ABC News/Washington Post Poll, March 1995 (ICPSR 3839)

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This poll, conducted March 16-19, 1995, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, the economy, foreign affairs, and crime. Respondents were polled on the most important problem facing the country, whether they approved or disapproved of the way Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, and the United States Congress were doing their jobs, whether President Clinton or the Republicans in Congress would do a better job handling the country's problems, and whether each was seeking the right or wrong changes for the country. Opinions were solicited on whether the Republicans in Congress had begun to gridlock Washington, whether they kept most of their campaign promises, whether they proposed too many, too little, or the right amount of program cuts, and whether respondents supported or opposed most of their "Contract with America." A series of questions addressed the condition of the national economy, whether the federal budget could be balanced without raising taxes or cutting spending on Social Security and the military, and whether it was more important to pass a balanced budget amendment or to protect Social Security, maintain military spending, or hold down taxes. Respondents were asked whether they would vote for President Clinton or a Republican nominee in the 1996 presidential election, who the Republican and Democratic parties should nominate for president, and whether respondents held favorable or unfavorable views of Newt Gingrich, Bob Dole, Vice-President Al Gore, Senator Phil Gramm, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell, Republican presidential nominee Lamar Alexander, and California Governor Pete Wilson. Opinions were also solicited on whether respondents had more trust in their federal, state, or local government to handle issues such as fighting crime, setting environmental regulations, establishing welfare rules, and protecting civil rights, and whether they supported or opposed term limits for United States Representatives, as well as laws discouraging frivolous lawsuits. Questions regarding affirmative action addressed whether women and minorities should receive preference in hiring and college admissions to make up for past discrimination, whether affirmative action programs increased opportunities for these groups, and whether they should be continued, changed, or eliminated. Respondents were also asked whether these programs resulted in fewer opportunities for White men, whether this would be justified, whether the respondent or a family member felt they had been denied a job because of their race or sex, and whether it made them angry. Additional questions asked how closely respondents followed the O.J. Simpson trial, whether he was getting a fair trial, and whether he was guilty or innocent. Background variables include age, sex, ethnicity, education, religion, employment status, household income, political orientation, political party affiliation, subjective size of community, social class, number and sex of children, labor union membership, whether the respondent was registered to vote, whether he or she voted in the 1992 presidential election, and if so, for whom.

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This data collection may not be used for any purpose other than statistical reporting and analysis. Use of these data to learn the identity of any person or establishment is prohibited.

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