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This special topic poll, conducted January 6-7, 1997, sought respondents' views on national and local media practices. Respondents were asked to rate the ethics and honesty of television and print news media, as well as of politicians, corporations, average Americans, and the Clinton Administration. Those polled were asked whether they approved of the way national network television and local television stations reported the news, and whether the news media cared more about the accuracy of a story or being the first to report it. Views were also sought on the media's treatment of politicians, various socioeconomic classes, religious and political groups, celebrities, the military, the police, the government, and corporations. Respondents also rated their enjoyment of news reports on celebrities and politicians, and commented on the relevance of news stories to their lives. Additional topics covered the influence of network television news on viewers, the benefits and drawbacks of investigative news reporting, the media's respect or disrespect of privacy, the power of the media to limit political corruption and unfair business practices, and how often respondents watched television evening news programs. Demographic variables included sex, race, age, education level, household income, employment status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, and type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural).

This special topic poll sought respondents' views on Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, his honesty, and the ethics of politicians. Respondents were asked for their opinion on Gingrich's admission to giving inaccurate information to the House Ethics Committee regarding political fundraising activities, the $300,000 fine that Gingrich received as punishment, and Gingrich's reelection as Speaker of the House. Additional topics covered the role of news organizations in the ethics investigation, politicians and ethics, whether Gingrich was a victim of a double standard, whether Gingrich or his lawyer was to blame for the wrong-doing, and whether Gingrich was punished because he was a conservative Republican. The results of the poll were announced on the ABC television program "Nightline." Demographic variables include political party and sex.

This study is part of a time-series collection of national surveys fielded continuously since 1948, designed to present data on Americans' social backgrounds, enduring political predispositions, social and political values, perceptions and evaluations of groups and candidates, opinions on questions of public policy, and participation in political life. The 1996 National Election Study contains both a pre- and a post-election component. The pre-election survey includes interviews in which approximately 77 percent of the cases are empaneled respondents who were first interviewed in the ANES 1992 TIME SERIES STUDY (ICPSR 6067) or the ANES 1994 TIME SERIES STUDY (ICPSR 6507), or both. The other 23 percent of the pre-election cases are a freshly drawn cross-section sample. Of the 1,714 citizens interviewed during the pre-election stage, 1,534 (89.5 percent) also participated in the post-election survey: 1,197 of these respondents were panel cases and 337 were cross-section. The content of the 1996 Election Study reflects its dual function, both as a traditional presidential election year time-series data collection and as a panel study. Substantive themes presented in the 1996 questionnaires included interest in political campaigns, evaluations of the political parties, knowledge and evaluation of the presidential and House candidates, political participation (including turnout in the presidential primaries and in the November general election as well as other forms of electoral campaign activity), and vote choices for president, the United States House of Representatives, and the United States Senate. Additional items focus on perceptions of personal and national economic well-being, positions on social welfare issues like the role of government in the provision of jobs and a good standard of living, positions on social issues (including abortion, women's roles, and prayer in the schools), racial and ethnic stereotypes, opinions on affirmative action, attitudes toward immigrants, opinions about the nation's most important problems, political predispositions, social altruism, social networks, feeling thermometers for a wide range of political figures and political groups, affinity with various social groups. The 1996 study also includes new measures related to the dynamics of the congressional campaign, questions regarding the importance of issues, and the respondents' level of certainty regarding their expressed opinions, as well as new items about crime, the environment, gun control and income inequality. An eight-minute module of questions included in the post-election survey was developed by a consortium of electoral scholars from 52 polities to facilitate comparative analysis of political attitudes and voting behavior. Social capital items assess trust in people and government as well as membership and activity in a wide variety of social, political, religious, and civic organizations. A full complement of variables on group membership and participation is also available in the Group Membership File which can be merged with the Main Data File. Detailed demographic information is provided, as well as measures of religious affiliation and religiosity.

This study is part of a time-series collection of national surveys fielded continuously since 1948. The election studies are designed to present data on Americans' social backgrounds, enduring political predispositions, social and political values, perceptions and evaluations of groups and candidates, opinions on questions of public policy, and participation in political life. Substantive themes of the 1998 election study include, among others, knowledge and evaluation of the House candidates and placement of the candidates on various issue dimensions, interest in the political campaigns, attentiveness to the media's coverage of the campaign, media use, evaluation of the mass media, vote choice, partisanship, and evaluations of the political parties and the party system. Additional items focused on political participation, political mobilization, evaluations of the president and Congress, the "Lewinsky affair," egalitarianism, moral traditionalism, political trust, political efficacy, ideology, cultural pluralism, and political knowledge. Respondents were also asked about their attitudes toward a wide range of issues, including social policy, racial policy, military and foreign policy, immigration, foreign imports, prayer in schools, school vouchers, the environment, the death penalty, women's rights, abortion, as well as religion and politics, including new measures of explicitly political and religious orientations. Demographic variables include respondent's age, sex, nationality, marital status, employment status, occupation, and education.

