 2, Crime Laboratory Data, data were gathered from the local county crime laboratory on guns submitted by Pittsburgh police for forensic testing. These data were from 1993 to 1998 and provided a longer time series for examining changes in crime guns over time than the data in Part 1. In Parts 3 and 4, Stolen Guns by ZIP-Code Data and Stolen Guns by Census Tract Data, data on stolen guns came from the local police. These data included the attributes of the guns and residential neighborhoods of owners. Part 3 contains data from 1987 to 1996 organized by ZIP code, whereas Part 4 contains data from 1993 to 1996 organized by census tract. Part 5, Shots Fired Data, contains the final indicator of crime gun prevalence for this study, which was 911 calls of incidents involving shots fired. These data provided vital information on both the geographic location and timing of these incidents. Shots-fired incidents not only captured varying levels of access to crime guns, but also variations in the willingness to actually use crime guns in a criminal manner. Part 6, Homicide Data, contains homicide data for the city of Pittsburgh from 1990 to 1995. These data were used to examine the relationship between varying levels of crime gun prevalence and levels of homicide, especially youth homicide, in the same city. Part 7, Pilot Mapping Application, is a pilot application illustrating the potential uses of mapping tools in police investigations of crime guns traced back to original point of sale. NTC. It consists of two ArcView 3.1 project files and 90 supporting data and mapping files. Variables in Part 1 include date of manufacture and sale of the crime gun, weapon type, gun model, caliber, firing mechanism, dealer location (ZIP code and state), recovery date and location (ZIP code and state), age and state of residence of purchaser and possessor, and possessor role. Part 2 also contains gun type and model, as well as gun make, precipitating offense, police zone submitting the gun, and year the gun was submitted to the crime lab. Variables in Parts 3 and 4 include month and year the gun was stolen, gun type, make, and caliber, and owner residence. Residence locations are limited to owner ZIP code in Part 3, and 1990 Census tract number and neighborhood name in Part 4. Part 5 contains the date, time, census tract and police zone of 911 calls relating to shots fired. Part 6 contains the date and census tract of the homicide incident, drug involvement, gang involvement, weapon, and victim and offender ages. Data in Part 7 include state, county, and ZIP code of traced guns, population figures, and counts of crime guns recovered at various geographic locations (states, counties, and ZIP codes) where the traced guns first originated in sales by an FFL to a non-FFL individual. Data for individual guns are not provided in Part 7.
Curated
Burdens of National Defense, 1961-1968 (ICPSR 7388)
Released/updated on: 2006-01-18
Geographic coverage: Canada, United States, United Kingdom, France
Time period: 1938-01-01--1968-12-31
This study includes state-level information on expenditures of the United States Department of Defense and National Aeronautics and Space Administration for the years 1961-1962 and 1967-1968 (Part 1), and U.S. Senate roll-call votes on defense-related issues during the 87th and 90th Congresses (Part 2). The study also contains time-series data representing a breakdown of the gross national product (GNP) by component categories for Canada in the years 1947-1964 (Part 3), for France in 1950-1965 (Part 4), for the United Kingdom in 1947-1965 (Part 5), and for the United States in 1938-1967 (Part 6).
Curated
CBS News/New York Times National Surveys, 1981 (ICPSR 7991)
Released/updated on: 2006-01-18
Geographic coverage: El Salvador, Iran, United States, Poland, Global
Time period: 1981-01-01--1981-12-31
These polls are part of a continuing series of surveys 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 Ronald Reagan and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy. Each file contains a set of unique questions pertaining to broader social issues, such as childrearing and victimization. These national surveys were administered by telephone to respondents selected from eligible household members. In Part 1, January 1981, respondents were asked for their views on President Reagan's likely performance as President with respect to economic and foreign affairs, the release of hostages from Iran, the federal budget, and whether funding should be increased or decreased for certain federal programs. Questions about busing to achieve school integration were also included. For Part 2, April 1981, respondents were asked to evaluate President Reagan's current and future performances in economic and foreign affairs. They were also asked about tax cuts, the federal budget, women's rights, El Salvador, Poland, handguns, and Japanese cars. For Part 3, June 1981, respondents were asked to evaluate Reagan's performance as president, and to comment on their general life satisfaction, their confidence in government institutions, their views on crime, whether they voted in the 1980 presidential election, Social Security revisions, and several issues regarding foreign affairs, including military rule in Poland. In Part 4, June 1981, Social Security, respondents gave their views on the Social Security system and how proposed changes affected them. Respondents were also queried for their views on childrearing, punishment of juvenile crime, and who should have custody of children in divorce situations. For Part 5, September 1981, respondents evaluated President Reagan's performance in economic and foreign affairs, and also provided their opinions on environment issues and on various economic proposals, including the Reagan administration's proposed tax cut.
