Showing 1 – 29 of 29 results.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Los Angeles Beating Poll, April 1992 (ICPSR 9941)
Released/updated on: 2008-07-31
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll dealt with race relations and the verdict handed down in the Rodney King beating case in Los Angeles. Respondents were asked to describe the state of race relations in the United States, to indicate whether a great deal of prejudice against Blacks was present among whites and vice versa, and to agree or disagree with statements such as "Police in most cities treat Blacks as fairly as they treat whites," and "The only time the federal government really pays attention to Black problems is when Blacks resort to violent demonstrations or riots." Respondents were also asked if Blacks and other minorities received the same treatment as whites in the criminal justice system. Concerning the jury verdict in the Rodney King beating case, respondents were asked if they had heard or read about the verdict, whether they had seen the videotape of the police officers hitting and kicking King, and whether the police officers were guilty of a crime. Those surveyed were also asked if the not-guilty verdict would do major damage to race relations in the United States, if they agreed that the verdict showed that Blacks could not get justice in this country, and if they agreed that the rioting after the King verdict would make whites less sympathetic to the problems of Blacks. In addition, respondents were asked if the United States Justice Department should charge the police officers with the crime of violating Rodney King's civil rights. Background information on respondents includes age, Hispanic origin, race, and sex.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, January 2009 (ICPSR 27761)
Released/updated on: 2010-06-10
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded January 13-16, 2009, 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. A national sample of 1,079 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of 204 African Americans. Opinions were sought on how well George W. Bush handled his job as president, how Dick Cheney handled his job as vice president, and whether things in the country were going in the right direction. Respondents were asked their opinions about how they thought President George Bush would go down in history, how newly elected Barack Obama handled his presidential transition, the level of confidence they had in President Obama and Congress to make decisions for the country's future, the expectations they had for Obama's performance as president, whether he got off to a good start in dealing with the economy, and the confidence level they had that President Obama's economic program would improve the economy. Views were sought on the kind of priority the president and Congress should give several issues including the economy, the situation in Iran, in Israel, and in Afghanistan, the federal budget deficit, education, global warming, health care, immigration issues, the United States campaign against terrorism, and taxes. Respondents were also asked questions about and the kind of priority that should be given to items that could be included in the economic stimulus plan such as upgrading schools with new technology, computerizing American medical records, extending unemployment insurance and health care coverage, and putting a moratorium on home mortgage foreclosures. Several questions addressed race relations and asked such things as whether Blacks in the community receive equal treatment, whether respondents felt they were ever denied housing or a job because of their race, and whether they felt they had ever been stopped by the police because of their race. Additional topics covered included respondents' personal finances, the war in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan, the United States military prison at Guantanamo Bay, the treatment of terrorist suspects, embryonic stem cell research, and race relations. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, religious preference, and household income.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, January 2010 (ICPSR 30201)
Released/updated on: 2011-04-13
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded January 12-15, 2010, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,083 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the economy, health care, and the federal budget deficit, and whether they had a favorable opinion of President Obama. Respondents were queried on whether they thought the country was headed in the right direction, and whether they were confident that the Democratic Party and the Republican Party would make the right decisions for the country's future. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way that Nancy Pelosi was handling her job as Speaker of the House, whether they approved of the way Harry Reid was handling his job as Majority Leader of the Senate, and what was the one most important problem they would like to see President Obama and the Congress deal with this year. Information was collected on whether respondents thought Obama had accomplished a lot during his presidency, whether he was keeping most of his major campaign promises, and who they thought was to blame for the country's economic situation. Respondents were queried on how they thought the United States campaign against terrorism was going, whether the federal government should investigate possible terrorist threats, even if that intrudes on personal privacy, and whether police and other authorities should or should not be permitted to use personal characteristics like religion, or ethnicity, or nationality in deciding who to search in security lines at airports or other locations. Respondents were asked whether they approved or disapproved of President Obama's decision to close the United States military prison in Guantanamo Bay, whether they support or oppose the proposed changes to the health care system, whether they preferred the public option, and whether they have health insurance. Respondents were queried on whether they thought the federal government should try to limit the size of the bonuses banks can pay to their top employees, whether they would support or oppose a special tax on bonuses over one million dollars, and whether they would support or oppose higher taxes targeted at banks that do a lot of trading in the stock market. Finally, respondents were asked whether Obama's presidency has helped or hurt race relations in the United States, whether they favor smaller government with fewer services, or larger government with more services, whether they favor or oppose legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal and medical use, and whether they voted in the last presidential election. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, political ideology, religious preference, and whether the respondent is a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, July 2008 (ICPSR 27321)
Released/updated on: 2010-11-09
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded July 10-13, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,119 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans. Information was collected on how closely respondents were following the 2008 presidential race and the chances that they will vote in upcoming presidential election in November. Respondents were also queried on which candidate they would vote for if the 2008 presidential election were being held that day and who they would like to see win the Democratic nomination. Views were sought on how well George W. Bush was handling the presidency and if he has improved America's image in the rest of the world. Respondents were asked if they approved of the way the United States Congress is doing it's job and to rate how important certain issues are in their choice for president. Respondents were also queried on whether they thought the war in Iraq and Afghanistan were worth fighting, whether significant progress was made toward restoring civil order and whether they thought the United States must win the war in Iraq and Afghanistan for the war on terrorism to be a success. Several questions asked respondents to compare Barack Obama and John McCain, and which candidate they trusted to handle issues such as the war in Iraq, immigration, international affairs, the economy, and social issues, such as abortion and gay civil unions. Respondents were asked how financially secure they felt and if financial situations were a major cause of stress in their life. Information was also collected on respondents views of homosexuals serving in the military. Demographic variables include sex, age, marital status, race, income, voter registration status, political ideology, political party affiliation, political philosophy, military status, education level, religious preference, labor union membership, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, May 2008 (ICPSR 24607)
