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This special topic poll, conducted January 13-15, 1997, 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. This data collection was undertaken to assess public opinion prior to President Bill Clinton's second-term inauguration as president of the United States. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Clinton and his handling of the first term of his presidency, whether he would do a better or worse job in his second term in office, whether they approved of his choices for Cabinet and other top positions in his administration, and what the nature of his relationship with Congress should be in his second term. Views were sought on whether President Clinton had made progress toward reducing unemployment and improving education during his first term, and whether he would make substantial progress in these areas during his second term. Respondents rated the most important issue facing the country, whether they were better or worse off financially compared to four years ago, whether they approved of the way Congress was handling its job, whether they expected Congress to do a better job in the next two years, and whether they trusted the Clinton administration or the Republicans in Congress to handle the main problems the nation would face over the next few years. Other questions asked whether respondents approved of the way Hillary Clinton was handling her job as first lady and the amount of influence she held over her husband, and whether she should play a greater role in her husband's second administration. A series of questions asked about recent allegations involving President Clinton, including Whitewater, the Democratic National Campaign Committee's acceptance of foreign contributions, and former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones's sexual harassment charges, and whether they would interfere with his ability to serve as president. Additional topics addressed what actions the government should take to protect the long-term financial stability of Social Security and the Medicare health system and the overall level of ethics and honesty in politics and the federal government. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and voter participation history.

This poll, fielded April 21-24, 2009, 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. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Barack Obama and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy as well as opinions on Vice President Joe Biden. Respondents were asked whether the Obama administration, the Republicans or the Democrats in Congress could be trusted to do a better job coping with the economic problems the nation faced, whether things in the country were going in the right direction, and the capacity of President Obama to understand the problems and needs of the American citizen. Respondents were also asked their opinions of the effectiveness of the economic stimulus and federal controls to prevent waste and fraud in the economic recovery, as well as the appropriateness for United States automakers to declare bankruptcy and their role in the national economy. Non-economic questions concerned the role of the United States in Afghanistan, confidence in the Obama administration in the handling of Afghanistan and the campaign against terrorism, whether the United States should establish diplomatic/trade relations with Cuba, whether the Obama administration should investigate the legality of the use of torture during the previous Bush (George, W.) administration, concerns over greenhouse gases, gun control and its relationship to the level of violent crime in the United States and the legality of same-sex marriage. Additional questions asked respondents for their opinions on the effectiveness of immigration control and proposed amnesty plans for illegal immigrants, and legalizing possession of marijuana for personal use. Personal financial and economic topics addressed how concerned respondents were that they could maintain their current standard of living. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, political philosophy, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), education level, religious preference, employment status, household income, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.

This poll, fielded February 19-22, 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. Opinions were sought on how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the economy, and appointments to his cabinet, and whether things in the country were generally going in the right direction. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Republicans and Democrats in Congress were doing their jobs, whether they trusted the Democrats in Congress, the Republicans in Congress or President Obama to do a better job in handling the economy and coping with the main problems the nation faced. Several questions addressed the stimulus plan asking respondents whether they supported the plan, whether the plan would help the local economy in their area or their personal financial situation, whether it would be enough to improve the economy, and whether the stimulus package went far enough in terms of tax cuts and aides to states and individuals. Information was collected on whether respondents were confident that the federal government would implement adequate controls to avoid fraud with the use of federal money used for the nation's economic recovery, how concerned they were about the size of the federal deficit, whether stricter regulations should be placed on the way financial institutions conduct business, whether the government should provide refinancing assistance to homeowners, and whether additional government loans should be given to United States automakers. Respondents were asked questions about the effect the economy had in their lives. They were asked how financially secure they felt, whether the recession hurt them financially, how optimistic they felt about the state of the economy and their family's financial situation, whether they had cut back on their spending, and whether the economic situation was a cause of stress in their lives. Respondents were also asked how long they thought the recession would last, how confident they were they would retire with enough income to sustain them for the rest of their lives, how concerned they were about having enough money to pay their rent or mortgage, and whether they or anyone they knew had experienced or was concerned about job loss or pay cuts. Other topics focused on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Washington DC's delegate in Congress being a nonvoting member of the United States House of Representatives. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, household income, religious preference, home ownership, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.