Curated
Partially restricted
Final Assessment of the Strategic Approaches to Community Safety Initiative (SACSI) in New Haven, Connecticut, 1994-2001 (ICPSR 4223)
Released/updated on: 2006-01-06
Geographic coverage: New Haven, United States, Connecticut
Time period: 1994-01-01--2001-12-31
This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of New Haven, Connecticut's Strategic Approaches to Community Safety Initiative (SACSI) project, named TimeZup, by measuring the impact of the program on public safety, public fear, and law enforcement relationships and operations. The study was conducted using data retrieved from the New Haven Police Department's computerized records and logs, on-site questionnaires, and phone interviews. Important variables included in the study are number of violent gun crimes committed, number and type of guns seized by the police, calls to the police involving shootings or gun shots, the date and time of such incidents, residents' perception of crime, safety and quality of life in New Haven, and supervisees' perceptions of the TimeZup program.
Curated
ABC News Bergen Record New Jersey Election Poll, June 1994 (ICPSR 3844)
Released/updated on: 2005-01-19
Geographic coverage: United States, New Jersey
Time period: 1994-06-01--1994-06-30
This special topic poll, fielded in New Jersey for the Bergen Record newspaper in June 1994, sought respondent views on the upcoming senatorial election and a range of social issues. Respondents were asked to provide approval ratings and opinions for New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman, United States Senator Bill Bradley, United States Senator Frank Lautenberg, and Republican senatorial candidate Chuck Haytaian. Those surveyed were asked whether they would vote for Lautenberg or Haytaian in the upcoming November senatorial election. Respondents were also asked to rate which qualities they looked for in a candidate, including experience in Washington, DC, whether the candidate represented change, and whether the candidate held views similar to the respondent. Opinions were solicited on the state of public schools and school vouchers, taxes, tax cuts, abortion, and assault rifles. Background information includes voter registration status, political identification, marital status, number of children, level of education completed, annual household income, religion, ethnicity, age, and sex.
Curated
American National Election Study: 1989 Pilot Study (ICPSR 9295)
Released/updated on: 2003-09-16
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1989-07-01--1989-10-31
This study is part of a time-series collection of national surveys fielded continuously since 1952. The election studies are designed to present data on Americans' social backgrounds, enduring political predispositions, social and political values, perceptions and evaluations of groups and candidates, opinions on questions of public policy, and participation in political life. The 1989 Pilot Study, like its predecessors, provides an opportunity to refine existing National Election Study measures and to develop and test new instrumentation. These data include new measures of religious identity and the political salience of religion, media exposure and the type of information recalled, and individualism represented by predispositions to autonomy, self-reliance, laissez-faire, and limited government. A significant portion of the study is devoted to experiments contrasting different instrumentation for issue questions. New items on gun control, abortion, and the Alaska oil spill also are included.