Released/updated on: 2009-09-10
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded May 8-11, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,122 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans, for a total of 206 African American respondents. Views were sought on how well George W. Bush was handling the presidency, whether the country was moving in the right direction, and whether the Democratic or Republican party could be trusted to do a better job coping with the main problems the nation would face over the next few years. Respondents were asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, their opinions of presidential candidates Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain, for whom they would vote in the general election in November, which candidate had the best chance of getting elected, and how comfortable respondents would be with a president who was African American, a president who was a woman, and a president over the age of 72. Other questions asked whether Hillary Clinton should drop out of the Democratic primary, whether Democrats would be able to unite if Obama were nominated, and who Obama and McCain should choose as vice presidential running mates if nominated by their parties. Additional topics addressed the controversy over comments made by Barack Obama's minister, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, how concerned respondents were that they could maintain their current standard of living, the most difficult economic issue affecting their family, particularly recent increases in the price of gasoline, and whether they supported a summer suspension of the federal gasoline tax. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, political party affiliation, voter registration status, political philosophy, education level, religious preference, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, October 2008 (ICPSR 27326)
Released/updated on: 2010-03-15
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded October 8-11, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,101 adults was surveyed, including oversamples of African Americans and 18- to 29-year-olds, for a total of 150 African American respondents and 201 respondents aged 18 to 29 years. Respondents were asked whether the Democratic or Republican party could be trusted to do a better job coping with the main problems the nation would face over the next few years. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling his job as president, whether things in the country were going in the right direction, and how concerned they were about the national economy. Views were sought on whether the Democratic or Republican party could be trusted to do a better job coping with the main problems the nation would face over the next few years. Respondents were also asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, their opinions of presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, for whom they would vote in the general election in November, which candidate had the best chance of getting elected, and how comfortable respondents would be with a president who was African American and a president over the age of 72. Economic topics addressed how concerned respondents were that they could maintain their current standard of living, the most difficult economic issue affecting their family, particularly personal finances, the stock market, and the ability to obtain bank loans. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, political party affiliation, voter registration status and participation history, political philosophy, education level, religious preference, military service, household income, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, September 2008 (ICPSR 27328)
Released/updated on: 2010-04-08
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded September 19-22, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,082 adults was surveyed, including oversamples of African Americans for a total of 163 African American respondents. Respondents were asked whether the Democratic or Republican party could be trusted to do a better job coping with the main problems the nation would face over the next few years, whether things in the country were going in the right direction, and how concerned they were about the national economy. Respondents were also asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, their opinions of presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, their opinion of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, for whom they would vote in the general election in November, which candidate had the best chance of getting elected, and how comfortable respondents would be with a president who was African American or a president over the age of 72. Respondents identifying with the Democratic party, were asked for whom they originally voted for to be the party nominee: Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Economic topics addressed how concerned respondents were that they could maintain their current standard of living, the most difficult economic issue affecting their family, particularly personal finances, the stock market, and the ability to obtain bank loans. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, political party affiliation, voter registration status and participation history, political philosophy, education level, religious preference, military service, household income, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), home ownership and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, April 2006 (ICPSR 4659)
Released/updated on: 2007-11-19
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, conducted April 6-9, 2006, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the current presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,229 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of 27 Black respondents and 202 respondents aged 65 and older. Part 1 contains data on non-oversample respondents and Black oversample respondents, while Part 2 contains information asked only of respondents aged 65 and older, including the aged 65 and older oversample. Respondents were queried on whether they approved of the way President George W. Bush was handling the presidency, and issues such as the economy and the campaign against terrorism. Respondents were also asked whether they approved of the way the United States Congress and their own representatives were handling their jobs, whether they would vote for a Democratic or Republican candidate in the upcoming United States House of Representatives election, the importance of issues such as health care in their voting choice, and which party they trusted to handle the main problems the nation would face over the next few years. Views were also sought on the war in Iraq, whether United States military forces in Iraq should be withdrawn, and whether Iraq was currently in a state of civil war. A series of questions asked how much respondents knew about the new Medicare prescription drug program, whether they approved of it, and who was responsible for its creation. Respondents aged 65 and older were asked whether they took prescription drugs, whether they had signed up for the new Medicare prescription drug program, whether it saved them money, and whether the enrollment deadline should be extended. Other topics addressed the recent increase in gasoline prices, illegal immigration, government waste, a new Massachusetts law requiring all residents to have health insurance, and whether Congress should officially reprimand or impeach President Bush for authorizing wiretaps on suspected terrorists without court approval. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, marital status, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, religious preference, whether respondents considered themselves born-again or evangelical Christians, and whether they and their parents were born in the United States.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, December 2007 (ICPSR 24593)