Conducted in 1998, 2000, and 2002 by the Pew Center for the People and the Press, the Biennial Media Consumption Survey measured the public's use of, and attitudes toward, the Internet and traditional news outlets. Respondents were asked questions concerning their use of newspapers, television news, radio news, and news magazines, including specific programs and publications. Additional questions were asked about respondents' use of the Internet as a news source, in relation to other sources of news. Of particular interest to arts and cultural policy researchers is a question that assesses how closely respondents follow news about "culture and the arts," as well as a dozen other topics. Respondents were also asked a series of questions about the role of the news in their lives and their level of interest in different types of news. In the 1998 survey, respondents were asked to describe in a single word or phrase their impression of either the national or local news media. The 2000 survey included a special set of questions on where people get news about the stock market and financial investing. In the 2002 survey, respondents were also asked a series of questions about the role of the news in their lives and their level of interest in different types of news. Telephone interviews were conducted among a nationwide sample of 3,002 adults, 18 years of age or older, during the period of April 24 to May 11, 1998. In 2000, 3,142 interviews were conducted during the period of April 20 to May 13, 2000. In 2002, 3,002 interviews were conducted during the period of April 26 to May 12, 2002.

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 and foreign policy. In addition, respondents were asked whether they approved of actions taken against Iraq, how closely they followed news about the war, and what surprised them most about the war. Respondents were asked to give their opinions on various aspects of the war in Iraq: whether the removal of Saddam Hussein from power was worth the potential loss of life, whether the United States was making a mistake getting involved, whether the war would be fairly quick and successful or long and costly, the duration of the war, how well the war was going, and whether the United States correctly assessed how much resistance there would be from the Iraqi army. Respondents were also asked whether they felt proud about the actions of the United States, whether the Bush administration had clearly explained the cost of the war, and how much confidence they had in President Bush to make the right decisions regarding the war in Iraq. Views were elicited on whether it was acceptable for someone to criticize the president's decisions on military issues, whether Americans who opposed the war should hold protest marches or rallies, and whether the war in Iraq was part of the war on terrorism. Respondents were asked whether the war bothered them, how much the war affected their news viewing, whether the media spent too much time on war coverage, whether field reporting (news reporters traveling with troops) was a good or bad idea, and whether the field reporters reported accurately or tried to make things look better or worse than they were. Opinions were sought on whether the United States had the right to use military force, whether Iraq was a threat, level of concern about another terrorist attack within the United States, and willingness to cut domestic spending to fund the war. Finally, respondents were asked whether they or a family member served in the military, whether they had children, whether the children had expressed concern about the war, and how often the war was discussed with the children. A variety of demographic information was elicited, including political party affiliation, political view (liberal, moderate, or conservative), marital status, religion, education, age, Hispanic descent, race, income, and additional phone lines.

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, foreign policy, the economy, the situation with Iraq, and the situation with North Korea, as well as their views of the United Nations and its handling of the situation with Iraq. Those queried were asked which of the following issues should receive the most Congressional attention in the coming year: fighting the war on terror, improving the economy, dealing with Iraq, or dealing with North Korea. Respondents' familiarity with and understanding of possible United States military action against Iraq was assessed. They were asked whether the Bush administration and/or Secretary of State Colin Powell had presented adequate evidence that military action against Iraq was necessary, that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction, and that Iraq was connected with the terrorist group Al Qaeda. Respondents were asked whether the removal of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the protection of a global source of oil, and/or the prevention of Iraqi development of weapons of mass destruction were appropriate uses of military action, whether United Nations weapons inspectors should be given additional time, whether diplomatic options had been exhausted, whether Iraq posed an immediate danger to United States interests, and whether any of these reasons would justify the potential loss of American and Iraqi lives. In the event of war, respondents were asked to predict how long the war would last, how many American soldiers would be killed, whether the war would be fought in the air or through heavy ground combat, how the war would affect the United States economy, whether the threat of terrorism against the United States would increase, and whether the United States should help pay the cost of rebuilding Iraq after the war. In addition, respondents were asked whether Iraq, North Korea, or Al Qaeda posed the greatest threat to world peace and stability. A series of question focused on North Korea's announcement that it had been developing nuclear weapons. Questions focused on whether the Bush administration had a clear plan to deal with North Korea, whether the situation required military action, could be contained with inspections, or did not pose a threat to the United States, whether the respondent expected and/or approved of military action against North Korea. Those polled were asked to assess the war on terror, including the clarity of the Bush administration's plan, the likelihood of a terrorist attack against the United States in the next few months, who was winning the war, whether government-issued warnings were useful, and whether those warnings made the respondent feel more secure or more anxious. Respondents were asked to consider how the possibility of war with Iraq had affected their travel plans, specifically whether it had made them more or less likely to fly, whether they had cancelled any trips out of concern, the method of transportation to be used during upcoming travel, whether they would consider overseas travel in the next six months, and where they would like to go on such a trip. Their views were sought on whether news coverage had been biased in favor of the war and whether the media had been too easy on the Bush administration. Other questions addressed t,he value of the manned space program in the United States and whether funding for the program should be increased or decreased. Additional items covered the state of the United States economy, whether Hussein was personally involved in the 2001 terrorist attack against the World Trade Center, and whether Americans who opposed a war with Iraq should be permitted to hold protest marches. Backgroundinformation on respondents includes age, gender, voter registration and participation history, political party, political orientation, marital status, religion, education, Hispanic descent, race, children in household, military service, whether respondents had traveled abroad, and household income.