Curated
Washington Post Virginia Governor Poll, October 2001 (ICPSR 3321)
Released/updated on: 2002-02-22
Geographic coverage: United States, Virginia
Time period: 2001-10-01--2001-10-31
This special topic poll, conducted October 22-25, 2001, was undertaken to assess respondents' views and awareness of the race for governor in the state of Virginia as well as their opinions on the recent anthrax terrorist attacks and abortion. Respondents were asked if they were registered to vote in the state of Virginia, how certain they were that they would vote in the upcoming election for governor, how closely they were following the governor's race in Virginia, whether they would vote for the Republican candidate Mark Earley, the Democratic candidate Mark Warner, or the Libertarian candidate William Redpath, and if they were strong supporters of and had a favorable impression of any of the candidates. Those queried were asked if they approved of the way Governor Jim Gilmore was handling his job, whether they wanted a governor who could get the state going in a new direction or a governor who would keep the state moving in the same direction, how much they knew about Mark Earley and Mark Warner, whether the two candidates were conducting positive campaigns, and whether the respondent thought either candidate would raise taxes if elected. In regards to Mark Earley and Mark Warner, respondents were asked if they agreed that either candidate had the right qualifications to be governor, would work to hold taxes down, would look out for the interests of people like the respondent, would strengthen the state's economy, would say anything to get elected, would improve transportation and roads, would work effectively with the legislature to get a state budget passed, and would make sure Virginia was prepared to deal with any terrorist threats. In addition, respondents were asked how important the following issues were in voting for governor: fully eliminating the car tax, holding down taxes generally, improving transportation and roads, improving public education, strengthening the state's economy, handling the issue of gun control, and handling the abortion issue. Respondents were also asked if they favored or opposed allowing Northern Virginian voters to hold a tax referendum, whether it would cause a tax hike in the rest of the state if those voters voted to raise taxes, how respondents rated the Virginia economy, whether abortion in all cases should be legal, and if they were worried that a friend, relative, or they themselves would be the victim of a future terrorist attack. Background information includes political party, voting history, party orientation, years of residency in Virginia, area of residence with respect to the Beltway, education, affiliation with the religious right, military service, marital status, gun ownership, Hispanic origin, household income, gender, and age.
Curated
Washington Post Virginia State Poll, August 2001 (ICPSR 3285)
Released/updated on: 2001-10-16
Geographic coverage: United States, Virginia
Time period: 2001-08-01--2001-08-31
This special topic poll, conducted August 19-23, 2001, was designed to assess respondents' views on the upcoming November 6, 2001, Virginia gubernatorial election and the state of affairs in Virginia. Virginia residents were asked to give their opinions of President George W. Bush, Virginia governor Jim Gilmore and his handling of the governorship, Republican candidate Mark Earley, Democratic candidate Mark Warner, and Virginia's Republican and Democratic parties. Respondents were asked whether they were paying attention to the campaign, whether they intended to vote in the election, and for whom they would vote given a choice among Earley, Warner, and Libertarian candidate William Redpath. Views were sought on which candidate would work to hold taxes down, look out for the interests of people like the respondent, strengthen the state's economy, say anything to get elected, and improve transportation and the roads, and which candidate was best qualified to be governor. A series of questions addressed the campaign issues and the candidates' positions on those issues, including the importance of education, eliminating the Virginia state car tax, holding down taxes, improving transportation and roads, improving public education, strengthening the state economy, addressing gun control, and addressing abortion. Respondents were asked whether they preferred a governor who would move the state in a new direction or keep things the way they were, was a successful businessman, had been endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), was willing to spend his own money on the campaign, was strongly supported by conservative Christian groups, and/or had experience as an elected official. Additional topics covered whether northern Virginia residents had too much influence in state politics, whether respondents were upset that the Virginia legislature adjourned earlier in the year without passing a budget, how increased numbers of immigrants had affected their community, whether the administration of Standards of Learning (SOL) tests in Virginia schools should continue, and whether the death penalty was used fairly in Virginia. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, employment status, marital status, education, religion, military service, children in household, average commute time, size of city of residence, household gun ownership, Hispanic origin, household income, length of Virginia residency, whether the respondent lived inside the "Beltway," and whether the respondent was employed by the "dot.com" (technology) industry.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Labor Day Poll, September 2000 (ICPSR 3072)
Released/updated on: 2001-05-29
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2000-09-04--2000-09-06
