Hot Topics
Survey Reports
November 11, 1999
Retro-Politics
Questionnaire Part 4
PEW RESEARCH CENTER FOR THE PEOPLE & THE PRESS
LATE SEPTEMBER 1999 VALUES UPDATE SURVEY
FINAL TOPLINE
September 28 - October 10, 1999
N=985
Q.1 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job as
President? [IF DK ENTER AS DK. IF DEPENDS PROBE ONCE WITH: Overall do you
approve or disapprove of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job as President?
IF STILL DEPENDS ENTER AS DK]
Approve Disapprove Don't Know
Late September, 1999 59 33 8=100
September, 1999 56 36 8=100
August, 1999 60 32 8=100
July, 1999 58 31 11=100
June, 1999 55 35 10=100
May, 1999 56 34 10=100
April, 1999 56 38 6=100
March, 1999 62 31 7=100
February, 1999 64 30 6=100
Mid-January, 1999 66 29 5=100
January, 1999 63 30 7=100
Late December, 1998 71 27 2=100
Early December, 1998 61 32 7=100
November, 1998 65 29 6=100
September 21-22, 1998 62 33 5=100
September 19-20, 1998 55 36 9=100
Early September, 1998 61 33 6=100
Late August, 1998 62 32 6=100
Early August, 1998 63 28 9=100
June, 1998 59 32 9=100
May, 1998 62 28 10=100
April, 1998 62 28 10=100
March, 1998 65 26 9=100
Early February, 1998 71 26 3=100
January, 1998 61 30 9=100
November, 1997 58 31 11=100
September, 1997 58 29 13=100
August, 1997 59 32 9=100
June, 1997 54 34 12=100
May, 1997 57 34 9=100
April, 1997 55 34 11=100
February, 1997 60 32 8=100
Early February, 1997 57 30 13=100
January, 1997 59 31 10=100
November, 1996 57 34 9=100
July, 1996 54 38 8=100
June, 1996 54 38 8=100
April, 1996 53 39 8=100
March, 1996 55 38 7=100
February, 1996 51 39 10=100
January, 1996 50 43 7=100
October, 1995 48 42 10=100
September, 1995 45 42 13=100
August, 1995 44 44 12=100
June, 1995 50 40 10=100
April, 1995 47 43 10=100
March, 1995 44 44 12=100
February, 1995 44 44 12=100
December, 1994 41 47 12=100
November, 1994 48 40 12=100
October, 1994 41 47 12=100
Early October, 1994 38 47 15=100
September, 1994 41 52 7=100
July, 1994 45 46 9=100
June, 1994 42 44 14=100
May, 1994 46 42 12=100
March, 1994 45 42 13=100
January, 1994 51 35 14=100
Early January, 1994 48 35 17=100
December, 1993 48 36 16=100
October, 1993 44 42 14=100
September, 1993 49 35 16=100
Early September, 1993 43 43 14=100
August, 1993 39 46 15=100
May, 1993 39 43 18=100
Early May, 1993 45 37 18=100
April, 1993 49 29 22=100
February, 1993 56 25 19=100
Q.2 Do you approve or disapprove of the job the Republican leaders in
Congress are doing? [IF DK ENTER AS DK. IF DEPENDS PROBE ONCE WITH:
Overall do you approve or disapprove of the job the Republican leaders
in Congress are doing? IF STILL DEPENDS ENTER AS DK]
Approve Disapprove Don't Know
Late September, 1999 34 46 20=100
September, 1999 35 48 17=100
August, 1999 40 44 16=100
July, 1999 36 45 19=100
June, 1999 37 46 17=100
May, 1999 38 44 18=100
March, 1999 38 47 15=100
February, 1999 37 51 12=100
Mid-January, 1999 36 51 13=100
January, 1999 38 50 12=100
Late December, 1998 39 56 5=100
Early December, 1998 38 49 13=100
November, 1998 41 48 11=100
September 21-22, 1998 44 44 12=100
September 19-20, 1998 46 41 13=100
Early September, 1998 44 37 19=100
Late August, 1998 48 36 16=100
Early August, 1998 43 37 20=100
June, 1998 42 38 20=100
May, 1998 40 41 19=100
April, 1998 41 40 19=100
March, 1998 43 39 18=100
January, 1998 43 41 16=100
November, 1997 41 43 16=100
August, 1997 42 44 14=100
June, 1997 33 50 17=100
May, 1997 40 44 16=100
April, 1997 40 44 16=100
February, 1997 44 42 14=100
January, 1997 38 47 15=100
November, 1996 40 43 17=100
July, 1996 38 48 14=100
June, 1996 36 50 14=100
April, 1996 39 46 15=100
March, 1996 35 51 14=100
February, 1996 33 53 14=100
January, 1996 36 54 10=100
October, 1995 36 51 13=100
September, 1995 36 50 14=100
August, 1995 38 45 17=100
June, 1995 41 45 14=100
April, 1995 44 43 13=100
March 1995 43 39 18=100
December, 1994 52 28 20=100
[FOR QUESTIONS Q.3 THRU Q.6, DETERMINE WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK IT IS.