This poll, fielded February 4-8, 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 1,004 adults was surveyed. 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 Barack Obama. Respondents were queried on whether they approved of the way the United States Congress was doing its job, which party they trusted more to do a better job coping with the main problems the nation faces over the next few years, and how often they thought republicans in the Senate should use their power to block legislation proposed by President Obama and the Senate democrats. Respondents were asked whether they thought Obama was doing too much or too little to compromise with the republican leaders in Congress on important issues, whether they thought republican leaders were doing too much or too little to compromise with Obama on important issues, whether they thought the recession was over, or not over, and whether they thought the economy has or has not begun to recover. Information was collected on whether respondents support or oppose stricter federal regulations on the way banks and other financial institutions conduct their business, whether they support or oppose the proposed changes to the health care system, whether they think lawmakers in Washington should keep trying to pass a comprehensive health care reform plan, or should give up on it, and whether they have some form of health insurance or health care coverage. Respondents were asked if they had a favorable impression of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, Sarah Palin, and the Tea Party, and whether or not they thought Palin was qualified to serve as president. Respondents were queried on whether they thought homosexuals who do not publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military, whether they thought homosexuals who do publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military, and whether they thought it should be legal or illegal for gay and lesbian couples to get married. Respondents were asked whether they would rather have suspects accused of involvement in the September 11 terrorist attacks be put on trial in the federal court system in the United States, or in a military tribunal, and whether they support or oppose the recent ruling by the Supreme Court that says corporations and unions can spend as much money as they want to help political candidates win elections. Finally respondents were asked whether they were inclined to vote to re-elect their representative in Congress in the next election, or whether they were inclined to look around for someone else to vote for, which party they would vote for in the upcoming United States House of Representatives elections, and whether their mood was anti-incumbent or pro-incumbent for the upcoming elections. 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.

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.

This poll, fielded June 18-21, 2009, 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 1,001 adults was surveyed. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and the economy. Respondents were queried on whether or not they thought the country was headed in the right direction, whether they had a favorable impression of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, and whether they approved of the way Nancy Pelosi was handling her job as Speaker of the House. Information was collected on respondents opinions of having a smaller government with fewer services or having a larger government with more services. Respondents were asked whether they thought the United States Senate should or should not confirm judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court as well as a number of other questions dealing with her. Information was collected on whether respondents had health insurance or health care coverage, how satisfied they were with the overall health care system in the country as well as their own health care, and how concerned they were about their family's health care costs in the future. Respondents were asked a number of questions about health care reform, whether they were concerned about reform, whether they thought the government should require everyone to have health insurance, and whether the government should create a new health insurance plan to compete with private health insurance plans. Information was collected on respondents opinions of the economic stimulus plan, whether they thought the plan has helped or hurt the national economy, and whether they were concerned with the size of the federal budget deficit. Respondents were asked whether they thought Obama's policies were making the United States safer from terrorism and whether they approved or disapproved of closing the United States military prison in Guantanamo Bay. Finally respondents were queried on whether or not the federal government should regulate the release of greenhouse gases to reduce global warming, whether they supported cap and trade, and whether abortion should be legal or illegal. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, religious preference, whether respondent is a born-again Christian, employment, and union membership.

This poll, fielded March 26-29, 2009, 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. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Barack Obama and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy. Respondents were asked whether the Obama administration or the Republicans in Congress could be trusted to do a better job coping with the economic problems the nation faces and whether things in the country were going in the right direction. Respondents were also asked their opinions of First Lady Michelle Obama as well their opinions on the roles of banks, the Bush administration, large businesses and consumer debt, and the state of the national economy. Non-economic questions focused on the role of the United States in Afghanistan, confidence in the Obama administration in the handling of Afghanistan and the Taliban, efforts made in building relationships between the United States and Muslim-majority nations, and the general world image of the United States. Personal financial and economic topics addressed how concerned respondents were that they could maintain their current standard of living and in what areas they are experiencing spending cutbacks. Additional topics addressed familiarity and understanding of the Islamic religion and Muslims, and whether respondents had shopped at a Walmart store in the past 12 months. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, political political philosophy, party affiliation, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), education level, religious preference, employment status, household income and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.