This poll, fielded September 4-6, 2000, 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 intended to vote in the November 7, 2000, presidential election and for whom they would vote if the election were held that day, given a choice between Vice President Al Gore and Connecticut senator Joseph Lieberman (Democratic Party), Texas governor George W. Bush and former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney (Republican Party), conservative commentator Pat Buchanan and educator Ezola Foster (Reform Party), and consumer advocate Ralph Nader and activist Winona LaDuke (Green Party). Respondents were asked to assess the importance of the following issues in their electoral decision-making and to specify which candidate they most trusted to do a better job addressing them: holding taxes down, protecting the Social Security system, improving education, improving the health care system, handling the economy, handling gun control, handling foreign affairs, encouraging high moral standards and values, reforming election campaign finance laws, handling abortion, managing the federal budget, handling the issue of prescription drug benefits for the elderly, handling national defense and the military budget, helping the middle class, handling crime, protecting the environment, and reducing political partisanship in Washington. Views were sought on whether presidential debates should be held and which candidates should be invited to participate. Respondents were also asked which candidate understood the problems of the American people, was a strong leader, would bring needed change to Washington, had the knowledge of world affairs it takes to serve effectively as president, could keep the economy strong, would say or do anything to get elected, had new ideas, was honest and trustworthy, would be a good commander- in-chief, had high personal, moral, and ethical standards, would unite people, had taken a clear stand on the issues, cared about the less fortunate, had an appealing personality, and had the right kind of experience to be president. Respondents' opinions were sought on whether the top priority for the federal budget surplus should be cutting federal taxes, reducing the national debt, strengthening Social Security, or increasing spending on domestic programs. Support for the following proposals was assessed: a large tax cut across the board or smaller tax cuts for the lower and middle class, a plan that would allow people to invest some of their Social Security earnings in the stock market, and a federal plan that would give parents money to send their children to private or religious schools instead of local public schools that were not meeting state standards. Additional topics covered abortion, the status of United States military strength over the past eight years, whether presidential candidates should discuss their religious beliefs, voter intentions in terms of the 2000 Congressional elections, whether the candidates were conducting positive or negative campaigns, and whether the country needed a fresh start after the Clinton era. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, education, religion, labor union membership, Hispanic origin, household income, marital status, children in household, neighborhood characteristics, number of hours per day spent watching television, and whether the respondent considered himself/herself a morning person.
Curated
ABC News Poll, July 2000 (ICPSR 3058)
Released/updated on: 2001-04-17
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2000-07-20--2000-07-23
This poll, fielded July 20-23, 2000, 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 intended to vote in the November 7, 2000, presidential election and for whom they would vote if the election were held that day, given a choice between Vice President Al Gore (Democratic Party), Texas governor George W. Bush (Republican Party), conservative commentator Pat Buchanan (Reform Party), and consumer advocate Ralph Nader (Green Party). Respondents were asked to assess the importance of the following issues in their electoral decision-making and to specify which candidate they most trusted to do a better job addressing them: holding taxes down, protecting the Social Security system, improving education, improving the health care system, handling the economy, handling gun control, handling foreign affairs, encouraging high moral standards and values, handling the death penalty issue, protecting people's privacy on the Internet, handling the federal budget surplus, managing the federal budget, handling crime, protecting the environment, addressing women's issues, and appointing justices to the Supreme Court. Views were sought on whether presidential debates should be held, which candidates should be invited to participate, and whether respondents were satisfied with the presidential candidates. In addition, respondents were asked which candidate understood the problems of the American people, was a strong leader, would bring needed change to Washington, had the knowledge of world affairs it takes to serve effectively as president, could keep the economy strong, would say or do anything to get elected, had new ideas, said what he really thought, was honest and trustworthy, had an appealing personality, and had the right kind of experience to be president. Those queried were asked whether a difference existed between Gore and Bush on the issues about which the respondent cared and their personal qualities. Opinions were elicited on whether the top priority for the federal budget surplus should be cutting federal taxes, reducing the national debt, strengthening Social Security, or increasing spending on domestic programs. Additional questions covered abortion and the impact of Bush's naming a running mate who supported legalized abortion, Bush's handling of the death penalty while governor of Texas, voter intentions regarding the 2000 Congressional elections, whether a smaller government with fewer services is preferred to a larger government with many services, whether the country should continue to move in the direction that Clinton established, and whether it mattered who was elected president. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, education, religion, labor union membership, Hispanic origin, household income, and neighborhood characteristics.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, April 2000 (ICPSR 3053)
