This poll, fielded September 10-14, 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. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling his job as president, the economy, and the situation with Afghanistan. Respondents were also asked what they thought was the most important problem facing the country, whether they thought things in the country were going in the right direction, whether they approved of the way Congress as a whole and individual Democrats and Republicans in Congress were handling their jobs, whether they thought the economy was getting better and their rating of the economy. Opinions were sought on the Republican and Democratic Party, whether the Congressional representative from their district and members of Congress deserved to be re-elected, and whether they thought Republicans in Congress or Barack Obama had a clear plan for solving the nation's problems. Respondents were asked multiple questions about Barack Obama including whether he has made progress in fixing the economy, whether he has expanded the role of government too much in trying to solve the nation's economic problems, whether the Obama Administration had increased taxes for most Americans, and whether respondents thought he had a clear plan for creating jobs. Information was collected on whether respondents thought the country needed a third political party, whether they would rather have a smaller or bigger government, whether the Republicans or the Democrats had better ideas about solving the nation's problems, whether respondents approved of the health care law that was enacted the previous March, whether Congress should repeal this health care law, and who they thought was doing more, Barack Obama or the Republicans in Congress, to improved the economy. Respondents were asked whether they thought Arab Americans, Muslims, and immigrants from the Middle East were being singled out unfairly by people in the United States, whether respondents themselves had negative feelings towards Muslims because of the attack on the World Trade Center, and whether they knew anyone that was Muslim. Additional questions focused on Sarah Palin, the war in Iraq, personal finances, the war in Afghanistan, and the Tea Party movement. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education level, household income, employment status, military service, religious preference, reported social class, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.

This special topic poll is 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. In this poll, fielded January 11-15, 2009, respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush handled his job as president, the situation with Iraq, the campaign against terrorism, and the economy during his eight years in office. Respondents were asked their opinions about Barack Obama, their predictions about what kind of president he was going to be, how confident respondents were in his abilities to make the right decisions about the economy and things relating to the war in Iraq, and whether respondents thought Obama was going to create new jobs, cut taxes, and improve the economy during his term as president. Several questions addressed Obama's Cabinet selections and whether his administration would make progress in providing affordable health care, ending the war in Iraq, and fixing the nation's economy. Respondents were also asked their opinions of Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, and Dick Cheney. Information about respondents' personal financial situation was also collected including the biggest financial concern facing them, how respondents rated their own financial state, how concerned they were about paying their housing costs, how much the decline in home values had affected them, whether their household income was enough to meet their bills and obligations, whether they felt secure about their household's financial future, whether they would be able to make payments on a large purchase, whether they have had to postpone making a major purchase due to the economy, and whether any long term plans have changed for them and their families as a result of the economy. Respondents were also polled on whether the country was going in the right direction, whether the condition of the economy was good, what they thought was the most important problem facing the country, and how they viewed the country compared to five years previously and five years into the future. Additional topics addressed stock market investments, job security, whether homosexuals should serve in the military, the economics stimulus package, the United States military prison in Guantanamo Bay, whether the United States should increase the number of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the legalization of marijuana, whether American or foreign automakers produced better quality vehicles, whether the federal government should provide national health insurance, whether there were more advantages to being a man or a woman in society, and whether respondents approved of premarital sex and homosexual relations. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, employment status, perceived social class, whether there were children under the age of 18 living with the respondent, whether respondents owned their home, religious preference, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.

This poll, fielded September 23-27, 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. This poll surveyed approximately 1,114 Ohio residents. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling his job as president, the economy, job creation, whether they thought things in the country were going in the right direction, their rating of the national economy and the economy in Ohio, and what they thought was the most important problem facing Ohio. Respondents were also asked whether they approved of the way Congress was handling its job, how Republicans and Democrats in Congress were handling their jobs, how then Governor Ted Strickland was handling his job, how much attention they paid to the 2010 election campaigns in Ohio, the likelihood they would vote in the 2010 election in November, and for whom they would vote if the elections for United States Senate, United States House of Representatives, and Governor of Ohio were being held that day. Opinions were sought on Rob Portman, Lee Fisher, John Kasich, Ted Strickland, Nancy Pelosi, and John Boehner. Information was collected on whether respondents thought the recession was temporary and whether Ohio would ever fully recover, who they thought was most to blame for the state of the national economy, and who they preferred, Democrats or Republicans, kept control of the House of Representatives. Respondents were asked about whether they were contacted on behalf of any Senate or gubernatorial candidates, whether they approved of the health care law that was enacted the previous March, whether Congress should have repealed it, whether the stimulus package made Ohio's economy better, whether the stimulus package created new jobs in Ohio, whether they expect the job market in their area to improve, and whether the financial assistance given to the auto and banking industry made Ohio's economy better. Additional topics covered included personal finances, job security, and how the recession affected the respondents and their families. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education level, household income, military service, religious preference, reported social class, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), perceived social class, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.