This poll, fielded November 12-15, 2009, 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 1,001 adults was surveyed. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and the economy, and whether they had a favorable opinion of Barack and Michelle Obama. Respondents were queried on whether they thought the country was headed in the right direction, whether they had a favorable impression of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, and which party they trusted more to do a better job coping with the problems the nation faces over the next few years. Respondents were asked whether they thought President Obama's views on most issues were too liberal or too conservative, whether they thought the leaders of the Republican Party were mainly presenting alternatives to President Obama's proposals or mainly criticizing his proposals without presenting alternatives. Information was collected on whether respondents thought Obama's policies are making the United States safer from terrorism. Respondents were asked a number of questions about the changes to the health care system in the country, whether they had some form of health insurance or health care coverage, and whether they thought the quality of health care would get better, worse, or remain the same. Respondents were queried on whether they would support or oppose having the government create a new health insurance plan to compete with private health insurance plans, whether they would support or oppose a federal law requiring all companies with a payroll of at least $500,000 either to offer health insurance or pay money into a government fund that would provide assistance buying insurance for people who could not get insurance through work, and whether they would be more likely or less likely to support a candidate for Congress if the candidate supported the proposed changes in health care. Respondents were also asked whether they thought someone who bought private health insurance with government assistance should be allowed to use the coverage for abortions, whether they thought insurance companies that use private funds should cover abortions, and whether they had a good basic understanding of the changes being proposed to the health care system or thought the changes were too complicated. Information was collected on respondents opinions of the economic stimulus plan, whether they thought the plan has helped or hurt the national economy, and whether they felt the economy had begun to recover. Respondents were queried on whether anyone living in their household had been laid off or lost their job in the last year, whether the job loss happened to them, and whether they had found a new job. Respondents were asked a number of questions about the war in Afghanistan, whether they thought the war was worth fighting, how confident they were that Obama would come up with a strategy that would succeed, and whether they thought Obama was giving United States military leaders too much or too little influence. Respondents were queried on whether they thought global warming was happening, how serious a problem global warming was, whether they supported cap and trade, whether they had planned to get the swine flu vaccine for themselves or their children, and whether they were confident that the flu vaccine is safe. Finally, res,pondents were asked if they were inclined to re-elect their representative in Congress, whether they would vote for Sarah Palin if she runs for president 2012, whether they thought she was qualified to serve as president, and whether terror suspects involved in the September 11 attack should be put on trial in federal courts or in a military tribunal set up for that purpose. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, religious preference, and whether the respondent is a born-again Christian.

This poll, fielded September 30 through October 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 1,002 adults was surveyed. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and the economy, whether they approved of the way the United States Congress was doing its job, which party they trusted more to do a better job in coping with the main problems the nation faces over the next few years, and who they trusted more to do a better job handling the economy, health care, immigration issues, the war in Afghanistan, the federal budget deficit, and taxes. Respondents were queried on whether they approved of the way their own representative in Congress was handling their job, whether they have heard about Republican congressional candidates signing something called a "Pledge to America" that pledges them to keep certain campaign promises if they are elected, whether they were inclined to vote to re-elect their representative in Congress in the next election, whether they were following the November election closely, whether they were planning to vote in the Congressional election in November, which party they would vote for in the election, whether they thought that this congressional election was more important or less important as past congressional elections, and whether voting in midterm elections was something they usually do. Respondents were also asked whether they thought it would be a good thing or a bad thing if control of Congress switched from the Democrats to the Republicans after November's election, which party they thought had better ideas about the right size and role of the federal government, how they would rate the state of the nation's economy, whether they thought that the nation's economy was getting better or worse, and whether they thought the money the federal government had spent on the economic stimulus had been mostly well spent or mostly wasted. Finally respondents were asked whether they supported or opposed the changes to the health care system that have been enacted by Congress and the Obama Administration, whether they would support or oppose an effort to cancel these changes in the health care system, whether they support or oppose the Tea Party movement, and how much they thought a Tea Party candidate would change the culture in Washington if they were elected. 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.