Released/updated on: 2001-03-26
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2000-03-28--2000-03-28
This poll, fielded March 28, 2000, 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 intended to vote in the November 7, 2000, presidential election and for whom they would vote if the election were held that day, given a choice between Vice President Al Gore (Democrat) and Texas governor George W. Bush (Republican). Views were sought on the importance of a list of issues to the respondent's electoral decision and which candidate could be trusted to address them. The list of issues included gun control, campaign finance reform, protecting patients' rights in the health care system, Social Security, taxes, the economy, crime, foreign affairs, education, encouraging high moral standards, the federal budget, protecting the environment, abortion, the death penalty, and women's issues. Respondents were asked whether federal spending on education should be increased, whether they supported or opposed a plan to reduce federal education spending in school districts whose students don't improve on standardized tests, and whether federal money should be used to send children to private schools in areas where the local public schools were not improving. A series of questions addressed crime control, including respondent support for gun control, whether stricter gun control laws would reduce the amount of violent crime, the best way to reduce violent crime, and the influence of the National Rifle Association (NRA). Attitudes were also elicited regarding whether campaign finance reform would reduce the influence of money in politics and the most effective ways to reduce improper campaign fundraising. Respondents were asked whether they favored a smaller government with fewer services or a larger government with more services and how often they trusted the government. An additional question sought respondents' opinions on whether Elian Gonzalez, the six-year-old Cuban boy whose mother drowned when they attempted to immigrate to Florida, should be returned to his father in Cuba or allowed to remain with his relatives in Miami. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, education, religion, labor union membership, household gun ownership, Hispanic origin, household income, and children in household.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post John McCain Departure Poll, March 2000 (ICPSR 2970)
Released/updated on: 2000-12-22
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2000-03-08--2000-03-08
This poll, fielded March 8, 2000, the eve of Arizona senator John McCain's announcement that he was withdrawing from the presidential race, 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 intended to vote in the November 7, 2000, presidential election and for whom they would vote if the election were held that day, given a choice between Vice President Al Gore (Democrat), Texas governor George W. Bush (Republican), Arizona senator John McCain (Republican), and conservative commentator Pat Buchanan (Reform). Those queried were asked whether Bush or Gore better understood the problems of the American people, was a strong leader, would bring change to Washington, DC, was intelligent, and was mature enough to be president. Views were sought on which candidate was best able to address gun control, campaign finance reform, protecting patients' rights in the health care system, taxes, foreign affairs, protecting Social Security, health care, Medicare, the economy, education, the environment, and abortion. An additional question asked respondents whether they thought that Gore was too close to President Bill Clinton. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, education, religion, Hispanic origin, labor union membership, and household income.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, May 2000 (ICPSR 3056)
Released/updated on: 2000-12-14
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2000-05-07--2000-05-07
This poll, fielded May 7, 2000, 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 intended to vote in the November 7, 2000, presidential election and for whom they would vote if the election were held that day, given a choice between Vice President Al Gore (Democrat), Texas governor George W. Bush (Republican), conservative commentator Pat Buchanan (Reform), and consumer advocate Ralph Nader (Green). Their views were sought on the importance of gun control, protecting Social Security, and prescription drug benefits for the elderly in making their decision for whom to vote and which candidate could be trusted most in these areas. Respondents were asked whether they supported or opposed having Medicare cover prescription drugs for senior citizens, even if they had to pay more for Medicare. A series of questions addressed Social Security, including whether respondents believed Social Security would be there when they retired and whether they supported or opposed a plan in which people could choose to invest some of their Social Security contributions in the stock market. Respondents were asked for their opinions of the April 22, 2000, removal by federal agents of Elian Gonzalez, the six-year-old Cuban boy whose mother drowned when they attempted to immigrate to Florida, from the home of his Miami relatives and whether the relatives or Elian's father should be granted custody of him. A series of questions focused on gun control. Specific items addressed respondent support for laws requiring background checks at gun shows, trigger locks on stored guns, the registration of firearms, licenses for handgun owners, and banning the sale of assault weapons and the sale of handguns except to law enforcement. Additional questions addressed whether respondents lived in fear of guns, spoke with their children about guns, and had been threatened by a gun. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, political orientation, voter registration, education, religion, labor union membership, household gun ownership, Hispanic origin, household income, children in household, and whether respondents regularly took prescription drugs.