IF THE DAY OF THE WEEK IS SUNDAY, SUBSTITUTE "FRIDAY." IF THE DAY
OF THE WEEK IS NOT SUNDAY, READ "YESTERDAY". ]
I'd like to ask you a few questions about how you spent your day yesterday...
Q.3 Did you get a chance to read a daily newspaper yesterday, or not?
IF "YES" IN Q.3, ASK:
Q.3a About how much time did you spend reading a daily newspaper yesterday? (DO NOT READ)
Nov April Nov April June March Feb Jan March Gallup
1998 1998 1997 1996 1995 1995 1994 1994 1991 1965
47 Read the paper 47 48 50 50 52 45 58 49 56 71
9 Less than 15 min. 8 8 8 7 7 9 7 7 n/a n/a
12 15-29 min. 11 14 14 15 15 14 15 15 n/a n/a
16 30-59 min. 16 17 17 18 18 16 21 17 n/a n/a
10 1 hour or more 11 9 10 10 11 6 14 10 n/a n/a
* Don't know 1 * 1 * 1 0 1 * n/a n/a
53 Didn't read paper 53 52 50 50 48 55 42 50 44 29
* Don't know * * 0 * * * 0 1 * 0
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
ASK ALL:
Q.4 Did you watch the news or a news program on television yesterday, or not?
IF RESPONDENT ANSWERED '1' YES, WATCHED IN Q.4 ASK:
Q.4a About how much time did you spend watching the news or any news
programs on TV yesterday? (DO NOT READ)
Nov April Nov April June March Feb Jan March Gallup
1998 1998 1997 1996 1995 1995 1994 1994 1991 1965
62 Watched TV News 65 59 68 59 64 61 74 72 68 55
6 Less than 15 min. 5 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 n/a n/a
7 15-29 min. 8 7 11 6 8 9 8 8 n/a n/a
21 30-59 min. 21 21 23 21 24 21 25 25 n/a n/a
28 1 hour or more 30 28 30 29 28 27 37 36 n/a n/a
* Don't know 1 * * * 1 * 1 * n/a n/a
37 Did not watch 35 41 31 40 35 38 26 27 32 45
1 Don't know * * 1 1 1 1 0 1 * 0
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
ASK ALL:
Q.5 Apart from news, did you watch anything else on television yesterday, or not?
IF "YES" (1) IN Q.5, ASK:
Q.5a About how much time did you spend watching TV yesterday, not including the
news? (DO NOT READ)
Nov June Feb
1997 1995 1994
63 Yes 64 59 69
1 A half hour or less 2 1 2
6 Thirty minutes or less than one hour 5 4 3
13 About an hour or more 15 10 11
6 More than one hour but less than two hours 7 6 7
18 Two hours to less than three hours 16 16 19
9 Three hours to less than four hours 11 10 12
10 Four hours or more 8 11 14
* Don't know/Refused * 1 1
37 Did not watch 36 40 31
0 Don't know * 1 0
100 100 100 100
ASK ALL:
Q.6 About how much time, if any did you spend listening to any news on the
radio yesterday or didn't you happen to listen to the news on the radio
yesterday? (DO NOT READ)
Nov April Nov April June March Feb Jan March Gallup
1998 1998 1997 1996 1995 1995 1994 1994 1991 1965
44 Yes, listened 41 49 44 44 42 47 47 47 44 58
12 Less than 15 min. 13 16 12 12 13 16 14 15 n/a n/a
8 15-29 min. 8 9 9 11 9 12 11 10 n/a n/a
10 30-59 min. 8 10 9 10 9 9 9 10 n/a n/a
14 1 hour or more 12 14 14 11 11 10 13 12 n/a n/a
56 Didn't Listen 57 51 55 55 56 52 52 52 56 42
* Don't know 2 * 1 1 2 1 1 1 * 0
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
[IF THE DAY OF THE WEEK IS SUNDAY, BEGIN THIS SERIES WITH "Now thinking
about yesterday..." OTHERWISE BEGIN WITH "Again, thinking about yesterday..."]