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, foreign policy, and the economy. In addition, respondents were asked whether they approved of actions taken against Iraq, whether President Bush did everything to avoid war with Iraq, and whether the United States or any country is justified in attacking another country without first being attacked. Respondents' opinions were elicited on various aspects of the war in Iraq: whether the removal of Saddam Hussein from power was worth the potential loss of life, whether the United States was making a mistake getting involved, level of concern over and the likelihood of a possible terrorist attack, whether the United States and local governments were prepared for another terrorist attack, whether the war would be fairly quick and successful or long and costly, potential loss of life, and when the respondent became convinced the United States would take military action. Respondents were also asked whether the Bush administration had clearly explained the cost of the war, the duration, and potential loss of life, whether they believed the Bush administration had a clear plan for rebuilding Iraq, whether the respondent felt proud about the actions of the United States, and whether the military was holding back information. A number of questions were posed regarding the Republican and Democratic parties: which of the two would ensure a strong economy, build a strong military defense, and make the right decisions regarding terrorism. Respondents were asked whether Democratic presidential candidates should speak out against the war, whether Americans who opposed the war should hold protest marches or rallies, and whether presidential candidates should continue to campaign while the war continued. Respondents were asked whether the war bothered them, how much the war affected their news viewing, and what their impressions were of the war in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Finally, respondents were asked whether they or a family member served in the military. A variety of demographic information was elicited, including political party affiliation, political view (liberal, moderate, or conservative), marital status, religion, education, age, Hispanic descent, race, income, and additional phone lines.

Colors of Socialization: Political and Deliberative Development among Older Adolescents in 10 States, 2006-2007 is a panel study of high school seniors in five red states and five blue states who were interviewed before (t1) and after (t2) the 2006 midterm elections, with a subset of respondents measured again (t3) in 2007. States were selected to provide variance in terms of regional influence, sociopolitical culture, and state size. Survey questions assessed respondents' opinions on political issues, their depth of political knowledge, and frequency of political participation. Additionally, aggregate data regarding candidate news releases, political advertisements, and newspaper content were collected to assess media coverage during the 2006 state-wide campaigns. Analytical possibilities include the documenting of effects at the individual and contextual levels, along with cross-level interactions. Demographic variables include race, gender, age, economic position, and educational attainment of a respondent's mother and father.

The Eurobarometer series is a unique cross-national and cross-temporal survey program conducted on behalf of the European Commission. These surveys regularly monitor public opinion in the European Union (EU) member countries and consist of standard modules and special topic modules. The standard modules address attitudes towards European unification, institutions and policies, measurements for general socio-political orientations, as well as respondent and household demographics. In Eurobarometer 79.2 the standard Eurobarometer module is not included however respondent and household demographics are included. The special topic modules address such topics as agriculture, education, natural environment and resources, public health, public safety and crime, and science and technology. This round of Eurobarometer surveys cover the following special topics: (1) internal market (2) cultural activities (3) non-urban road use, quality and tolls (4) science and technology, and (5) undeclared work and tax fraud. In regard to the internal market, opinions were collected on the frequency of online purchases, technology used to make orders, types of goods purchased, problems experienced with online shopping, reasons why respondents do not purchase products online from other EU member states and distrust of online retailers. Respondents were asked if they were ever employed in an European state other than their home country and ways to assess quality of professional service providers. In queries on cultural activities, the frequency in which respondents visit museums, the cinema, public libraries in their home country and other EU countries were recorded as well as why they did not participate in cultural activities. Respondents were also asked if they participated in expressive arts such as dancing, writing poems, handicrafts, or playing musical instruments. In regard to non-urban road tolls respondents are polled on the frequency in which they use roads outside of cities, the quality and amount of congestion on those roads, purpose for using those roads. Opinions were collected on whether the government should spend more money on roads and their willingness to pay higher tolls. In the science and technology section, there are questions about interests in and knowledge of developments in science and technology, whether family members have formal credentials in science and technology, their source of information about the latest developments. Additionally, respondents were asked about the usefulness of science and technology. Lastly as it relates to undeclared work in the European Union respondents were asked if they know people who do not declare income, their awareness of the risk of getting caught, the consequences of getting caught and opinions on reasons for doing undeclared work. Demographic and other background information collected includes age, gender, nationality, marital status and parental relations, occupation, age when stopped full-time education, household composition, ownership of a fixed or a mobile telephone and other durable goods, difficulties in paying bills, level in society, and Internet use. In addition, country-specific data includes type and size of locality, region of residence, and language of interview (select countries).