Curated
ABC News "Nightline" John McCain Poll, February 2000 (ICPSR 2969)
Released/updated on: 2000-10-18
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2000-02-24--2000-02-24
This special topic poll, fielded February 24, 2000, queried respondents on the 2000 presidential race, with a focus on one of the Republican candidates, Arizona senator John McCain. Those queried were asked to consider candidates McCain, Texas governor George W. Bush, Vice President Al Gore, and former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley, and to compare the candidates' political orientation and stands on the issues. Respondents were asked whether they liked or disliked McCain the more they heard about him, and how familiar they were with McCain's stance on abortion, gun control, organized prayer in public schools, Social Security, protecting patients' rights, and federal education spending. The results of the poll were announced on the ABC television program "Nightline." Background information on respondents includes gender, political party, and political orientation.
Curated
ABC News Poll, November 1999 (ICPSR 2901)
Released/updated on: 2000-06-21
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1999-10-28--1999-10-31
This poll, fielded October 28-31, 1999, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and a range of other political and social issues. Several questions were asked of respondents to gauge their feelings about the 2000 presidential election and the candidates Vice President Al Gore, Texas governor George W. Bush, Arizona senator John McCain, former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley, publisher Steve Forbes, developer Donald Trump, and conservative commentator Pat Buchanan. Respondents were asked whom they intended to vote for, whether they had favorable or unfavorable impressions of each candidate, how well they knew each candidate's personal qualities and stance on specific issues and which was the more important factor in choosing a candidate to support, and whether they thought the individual presidential hopefuls would follow the governing path laid down by Clinton or would forge a new path. Respondents were asked how important the following issues were to the 2000 presidential election and how Gore and Bush would handle these issues: gun control, election campaign finance reform, patients' rights in the health care system, holding taxes down, protecting the Social Security system, protecting the Medicare system, the national economy, crime, foreign affairs, improvement of education and schools, helping the middle class, encouraging high moral standards and values, the federal budget, protecting the environment, abortion, and the nuclear test ban treaty. More comparison questions were asked concerning Gore and Bush, specifically, which of the two candidates the respondent was most likely to vote for, how strongly they supported their choice, and if there was a chance that they would change their minds. Gore and Bush were also compared on these attributes: honest and trustworthy, high personal and moral standards, understands the problems of the average American, strong leader, new ideas, right kind of experience to be president, right kind of personality and temperament to be president, and would bring needed change to Washington. Additional topics covered included respondents' satisfaction with the jobs done by President Bill Clinton, the United States Congress, and the respondents' representatives in the House of Representatives. They were also asked if they would vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate if a congressional election were held today. Background information on respondents includes whether they voted in the 1996 presidential election, whom they voted for, self-placement on the conservative/liberal continuum, education, age, labor union membership, Hispanic descent, race, and sex.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, September 1999 (ICPSR 2807)
Released/updated on: 1999-12-14
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1999-08-30--1999-09-02
This poll, fielded August 30-September 2, 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 for their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency. Their opinions were also sought on Vice President Al Gore, the United States Congress, former Red Cross president and Republican presidential hopeful Elizabeth Dole, First Lady Hillary Clinton, Texas Governor George W. Bush, former New Jersey governor and Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Bradley, former Vice President Dan Quayle, Arizona Senator John McCain, multimillionaire publisher Steve Forbes, conservative commentator Pat Buchanan, conservative talk show host Alan Keyes, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, and Family Research Council President Gary Bauer. Respondents were asked a series of questions regarding the upcoming 2000 elections, including for whom the respondent intended to vote for president, and the importance of the following issues: gun control, campaign finance reform, tax reduction, Social Security/Medicare, crime, the economy, foreign affairs, education, helping the middle class, environmental protection, budget management, and upholding the dignity of the office of the president. Additional questions addressed which political party would best represent the American people on those issues. Respondents were asked to compare Gore and Bradley in the following areas: honesty and ethics, leadership, innovation, experience, personality, and