Released/updated on: 2009-07-13
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded December 6-9, 2007, is a part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on various political and social issues. A national sample of 1,136 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans, for a total of 205 African Americans respondents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of George W. Bush and the way he was handling the presidency and other issues such as the economy and terrorism, whether they approved of the way Congress was handling its job, and which political party they trusted to handle issues such as the war in Iraq. Opinions were also solicited on the 2008 presidential candidates. Respondents were asked who they would vote for if the 2008 Democratic and Republican primaries were being held that day, what was the single most important issue in their choice for president in the 2008 presidential election, and whether they were more likely to vote for a candidate based on qualities such as religion, race, gender, or political interests. A series of questions asked how closely respondents were following the 2008 presidential race and how likely they were to vote in the 2008 presidential primary in their state, which candidate they thought was most likely to be elected president, and how much candidates' religious beliefs, endorsements, spouses, and professional abilities weighed in deciding who to support for president. Respondents were also asked whether Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Barack Obama made them more likely to support him. Several questions asked about the war in Iraq, including whether the Iraq War was worth fighting, whether United States military forces should remain in Iraq until civil order is restored there, and whether the war in Iraq has contributed to the long-term security of the United States. Additional topics included abortion, whether the respondents considered themselves feminists, whether respondents had a good, basic understanding of the Mormon religion, respondents' own financial situation, and the state of the national economy. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education level, household income, religious preference, frequency of religious attendance, marital status, whether respondents own or rent their home, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), voter registration status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and the presence of children under 18 in the household.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, September 2008 (ICPSR 27325)
Released/updated on: 2010-11-22
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded September 5-7, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,133 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans. Respondents were asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, the probability that they would vote in the presidential election, their opinions of the candidates and their running mates, for whom they would vote if the election was held that day, the most important issue in their choice for president, and who they supported and trusted more to handle various social issues, education issues, international affairs, and the federal budget deficit. Respondents were also asked how enthusiastic they were about the candidates for president, whether they thought McCain would continue George W. Bush's direction of the country, whether a candidate's choice for running mate made them more confident in that candidate's decision-making, whether McCain's age made respondents uncomfortable, and whether they thought their federal taxes would increase based on who was elected as president. Additional topics focused on respondents' personal finances, abortion, gun control, the war with Iraq, and the United States campaign against terrorism. Demographic information includes voter registration status and participation history, sex, age, race, income, marital status, religious preference, whether the respondent considered themselves to be a born-again evangelical Christian, education level, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political philosophy, political party affiliation, how long the respondent had been a resident in their community, and whether there was children under the age of 18 present in the home.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll #3, September 2008 (ICPSR 27327)
Released/updated on: 2010-11-09
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded September 27-29, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,271 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans. Information was collected on how closely respondents were following the 2008 presidential race and the chances that they would vote in the upcoming presidential election in November. Respondents were also queried on which candidate they would vote for in the presidential election and who they would like to see win the Democratic nomination. Information was collected on impressions of the vice presidential nominees Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. Respondents were asked what was the single most important issue in their choice for president. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency and the economy. Several questions asked respondents to compare Barack Obama and John McCain, and which candidate they trusted to handle issues such as the war in Iraq, energy policy, international affairs, the economy, and taxes. Information was collected on respondents opinions of the presidential debate, specifically who they thought had won and whether it had changed their opinion of either candidate. Respondents were queried on the country's current financial situation and whether they thought it was a serious problem. Respondents were also asked whether they supported the government's bailout of financial institutions and whether they thought the government's efforts would prevent the country's current financial situation from getting worse. Additional questions asked respondents who they thought was to blame for the current financial situation, whether they thought the government's bailout plan did enough to help major financial institutions, the United States economy, and ordinary Americans. Demographic variables include sex, age, marital status, race, income, political ideology, political party affiliation, political philosophy, education level, religious preference, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, April 2007 (ICPSR 24586)
Released/updated on: 2009-05-26