Q.7 Did you spend any time reading a magazine?
IF "YES" IN Q.7, ASK:
Q.7a About how much time did you spend reading magazines yesterday? (DO NOT READ)
April Nov June Feb
1998 1997 1995 1994
28 Yes 29 32 31 33
4 Less than 15 minutes 4 6 4 5
8 15 to less 30 minutes 7 8 8 9
9 30 minutes to less than one hour 10 9 11 10
7 One hour or more 8 9 8 9
* Don't know/Refused * * * *
72 No 71 68 69 67
* Don't know * * * 0
100 100 100 100 100
ASK ALL:
Q.8 Not including school or work related books, did you spend anytime reading
a book yesterday? (IF YES: Was it a work of fiction or non-fiction?)
IF "YES" IN Q.8, ASK:
Q.8a About how much time did you spend reading books yesterday? (DO NOT READ)
Nov June Feb
1997 1995 1994
35 Yes 35 30 31
SUBJECT
16 Fiction 16 14 14
16 Non-fiction 17 14 17
2 Both 1 1 *
1 Don't know 1 1 0
TIME
3 Less than 15 minutes 2 1 2
6 15 to less than 30 minutes 5 4 3
9 30 minutes to less than one hour 10 8 9
17 One hour or more 17 17 17
* Don't know 1 0 0
65 No 65 70 69
0 Don't know/Refused * * *
100 100 100 100
ASK ALL:
Q.9 Now I am going to read you a series of statements that will help us
understand how you feel about a number of things. For each statement,
please tell me if you completely agree with it, mostly agree with it,
mostly disagree with it or completely disagree with it. The first one
is... (READ ITEMS, IN ORDER. DO NOT ROTATE)
Completely Mostly Mostly Completely Don't
Agree Agree Disagree Disagree Know
a. People like me don't have any say
about what the government does 16 31 35 17 1=100
November, 1997 15 31 35 18 1=100
July, 1994 22 32 31 15 *=100
May, 1993 15 37 31 16 1=100
June, 1992 14 36 32 17 1=100
Nov, 1991 22 28 28 21 1=100
May, 1990 19 38 31 11 1=100
Feb, 1989 22 40 29 8 1=100
May, 1988 16 39 33 11 1=100
May, 1987 14 38 34 12 2=100
b. Generally speaking, elected
officials in Washington lose
touch with the people pretty
quickly 28 49 16 5 2=100
November, 1997 32 44 18 5 1=100
July, 1994 39 44 13 3 1=100
May, 1993 29 53 13 3 2=100
June, 1992 35 49 12 3 1=100
Nov, 1991 41 43 11 4 1=100
May, 1990 30 48 17 2 3=100
Feb, 1989 30 50 16 2 2=100
May, 1988 26 50 19 3 2=100
May, 1987 22 51 21 3 3=100
c. Most elected officials care
what people like me think 5 34 41 18 2=100
November, 1997 6 35 38 19 2=100
July, 1994 4 29 41 25 1=100
May, 1993 5 35 42 16 2=100
June, 1992 5 31 46 16 2=100
Nov, 1991 7 29 39 23 2=100
May, 1990 7 37 39 14 3=100
Feb, 1989 5 39 42 12 2=100
May, 1988 5 42 40 11 2=100
May, 1987 5 42 40 9 4=100
d. Voting gives people like me some say
about how government runs things 27 46 17 7 3=100
November, 1997 27 40 23 9 1=100
July, 1994 24 42 21 11 2=100
Nov, 1991 32 42 15 9 2=100
May, 1990 23 50 18 7 2=100
Feb, 1989 25 48 20 5 2=100
May, 1988 26 49 18 5 2=100
May, 1987 23 55 15 4 3=100
e. Success in life is pretty much
determined by forces outside
our control 11 21 38 29 1=100
November, 1997 10 23 37 28 2=100
July, 1994 14 25 33 26 2=100
May, 1993 11 30 41 16 2=100
June, 1992 11 27 38 21 3=100
May, 1990 11 29 39 18 3=100
May, 1988 13 28 37 19 3=100
May, 1987 8 30 41 16 5=100
