POLI 300 -- STUDENT POLITICAL ATTITUDES SURVEY -- FALL 2008
Please answer each of the following questions by circling on these pages the one alternative (1), (2), etc., that best indicates your response to the question. For many questions, no alternative will perfectly — or even adequately — represent your opinion. But, in any case, please mark the one alternative that represents your opinion least badly. Please do not skip any question; mark one alternative for each question. When you are done, please transfer your answers to the machine-readable answer sheet, which you will hand in. The answer sheet needs to be marked in pencil. All answers are anonymous; do not put your name or social security number on the answer sheet. Please keep this questionnaire, marked with the answers you gave today, safe for your own future reference. (You will need to use the questionnaire as a codebook for some Problems Sets and you should also have a record of how you responded to each question.)
1. Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or what?
(1) Democrat [Go to question 2(a)]
(2) Independent [Go to Question 2(b)]
(3) Republican [Go to Question 2(c)]
(4) Other; minor party [Go to Question 3]
(5) Don't know [Go to Question 3]
2(a). Would you call yourself a strong Democrat or a not very strong Democrat?
(1) Strong Democrat [Go to Question 3]
(2) Not very strong Democrat [Go to Question 3]
2(b). Do you think of yourself as closer to the Democratic Party or the Republican Party?
(1) Closer to Democratic Party [Go to Question 3]
(2) Closer to Republican Party [Go to Question 3]
(3) Neither [Go to Question 3]
2(c). Would you call yourself a strong Republican or a not very strong Republican?
(1) Strong Republican [Go to Question 3]
(2) Not very strong Republican [Go to Question 3]
3. To the best of your knowledge, does (or did) your father generally think of himself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or what?
(1) Democrat
(2) Independent
(3) Republican
(4) Other; minor party
(5) Don't know; not applicable
4. To the best of your knowledge, does (or did) your mother generally think of herself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or what?
(1) Democrat
(2) Independent
(3) Republican
(4) Other; minor party
(5) Don't know; not applicable
5. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as President?
(1) Strongly approve
(2) Approve
(3) Disapprove
(4) Strongly disapprove
(5) No opinion
6. Thinking back to the 2004 Presidential election, did you watch the televised Presidential debates between Bush and Kerry that year?
(1) Yes, most or all of the debates.
(2) Yes, at least one debate
(3) No, I did not watch any of the debates
(4) Don't know; don't remember
7. In surveys about elections, it is often found that a lot of people were not able to vote because they weren't registered, they were sick, or they just didn't have time. How about you — did you vote in the last Presidential election in November 2004?
(1) I was not eligible to vote at the time of the 2004 election (not 18 years of age, not a citizen, etc.)
(2) Yes, I did vote
(3) No, I didn't vote (though I was eligible)
(4) Don't know; don't remember
8. Regardless of whether you voted or not, whom did you prefer for President in the 2004 election?
(1) George W. Bush
(2) John F. Kerry
(3) Ralph Nader
(4) Other minor party candidate
(5) Don't know; no preference
9. Some people don't pay much attention to political campaigns. How about you? How interested are you in the 2008 Presidential election campaign?
(1) Not much interested
(2) Somewhat interested
(3) Very much interested
10. Which candidate did you prefer for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination?
(1) Rudy Giuliani
(2) Mike Huckabee
(3) John McCain
(4) Mitt Romney
(5) Other candidate; don’t know; no preference
11. Which candidate did you prefer for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination?
(1) Hillary Clinton
(2) John Edwards
(3) Barack Obama
(4) Bill Richardson
(5) Other candidate; don’t know; no preference
12. At the present time, whom do you prefer for President?
(1) John McCain
(2) Barack Obama
(3) Other minor candidate
(4) No preference; don't know
13. With regard to the issue of abortion, which statement best agrees with your view?
(1) By law, abortion should never be permitted.
(2) The law should permit abortion only in case of rape, incest, or when the woman's life is in danger.
(3) The law should permit abortion for other reasons than rape, incest, or danger to the woman's life, but only after the need for the abortion has been clearly established.