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, conducted April 12-15, 2007, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling his job as president, whether they approved of the way Congress and their own representative in the United States House of Representatives were handling their jobs, and to compare how President Bush and the Democrats in Congress were handling issues such as the economy and the United States campaign against terrorism. Opinions were solicited on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Majority leader of the Senate Harry Reid, the 2008 potential presidential candidates, and how much progress Congress had made in the three months prior to the poll. Respondents were asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, for whom they would vote if the 2008 Democratic and Republican primaries were being held that day and how strongly they supported that candidate, which candidate they thought would win their party's nomination, and how much respondents knew about their candidate's position on specific issues. Several questions asked about the war in Iraq, including whether the war in Iraq was worth fighting, whether the United States was winning the war in Iraq, whether the United States should keep military forces in Iraq until civil order is restored, whether Bush's decision to send additional military forces to Iraq was supported, and whether the United States should set a deadline for withdrawing its forces from Iraq. Respondents were also asked a few questions about Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, including whether they would be more likely to vote for John Edwards because his wife, Elizabeth, has cancer, and whether John Edwards should suspend his campaign due to his wife's illness. Additional topics included United States Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' handling of the firing of eight chief federal prosecutors, embryonic stem cell research, illegal immigrants, the condition of the nation's economy, gas price increases, and the firing of radio personality Don Imus due to making racially insensitive remarks during his radio show. This poll surveyed an oversample of African American respondents. Demographic information includes voter registration status and participation history, sex, age, race, income, marital status, religious preference, education level, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political philosophy, political party affiliation, whether the respondent or anyone in the home was a military veteran, and whether the respondent or anyone in the household was a member of a labor union.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, April 2008 (ICPSR 24606)
Released/updated on: 2009-11-12
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded April 10-13, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A random national sample of 1,197 adults were surveyed, including additional interviews with randomly selected African Americans and Catholics, for a total of 213 African American respondents and 292 Catholic respondents. Views were sought on how well George W. Bush was handling the presidency, the war in Iraq, and the economy. Respondents were asked what they thought was the single most important issue in their choice for president, and their opinion of Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton. Respondents were also queried on whether they thought the war in Iraq was worth fighting, whether significant progress was made toward restoring civil order, whether the United States should keep its military forces there until civil order is restored, and whether they thought the United States must win the war in Iraq for the war on terrorism to be a success. Information was collected on how closely respondents were following the 2008 presidential race, which candidate they would like see win the Democratic nomination for president, whether the tone of the Democratic campaign was positive, whether the length of the Democratic race was good for Democrats, and how the super delegates should choose which candidate to nominate based on different counting methods. Several questions asked respondents to compare Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and which candidate they trusted to handle issues such as international trade, the economy, and health care. Respondents were asked which candidate they would vote for if the 2008 presidential election were being held that day and whether a Democratic or Republican president would do a better job handling the situation in Iraq and the economy. Views were sought on Pope Benedict XVI and whether he should maintain the traditional policies of the Roman Catholic Church, whether the Catholic Church is in touch with American Catholics today, policies on women becoming priests, marriage for Catholic priests, and how the Catholic Church has handled the issue of sexual abuse of children by priests. Additional topics included the Reverend Jeremiah Wright controversy, the state of the national economy, respondents' financial situation, gas prices, whether government assistance such as new tax breaks for businesses would avoid or soften a recession, and respondents' plans for a federal rebate. Demographics variables include sex, age, marital status, race, income, voter registration status, political ideology, political party affiliation, political philosophy, education level, religious preference, frequency of religious attendance, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, August 2008 (ICPSR 27324)
Released/updated on: 2010-12-07
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded August 19-22, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,298 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans. Information was collected on how closely respondents were following the 2008 presidential race, the chances that they would vote in the upcoming presidential election in November, and whether or not they voted in the presidential election in November of 2004. Respondents were also queried on which candidate they would vote for in the presidential election, and who they would like to see win the Democratic nomination. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency, whether they thought the country was headed in the right direction, and what was the single most important issue in their choice for president. Several questions asked respondents to compare Barack Obama and John McCain, and which candidate they trusted to handle issues such as the war in Iraq, energy policy, international affairs, the economy, and taxes. Respondents were queried on their level of enthusiasm for each presidential candidate, whether they thought Obama had the kind of experience it takes to serve effectively as president, and whether they thought McCain would lead the country in a new direction or mainly continue in Geroge W. Bush's direction. Respondents were also asked how comfortable they would be with McCain taking office at the age of 72 and Obama being the first African American President. Respondents were also asked how important they thought the Democratic and Republican national conventions would be in deciding how to vote for president in November. Respondents were queried on whether they thought it was possible for their child to grow up and become president, whether they thought that Obama's nomination for president represents progress for all African Americans or whether they thought it was only a single case that does not reflect broader progress for African Americans overall. Respondents were asked whether they thought Obama would serve as a leading role model to young African American men, whether Obama's nomination as the first African American presidential candidate made them more proud to me an American, whether they thought the war in Iraq was worth fighting, and whether the United States is making progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq. Lastly, respondents were asked whether they thought Russia was a close ally of the United States, how concerned they were that current tensions between the United States and Russia could lead to a new cold war, whether they thought abortion should be legal, and whether they would be more likely to vote for McCain if he picked a vice-presidential candidate who supports legal abortion. Demographic variables include sex, age, marital status, race, income, voter registration status, political ideology, political party affiliation, political philosophy, education level, religious preference, military status, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, February 1986 (ICPSR 8574)
Released/updated on: 2010-05-06