This poll, conducted December 4-5, 1996, 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 Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, First Lady Hillary Clinton and her handling of her role as First Lady, the amount of influence she had on the president's decisions, and whether President Clinton or the Republicans in Congress would have more influence over the direction of the country in the next two years. Other questions focused on Kenneth Starr (the Independent Counsel investigating the Whitewater real estate development project), the acceptance of illegal campaign contributions by the Democratic Party, and whether these scandals would affect President Clinton's second administration. Additional topics queried respondents on their household's financial situation compared to four years before, their perceived level of economic security, affirmative action, the current state of race relations in the United States, how often respondents socialized with co-workers of another race, and the recent racial discrimination lawsuit settlement against Texaco. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, employment status, type of residential area (e.g., urban, rural, etc), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, and whether respondents had a child entering ninth grade in September 1996.

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 to give their opinions of the current economy, and whether it was getting better or worse. Respondents were asked to rate the Democratic and Republican parties as favorable or unfavorable, to indicate whether they believed that Democrats or Republicans had clear plans for the United States and whether there were differences in what each party stood for, and to specify the most important difference between the two parties. Respondents were asked if they voted for United States House of Representatives, what issue was the most important in deciding their vote for House representatives, whether their vote for Congress was a vote for or against President Bush and his policies, whether they would vote for President Bush again in 2004, whether the Democrats should nominate Al Gore, whether they were pleased or disappointed by the outcome of the November elections, and whether it was better or worse to have a president from the same political party that controlled Congress. Respondents were asked to give their opinions on Republicans' control of Congress: whether the United States would be more secure from terrorist attacks, whether the economy would improve, whether taxes would increase or decrease, whether the respondents' families' financial situations would improve, whether big business would have more influence in Washington, whether federal courts would be more conservative, how likely war in Iraq was a result of Republican control in Congress, and whether environmental problems would improve. Respondents were asked how much they believed President Bush cared about their needs and problems and those of Blacks, whether they had confidence in President Bush to deal with an international crisis and the economy, whether his political views were liberal, moderate, or conservative, and whether the religious right had too much or too little influence on the Bush administration. Respondents were asked to give their opinions on tax issues, particularly on: whether the tax cuts were a good idea, whether the tax cuts made a difference in the amount of money retained after taxes, whether they believed the government could reduce the federal budget deficit while cutting taxes, whether they preferred a tax cut or reduced deficit, the effect of the tax cuts on the economy, who benefited most from the tax cuts, whether the tax cuts should be made permanent, and whether using the budget surplus to cut taxes was the best thing to do. Opinions were elicited regarding the environment: whether the federal government was doing enough regulating environmental and safety practices of business, whether requirements and standards can be set too high, whether or not the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska should be approved for oil drilling, whether producing energy or protecting the environment was more important, and what President Bush believed was more important. Respondents were asked whether Social Security would have money available upon their retirement, whether allowing individuals to invest their Social Security taxes on their own was a good idea, and whether the government should make up any losses incurred. On the subject of courts, respondents were asked whether newly court-appointed judges should be reviewed and confirmed by Congress, whether Congress should review and approve judges appointed by President Bush, and whether President Bush's nominees would be more conservative than tolerable. Regarding estate taxes, respondents were asked if they believed that there should be an estate tax for thelargest estates or no estate tax whatsoever, and whether they approved of President Bush's or the Democrats' proposal on estate taxes. Respondents were asked to give opinions on terrorism: whether the Bush administration had a clear plan, whether the government would fail to enact strong anti-terrorism laws or the new anti-terrorism laws would excessively restrict the average person's civil liberties, whether they were willing to allow government agencies to monitor phone calls and emails, and whether t