The Eurobarometer series is a unique cross-national and cross-temporal survey program conducted on behalf of the European Commission. These surveys regularly monitor public opinion in the European Union (EU) member countries and consist of standard modules and special topic modules. The standard modules address attitudes towards European unification, institutions and policies, measurements for general socio-political orientations, as well as respondent and household demographics. The special topic modules address such topics as agriculture, education, natural environment and resources, public health, public safety and crime, and science and technology. This round of Eurobarometer surveys covers the following special topics: (1) the Europe 2020 strategy, (2) the financial and economic crisis, and (3) European citizenship. Respondents were queried on the importance of initiatives to exit the economic crisis, thoughts about EU objectives and opinions on the crisis timeline. Respondents were asked who is best able to take action against effects of the financial crisis, questions about the public deficit and opinions on reform efforts. Additionally, respondents were asked their expectations of the EU, positive results of the EU and which values best represent the EU. Demographic and other background information collected includes age, gender, nationality, marital status, occupation, social class, age when stopped full-time education, household composition, ownership of durable goods, difficulties in paying bills, level in society, and Internet use. In addition, country-specific data includes type and size of locality, region of residence, and language of interview (select countries).

The Eurobarometer series is a unique cross-national and cross-temporal survey program conducted on behalf of the European Commission. These surveys regularly monitor public opinion in the European Union (EU) member countries and consist of standard modules and special topic modules. The standard modules address attitudes towards European unification, institutions and policies, measurements for general socio-political orientations, as well as respondent and household demographics. The special topic modules address such topics as agriculture, education, natural environment and resources, public health, public safety and crime, and science and technology. This round of Eurobarometer surveys covers the following special topics:(1) Europe 2020, (2) European Economy (3) European Citizenship and (4) Information behaviour and Assessment of Media Presentation with Regard to European Political Matters. Respondents' opinions were collected regarding life satisfaction, the standard of living, politics, trust, self-esteem, employment, and safety. Respondents were also questioned about the economic crisis, economic expectations, public debt, the media, and education. Additional questions were asked regarding EU policies, national and European identity, media usage, sources of information, participation in the EU, EU membership, and democracy. Demographic and other background information collected includes age, gender, nationality, marital status, occupation, age when stopped full-time education, household composition, ownership of a fixed or mobile telephone and other goods, difficulties in paying bills, level in society, and Internet use. In addition, country-specific data includes type and size of locality, region of residence, and language of interview (select countries).

The General Social Surveys (GSS) were designed as part of a data diffusion project in 1972. The GSS replicated questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. The latest survey, GSS 2010, includes a cumulative file that merges all 28 General Social Surveys into a single file containing data from 1972 to 2010. The items appearing in the surveys are one of three types: Permanent questions that occur on each survey, rotating questions that appear on two out of every three surveys (1973, 1974, and 1976, or 1973, 1975, and 1976), and a few occasional questions such as split ballot experiments that occur in a single survey. The 2010 surveys included four topic modules: quality of working life, science, shared capitalism, and CDC high risk behaviors. The International Social Survey Program (ISSP) module included in the 2010 survey was environment. The data also contain several variables describing the demographic characteristics of the respondents.

The General Social Surveys (GSS) were designed as part of a data diffusion project in 1972. The GSS replicated questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. The latest survey, GSS 2012, includes a cumulative file that merges all 29 General Social Surveys into a single file containing data from 1972 to 2012. The items appearing in the surveys are one of three types: Permanent questions that occur on each survey, rotating questions that appear on two out of every three surveys (1973, 1974, and 1976, or 1973, 1975, and 1976), and a few occasional questions such as split ballot experiments that occur in a single survey. The 2012 surveys included seven topic modules: Jewish identity, generosity, workplace violence, science, skin tone, and modules for experimental and miscellaneous questions. The International Social Survey Program (ISSP) module included in the 2012 survey was gender. The data also contain several variables describing the demographic characteristics of the respondents.

Since 1972, the General Social Survey (GSS) has been monitoring societal change and studying the growing complexity of American society. The GSS aims to gather data on contemporary American society in order to monitor and explain trends and constants in attitudes, behaviors, and attributes; to examine the structure and functioning of society in general as well as the role played by relevant subgroups; to compare the United States to other societies in order to place American society in comparative perspective and develop cross-national models of human society; and to make high-quality data easily accessible to scholars, students, policy makers, and others, with minimal cost and waiting. GSS questions include such items as national spending priorities, marijuana use, crime and punishment, race relations, quality of life, and confidence in institutions. Since 1988, the GSS has also collected data on sexual behavior including number of sex partners, frequency of intercourse, extramarital relationships, and sex with prostitutes. The 2014 GSS has modules on quality of working life, shared capitalism, wealth, work and family balance, social identity, social isolation, and civic participation. In 1985 the GSS co-founded the International Social Survey Program (ISSP). The ISSP has conducted an annual cross-national survey each year since then and has involved 58 countries and interviewed over one million respondents. The ISSP asks an identical battery of questions in all countries; the U.S. version of these questions is incorporated into the GSS. The 2014 ISSP topics are National Identity and Citizenship. Demographic variables include age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, marital status, religion, employment status, income, household structure, and whether respondents were born in the United States.