f. Hard work offers little
guarantee of success 11 18 36 33 2=100
November, 1997 13 20 34 32 1=100
July, 1994 15 24 32 28 1=100
June, 1992 15 30 30 22 3=100
Nov, 1991 20 24 29 25 2=100
May, 1990 10 26 40 23 1=100
Feb, 1989 14 27 36 21 2=100
May, 1988 11 21 40 26 1=100
May, 1987 7 22 44 24 3=100
g. I admire people who get rich
by working hard 52 35 6 5 2=100
November, 1997 52 37 7 3 1=100
July, 1994 51 37 8 3 1=100
June, 1992 47 42 7 3 1=100
h. The strength of this country today
is mostly based on the success of
American business 23 53 14 5 5=100
November, 1997 22 54 16 5 3=100
July, 1994 26 52 15 5 2=100
June, 1992 24 54 15 5 2=100
Nov, 1991 29 47 15 6 3=100
May, 1990 20 57 14 3 6=100
Feb, 1989 23 54 14 4 5=100
May, 1988 25 54 14 3 4=100
May, 1987 16 60 16 3 5=100
i. Government regulation of business
usually does more harm than good 19 36 31 6 8=100
November, 1997 20 37 32 5 6=100
July, 1994 27 36 28 5 4=100
June, 1992 19 42 28 5 6=100
May, 1990 16 42 29 4 9=100
May, 1988 17 40 31 4 8=100
May, 1987 12 43 30 4 11=100
j. The federal government should
run ONLY those things that
cannot be run at the local level 32 42 17 5 4=100
November, 1997 33 41 17 7 2=100
July, 1994 38 40 14 5 3=100
May, 1990 26 51 16 2 5=100
May, 1987 22 53 16 3 6=100
k. When something is run by the
government, it is usually
inefficient and wasteful 23 36 31 7 3=100
November, 1997 27 37 27 7 2=100
July, 1994 33 36 25 5 1=100
May, 1993 24 45 24 5 2=100
June, 1992 29 41 24 4 2=100
Nov, 1991 32 36 23 7 2=100
May, 1990 22 45 25 4 4=100
Feb, 1989 26 39 26 5 4=100
May, 1988 24 42 26 3 5=100
May, 1987 19 44 27 4 6=100
l. The Federal Government controls
too much of our daily lives 30 30 32 6 2=100
November, 1997 29 35 29 6 1=100
July, 1994 37 32 25 5 1=100
May, 1993 26 39 30 4 1=100
June, 1992 28 36 29 5 2=100
Nov, 1991 32 31 28 7 2=100
May, 1990 22 40 29 5 4=100
Feb, 1989 22 35 34 9 3=100
May, 1988 25 36 31 5 3=100
May, 1987 18 40 32 5 5=100
m. The government is really run for
the benefit of all the people 11 38 34 14 3=100
November, 1997 9 39 35 15 2=100
July, 1994 10 32 38 19 1=100
June, 1992 8 36 37 17 2=100
Nov, 1991 11 37 34 16 2=100
May, 1990 10 42 35 10 3=100
Feb, 1989 12 45 31 10 2=100
May, 1988 11 42 34 10 3=100
May, 1987 9 48 31 8 4=100
n. Business corporations generally
strike a fair balance between
making profits and serving the
public interest 7 38 37 13 5=100
November, 1997 7 38 40 12 3=100
July, 1994 7 38 38 15 2=100
June, 1992 5 35 42 14 4=100
Nov, 1991 8 32 38 19 3=100
May, 1990 5 38 37 13 7=100
Feb, 1989 5 33 44 12 6=100
May, 1988 6 36 39 13 6=100
May, 1987 4 39 38 10 9=100
o. There is too much power concentrated
in the hands of a few big companies 31 43 20 3 3=100
November, 1997 31 42 20 5 2=100
July, 1994 31 42 22 4 1=100
May, 1993 26 46 22 3 3=100
June, 1992 30 47 18 3 2=100
Nov, 1991 41 39 14 3 3=100
May, 1990 29 48 15 3 5=100
Feb, 1989 35 49 12 1 3=100
May, 1988 35 44 15 2 4=100
May, 1987 27 50 16 2 5=100
p. Business corporations make too
much profit 23 33 32 7 5=100
November, 1997 21 37 31 7 4=100
July, 1994 22 39 28 7 4=100