This poll, fielded December 11-14, 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 1,003 adults was surveyed. Respondents were asked whether they thought the country was headed in the right direction, whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency and the economy, and whether they approved of the federal government's overall response to the economic situation. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the upcoming presidential transition and what they thought was the most important issue they would like to see recently elected President Obama and the Congress deal with. Respondents were also asked several questions about the economy, the federal budget deficit, and the federal government's plan to stimulate the economy. Views were sought on the United States economic system, whether respondents thought the United States was in a long-term economic decline or whether they thought the economy was pretty solid. Respondents were also asked which party they trusted more to do a better job in coping with the main problems the nation faces over the next few years, and whether they thought the current financial situation was a crisis or not. Several questions asked respondents about the federal government's plan to bailout the Big Three United States automakers, whether they supported this plan, and whether they thought the automakers' problems were mainly the fault of the bad economy or the fault of their own mismanagement. Respondents were queried on how concerned they were about being able to maintain their current standard of living, how much they would spend on Christmas presents this year compared to last year, and how confident they were that they will be able to retire with enough income to last the rest of their life. Respondents were also asked several questions about their employment, whether they have been laid off or fired, whether they have had pay cuts or hours cut, and how likely they thought they would be laid off or fired in the next 12 months. Other questions focused on whether respondents thought the war in Iraq and in Afghanistan were worth fighting, whether significant progress was being made toward restoring civil order, and whether they thought the United States must win the war in Iraq and in Afghanistan for the war on terrorism to be a success. Finally, respondents were asked whether they voted in the presidential election and who they voted for. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, income, political ideology, political party affiliation, education level, and labor union membership.

This poll, conducted January 11-16, 1985, 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. Respondents were asked to rate Reagan's performance as president over the past four years and to describe their expectations for his performance in his second term in office. Respondents also were asked a series of questions relating to the nation's economy, their personal financial situation and expectations, and whether they trusted the Democrats or Republicans to do a better job in coping with the nation's problems. A series of questions asked about the federal budget deficit and ways to reduce it, federal income tax system and the Treasury Department's tax reform proposal. Additional subjects addressed support for nuclear power, the apartheid protests in South Africa, the New York City subway shooting, and gun ownership. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, religious preference, voter registration status and participation history, political party affiliation, political philosophy, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), household income, the number of household members over the age of 18, whether respondents considered themselves to be middle or working class, and whether any member of the household was a veteran, a labor union member, or employed by the government.

This poll 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. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency, the economy, education, environmental issues, the federal budget, the campaign against terrorism, and Social Security, as well as their views on Congress, the Republican party, the Democratic party, First Lady Laura Bush, and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Those queried were asked which domestic and foreign policy issues should receive the administration's attention, which political party could be trusted to address these issues, and on what topics Bush should focus in his upcoming State of the Union speech. Respondents were asked to identify Bush's two most significant accomplishments and to assess his job performance during his first year in office. They were also asked whether Bush understood the problems of the average American, and whether big business, environmental groups, the oil/gas industry, and/or the American people had the appropriate amount of influence in the Bush administration. Opinions were elicited on the state of the nation's economy, how long the current economic recession would last, whether military spending or spending on social programs should be reduced to balance the federal budget, and whether the Bush administration was responsible for the budget deficit. Respondent views were sought on the 2001 collapse of the energy trading giant Enron Corporation. Topics covered whether the Enron situation was an isolated incident, whether new laws regulating corporate accounting practices or the enforcement of existing laws were necessary, the Bush administration's dealings with Enron, whether recipients of campaign contributions from Enron should disclose communications with Enron officials, and whether a full-scale federal investigation should be conducted. A series of questions addressed the ongoing war on terrorism. Topics covered respondent confidence in the ability of the United States government to prevent further terrorist attacks against Americans and to capture/kill Osama Bin Laden, whether his capture was necessary for the war to be considered a success, possible military action against Iraq to force Saddam Hussein from power, and whether non-citizens charged with terrorism should be put on trial in the United States court system or in a military tribunal. A series of questions focused on the benefits given to families of the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Items focused on whether payments should be reduced for families that had other sources of financial benefits, whether victims of previous terrorist attacks should be paid similar benefits, and whether payments should be made to the families and victims of all future terrorist attacks. Respondents expressed their degree of confidence in the federal government's ability to actually solve a problem. Those queried gave their opinions on the amount of waste in military and domestic program spending by the United States government, whether they would rather work in the public or private sector, and whether a smaller government with fewer services or a larger government with many services was preferred. A series of questions focused on Saudi Arabia. Topics covered whether Saudi Arabia was an ally or enemy of the United States, the importance of maintaining good relations w,ith them, and whether the United States was dependent on the oil it buys from Saudi Arabia. In addition, respondents were asked to give their views on whether the federal government should allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, education, race, Hispanic descent, marital status, children in household, religion, labor union membership, urban/suburban/rural area of residence, whether close family/friends lost a job in the previous six months, and household income.