capability of bringing change to Washington. A series of questions focused on gun control, including Congress's handling of the issue, proposed stricter gun laws, and the influence of the National Rifle Association (NRA) over gun control. Additional topics covered how Clinton will be remembered in history, who was to blame for his impeachment, how the Clinton scandal would affect Gore's presidential campaign, the Republican call for an $800 billion tax cut over the next ten years, how the federal budget surplus should be used, abortion, and whether Bush should answer questions regarding prior cocaine use. Background information on respondents includes age, sex, political party, political orientation, education, religion, voter registration and participation history, gun ownership, size of city of residence, labor union membership, Hispanic descent, and family income.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Kosovo Poll, May 1999 (ICPSR 2773)
Released/updated on: 1999-08-20
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, fielded May 16, 1999, sought respondents' views on the conflict in Kosovo as well as their attitudes toward gun ownership and control laws in the United States. Those queried were asked for their opinions on President Bill Clinton's handling of the situation in Kosovo, the possible use of ground troops, the air strikes being waged against Serbia by the United States and its European allies, and the roles of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United States, and the European allies in the peace negotiation process. Respondents were asked for their views on the NATO allies' conditions for ending the conflict, including requiring Serbia to remove its soldiers and special police force from Kosovo, allowing a NATO-led peacekeeping force into Kosovo, permitting the return of all refugees to Kosovo, and granting Kosovo limited self-rule as a province of Serbia. Additional questions elicited views on the NATO allies' bombing of the Chinese consulate in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, which side was winning the conflict, and whether the United States should have become involved. The topic of gun control was also addressed, with items on stricter gun laws, which political party was best suited to handle the issue of gun control, background checks at gun shows, trigger locks, bans on the sale of assault weapons and the sale of guns through the mail and the Internet, and impressions of the National Rifle Association (NRA). Background information on respondents includes age, race, sex, education, political party, and gun ownership.
Curated
ABC News Colin Powell Poll, September 1995 (ICPSR 6676)
Released/updated on: 1998-05-20
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1995-09-01--1995-09-30
This special topic poll sought respondents' views on the 1996 presidential election, specifically the possible candidacy of retired General Colin Powell. Given President Bill Clinton, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, and Colin Powell as candidates, those queried were asked for whom they would vote. Respondents were also asked to give their opinions on Colin Powell's support of legal abortion, restrictions on gun sales, the death penalty, and having a moment of silent prayer in public schools. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education, political party, political orientation, family income, and voter registration and participation history.
Curated
Washington Post Virginia Governor Poll, September 1993 (ICPSR 6286)
Released/updated on: 1997-05-16
Geographic coverage: United States, Virginia
Time period: 1993-09-01--1993-09-30
This special topic poll covered Virginia's race for governor. Respondents were asked whether they followed the race closely and whom they would vote for, George F. Allen or Mary Sue Terry. Qualities and qualifications for both gubernatorial candidates were covered in detail. The elections for lieutenant governor between Michael P. Farris and Donald S. Beyer and for attorney general between James S. Gilmore and William D. Dolan were also addressed. Those queried were asked to identify the biggest problem facing the state of Virginia and to comment on how important specific issues, such as strengthening the state's economy, gun control, improving transportation and roads, abortion, improving public education, and holding down taxes, were in determining the elections. Demographic background variables include political orientation, sex, age, race, income, and education.
Curated
ABC News Crime Poll, November 1993 (ICPSR 6293)
Released/updated on: 1996-11-21
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1993-11-01--1993-11-30
This special topic poll focused on crime in the United States. Respondents were asked to estimate whether violent crime was going up or down in the United States and in their own neighborhoods. The survey also posed questions designed to estimate crime trends involving assault weapons and to determine whether respondents favored or opposed stronger legislation controlling the distribution of handguns and assault weapons in the United States. Additional questions related to legislation that would put a heavy tax on bullets. Respondents were asked whether they thought that stronger legislation controlling the distribution of handguns in the United States and the tax on bullets would reduce the amount of crime and violence, and if respondents would give up some of their freedoms if it meant a reduction in criminal activity. Demographic variables include race and sex.