This poll, fielded September 19-23, 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, the situations in Iraq and in Afghanistan, health care and the economy, whether they thought the country was on the right track, how they would rate the condition of the national economy and whether they thought the economy would get better. Respondents were also asked questions about the economic recession, whether they believed the stimulus package had made the economy better, whether the stimulus package would make the economy better in the future, and whether it was acceptable to raise the deficit to create jobs and stimulate growth. Several questions about health care were included that asked respondents how much change was needed in the health care system, how changes to the health care system would affect the Medicare program, whether they favored government administered health insurance plans, how satisfied they were with the quality of health care they were receiving, whether they were satisfied with their health care costs, whether they believed health care coverage could be increased without increasing the budget deficit, whether fixing the cost or providing coverage for the uninsured had the higher priority, and whether the respondent would consider public health care that anyone could join at any age. Other topics that were covered included, the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq, respondents' opinion of Michelle Obama, how the federal government should use taxpayer's money, how the deficit should be handled, personal finances, and job security. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, perceived social class, religious preference, whether the respondent considered themselves to be a born-again Christian, and voter registration status and participation history.

This poll, the first of two fielded in January 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 whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling foreign policy, the economy, the federal budget deficit, taxes, and his job as president. Respondents were also asked whether they approved of the way Democrats in Congress, and Republicans in Congress were handling their jobs. Respondents' opinions were solicited on whether things were going better than they were five years prior, their predictions about how the United States would be five years in the future, whether they thought things in the country were going in the right direction, the condition of the national economy, and whether the economy was getting better. Opinions were also solicited on Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, John Boehner, Harry Reid, the National Riffle Association, and gun control laws. Respondents were asked how confident they were in Barack Obama's ability to make the right decisions about the economy, Afghanistan, protecting the country, and illegal immigration. Questions were asked about Obama's second term in office including whether respondents were optimistic about the next four years with Barack Obama as president, what they wanted to see Obama accomplish in the next four years, and whether they expected the economy and the health care system to improve by the end of Obama's second term as president. Opinions on the federal budget deficit were collected including the best way to reduce it, which programs respondents would be willing to change in order to cut spending, and who respondents trusted more to make the right decisions about the deficit. Multiple questions addressed the topic of firearms including bans on semi-automatic weapons, high capacity magazines, and people other than law enforcement carrying concealed weapons. Additionally questions were asked regarding background checks on potential gun buyers, the creation of a national database to track gun sales, and gun violence prevention. Additional topics covered include personal finance, job security, and consumer attitudes. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, social class, employment status, religious preference and participation, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians, marital status, household composition, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, voting behavior, and the number of phones in respondents' household.

This poll, fielded September 27-October 1, 2000, 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 Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Connecticut senator Joseph Lieberman, Texas governor George W. Bush, former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, and the United States Congress. Those queried were asked whether they intended to vote in the November 7, 2000, presidential election and for whom they would vote if the election were held that day, given a choice between Gore (Democratic Party), Bush (Republican Party), conservative commentator Pat Buchanan (Reform Party), and consumer advocate Ralph Nader (Green Party). A series of questions addressed the presidential campaigns of Gore and Bush, including which candidate possessed strong leadership qualities, had the skills necessary to negotiate with Congress, had the ability to deal effectively with world leaders, cared about the needs of people like the respondent, had spent more time explaining his proposals than attacking his opposition, and shared a political orientation similar to that of the respondent. Views on the candidates' proposed policies were also elicited, including which candidate was more likely to maintain a strong economy, keep oil prices down, reduce the cost of prescription drugs for the elderly, reduce taxes, make health care affordable for everyone, preserve the privacy of the financial and medical records of the American people, strengthen the United States military, and choose Supreme Court justices whose opinions would be the closest to the respondent's on issues like abortion. Other questions focused on whether the expected federal budget surplus should be spent cutting taxes, paying down the national debt, or preserving programs like Medicare and Social Security. A series of questions addressed which political party was more likely to insure economic prosperity, improve health care, reduce taxes, improve education, and make the right decision about Social Security. Additional topics covered whether respondents intended to watch the televised presidential debate on October 3, what they expected to learn from the debate, and whether the information they obtained from the debate would influence their electoral decision. A final series of questions sought respondent views on the use of school vouchers, the state of the public school system in the country and in their community, and which level of government was responsible for improving the public school system. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, education, labor union membership, military service, marital status, religion, race, Hispanic origin, health care coverage, age of children in household, computer and Internet access, household income, number of years living in community, and whether the respondent was financially better or worse off than eight years ago.

