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This study of 767 adults in the Detroit metropolitan area provides information on their religious beliefs and practices, as well as their feelings about various forms of taxation such as sales tax, income tax, and property tax. The collection was a combination of two separate studies: THE VITALITY OF SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCE by Guy Swanson, and A FISCAL RESEARCH PROGRAM by Harvey Brazer. Respondents were asked about their beliefs in the existence and characteristics of God, the amount of influence they felt that God had in their life, and how they thought God would feel about various situations. Also explored was the membership and level of activity in formal organizations for both the respondent and the respondent's spouse. The respondent was also asked to evaluate the performance of several institutions and professional groups such as colleges, their position on televisions in classrooms, the Federal Courts, doctors, and scientists. In addition, the respondent was asked to list the problems in the United States that were badly in need of resolution and to evaluate who was to blame for the problems and what could be done to solve them. Other items probed the respondent's opinions of educational television stations, the comparative quality of utility companies' services, government spending, and the most important things in life. Attitudes toward the use of taxes or use fees to pay for parks and garbage collection were also elicited. Demographic variables specify age, sex, race, education, place of birth, marital status, occupation, length of residence in the Detroit area, home ownership, length of time at present residence, number of children, original nationality of husband's and wife's family, political affiliation, and amount and sources of income.

The 1988 Detroit Area Study addressed attitudes toward issues such as retirement age, Social Security, funding for the care of the elderly, perceptions of the elderly, and personal experiences with care of the elderly. Respondents were also asked about their views regarding government spending on elderly assistance, health care, welfare, and job programs. Demographic characteristics of respondents include employment status, years of residency in the Detroit area, education, religion, age, sex, race, and income.

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.

The 2008 election offers a rare opportunity to analyze a significant event in American history - the election of the first African American president. Because the longitudinal panel series began in 2004, prior to the emergence of President Obama as a serious political candidate and nominee, the results from these surveys provide a rare vehicle for comparing data over time on important demographic, political, and, of particular interest given President Obama's racial background, racial and ethnic issues related to vote choice and political behavior. The wealth of data obtained from this survey will benefit scholars for many years to come.

This report provides a general overview of some of the key findings from the 2008 data collection. Topics covered include: demographic information of the population, work status, home ownership, political ideology, party identification, presidential choice, race relations, feeling thermometer data for a variety of political figures and relevant groups or organizations, and current events such as the Iraq War and same-sex marriage. Because differences among the racial and ethnic groups surveyed in this study are of political significance (Whites, African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and Caribbean Blacks), much of the data presented here is disaggregated by racial and ethnic group.