Since 1972, the General Social Survey (GSS) has been monitoring societal change and studying the growing complexity of American society. The GSS aims to gather data on contemporary American society in order to monitor and explain trends and constants in attitudes, behaviors, and attributes; to examine the structure and functioning of society in general as well as the role played by relevant subgroups; to compare the United States to other societies in order to place American society in comparative perspective and develop cross-national models of human society; and to make high-quality data easily accessible to scholars, students, policy makers, and others, with minimal cost and waiting. GSS questions include such items as national spending priorities, marijuana use, crime and punishment, race relations, quality of life, and confidence in institutions. Since 1988, the GSS has also collected data on sexual behavior including number of sex partners, frequency of intercourse, extramarital relationships, and sex with prostitutes. In 1985 the GSS co-founded the International Social Survey Program (ISSP). The ISSP has conducted an annual cross-national survey each year since then and has involved 58 countries and interviewed over one million respondents. The ISSP asks an identical battery of questions in all countries; the U.S. version of these questions is incorporated into the GSS. The 2016 GSS added in new variables covering information regarding social media use, suicide, hope and optimism, arts and culture, racial/ethnic identity, flexibility of work, spouses work and occupation, home cohabitation, and health.

This catalog record includes detailed variable-level descriptions, enabling data discovery and comparison. The data are not archived at ICPSR. Users should consult the data owners (via the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research) directly for details on obtaining the data. This collection includes variable-level metadata of Public Health Priorities, a survey by Harvard School of Public Health/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation conducted by ICR Survey Research Group. Topics covered in this survey include: Goals of health professionals The data and documentation files for this survey are available through the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research [Roper #31092257]. Frequencies and summary statistics for the 126 variables from this survey are available through the ICPSR social science variable database and can be accessed from the Variables tab.

This study is one in a series of election studies conducted since 1969 by Alan Arian and Michal Shamir that investigated voting patterns, public opinion, and political participation in Israel. This study in particular was conducted during May 1973-January 1974, prior to the elections of the 8th Knesset, and carried out in five phases. Respondents were asked to evaluate their general personal situations and that of Israel, and identify their knowledge of politics, interest and involvement in politics, previous participation in a youth movement, access to media (television, radio, and newspaper) pertaining to political affairs, and factors which would influence voting decisions including the October 1973 Yom Kippur War. Views were also elicited from respondents in regard to the Israeli government including the main problems it faces, a time estimate for resolution, and the development of a peace agreement with the Palestinians to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. Respondents were asked to define and evaluate political parties such as an ideal party, Gahal Party, and Alignment Party, and to evaluate other political parties such as the Labor Party and National Religious Party. In addition, respondents were queried about their knowledge of the new Likud Party and Gahal Party and whether each party, if elected, would bring changes to the government and represent a substitute for the Labor Party. Respondents' opinions were sought in regard to Prime Minister Golda Meir, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, Likud Party Chairman Menachem Begin, and Knesset member Ariel Sharon and other political leaders including the city mayor and several combinations of political coalitions. Respondents also gave their level of satisfaction with the elections and government, and their views on social and economic issues, foreign, security, and peace matters (including occupied territories), the positions of political parties (including the opposition), and attributes of political parties and leaders. The survey queried respondents about both the election's and their own personal ability to influence government policy. Questions covered voting intention and history (personal and paternal), the importance of voting in the election versus supporting a particular party, coverage of elections in the media, perception of leaders, the effects of the election campaign, their views on public polls, and their participation in the election. Respondents also identified the role of the Histadrut as a trade union, whether they were members of this organization or a medical insurance plan, and how they received medical treatment. Post-war surveys asked respondents for their opinions about the political parties and candidates and for whom to vote, the influence of the Yom Kippur War on Israel and factors responsible for the changes, and whether the elections should be held on December 31, 1973, or postponed for a length of time. Demographic questions include gender, age, birthplace and education (personal and paternal), marital status, head of household, occupation, employment status and sector, employer, monthly family income, household characteristics, and left-right political self-placement. In addition, respondents were queried about the year they immigrated to Israel, their observation of religious tradition, and whether and how long the husband belonged to the army during the war. Place and date of the interview have only been included in the December 1973 Survey and January 1974 ,Survey.

Recent mass public shootings in venues as diverse as a school, a church, and a concert, have alarmed policymakers and the public alike. Despite mounting interest among journalists and academics, questions regarding the nature and prevention of mass shootings remain. For example, to what extent do mass shooters have histories of mental illness, substance abuse, or violence? Does strengthening or weakening gun control laws have an impact on the incidence or severity of mass public shootings? Are mass shooters influenced by media coverage of these events? This study is comprised of seven datasets that contain information on mass shooting incidents between 1976 and 2020. Mass public shootings were defined as any event in which four or more individuals, not including the assailant(s), were killed by gunfire in a public setting within a 24-hour period, absent any associated criminal activity (such as a robbery, gang conflict, or illicit drug trade). Three of the datasets have information on characteristics of mass shooting incidents, offenders, victims; two have information on media coverage surrounding these events; and two have information on averted or thwarted mass shooting incidents.