This poll, fielded September 24-27, 2006, 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. Despite being termed a monthly poll, this poll's specific focus was on the opinions and judgments of people currently living in the state of New York. Respondents were asked to give their opinions on the upcoming 2006 election for the New York governor, specifically their opinions about gubernatorial candidates, Eliot Spitzer and John Faso. Subjects were also asked about the upcoming New York senatorial election and their opinions about that race's candidates, Hillary Clinton and John Spencer. Respondents were also asked about the upcoming election for state attorney general and their opinions about candidates Andrew Cuomo and Jeanine Pirro. Respondents were asked to give their opinions about several politicians: President George Bush, Governor George Pataki, Senator Charles Schumer, Senator Hillary Clinton, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Respondents were asked how they thought the New York legislature in Albany was handling its job, and of the problems facing New York State, what they wanted the next governor to concentrate on most. Respondents were also asked to rate the state of the New York economy. Respondents were then asked to give their opinion on sentencing for people convicted of murder and terrorism. Other major issues such as gay marriage and the war in Iraq were also covered, along with additional topics specific to New York such as balancing the budget, future terrorist attacks, education, taxes, and which candidate for senator would help improve on these areas. Additionally respondents were asked which candidate for Senator cared most for people in different areas of New York: New York City, the suburbs, and upstate New York. Respondents were also asked how they thought the candidates for governor would handle issues such as taxes, terrorism, and the economy. Additional questions asked respondents how they would categorize the political attitudes of the candidates for governor and senator. Their opinions were sought on Hillary Clinton's job as senator, whether she had become a true New Yorker, and the prospect of her running for president, and whether Rudolph Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg, or George Pataki should run for president in 2008. Respondents were asked their views on Andrew Cuomo and Jeanine Pirro, including information about their campaign practices and their experience level. Lastly, they were asked if they would want the Mets or the Yankees to win if there were a subway World Series that year. Demographic variables include race, sex, age, level of education, financial situation, income, voter registration, voting activity, status, political ideology, party affiliation, marital status, religious affiliation, and number of years living in their current community.

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. Opinions were also gathered on Vice President Dick Cheney, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Arizona Senator John McCain, and the United States Congress. Responding to questions about Bush, those polled gave their opinions on Bush's handling of foreign policy, the economy, the energy situation, and the environment. Respondents were asked if Bush could be trusted to keep his word, whether Bush had strong qualities of leadership, whether they had confidence in Bush's ability to deal wisely with an international crisis, and how much they thought Bush cared about the needs and problems of people like themselves, as well as Blacks. Opinions were gathered on whether Bush was seen as more liberal, moderate, or conservative, whether he was a different kind of Republican, whether he was working hard enough at the job of being president, and whether he had good judgment under pressure. Respondents were queried on whether Bush could negotiate effectively with world leaders and if those leaders had respect for him. The next set of questions dealt with the President and Congress. Opinions were gathered on both the Republican and Democratic parties, whether the close division between Republicans and Democrats had decreased partisanship by forcing the parties to work together, whether Bush would compromise with the Democrats to get things done and if the Democrats would do the same, if the Democrats or the president would have more influence over the direction of the country, whether respondents trusted the president or the Senate to make the right decisions about who should sit on the Supreme Court, and whether Bush's appointees would be more conservative than respondents would like. Another set of questions dealt with Social Security, including whether respondents thought individuals should be allowed to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes on their own and whether the government should be responsible to make up any losses as a result of personal investment. On the subject of Medicare, respondents were asked if reducing the cost of prescription drugs for the elderly mattered to them personally and if they would favor having Medicare pay for the costs of prescription drugs for all recipients or only for low-income recipients. Opinions were also solicited on whether respondents favored a law guaranteeing people in HMOs and other managed care plans the right to sue their plans for denying coverage. Respondents were asked if they favored raising the minimum wage and if there should be mandatory testing of students every year in public schools to determine the allocation of federal funds. With respect to the economy, respondents were asked how they rated the condition of the national economy, whether they thought it was getting better, whether the tax cuts would be good for the economy, and whether using a significant portion of the budget surplus to cut taxes would be the best thing to do or if it would be better to spend the money on programs such as Social Security and Medicare. On the subject of the environment and energy, questions were asked concerning whether continuing environmental improvements must be made regardless of cost, whether producing energy or protecting the environment was more important, whether the environment must be protected even if it meant paying higher prices for electricity and gasoline, whether respondents thought that the energy shortages were real, and whether they thought energy companies decided among themselves what prices to charge for energy. Respondents were also asked whether they approved of the building of more nuclearpower plants to generate electricity and whether they would still feel that way if one were built in their own community, whether the government should increase production of petroleum, coal, and natural gas, or instead encourage people to conserve energy, whether there should be fewer regulations placed on oil and gas companies to make it easier for them to increase energy production, whether the oil industry had too much influence, and how they felt Bush and Cheney's ties to the oil industry would affect the administration's energy policy. Opinions of respondents were also elicited on the California power shortages, including whether the problems in California were a result of real power shortages or if power companies were claiming power shortages in order to charge consumers more for power, whether the federal government should help California with its energy problems, and whether respondents were in favor of price caps on power. On the issue of cars and fuel, respondents were asked what type of vehicle they had most recently purchased and whether they approved of the government requiri...

