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This study of adults aged 21 and older in the Detroit metropolitan area provides information on their contact with and attitudes toward government administrative agencies, their views regarding civic duties, and their organizational memberships in 1954. The study was a combination of two separate studies: IDEAL FAMILY SIZE IN DETROIT by Ronald Freedman, and ADMINISTRATIVE BEHAVIOR IN A METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY by Morris Janowitz. Respondents were asked about their contact with and knowledge of various agencies, including the Michigan Employment Security Commission and the Social Security Department. They were asked to evaluate the performance of the public schools, the County Sheriff's Department, state and local police, and local, county, and state government officials. Several questions were asked to determine the respondents' attitudes toward government employment and employees, specifically the prestige of various jobs in the public sector compared with comparable jobs in the private sector, and their preference for working for the United States government or a private firm. Other questions probed respondents' living experiences before coming to Detroit, their feelings about living in Detroit, and their views about collectivist versus individualist ideology, a national health insurance plan, military draft, taxes, changes in the Social Security system, the role of political influence in enabling private citizens to get help from government agencies, and the ideal family size. Also explored were respondents' understanding of the meaning of "red tape" and how much of it they thought was necessary, and their views on the extent of government's role in solving problems such as unemployment, education, and housing. Respondents were also asked about their political activities, political party preference, and electoral and voting participation. They were asked to identify the mass media on which they relied most for political information, the organizations they belonged to, and if they had a television set. Demographic variables specify age, sex, education, place of birth, marital status, number of children, nationality, religious preferences, occupation, family income, length of residence in the Detroit area, home ownership, length of time at present residence, and class identification.

More information about the Detroit Area Studies Project is available on the Detroit Area Studies Project Web site.

The quality of community life in the Detroit metropolitan area and factors influencing it were the main focus for this Detroit Area Study. To gauge perceptions of the quality of life in the Detroit tri-county area, respondents were asked how satisfied or dissatisfied they were with the tri-county area in general, with their neighborhoods, and with the quality of local community services, such as quality of local roads, public schools, police and garbage collection. In addition, the survey measured respondents' satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their own education, income, health, amount of leisure time, marriage, family life, job, home, and other aspects of their lives. Respondents also were questioned about their expectations for the future, their friendships in the tri-county area, friendliness with neighbors, use of recreational facilities, and where their children played. The survey also sought respondents' opinions on a wide range of other issues such as race relations, social stratification, abortion, the benefits of the free enterprise system, whether or not the United States was a meritocracy, and the meaning and value of democracy. Additional information gathered by the survey includes duration of residence in the tri-county area and at the current residence, place of previous residence, home ownership, rent payments, value of the home, number of separate bedrooms, motor vehicle ownership and use, use of public transportation, employment status, occupation and industry, independence and authority at work, number of siblings ever born, religious preference, social class identification, political preference, and information on age, sex, place of birth, income, race, ethnicity, and household composition.

This survey focused on issues and problems facing residents of Detroit and the surrounding metropolitan area in 1990, including environmental concerns, problems with law enforcement and drugs, crime, education, housing, jobs, cost of living, welfare, taxes and government services, government administration, moral values, and other concerns. Respondents were asked about the importance they placed on each issue and the perceived priority the government gave to each issue. Environmental issues were further examined with respect to specific environmental concerns, such as pollution, exposure to hazardous waste, loss or harm to wildlife and/or their habitats, and the depletion and conservation of natural resources. Respondents' degree of political and community involvement was gauged through questions regarding their voting behavior, their work for or involvement with a political party or community organization, and the type of community organizations to which they belonged. Racial attitudes were also probed, with questions on the economic position of African Americans, political and economic equality, and attitudes toward African-American subgroups (young, older, middle class). Demographic information includes respondents' gender, age, marital status, race, ethnicity, area of residence, type of residence, duration of residence, and whether the residence was owned by the respondent or rented.