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, conducted February 6-12, 1986, 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. Views were sought on the way Ronald Reagan was handling the presidency and issues such as foreign affairs, the condition of the national economy, the role of the federal government, proposals for reducing the federal budget deficit, including cutting specific government programs and increasing taxes, and whether the United States should help try to overthrow pro-communist governments. Respondents were asked whether they had seen or heard President Reagan's State of the Union speech, for whom they would vote in the 1988 presidential primary or caucus in their state, and whether they would vote for the Republican or Democratic candidate in their district in the congressional elections in November. Opinions were sought on the women's movement, including whether women would be better off staying at home raising families or having careers, whether women with children were less reliable workers, and whether it was realistic for women to expect to have a successful career, a good marriage, and a stable home life at the same time. A series of questions addressed respondents' knowledge of the Soviet Union and their impressions of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet people, and relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. Additional topics included abortion, forced school busing for racial integration, pornography, censorship, daycare arrangements, the space program, and whether the space shuttle program should continue following the recent space shuttle Challenger disaster. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, political philosophy, political party affiliation, voter registration status and participation history, religion in which respondents were raised, perceived social class, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), employment status of respondents and their spouses, the number of people living in the household, and whether anyone in the household was a veteran, a member of a labor union, or employed by the government.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, February 2007 (ICPSR 24584)
Released/updated on: 2009-06-04
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded February 22-25, 2007, is a part of continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on various political and social issues. A national sample of 1,082 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans, for a total of 157 African Americans respondents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of George W. Bush and the way he was handling the presidency and other issues such as the economy, whether they approved of the way Congress was handling its job, what was the most important problem they would like to see President Bush and Congress deal with, and whether they trusted Bush or the Democrats in Congress to do a better job handling issues such as health care and the federal budget. Opinions were solicited on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the 2008 presidential candidates, whom respondents would vote for if the 2008 Democratic and Republican primaries and the 2008 presidential election were being held that day, and whether they were more likely to vote for a candidate based on qualities such as religion, race, gender, or political interests. Respondents were asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, what were the most important issues in their choices for Democratic and Republican candidates for president, and who they thought was most likely to win the Democratic and Republican nominations for president. Several questions asked about the war with Iraq, including whether the war with Iraq was worth fighting, whether United States military forces should remain in Iraq until civil order is restored there, whether there should be a deadline for withdrawing United States forces from Iraq, whether respondents were pleased with the way the Bush Administration was handling the war in Iraq, and whether respondents trust the Bush Administration to accurately report intelligence about possible threats from other countries. Additional questions asked about abortion, the war in Afghanistan, and Iran. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education level, household income, religious preference, frequency of religious attendance, marital status, whether anyone in the household was a military veteran, whether anyone in the household was a member of a labor union, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), voter registration status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and the presence of children under 18 in the household.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, February 2008 (ICPSR 24605)
Released/updated on: 2009-09-01
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded February 28-March 02, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,126 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans, for a total of 215 African American respondents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling his job as president, whether the war with Iraq was worth fighting, and whether respondents thought the United States was making significant progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq. Respondents were also asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, the probability that they would vote in the primary, who they wanted to see win the Democratic/Republican presidential nomination, for whom they would vote in the general election if the election were held that day, their opinion of the candidates, who they would choose as the Democratic/Republican vice presidential running mate, and who they trusted to handle various issues such as health care, the economy, the war in Iraq, immigration issues, the United States' campaign against terrorism, and ethics in government. Demographic information includes voter registration status and participation history, sex, age, race, income, marital status, religious preference, whether the respondent considered themselves to be a born-again evangelical Christian, education level, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political philosophy, political party affiliation, and whether the respondent or anyone in the home was a military veteran.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, January 2008 (ICPSR 24603)
Released/updated on: 2009-10-21
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded January 9-12, 2008, is a part of continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on various political and social issues. A national sample of 1,130 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans, for a total of 202 African American respondents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling his job as president and other issues such as the situation in Iraq and the economy, and whether they thought things in the country were going in the right direction. This poll focused on the 2008 presidential election, and asked respondents what was the single most important issue in their choice for president, how closely they had been following the presidential race, how likely they were to vote in the 2008 presidential primary or caucus in their state, and which candidate they would vote for if the Democratic and Republican primaries were being held that day. Iowa and New Hampshire residents were asked whether they voted in the 2008 primaries in their states and for whom they voted. Respondents were asked for their opinions of the 2008 presidential candidates, including which Democratic and Republican candidates they trusted to handle issues such as health care, the United States campaign against terrorism, immigration, and international affairs, which types of characteristics were important to them in a candidate, which candidate would bring the most change to Washington, and which candidate had the best chance to get elected as president in November 2008. Several questions asked whether respondents were more or less enthusiastic about the candidates based on the possibility that they could become the first president who was African American, female, Mormon, 72 years old when elected, or a Baptist minister, whether being African American would help or hurt Barack Obama's candidacy, and whether the country needed a president to lead the nation in the same direction as George W. Bush. Additional topics included abortion, respondents' economic and financial situation, and the war in Iraq. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education level, household income, 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, marital status, religious preference, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, July 2007 (ICPSR 24589)
Released/updated on: 2009-06-11