This poll, fielded December 4-8, 2008, 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 George W. Bush was handling the presidency, whether things in the country were on the right track, respondents' rating of the condition of the economy, and whether they thought the economy was getting better or worse. Respondents were asked their opinions of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama. Several questions also addressed the Obama Administration including how confident respondents were in Barack Obama's ability to make the right decisions regarding the country, whether respondents felt optimistic about the next four years with Barack Obama as president, and whether respondents approved of Obama's cabinet selections and his nomination of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. Respondents were asked their opinions about how well things were going for the United States' efforts to restore order to Iraq, how well they thought the war in Afghanistan was going for the United States, and the likelihood that there would be another terrorist attack in the United States within a few months. Other questions addressed whether respondents approved of the federal government providing financial assistance to banks and other financial institutions, the big three auto makers, and homeowners in attempts to improve the economy. Respondents were also asked whether the government should have a say on how the auto companies are managed, whether the government should require the auto makers to build more cars that use alternative fuels if they received financial aid, and whether or not the auto makers going out of business would have a major impact on the nation's economy. Other topics included the housing market, the job market, job security, and respondents' personal finances. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, political party affiliation, political philosophy, household income, voter registration status and participation history, and religious preference.

This special topic poll, fielded February 16-22, 2000, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and a range of other political and social issues. The focus of this data collection was on the upcoming presidential and New York State senatorial campaigns. Residents of New York State were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton, New York governor George Pataki, Vice President Al Gore, Texas governor George W. Bush, former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley, Arizona senator John McCain, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and civil rights activist Al Sharpton. Respondents were then asked a series of questions on a hypothetical senatorial contest between Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Rudolph Giuliani. Respondents were queried as to whether they were paying attention to the upcoming race, whether they were likely to vote and, if so, which candidate they were leaning toward, or if they preferred another candidate to run. Respondents were asked to compare Clinton and Giuliani in terms of whether they cared about the needs and problems of people like them, would represent their interests, would be better at reforming the health care system, would improve education and reduce crime, would get along with other members of the Senate, would protect access to legal abortions, had the right kind of experience, honesty, and integrity, and would vote as respondents would like on potential Supreme Court nominations. Respondents were asked to assess Rudolph Giuliani's job as mayor, including his handling of crime, education, race relations, and economic development, and Hillary Rodham Clinton's role as First Lady, and whether she could represent New York State effectively without having lived in New York State for very long. Regarding the presidential election, respondents were asked if they were paying attention to the campaign, whether they were registered with a party, whether they intended to vote in the upcoming New York State primary and, if so, for whom. Respondents were also queried regarding whether they believed campaign contributions influenced candidates, and whether contributions affected the honesty and trust of candidates. On a separate matter, respondents with school-aged children were asked whether they felt comfortable in letting their children engage in various activities without an accompanying adult, such as riding the subway, going outside after dark, crossing the street or going to a nearby store, sleeping over at another child's house, or going to a movie with friends. Parents were also asked whether their children traveled to school by themselves, dated, and had a recognized curfew hour. Other questions asked of respondents covered preferred uses of a projected federal budget surplus, views on access to abortion services, and the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools. Background information on respondents includes age, sex, race, education, religion, voter registration and participation history, political party, political orientation, Hispanic descent, marital status, age of children in household, and family income.