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.

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.

This poll, the first of three fielded March 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked multiple questions on the budget sequester, including whether it would affect them personally, who should be blamed for it, whether it would have a good impact on the country, and opinions on how to best handle it. Respondents were also asked how closely they followed the news about spending cuts and tax increases, and whether President Barack Obama, Democrats in Congress, and Republicans in Congress should have compromised their positions in order to reach an agreement. Opinions were collected on the war in Iraq, including whether taking military action against Iraq was the correct decision, and whether the United States succeeded in accomplishing its objectives in Iraq. Additional information collected includes 2012 presidential voting behavior, opinions on daylight saving time, sports, the SAT tests, popular movies and celebrity figures, and various hypothetical college scenarios. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.

This poll, the first of two fielded in February 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked their opinions on how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency, foreign policy, the economy, the situation in Afghanistan, threat of terrorism, the federal budget deficit, immigration, gun policy, energy policy, and whether Obama had clear plans and priorities going forward. Respondents were also asked about the national economy and whether they thought it was getting better, the best way to reduce the federal budget deficit, their experiences with the job market in their areas and how easy it was to find a job. Opinions were solicited regarding respondents' approval of Congress, the Republican and Democratic parties, John Boehner, Joe Biden, and Hilary Clinton. Additional topics included alternative energy, immigration, gun policy, global warming, Saturday mail delivery service, same-sex marriage, unmanned aircraft ("drone") use, Iran, employment opportunities, and the 2013 State of the Union Address. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, type of residential area (e.g. urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voting behavior, whether respondents were registered to vote, religious affiliation, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born again Christians.

This poll, second of three fielded March 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked how Barack Obama was handling the presidency, the economy, federal budget deficit, taxes, and foreign policy. Opinions were also collected on Obama's relationship with Israel, respondents' attention to the violence in Syria, and whether North Korea and Iran were threats to the United States. Further questions asked whether respondents approve of the way Congress and the Supreme Court were handling their jobs, and whether they had favorable opinions of the Republican and Democratic parties. Respondents were also asked their opinions on gun control laws, the health care law enacted in 2010, and same-sex marriage/relationships. A variety of questions addressed the condition of the national economy, the budget sequestration, the job market, the stock market, and the federal budget deficit. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, gun ownership, voter registration status, marital status, number of children in the household, education level, household income, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.

This poll, fielded April 1-5, 2009, is a 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. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and issues such as the economy and foreign policy. A series of questions addressed the Obama Administration's approach to solving economic problems and whether the administration's policies favored the rich, the middle class, or the poor. Respondents gave their opinions of First Lady Michelle Obama, the United States Congress, the Republican and Democratic parties, and whether President Obama or the Republicans in Congress were more likely to make the right decisions about the national economy and national security. Views were sought on President Obama's proposed budget plan, including changes in federal income taxes and government spending, and proposals to give financial assistance to the banking and automotive industries. A series of questions addressed the condition of the national economy, the most important economic problem facing the nation, the financial situation of the respondent's household, and how the recession was affecting their life. Respondents compared their current standard of living with that of their parents at the same age and gave their expectations about the standard of living of their children. Other questions asked respondents what the phrase "American dream" meant to them and whether they had achieved the "American dream" or expected to in their lifetime. Additional topics addressed the bonuses given to AIG insurance company executives, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, international trade, health insurance coverage, and government spending on cancer research. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, household income, employment status, perceived social class, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, religious preference, whether respondents had children under the age of 18 years, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.