These data examine features of news coverage, through the content analysis of transcripts and newspaper articles, describing four scandals that broke during the 1980s and 1990s to ascertain the difference between news coverage in the two decades. Articles and broadcast transcripts were drawn from three sources: THE NEW YORK TIMES, ABC News, and CNN News. Coverage of the following four scandals were analyzed: the Iran-Contra affair (President Reagan and his staff's alleged illegal sale of weapons to Iran and the use of that profit to aid Nicaraguan rebels), Gary Hart's affair (presidential candidate accused of having an affair with model Donna Rice), Clinton fundraising (President Clinton and the Democratic National Party accused of illegally soliciting campaign contributions for the president's reelection bid), and the Monica Lewinsky affair (President Clinton accused of having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky). News coverage, from the break of the story to one week following, was coded according to the subject of the story the news source, whether the story was factual, whether it was an analysis or a personal profile, whether the story was critical, sympathetic, or neutral, headline prominence, placement in the news lineup, presence of an "importance phrase", presence of additional issue-oriented stories, length of article/broadcast, whether the story made a prediction, the points of view presented, use of sensationalized words/phrases, number and type of sources, whether the story reported facts from other news sources, whether the story utilized rumors or unconfirmed facts, whether the report introduced a new fact or development, whether a reporter or commentator was consulted in addition to the host (if a broadcast), whether sensitive facts were presented, whether the story was placed in a political context, and whether the story mentioned previous events in the scandal.

The Performing Arts Research Coalition 2002: Household Surveys is a collaborative effort of five national service organizations in the performing arts. Residents of ten communities were surveyed on a series of topics related to attendance at performing arts events. The ten communities surveyed were: Alaska, Cincinatti, Denver, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Austin, Boston, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Sarasota (FL) and Washington D.C. Questions were asked regarding rates of participation, the perceived value of the performing arts to individuals and to communities, and barriers to greater attendance. Among other criteria, these communities were selected as study sites because of the presence of financially and managerially strong local arts organizations and because at least three of the five disciplines encompassed by the participating national service organizations were represented in each area. The five participating service organizations in the PARC project were the American Symphony Orchestra League, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Dance/USA, OPERA America, and Theatre Communications Group. The project was coordinated by OPERA America, with research guidance from the Urban Institute, and supported by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts. A total of 8,161 respondents in 10 communities completed telephone interviews in 2002 and 2003. PARC data include administrative surveys, audience surveys, subscriber surveys, and community/household surveys.

The focus of this data collection was media slant in news coverage in the United States in 2005. Automated searches of newspaper articles and congressional records were conducted of 1,000 key phrases addressing issues such as abortion, gun control, taxes, health care, war, the environment, immigration policy, stem cell research, and minorities. A new index of media slant was then constructed that measured the similarity of a news outlet's language to that of the congressional Republican or Democrat. To measure news slant, the researchers examined the set of all key phrases used by each congressperson and identified those used much more frequently by one political party than by another. Newspapers were then indexed by the extent to which the use of politically charged phrases in their news coverage resembled the use of the same phrases in the speech of a congressional Democrat or Republican. Part 1, Newspapers File, lists the slant index of 434 city newspapers across the United States and the total number of uses of key phrases for each newspaper. Part 2, News Counts File, indicates the number of news articles in each newspaper using each key phrase. Part 3, Congress File, lists the United States congressperson from each congressional district, his or her political party identification, the slant index, and the total number of uses of all key phrases for this congressperson. Part 4, Congress Counts File, includes information on the number of uses of each key phrase by each member of Congress. Part 5, Phrases File, includes detailed information on the key phrases used in the searches and the total number of uses of each phrase for all Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

Reporting the Arts II [2003], conducted by the National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia University, analyzed the arts-and-culture coverage by three national newspapers and 17 metropolitan daily newspapers in ten markets (weekday editions, plus Saturday and Sunday editions as applicable) during the month of October 2003. Reporting the Arts II [2003] analyzed a total of 8,747 articles and 4,541 listings from 583 separate issues of 20 newspapers during the month of October 2003. The combined total of articles and listings examined in the study is 13,288. Reporting the Arts II: Sections [2003] analyzed 4,036 sections of 583 separate issues of 20 newspapers during the month of October 2003. To minimize error, each issue of each newspaper was handled by two different coders. The first was assigned the task of locating the arts-and-culture articles and listings; the second revisited the same newspaper as a double check and performed the coding data entry. Data were entered in a custom-written online interface, which contained built-in error checks to screen for illegal codes and ineligible newspaper section. Each article was classified according to the following attributes: prominence in the newspaper, byline (staffer, freelancer, syndicated columnist, or newswire), length, focus (local, national, etc.), type of article, and the artistic discipline covered.