This poll, conducted March 10-13, 2004, is part of a series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on political and social issues. Views were sought on the 2004 presidential campaign, as well as President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, the economy, the situation with Iraq, and the campaign against terrorism. Respondents were asked whether the country was going in the right or wrong direction, whether the result of the war with Iraq was worth the human and economic costs, whether Iraq was a threat to the United States prior to the war, and whether the United States made the right decision in taking military action against Iraq. Several questions asked whether the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, had a negative or positive impact on the economy, whether the economy and the respondent's own financial situation was better or worse than when President Bush first took office four years ago, and the effect of the Bush administration's policies on jobs, taxes, the country's level of safety from terrorism, and the cost of prescription drugs for the elderly. Opinions were solicited on the seriousness of the current budget deficit, how serious of a problem it would be in the future, and whether the tax cuts enacted in 2001 should be made permanent, even if they increased the budget deficit in the future. Respondents were also polled on how much attention they paid to the 2004 presidential campaign, the likelihood that they would vote, whether they planned to vote for President George W. Bush, Democratic candidate John Kerry, or Independent candidate Ralph Nader, whether they had made their mind up yet, who they expected to win, the issue they most wanted candidates to discuss, and whether it was acceptable to use images of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in political campaigns. A series of questions addressed respondents' level of confidence in the ability of President Bush and John Kerry to correctly handle an international crisis and make decisions about the national economy, and whether each candidate's election would increase jobs, improve the economy, protect the country from terrorism, and ensure the future of Social Security benefits. Those polled also gave their opinions of the Democratic and Republican parties, and Vice President Dick Cheney. Additional topics addressed whether homosexuality was a choice, whether respondents favored or opposed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, whether laws regarding marriage and civil unions should be determined by state or federal governments, and whether the issue of gay marriage should be a part of the election campaign. Background variables include sex, age, education, ethnicity, household income, religion, marital status, number of other telephone lines in household, political party affiliation, political orientation, and voter participation and registration history.

This poll, conducted August 11-12, 2003, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit opinions on political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President George W. Bush and his overall job performance, as well as his handling of the situation with Iraq, foreign policy issues, and the economy. Questions related to the United States involvement in Iraq addressed whether removing Saddam Hussein from power and the result of the war with Iraq was worth the human and economic costs, how well things were going for the United States in its efforts to bring stability and order to Iraq, whether the United States was in control of events in Iraq, respondents' level of confidence that the United States would eventually find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, whether it mattered if weapons of mass destruction were found, respondents' level of confidence in the United States' ability to capture or kill Saddam Hussein, and whether the United States had won the war if Hussein was not captured or killed. Views were also sought on whether respondents considered Saudi Arabia to be an ally, friendly but not an ally, unfriendly, or an enemy of the United States. Respondents were asked about the most important issue facing the United States, the condition of the national economy and whether it was improving, getting worse, or staying the same, whether the economy and job market were better or worse than two years ago, the degree of progress made by the Bush administration on improving the economy and creating new jobs, whether the respondent's financial situation was better or worse than two years ago, the condition of the respondent's own state's economy, and how concerned respondents were that a member of their household would lose his or her job in the next year. Specific questions concerning the economy addressed the overall condition of the stock market, expected changes in the stock market, the impact of the stock market on the condition of the national economy, the effects of the new tax cuts on the stock market, the likelihood that the new tax cuts would create more jobs, whether the respondent had received a tax rebate check for the current year, whether the tax rebate money was spent, used to pay bills, or saved or invested, and whether the respondent and his or her spouse currently had any money invested in the stock market. Additional questions addressed whether the respondent would vote to recall his or her state's governor if given the chance, and whether Hollywood celebrities should become involved in politics. Background variables include age, sex, ethnicity, marital status, religion, education, 2002 household income, political orientation, political ideology, whether the respondent voted in the 2000 presidential election, and for whom they voted (Al Gore, George W. Bush, Pat Buchanan, or Ralph Nader).

For this special topic poll, opinion was solicited before and after President Bill Clinton's State of the Union speech delivered February 17, 1993. Prior to the speech, questions were posed regarding Clinton's handling of the presidency, his campaign promises, the national economy, respondents' personal financial situations, and strategies to reduce the federal budget deficit. Other items assessed the share of tax dollars being spent on defense, Social Security, and health care, issues regarding homosexuals, and Al Gore's and Hillary Clinton's influence on the President. Additional questions concerned improving health care, the likelihood that respondents would watch Clinton's State of the Union speech, whether women nominated to high office by the Clinton Administration were being held to stricter standards than men, and the hiring of illegal aliens. Respondents recontacted in the call-back survey subsequent to the President's speech were queried regarding Clinton's handling of the presidency, the economic plan outlined in his speech, and the federal budget deficit. Background information on respondents includes perception of the amount of income needed to be too rich to be considered middle class, whether the respondent had a gay or lesbian friend/family member, the importance of religion, chances of being out of work sometime in the next 12 months, military service, parental status, economic self-placement, 1992 presidential vote choice, voter registration status, political party, political orientation, religious preference, fundamentalist self-identification, education, age, race, preference for "African-American" or "Black" as a label, Hispanic origin, marital status, family income, sex, and past involvement in expressing opinions by writing to Congress, calling in to a radio or television talk show, calling or writing to a newspaper, and calling an 800 or 900 number.