This poll, fielded February 18-22, 2009, 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. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and issues such as the economy, the war in Iraq, and foreign policy. Respondents gave their opinions of First Lady Michelle Obama, the United States Congress, the Republican and Democratic parties, and how they will work together. Views were sought on the condition of the national economy, the government bailout of the automotive and financial industries, and whether the federal government should provide financial help to homeowners having trouble paying their mortgages. Additional topics addressed the stimulus package, the national debt, baseball players and steroid use by the players, household finances, job security, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, whether Iran was a threat to the United States, whether the Bush Administration should be investigated for the treatment of detainees, the use of wiretaps, the likelihood that respondents would watch President Obama's address to Congress on February 24th, 2009. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, home ownership, employment status, perceived social class, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, religious preference, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.

This poll, fielded July 24-28, 2009, is a 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. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and issues such as foreign policy and health care. Opinions were solicited about the most important problem facing the country, whether the country was moving in the right direction, the condition of the national economy, and the Republican and Democratic parties. Respondents were asked about the federal government's stimulus package, including its effect on the creation of new jobs, the federal budget deficit, and the national and local economy. A series of questions addressed the health care system in the United States, whether respondents thought they would benefit from the health care legislation under consideration in Congress, the effects of this legislation on the federal budget deficit and the economy, and the likelihood that a health care reform bill would be signed into law by the end of the year. Views were sought on specific health care reform proposals, such as taxing employer-paid health insurance benefits, raising taxes on Americans with high incomes, and requiring health insurance companies to provide coverage regardless of pre-existing medical conditions. Respondents were also polled on whether they believed it was the federal government's responsibility to guarantee health insurance for all Americans and the possible effects of a government-created universal health care system on the quality of health care, health care costs, taxes, jobs, and the number of uninsured Americans. Information was collected on the financial situation of the respondent's household, whether they had health insurance coverage, the source of their insurance coverage, and the affordability of basic medical care under their health insurance plan. Additional topics addressed police treatment of minorities, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and whether women should be allowed to participate in military combat and serve in combat zones. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, household income, employment status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, religious preference, the presence of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 in the household, whether respondents had a child under the age of 18 years, and whether they considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.

This poll, fielded June 12-16, 2009, is a 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. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and issues such as the economy and the federal budget deficit. Opinions were solicited about the most important problem facing the country, whether the country was moving in the right direction, the condition of the national economy, and the Republican and Democratic parties. Respondents were asked about their level of satisfaction with the quality and cost of health care in the United States, whether it was the responsibility of the federal government to guarantee health insurance for all Americans, whether the federal government or private insurance companies would do a better job providing coverage and holding down health care costs, and the possible effects of universal health care. Views were sought on health care reform proposals, such as requiring all Americans to purchase health insurance, taxing employer-paid health insurance benefits to pay for those who were uninsured, and requiring health insurance companies to provide coverage regardless of pre-existing medical conditions. Information was collected on the financial situation of the respondent's household, whether they had health insurance coverage, the source of their insurance coverage, and the affordability of basic medical care under their current health insurance plan. Additional topics addressed Roe versus Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States, gay marriage, affirmation action programs for minorities and low-income individuals, the Supreme Court and the nomination of federal appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, television political commentators, and the possible closure of the United States military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, household income, employment status, perceived social class, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, religious preference, the presence of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 in the household, whether respondents had children under the age of 18 years, and whether they considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.

This poll, the last of two fielded April 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked how Barack Obama was handling the presidency, foreign policy, the national economy, the threat of terrorism, the federal budget deficit, immigration, and gun policy. Multiple questions asked respondents how Congress was handling their job, including whether they thought members of Congress were interested in serving the people they represent or special interest groups, and whether they had favorable opinions of the Republican and Democratic parties in Congress. Opinions were also collected on the condition of the national economy, and which party respondents trusted to make the right decisions. Further questions asked respondents about their opinion of Islam, and whether they believed it encouraged violence. Respondents were also asked multiple questions about immigration, including whether terrorism has increased as a result of legal immigration, who they trusted more to make the right decisions concerning immigration, whether legal immigration should be increased, decreased, or stay the same, and whether respondents would vote for a candidate who does not share their view on immigration. Respondents were also asked multiple questions about the federal budget deficit including who they trusted more to make the right decisions, what effect it would have on the national economy, and how they would reduce the deficit. Additional topics included the budget sequestration, gun laws, the bombings at the Boston Marathon, and terrorism. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.