(4) By law, a woman should always be able to obtain an abortion as a matter of personal choice.
14. With regard to the matter of the government's role in health insurance, where would you place yourself on the following scale?
(1) There should be a government insurance plan that would cover all medical and hospital costs for everyone.
(2) Mixture but mostly government.
(3) Mixture about even between government and private.
(4) Mixture but mostly private.
(5) All medical expenses should be paid by individuals and through private insurance plans like Blue Cross or other company paid plans.
15. On a scale of 0 degrees to 100 degrees, how cool (unfavorable) or warm (favorable) do feel toward the Democratic Party?
(1) 0-20 degrees
(2) 21-40 degrees
(3) 41-60 degrees
(4) 61-80 degrees
(5) 81-100 degrees
16. On a scale of 0 degrees to 100 degrees, how cool (unfavorable) or warm (favorable) do feel toward the Republican Party?
(1) 0-20 degrees
(2) 21-40 degrees
(3) 41-60 degrees
(4) 61-80 degrees
(5) 81-100 degrees
17. How often would you say that you follow what is going on in government and public affairs?
(1) Most of the time
(2) Some of the time
(3) Little
(4) Very little
18. Do you think that people in the government waste a lot of the money we pay in taxes or waste just some or very little of it?
(1) Waste a lot
(2) Waste some or little
19. How much of the time do you think that you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right?
(1) Some of the time
(2) Most of the time
20. Would you say the government is pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves or that it is run for the benefit of all the people?
(1) For few big interests
(2) Benefit of all
21. Do you agree or disagree with the statement, "People like me don't have any say about what the government does"?
(1) Agree
(2) Neutral
(3) Disagree
22. Do you agree or disagree with the statement, "I don't think public officials care much what people like me think"?
(1) Agree
(2) Neutral
(3) Disagree
23. Do you agree or disagree with the statement, "Sometimes politics and government seem so complicated that a person like me can't really understand what's going on"?
(1) Agree
(2) Neutral
(3) Disagree
24. We hear a lot of talk these days about liberals and conservatives. Where would you place yourself in these terms?
(1) Liberal
(2) Slightly liberal
(3) Moderate/middle of road
(4) Slightly conservative
(5) Conservative
25. Where would you place George W. Bush in these terms?
(1) Liberal
(2) Slightly liberal
(3) Moderate/middle of road
(4) Slightly conservative
(5) Conservative
26. Where would you place Bill Clinton in these terms?
(1) Liberal
(2) Slightly liberal
(3) Moderate/middle of road
(4) Slightly conservative
(5) Conservative
27. Where would you place Hillary Clinton in these terms?
(1) Liberal
(2) Slightly liberal
(3) Moderate/middle of road
(4) Slightly conservative
(5) Conservative
28. Where would you place John McCain in these terms?
(1) Liberal
(2) Slightly liberal
(3) Moderate/middle of road
(4) Slightly conservative
(5) Conservative
29. Where would you place Barack Obama in these terms?
(1) Liberal
(2) Slightly liberal
(3) Moderate/middle of road
(4) Slightly conservative
(5) Conservative
30. Where would you place Ralph Nader in these terms?
(1) Liberal
(2) Slightly liberal
(3) Moderate/middle of road
(4) Slightly conservative
(5) Conservative
31. Where would you place Arnold Schwarzenegger in these terms?
(1) Liberal
(2) Slightly liberal
(3) Moderate/middle of road
(4) Slightly conservative
(5) Conservative
32. Where would you place the Democratic Party in these terms?
(1) Liberal
(2) Slightly liberal
(3) Moderate/middle of road
(4) Slightly conservative
(5) Conservative
33. Where would you place the Republican Party in these terms?
(1) Liberal
(2) Slightly liberal
(3) Moderate/middle of road
(4) Slightly conservative
(5) Conservative
END OF SURVEY — THANK YOU
Remember to keep this questionnaire, marked with the answers you gave today, safe for future reference.