This poll, conducted July 20-23, 2000, 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 Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy, as well as their views on the way Congress was handling its job. Those polled expressed their interest in and opinions about the 2000 presidential election, their readiness to vote in the upcoming election, and their level of support for both candidates, Vice President Al Gore and Texas governor George W. Bush. Respondents were also asked whether on the day of the survey they would vote for Al Gore or George W. Bush. They then answered the same question once more, this time choosing among four candidates: Al Gore (Democratic Party candidate), George W. Bush (Republican Party candidate), Pat Buchanan (Reform Party candidate), and Ralph Nader (Green Party candidate). Opinions of the four candidates and their respective parties were also elicited. Additional questions probed respondents' participation and candidate selection in the 1996 presidential election and in the 1998 House of Representatives election. Respondents answered another set of questions comparing Al Gore and George W. Bush as presidential candidates in terms of their qualities of leadership, their understanding of the complex problems a president has to deal with (especially international problems), whether they could be trusted to keep their word as president, whether they shared the same moral values as most Americans, whether they said what they believed or what people wanted to hear, and whether they cared about people like the respondent. Other questions examined respondents' opinions about both candidates' views on the following subjects: the economy, abortion, taxes, the environment, and health care. Those polled also expressed their views about whether the Democratic Party or the Republican Party was more likely to ensure a strong economy, make sure that the tax system was fair, make sure United States military defenses were strong, make the right decisions about Social Security, improve the education and health care systems, and protect the environment. Respondents also indicated which party was better at upholding traditional family values, which party cared more about people like the respondent, what the most important problems for the government in the coming year were, and what their views were on abortion. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, race/ethnic identity, education, religion, voter registration and participation history, political party affiliation, political orientation, marital status, age of children in the household, and 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. Topics included President Bill Clinton's handling of issues such as foreign policy, the economy, crime, the Whitewater deal, unemployment, and gun control. Respondents were asked to rate the condition of the national economy and were queried as to whether they thought the unemployment rate was going up, down, or had stayed the same in the previous few months. Questions on the situation in the former Yugoslavia included whether the United States had a responsibility to do something about the fighting between the Serbs and the Bosnians. Focusing on health care reform, respondents were asked if they thought Congress would pass a health care plan before the end of the year, whether the health care reform plan Clinton proposed was fair to people like them, and, if the Clinton health care reform plan was adopted, whether they thought the quality of the health care they and their family received would improve. Background information on respondents includes voter registration status, household composition, vote choice in the 1992 presidential election, political party, political orientation, education, age, sex, race, religious preference, and family 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, the campaign against terror, foreign policy, the economy, and the general direction of the country, as well as their views of Vice President Dick Cheney, Congress, and Senate majority leader Tom Daschle. Respondents were asked for their opinions of the most important issue facing the country, the condition of the economy and whether it was changing, how much they trusted the government, what size government was ideal, whether Bush would compromise with Democrats in Congress to get things done, whether Democrats would compromise with Bush, whether either of them should compromise, and which one would more likely balance the budget. Respondents' opinions were probed regarding the Republican party, the Democratic party, and which was more likely to ensure prosperity, improve education, properly handle Social Security, ensure a strong military, ensure fair taxes, improve the health care system, protect the environment, balance the federal budget, deal with terrorism, and properly spend taxpayer money. Respondents were then asked about changes needed to the health care system, the importance of reducing prescription drug costs for the elderly, the importance of protecting the environment, how much Bush really controlled his administration, how respondents viewed his political philosophy and leadership qualities, their confidence in his abilities to make good decisions about the economy, how much he cared about people like them, which social class was favored by his administration, and how much big business influenced the Bush administration and Congress. Opinions were elicited about the state of the federal budget, how the recent tax cuts affected the economy, how fair the tax cuts were, whether the tax cuts were the best use of the surplus, whether tax cuts were worth the risk of a budget deficit, why a deficit was projected, whether a deficit was a good or bad thing, whether the war on terrorism was hurting domestic programs, whether tax cuts were hurting domestic programs, whether a candidate that advocated a balanced budget or tax cuts was preferred, and the bankruptcy of the energy trading Enron Corporation. Respondents were queried about who they thought had more seats in the House of Representatives, whether it mattered which political party controlled Congress, whether it was right to attack Afghanistan and countries hiding terrorists, how confident respondents were in the United States government's ability to capture terrorist Osama Bin Laden, the status of the war in Afghanistan, and the likelihood of another terrorist attack in the United States. Additional topics covered the state of respondents' personal finances, whether they would watch the January 29, 2002, State of the Union Address, and their voting intentions in the 2002 congressional elections. Background information on respondents includes gender, marital status, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, children in household, religion, education, age, race, Hispanic origin, and household income.