This poll, fielded in November 2013, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked their opinions on the Obama administration, the economy, foreign policy, and health insurance law. Opinions were also asked about the federal budget deficit, privacy concerns, and holiday shopping attitudes. There are also a series of questions regarding cellular and land-line telephone use. Demographic information includes age, race, ethnicity, type of residential area (e.g. urban or rural), marital status, education level, household income, voter registration status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and Tea Party affiliation.

This poll, the last of two fielded in September 2013, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked their opinions on the Obama administration, Congressional job performance, the economy, the situation in Syria, foreign policy, and health insurance law. Opinions were also gathered on the federal budget deficit, the financial collapse of 2008, the possibility of a government shutdown, and about whether or not they were registered to vote as well as their Tea Party affiliation. There are also a series of questions regarding cellular and land-line telephone use. Demographic information includes age, race, sex, ethnicity, type of residential area (e.g. urban or rural), religion, marital status, education level, household income, voter registration status, political party affiliation, and political philosophy.

This poll, fielded January 2014, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency, foreign policy, health care, and national security. Opinions were also collected on how Congress was handling its job, the condition of the national economy, the wage gap, unemployment, the federal minimum wage, and the 2010 health care law. Additional topics include the use of marijuana, the distribution of wealth, voter registration status, and the National Security Agency. Demographic information includes sex, age, ethnicity/race, marital status, household income, employment status, and political party affiliation.

This poll, the first of two fielded in October 2013, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked about their general attitudes toward the government, the political gridlock between Congress and President Obama, and about issues including healthcare, the federal budget, and the government shutdown. Opinions were collected about the approval of President Obama and the Democrats in Congress, Republicans in Congress, the on-going negotiations over the federal budget, support for new Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), and government priorities while avoiding a government shutdown. Additional topics included the Tea Party, the United States debt ceiling, and a series of questions regarding cell phone and land-line telephone use. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, and political philosophy.

This poll, the second fielded in October of 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked their opinions on various topics including government leaders, the Obama administration, Congress, the economy, the government shut down, the debt ceiling, the Affordable Care Act, immigration, and the Tea Party movement. There are also a series of questions regarding cellular and land-line phone use. Demographic information includes age, race, ethnicity, marital status, education level, household income, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), voter registration status, political party affiliation, and political philosophy.

Voting Behavior: The 2012 Election is an instructional module designed to offer students the opportunity to analyze a dataset drawn from the 2012 American National Election Study (ANES). This instructional module is part of the SETUPS (Supplementary Empirical Teaching Units in Political Science) series and is featured online.

This poll, fielded March 23-26, 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 1,000 adults was surveyed. 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 thought the country was headed in the right direction. Respondents were queried on whether they approved of the way the United States Congress was doing its job, whether they approved of the way 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, and which party they trust more to do a better job in coping with the main problems the nation faces over the next few years. Respondents were asked whether they supported or opposed the changes to the health care system that have been enacted by Congress and the Obama Administration, whether they have health insurance, whether they thought health care costs would increase or decrease as a result of the changes to the health care system, and whether they thought these changes to the health care system would increase or decrease the federal budget deficit. Information was collected on whether the respondents thought the health care plan created too much government involvement in the nation's health care system, whether respondents had a good basic understanding of the upcoming changes to the health care system, whether respondents have contacted their senators or representatives in Congress about the health care reform, and whether they thought these changes to the health care system represent a major change in the direction of the country. Respondents were queried on whether they would vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate in the upcoming election for United States House of Representatives, whether respondents thought it would be a good thing or a bad thing if control of Congress switched from Democrats to Republican, whether they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the Tea party, and Sarah Palin. Finally respondents were asked a number of question about the United States Post office, whether they thought the post office would still be used by most people at the end of the century, and whether respondents thought abortion should be legal or illegal in all cases. 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.