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National Congregations Study: Cumulative File, 1998, 2006-2007, 2012, 2018-2019, [United States] (ICPSR 3471)

Released/updated on: 2025-06-03
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1998-01-01--1998-12-31, 2006-01-01--2006-12-31, 2012-01-01--2012-12-31, 2018-01-01--2019-12-31

The National Congregations Study (NCS) is a national survey effort to gather information about America's congregations. The first wave of the NCS took place in 1998, and the study was repeated in 2006-07, 2012, and 2018-19. The NCS tracks continuity and change among American congregations, and each NCS wave also explores new subjects.

With information from 5,333 congregations collected over a span of more than 20 years, the NCS helps us better understand many aspects of congregational life in the United States, and how congregations are changing in the 21st century. The NCS contributes to knowledge about American religion by collecting information about a wide range of congregations' characteristics and activities at different points in time.

In all four waves, the NCS was conducted in conjunction with the General Social Survey (GSS). The 1998, 2006, 2012, and 2018 waves of the GSS asked respondents who attend religious services to name their congregation, thus generating a nationally representative sample of religious congregations. Researchers then located these congregations. In 2006, the sample included re-interviews of a subset of congregations that participated in 1998, and in 2018-19, the sample included re-interviews of a subset of congregations that participated in 2012.

A key informant at each congregation - a minister, priest, rabbi, or other staff person or leader - provided each congregation's information via a one-hour interview conducted either over the phone or in-person. The survey gathered information on many topics, including the congregation's leadership, social composition, structure, activities, and programming. The NCS gathers information about worship, programs, staffing, community activities, demographics, funding, and many other characteristics of American congregations. Respondents of the NCS survey were asked to describe the worship service and programs sponsored by the congregation other than the main worship services, including religious education classes, musical groups, and recreational programs. Informants described the type of building in which the congregation met, whether it belonged to the congregation, and whether visitors came just to view the building's architecture or artwork. Congregations were geocoded, and selected census variables are included in this study.

External data

National Congregations Study (NCS), [United States] (ICPSR 38472)

Released/updated on: 2022-05-23
Time period: 1998-01-01--1998-12-31, 2006-01-01--2007-12-31, 2012-01-01--2012-12-31, 2018-01-01--2019-12-31
The National Congregations Study (NCS) surveys a representative sample of America's churches, synagogues, mosques, and other local places of worship. Users can download and analyze the NCS survey data online on the study website. The NCS is based on in-depth interviews with congregational leaders and gathers information about worship, programs, staffing, community activities, demographics, funding, and many other characteristics of American congregations. Respondents of the NCS survey were asked to describe the worship service and programs sponsored by the congregation other than the main worship services, including religious education classes, musical groups, and recreational programs. Informants described the type of building in which the congregation met, whether it belonged to the congregation, and whether visitors came just to view the building's architecture or artwork.
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CBS News/New York Times New York City Poll, August #2, 2011 (ICPSR 34468)

Released/updated on: 2012-12-21
Geographic coverage: New York City, United States, New York (state)
Time period: 2011-08-01--2011-08-31
This poll, fielded August 2011, and the second of four, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on a range of political and social issues. This particular poll surveyed respondents living in New York City. Respondents were asked their opinion on Mayor Michael Bloomberg's job performance and whether they approved of his handling of the public school system. Respondents were also queried on general aspects of their lives in New York City, including opinions on their long range view of the city's livability, opinions on the city's economy, whether they had plans to relocate, and whether they held a good or bad image of the city. Respondents were also asked to provide opinions on the state of New York City public schools, including views on the New York City teachers union and charter schools, assessments of the overall quality of public education, whether quality had improved under Mayor Bloomberg, and whether they approved of Dennis Walcott's job performance as school system Chancellor. The poll also features several questions related to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. Respondents were asked whether security initiatives implemented following the terrorist attacks had enhanced public safety at New York City airports, bridges, tunnels, subways and nuclear power plants in the region. Further opinions were solicited on whether respondents felt New Yorkers had recovered economically and emotionally from the attacks, whether first responders and families of victims had been treated fairly, and whether the killing of Osama bin Laden had provided a sense of closure and increased safety. Furthermore, respondents were asked to gauge the likelihood of another attack within the upcoming months, whether they felt safe or endangered living in New York City, and whether they perceived the threat of terrorism to be higher in New York City when compared to other United States cities. Further information was collected regarding respondents feelings toward Muslims following the September 11th attacks, whether respondents believed Muslims are unfairly singled out, and whether they believed Muslims and Arab Americans are more sympathetic to terrorists than other American citizens. Additional topics included the possible opening of Wal-Mart stores within New York City, the planned redevelopment of the site at Ground Zero, and the proposed mosque and Islamic community center two blocks from Ground Zero. Demographic information included sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, religious preference, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and voter registration status.
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CBS News/Vanity Fair Monthly Poll #3, August 2010 (ICPSR 32504)

Released/updated on: 2012-03-09
Geographic coverage: New York City, United States, New York (state)
Time period: 2010-08-01--2010-08-31
This poll, fielded August 27-31, 2010, solicited New York City residents' opinion on Michael Bloomberg's job as mayor, the most important problem facing New York City, David Paterson's handling of his job as governor, and whether they approved or disapproved of the way Barack Obama was handling his job as president. They were also queried on whether they heard about the plan to build a mosque and Islamic community center two blocks from Ground Zero of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, whether they favored or opposed the building of the mosque, whether they thought people should have the right to build a house of worship near Ground Zero, and whether they thought people should have the right to build a mosque near Ground Zero. Opinions were sought on New York Congressman Charles Rangel, whether they were familiar with the accusations associated with Rangel, how much truth there were to these accusations, what they thought Rangel should do going forward, and whether Rangel had higher or lower ethical standards compared to others in the Congress. They were asked whether they thought Arab Americans, Muslims, and immigrants from the Middle East were being singled out unfairly by people in this country, whether people they know had negative feelings towards Muslims because of the attack on the World Trade Center, whether respondents had any negative feelings towards Muslims because of the attack on the World Trade Center, whether they thought Muslim Americans are more sympathetic to terrorists, and whether they ever visited a mosque. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education level, household income, marital status, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, religiosity, whether participant was living in New York City on September 11, 2001, how long they have lived in New York City, where they are getting most of their information pertaining to the planned mosque and Islamic community center, and voter registration status and participation history.
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