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The Chicago Surveys are part of a long-running series of public opinion surveys conducted by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs every two years. This study is the 2012 Chicago Council Survey, designed to investigate the opinions and attitudes of the general public on matters related to foreign policy, and to define the parameters of public opinion within which decision-makers must operate. The 2012 Chicago Council Survey focuses on respondents' opinions of the United States' leadership role in the world and the challenges the country faces domestically and internationally. The survey covers the following international topics: relations with other countries, role in foreign affairs, possible threats to vital interests in the next ten years, foreign policy goals, benefits or drawbacks of globalization, situations that might justify the use of United States troops in other parts of the world, the number and location of United States military bases overseas, respondent feelings toward people of other countries, opinions on the influence of other countries in the world and how much influence those countries should have, United States participation in potential treaties, the United States' role in the United Nations and NATO, which side the United States should take in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, what measures should be taken to deal with Iran's nuclear program, the military effort in Afghanistan, opinions on efforts to combat terrorism, and the rise of China as a global power. Domestic issues include economic prospects for American children when they become adults, funding for government programs, the fairness of the current distribution of income in the United States, climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and United States dependence on foreign energy sources. Demographic and other background information include age, gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, left-right political self-placement, political affiliation, employment status, highest level of education, and religious preference. Also included are household size and composition, whether the respondent is head of household, household income, housing type, ownership status of living quarters, household Internet access, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) status, and region and state of residence.

This study comprises two parts: (1) an experimental analysis of whether reminders about payment and reasons why payment should be made are effective in getting offenders to pay their court-ordered economic sanctions; and (2) a survey of probationers who were ordered to pay economic sanctions that investigated five reasons why offenders may not pay their court-ordered restitution: inability to pay, not knowing what they owe, disagreeing with the purpose and fairness of restitution, perceived unfair treatment by the probation officer, and problems with the mechanics of paying. A sample of 771 probationers was selected from Centre County, Pennsylvania. All individuals included in the sample had an outstanding restitution balance. The experiment addressed two reasons offenders give for why they do not pay their court-ordered restitution: (a) lack of understanding of how much they owe and where their payments are directed and (b) a belief that the sanctions are unfair. A total of 771 offenders were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 x 2 between-subjects design in which, over a 6-month period in 2012, three quarters of the offenders received monthly letters that contained (a) information or no information about the economic sanctions they had paid and what they still owed (Information manipulation) and (b) a statement or no statement about reasons for paying restitution (Rationale manipulation). The remaining offenders did not receive a letter. Payments were tracked monthly for 6 months after the first letter was sent, and at 9, 12, and 18 months after the first letter, using the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System website. The survey of the same probationers was administered approximately 14 months after the first letter was sent (8 months after the final letter). Of the 771 offenders, 149 returned a completed survey.