This Supplementary Empirical Teaching Units in Political Science (SETUPS) module is designed as an introduction to the study of elections, voting behavior, and survey data through the analysis of the 1996 United States general election. The data are taken from the AMERICAN NATIONAL ELECTION STUDY, 1996: PRE- AND POST-ELECTION SURVEY (ICPSR 6896), conducted by Steven J. Rosenstone, Warren E. Miller, Donald R. Kinder, and the National Election Studies. A subset of items was drawn from the full election survey, including questions on voting behavior, political involvement, media involvement, candidate images, presidential approval and government performance, economic conditions, ideology, general spending and taxation, social welfare policy, foreign policy and defense issues, social and other domestic issues, civil rights and equality, and general orientations toward government. A number of social and demographic characteristics such as gender, race, age, marital status, education, occupation, income, religious affiliation, region, and employment status are also included.

The South Korean Local Election Panel Study of 2010 examined vote determinants of Korean voters and the causes and dynamics of changes in voter preferences. The survey was conducted from May to June 2010 in two waves with a large-scale panel of 1,200 representing the nation's gender, age, region, and education proportions. The study analyzed factors that influence the formation and change of voter preferences through three broad theoretical frameworks: (1) The sociological model that explains voter preference as a reflection of major social fragmentation (education, gender, income, religion, region, etc.); (2) The psychological model of the Michigan School that explains voter preference formation and change as activation of party identification in United States or Western elections, and regional identification in Korea as a proxy; (3) The rational voter model that posits that individuals, after calculating their own interests, support candidates or parties that possess the policies and ideology to maximize those interests. The South Korean Election Panel studies utilize "tracking core questions": questions that repeatedly track the change in vote determinants. These questions focus on attitudes of candidate factors, political party factors, election campaigns, issues, and policies. In this study, respondents were asked about the local election, their voting behavior, attitudes about political parties, which candidate they voted for in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 elections, exposure to media, major issues in the country, and the Lee Myung-bak administration. Economic questions asked about the living conditions of the respondent's residing city, how this compared to other cities, the respondent's household condition, and the economic situation of the country. Questions were also asked about the performance of President Lee Myung-bak and the respondent's local Governor/Mayor. Demographic variables include gender, age, occupation, religion, level of education, perceived social class, home ownership, and income.

The State of the First Amendment survey, conducted annually (since 1997, except for 1998) examines public attitudes toward freedom of speech, press, religion, and the rights of assembly and petition. Core questions, asked each year, include awareness of First Amendment freedoms, overall assessments of whether there is too much or too little freedom of speech, press, and religion in the United States, levels of tolerance for various types of public expression (such as flag-burning and singing songs with potentially offensive lyrics), levels of tolerance for various journalistic behaviors, attitudes toward prayer in schools, and level of support for amending the Constitution to prohibit flag-burning or defacement. There were additional (non-core) questions asked for each year the survey was conducted. Each year, the additional questions asked about the following topics: 1997: how important various Constitutional rights are to people, whether people engaged in various kinds of public or political behaviors during the past year, and how free people feel to speak their minds in various settings 1999: attitudes toward alcohol and tobacco advertisements, levels of tolerance for sexually explicit content in various media, and attitudes toward television and Internet content ratings 2000: attitudes toward the role of government in political campaigns, the role of religion and the use of religious materials in classrooms, and attitudes toward government regulation of content on the Internet 2001: attitudes toward the creation of the federal Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and attitudes toward the regulation of political campaign contributions 2002: attitudes toward media coverage of the "war on terrorism," whether the government has the right to monitor the activities of religious groups even if it means infringing upon religious freedoms, and levels of support for public access to various types of local government records 2003: attitudes toward corporate ownership of news organizations, media coverage of the Iraq War and "the war on terrorism," whether the government has the right to monitor the activities of religious groups even if it means infringing upon religious freedoms, and whether controversial political remarks by entertainers affect the likelihood of attending performances or purchasing products featuring such entertainers 2004: the effort to amend the Constitution to ban flag-burning, proposals to expand regulation of so-called indecent material in the media, attempts by government officials and private advocates to lower the "wall of separation between church and state," and scandals involving made-up stories and facts at major news organizations 2005: attitudes toward religious freedom in the workplace, freedom of expression in the public schools, the display of the Ten Commandments in public buildings, the confidentiality of library records, and government's ability to restrict various types of content in public broadcasts 2006: whether the press should be allowed to publish works that criticize the actions of the government during wartime and whether political candidates should be allowed to criticize the actions of the government while campaigning during wartime For each survey year, computer-aided telephone interviews (CATI) were conducted, and ,the number of respondents across the data files ranges from 1,000 to 1,025.