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded July 18-21, 2007, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the current presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. This poll included an oversample of African American respondents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency and issues such as ethics in government and whether they approved of the way the Vice President Dick Cheney and the United States Congress were handling their jobs. Views were sought on the Iraq war, including whether it was worth fighting, the current number of United States military forces in Iraq, whether a deadline should be set for the withdrawal of troops, and the current strength of the Al Qaeda terrorist network compared to before September 11, 2001. Respondents were also asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, for whom they would vote if the presidential primary or caucus were being held in their state that day, how satisfied they were with the choice of candidates, their opinions of the candidates, and how comfortable they would be with a president who was African American, Hispanic, Jewish, Mormon, or a woman. Additional topics addressed abortion, the use of surveillance cameras in public places, the use of the internet to obtain information on political candidates, whether the federal government was doing enough to ensure the safety of imported products and food, whether the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be allowed to regulate cigarettes, and recent United States Supreme court decisions restricting partial birth abortion and how local school boards use race to assign children to schools. Demographic variables includes sex, age, race, marital status, household income, education level, voter registration status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), religious preference, and whether respondents and their close personal friends or family members served in the United States military in Iraq since March 2003.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, June 2008 (ICPSR 24608)
Released/updated on: 2009-08-31
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded June 12-15, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,125 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans, for a total of 201 African American respondents. Views were sought on how well George W. Bush was handling the presidency and whether the country was moving in the right direction. Respondents were asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, the likelihood that they would vote in the general election in November, for whom they would vote if the presidential election were held that day, their opinions of the candidates, and the most important issues in their vote for president. Those who identified themselves as Democrats were asked how they felt about the outcome of the Democratic primary, whether they had wanted Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton to win the Democratic nomination, and who Obama should choose as a vice presidential running mate. Respondents were also asked whether they would vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate for United States House of Representatives if the election were held that day, and to give their impressions of the spouses of the presidential candidates, Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain. Additional topics addressed abortion, the war in Iraq, health care coverage, alternative energy, gun ownership, race relations in the United States, increases in gasoline prices, and a recent United States Supreme Court ruling that noncitizens suspected of terrorism who are being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should be allowed to challenge their detentions in the United States civilian court system. Information was also collected on whether respondents thought African Americans living in their community experienced racial discrimination, whether they had a close friend of a different race, whether they themselves had feelings of racial prejudice, and whether they considered themselves a feminist. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, education level, religious preference, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, May 2007 (ICPSR 24588)
Released/updated on: 2009-04-17
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, conducted May 29-June 1, 2007, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,205 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of 204 Black respondents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency and issues such as the economy. Views were sought on whether the country was moving in the right direction, how well members of the United States Congress were doing their jobs, and whether President Bush or the Democrats in Congress could be trusted to do a better job handling important issues. Respondents were asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, for whom they would vote if the presidential primary or caucus was held that day, their opinions of the presidential candidates, and the single most important issue in their choice for president. A series of questions addressed the Iraq war, including the number of United States military forces in Iraq, the effect of the war in Iraq on the campaign against terrorism, and possible outcomes if the United States were to withdraw from Iraq before civil order was restored there. Other topics addressed immigration policy and United States Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' handling of the firing of nine chief federal prosecutors. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, household income, household union membership, education level, political party affiliation, voter registration status, political philosophy, religious preference, whether respondents considered themselves to be born-again Christians, and whether respondents and their parents were born in the United States.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, October 2007 (ICPSR 24592)
Released/updated on: 2009-07-09
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded October 29 through November 1, 2007, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,131 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans, for a total of 203 African Americans respondents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling his job as president, and whether they approved of the way the Congress was doing its job, whether they approved of the way the Republicans in Congress and the Democrats in Congress were doing their jobs, and who respondents wanted to see in control of Congress after the next congressional election. Opinions were sought on whether things in this country were on the right track, and who could be trusted more, the Democrats or the Republicans, to do a better job handling the situation in Iraq, health care, the United States campaign on terrorism, the economy, taxes, and immigration issues. Several questions were asked about the war in Iraq, including whether the war was worth fighting, whether the United States was making progress in restoring civil order in Iraq, whether the number of military forces should be increased, and whether United States forces in Iraq should be withdrawn immediately. Respondents were also asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, for whom they would vote if the 2008 presidential primary were held that day, their opinion of the candidates, who they thought was best able to handle various situations facing the country, and their opinion of the most important issue in their choice for president. Additional topics covered whether the respondent was a feminist, whether smaller or larger governments were favored, whether homosexual couples should be allowed to form recognized civil unions, whether giving illegal immigrants the right to legally live in the United States was supported, whether abortion should be legal, and opinions about the nation's economy and a possible recession. Demographic information includes voter registration status and participation history, sex, age, race, income, marital status, religious preference, religious service attendance, education level, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political philosophy, and political party affiliation.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Poll, September 2007 (ICPSR 24591)