This poll, fielded September 4-8, 2007, is 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. A national sample of 1,264 adults were surveyed, including an oversample 130 individuals with family members who are now serving in the United States armed forces or the United States reserves. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling his job as president, whether they approved of the way Bush was handling the war in Iraq, foreign policy, the economy, and the United States campaign against terrorism. Respondents were also asked whether they approved of the way Congress was handling its job, whether they thought the country was going in the right direction, and what they thought was the most important problem facing the country. Respondents were asked to rate the condition of the national economy, whether they thought the economy was getting better, whether they thought removing Saddam Hussein from power was worth the loss of American life and other costs of attacking Iraq, and whether they served in the United States armed forces or had any family members that served. Information was collected on how much attention respondents paid to the 2008 presidential campaign, whether respondents thought abortion should be available to those who want it, whether presidential candidates should be judged on their political records and personal lives, and whether they would vote for the Republican candidate or the Democratic candidate in the 2008 presidential election. Opinions were sought on whether being mayor of a large city, a United States Senator, or a governor was the right kind of experience for becoming president of the United States. Opinions were also sought on the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. Respondents were then asked a number of questions regarding Rudy Giuliani's positions and policies such as why the Republican party should nominate him as its presidential candidate, whether respondents knew his positions on issues, whether he'd do a better job fighting terrorism, whether he was more conservative compared to other presidential candidates, how well he handled the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center, and whether the policies of his administration caused crime to decrease or caused race relations to improve. Questions about the war in Iraq included whether the United States was right in taking military action against Iraq, how respondents thought things were going for the United States in Iraq, whether the United States should increase the number of troops in Iraq, what party they thought would be more likely to make the right decisions on the war in Iraq, whether they thought that the war in Iraq was part of the war on terrorism, whether they thought there would be more or less violence in Iraq if the United States troops withdrew, what they thought the biggest accomplishment was in the Iraq War, and how likely they thought it was that another terrorist attack would happen in the United States. Finally, respondents were asked which party they thought had higher ethical standards, whether they were following the news about recent talks between Iran and the United States, and whether they thought Iran was a threat to the United States. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, military service, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and voter registration status.

This poll, conducted after President George Bush's 1992 State of the Union address, asked respondents to rate the way things were going in the United States, indicate whether the future for the next generation of Americans would be better, give their approval rating of George Bush with respect to his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy, and give their approval rating of Congress. The survey posed questions pertaining to the 1992 presidential campaign, the national economy, tax cuts, improving education, making health care affordable, reducing the federal budget deficit, ending the recession, protecting family values, defense spending, the Persian Gulf War, priorities in federal spending, and the financial situation of respondents compared to four years ago. Respondents were also asked whether Bush or a Democratic president would do a better job dealing with issues such as trade with Japan, abortion, the needs of the middle class, race relations, and gaining respect for the United States from other countries. Additional questions covered topics including federal loans to college students, national health insurance, Bill Clinton, job discrimination against women and Blacks, the impact of the collapse of the Soviet Union and continued threats from Iran and Iraq on defense spending, welfare, the assassination of John Kennedy, Social Security, marital infidelity among presidential candidates, handguns, assault weapons, the National Rifle Association, the Super Bowl, and whether the respondent had seen the film "JFK." Background information on respondents includes sex, age, race, marital status, parental status, employment, education, religious preference, family income, political orientation, party preference, 1988 presidential vote choice, and gun ownership.