This study consists of a content analysis of 12 different campaign information sources from the 1996 presidential election campaign. Each communication outlet (or medium) was analyzed using a consistent set of guidelines so the various kinds of media could be rigorously compared. The media include traditional news outlets, such as network and cable television news (CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN), news magazines (TIME magazine), newspapers (the NEW YORK TIMES and various other local newspapers), and political advertising, speeches, and debates. Other analyzed media include newer forms of campaign media, such as televised candidate interviews, candidate Web sites, and free televised candidate spots. Areas of investigation include type of news story, partisan focus of the story, control of the story, substantive focus of the story, election topics covered, sources of the story, issues revised, policy debate, reporting of the candidates' records and proposals, discussions of candidates' general political conduct, their personal background, and associates of the presidential candidates, and the political "horse race," in which reporters and sources assess the political strength or viability of each of the candidates. The information is presented in three types of files for each medium. The first file type is the Story-Level Data file, which is the master data file. It contains all of the variables coded, and the unit of analysis is the story, interview, ad, speech, etc. The second file type is the Multiple Story-Level Data file. In this file, topics span a number of units. For example, all issues mentioned in a "story" are coded, and each issue is considered a unit. This file contains the following coding blocks: polls, interview guests, topics, sources, issues, candidates' records, proposals and issue stands, sound bites, mentions of election-year players, correcting the record, and state contests/voting blocs. The third file type is the Statement-Level Data file. This file contains the following coding blocks: policy debate, evaluations of 1996 candidates, and horse race assessments. The unit of analysis in this file is the "statement," and each story is comprised of multiple statements. This file groups the statements by story and orders them by their placement within the story.

This study consists of surveys of campaign managers (Part 1), and of content analyses of televised political advertisements (Part 2) and newspaper articles (Part 3) on the 97 contested races for election to the United States Senate in 1988, 1990, and 1992. Through telephone interviews, campaign managers and appropriate staff were asked a series of questions regarding the main themes stressed by their campaign and those stressed by their opponent, including policy positions, personal characteristics, and political ideology. Their views were sought on the media coverage of the campaign, including the policy issues and personality traits emphasized by the media. Additional questions assessed the effectiveness of their campaign strategy in communicating with the voters. Part 1, Survey of Senate Campaign Managers, also includes data on candidate spending patterns, based on reports filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Part 2, Content Analysis of Television Ads, examined televised political advertisements for the same elections. Areas of investigation included type of advertisement, and the presence of a photograph, partisanship, endorsements, criticism of opponent, and candidate's and opponent's political ideology and personality traits. Newspaper coverage was examined between September 1 and Election Day during each campaign (Part 3, Content Analysis of Newspaper Articles). Areas of investigation included the tone of the article, the mention of criticisms of the candidate and his/her opponent, poll results, the political horse race, endorsements, and the candidate's and opponent's campaign resources, political ideology, personality traits, debate outcome, policy issues, and political advertisements.

In early 2002, the National Arts Journalism Program invited art critics at general-interest news publications around the country to complete an online questionnaire about their backgrounds, educational credentials, work habits, tastes and opinions on issues concerning art in America today. The survey's 169 critics -- drawn from 96 daily newspapers, 34 alternative weeklies and 3 national news magazines -- write for a combined audience of approximately 60 million readers. The findings suggest that although art critics have carved out important roles at many publications, criticism is struggling to keep up with the swift evolution of the art world.

This special topic poll, conducted September 20-26, 1996, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of political and social issues. The focus of this data collection was on the upcoming 1996 presidential and congressional elections. Those queried were asked about the likelihood that they would vote, for whom they would vote if the election were held that day, when they decided on their candidate, whether they had learned enough about the candidates to make an informed choice, and whether factors such as leadership and a candidate's stance on issues were major or minor reasons for their vote. Respondents were quizzed on their knowledge of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, party platforms, campaign funding, which presidential candidate was leading in the polls, and which party had the most members in the United States Congress. Views were sought on the media's treatment of the presidential candidates, campaign advertisements featuring Newt Gingrich and the issue of Medicare, whether presidential campaigns were more negative than in the past, the influence of the recent party conventions, and whether the news media should report public opinion poll results. Other topics addressed abortion, sources of campaign information, how much attention respondents paid to media coverage of the presidential campaign, and whether they cared who won. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, ethnicity, education level, marital status, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, labor union membership, voter registration status, religious preference, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again or evangelical Christians.

This special topic poll, conducted November 6-10, 1996, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of political and social issues. The focus of this data collection was on the presidential and congressional elections held November 5, 1996. In the days following the election, respondents who had voted were asked about their choice for president, when they decided on their candidate, whether they had known enough about the candidates to make an informed choice, and whether factors such as leadership and a candidate's stance on issues were major or minor reasons for their vote. Respondents were quizzed on their knowledge of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as well as party platforms, campaign funding, and which party had the most members in the United States Congress. Views were sought on the media's treatment of the presidential candidates, campaign advertisements featuring the issue of Medicare, whether the presidential campaigns were more negative than in the past, and whether the news media should report public opinion poll results. Other topics addressed the condition of the national economy, abortion, sources of campaign information, types of negative news media coverage, and how much attention respondents paid to media coverage of the presidential campaign. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, ethnicity, education level, marital status, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, labor union membership, voter registration status, religious preference, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again or evangelical Christians.