Released/updated on: 2009-07-06
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded September 27-30, 2007, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the current presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,114 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans, for a total of 212 African Americans respondents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling his job as president, and whether they approved of the way he was handling of the situation in Iraq, health care, the federal budget deficit, the economy, and the United States campaign against terrorism. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way the Republicans in Congress and the Democrats in Congress were doing their jobs. Opinions were sought on the amount that Congress had accomplished that year, and whether Democrats or Republicans in Congress could be trusted more to do a better job handling the situation in Iraq, health care, the United States campaign on terrorism, the economy, and the federal budget deficit. Several questions were asked about the war in Iraq, including whether the war in Iraq was worth fighting, whether the United States should keep military forces in Iraq until civil order is restored, whether an increase in United States forces in Iraq made the situation there better, whether the pace of troop reduction in Iraq should be increased, and whether a funding request for the war should be approved by Congress. Respondents were also asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, for whom they would vote if the 2008 presidential primary were held that day, their opinion of the candidates, and whether they would vote for specific candidates if they won their party's nomination. Several questions also addressed Hillary Clinton including whether her views on issues were too liberal, whether she would take the presidency in a different direction than her husband if elected, whether her campaign was engaging in improper fund raising, and whether respondents felt comfortable with the idea of Bill Clinton as a first gentleman. Other topics included whether the respondent considered her or himself to be a feminist, quality of health care, health care costs, whether the cigarette tax should be increased to support federal spending on children's health insurance, and whether respondents approved of the way Bill Clinton handled his job as president while in office. Demographic information includes voter registration status and participation history, sex, age, race, income, marital status, religious preference, religious service attendance, education level, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political philosophy, political party affiliation, and whether the respondent or anyone in the home was a military veteran.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Pre-Super Tuesday Poll, January 2008 (ICPSR 24604)
Released/updated on: 2009-08-28
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded January 30 - February 01, 2008, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,249 adults was surveyed, including an oversample of African Americans and Latinos, for a total of 215 African Americans respondents and 186 Latino respondents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling his job as president, and whether they approved of his handling of the war in Iraq and the economy. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way United States Congress as a whole was doing its job, as well as whether they approved of the way Republicans in Congress and Democrats in Congress were doing their jobs. Opinions were sought on the amount that Congress had accomplished that year, and who could be trusted more, the Democrats or the Republicans, to do a better job handling the war in Iraq, health care, the United States campaign on terrorism, the economy, taxes, and the federal budget deficit. Questions were asked about the war in Iraq, including whether the war was worth fighting, and whether respondents thought the United States was making significant progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq. Respondents were also asked how closely they were following the 2008 presidential race, the probability that they would vote in the primary, for whom they would vote in the general election and their state's presidential primary if the election were held that day, their opinion of the candidates, who they trusted to handle various issues, whether they would vote for specific candidates if they won their party's nomination, and what they felt was the most important issue in their choice for president. Opinions were sought on Bill Clinton and whether respondents felt comfortable with the idea of Clinton being a first husband and whether Clinton played a positive or negative role in Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Other topics included the state of the nation's economy, the financial situation of the respondent's family, and how respondents would spend a federal rebate check. Demographic information includes voter registration status and participation history, sex, age, race, income, marital status, religious preference, religious service attendance, education level, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political philosophy, political party affiliation, and whether the respondent or anyone in the home was a military veteran.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Race Relations Poll, February-March 1981 (ICPSR 8010)
Released/updated on: 1997-09-11
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1981-02-26--1981-03-06
This survey, conducted by Chilton Research Services under
the direction of B. Sussman of the Washington Post and J. Alderman of
ABC News, covers both racial attitudes and attitudes toward
immigrants. Topics concerning racial attitudes include crime,
education, discrimination, employment, and government policies. Areas
of investigation regarding attitudes toward immigrants focus on
quality of life, government assistance, and employment
opportunities. Background information on respondents includes age,
gender, marital status, occupation, race, and religious affiliation.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Race Relations Poll, May 1992 (ICPSR 9940)
Released/updated on: 2008-10-31
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1992-05-08--1992-05-11
In addition to identifying the most important problems facing the country, evaluating the Bush presidency, and providing a snapshot of current voter preference for George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ross Perot during the 1992 presidential campaign, this special topic poll focused on the issue of race relations. Respondents were asked if they had read or heard anything about the verdict in the Rodney King case in Los Angeles in which a group of white officers were accused of beating a Black man, whether the police officers should have been found guilty of a crime, and whether they approved of Bush's handling of the situation following the King verdict in Los Angeles. Those surveyed were asked if they thought the assistance programs for poor people begun in the 1960s and 1970s had helped or hurt poor people, whether government assistance programs had been the right way to help the poor, and whether the problems in America's inner cities were getting better. Respondents were also asked to identify the real causes of problems in the inner cities from a list of potential causes including the failure of President Bush and former President Ronald Reagan to deal with the problems of the inner cities, and the failure of social assistance programs to help inner-city residents. In addition, respondents were asked to identify what might be done to avoid racial violence and riots in America's cities from a list including more police, more activities for inner-city teenagers and young adults, and better schools and public education. Those surveyed were ultimately asked if the problems of the inner cities were so great that they would never be solved. Background information on respondents includes political alignment, voter registration status, education, age, Hispanic origin, household income, and sex.
Curated
Washington Post Maryland Elections Poll, June 2006 (ICPSR 22166)
Released/updated on: 2008-05-29
Geographic coverage: United States, Maryland
This special topic poll, fielded June 19-25, 2006, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the current presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. This poll surveyed 1,127 Maryland residents, including an oversample of Black respondents, on the upcoming primary and general elections in their state. Residents were asked whether they approved of the way President George W. Bush was handling the presidency, their level of interest in the upcoming elections in Maryland, and whether they were registered to vote. Registered voters were polled on the likelihood that they would vote in the Democratic primary and general election in Maryland, and for whom they would vote in the gubernatorial and senatorial races. Views were sought on how things were going in the state of Maryland, the city of Baltimore, and Montgomery County, and the problems facing the state of Maryland and the respondents' own community. Respondents gave their opinions of Governor Bob Ehrlich and First Lady Kendel Ehrlich, the governor's handling of his job and issues such as the protection of Chesapeake Bay, and the influence of various groups on his administration. Opinions were also elicited on Lt. Governor Michael Steele, former Governor William Donald Schaefer, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan, Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Ben Cardin and Kweisi Mfume, and the Democratic and Republican parties in Maryland. Additional topics addressed the war in Iraq, slot-machine gambling, gay marriage, abortion, the state legislature's decision to force Wal-Mart to spend more on employee health benefits, and the effect of immigration on the respondent's community. Information was also collected on respondents' county of residence, and which local television news station they watched. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, marital status, education level, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), presence of children in the household, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, religious preference, frequency of religious attendance, and whether respondents considered themselves born-again or evangelical Christians.
Curated
Washington Post O.J. Simpson Verdict Poll, October 1995 (ICPSR 6679)
Released/updated on: 1998-05-20
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll sought respondents' views on the O.J. Simpson murder trial verdict and its effect on race relations in the United States. Respondents were asked for their opinions regarding the trial's verdict, the guilt or innocence of Simpson, whether justice was served in the case, and the treatment of minorities in the criminal justice system. Those queried were asked to comment on how the trial's verdict had affected race relations in the United States and the respondents' confidence in the justice system. Questions were also posed regarding the composition of the jury, specifically the aptitude of the jury and how the verdict would change if the demographics of the jury were altered. Other topics covered current racism versus ten years ago, race and the police, the role of Detective Mark Furhman in the Simpson case, the existence of a white establishment, and the possibility that Black jurors used Simpson's race as a justification for acquittal. Demographic variables include age, race, sex, education, family income, and social class.
Curated
Washington Post Race Relations Poll, March 1988: Washington, DC (ICPSR 9063)
Released/updated on: 1992-02-16
Geographic coverage: District of Columbia, United States
Time period: 1988-03-17--1988-03-24
This survey focuses on race relations in the greater Washington, DC area. Respondents were asked to name the most important problem facing the area, if the area was divided into two societies (one black and one white), if things were getting better/worse/staying the same for blacks in the area, and if the respondent had ever been discriminated against because of race in getting a quality education, housing, a job, or equal wages. In addition respondents were queried regarding the level of discrimination against blacks in the Washington, DC area and whether it was increasing, if the respondent agreed or disagreed with a number of statements regarding the causes and consequences of racial discrimination, the effects of government welfare and affirmative action programs, the racial composition of the respondent's immediate neighborhood, places in greater Washington, DC where people of the respondent's race would not be welcomed by local residents or where the respondent would feel uncomfortable living, and the respondent's social interactions with people of other races. Background information on respondents includes political alignment, education, marital status, household composition, income, receipt of government assistance, length of residency at present address, sex, and state/region of residence.