May, 1993 22 41 27 5 5=100
June, 1992 21 39 29 5 6=100
Nov, 1991 29 36 23 7 5=100
May, 1990 23 40 24 6 7=100
Feb, 1989 27 45 20 3 5=100
May, 1988 25 40 25 4 6=100
May, 1987 21 44 24 4 7=100
q. It is time for Washington
politicians to step aside and
make room for new leaders 29 44 19 3 5=100
November, 1997 27 41 23 4 5=100
July, 1994 34 45 14 4 3=100
June, 1992 38 46 12 2 2=100
Nov, 1991 32 45 16 4 3=100
May, 1990 21 40 26 4 9=100
Feb, 1989 20 38 30 4 8=100
May, 1988 26 42 22 3 7=100
May, 1987 16 46 26 3 9=100
r. Dealing with a federal government
agency is often not worth the
trouble 21 38 29 6 6=100
November, 1997 21 44 27 4 4=100
July, 1994 26 43 22 6 3=100
June, 1992 21 43 27 4 5=100
May, 1990 21 44 24 4 7=100
May, 1988 20 43 27 4 6=100
May, 1987 14 44 29 3 10=100
s. Many people today think they can
get ahead without working hard
and making sacrifices 22 41 24 12 1=100
November, 1997 25 37 24 12 2=100
July, 1994 27 38 22 12 1=100
June, 1992 24 39 22 13 2=100
t. As Americans we can always find a
way to solve our problems and get
what we want 15 55 20 7 3=100
November, 1997 19 52 20 7 2=100
July, 1994 20 48 24 6 2=100
May, 1993 12 47 31 7 3=100
June, 1992 16 50 24 8 2=100
Nov, 1991 19 49 22 8 2=100
May, 1990 13 52 24 6 5=100
Feb, 1989 14 55 23 5 3=100
May, 1988 15 51 23 7 4=100
May, 1987 12 56 24 4 4=100
u. I don't believe that there are
any real limits to growth in
this country today 20 42 26 8 4=100
November, 1997 17 39 31 10 3=100
July, 1994 22 40 28 8 2=100
May, 1993 14 42 34 7 3=100
June, 1992 19 39 30 8 4=100
Nov, 1991 24 38 26 9 3=100
May, 1990 19 46 25 5 5=100
Feb, 1989 22 46 23 5 4=100
May, 1988 19 45 26 6 4=100
May, 1987 17 50 24 4 5=100
v. We need new people in Washington
even if they are not as effective
as experienced politicians 15 34 34 13 4=100
November, 1997 16 34 33 14 3=100
July, 1994 20 40 28 10 2=100
June, 1992 20 36 30 11 3=100
May, 1990 13 34 37 10 6=100
May, 1988 16 35 33 10 6=100
May, 1987 9 35 38 10 8=100
Q.10 Are you now employed full-time, part-time or not employed?
Early
Aug Sept Nov May June Feb July March
1999 1998 1997 1997 1996 1995 1994 1994
56 Full-time 58 55 55 53 57 55 55 53
13 Part-time 11 12 12 12 13 11 12 14
31 Not employed 30 33 33 35 30 34 33 32
* DK/Ref 1 * * * * * * 1
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Q.11 and Q.11a BASED ON THOSE EMPLOYED FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME [N=1829]:
Q.11 Do you now earn enough money to lead the kind of life you want, or not?
Early U.S. News & World Report
Aug Sept Nov May June Feb July March Oct Aug May Jan
1999 1998 1997 1997 1996 1995 1994 1994 1992 1992 1992 1992
42 Yes 39 43 41 46 44 41 40 44 36 33 34 39
58 No 60 57 59 54 56 58 60 56 63 66 65 61
* DK/Ref 1 * * * * 1 * * 1 1 1 *
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
IF "2" DO NOT NOW EARN ENOUGH MONEY IN Q.11 ASK:
Q.11a Do you think you will be able to earn enough money in the future
to lead the kind of life you want, or not?
Early U.S. News & World Report
Aug Sept Nov May June Feb July March Oct Aug May Jan
1999 1998 1997 1997 1996 1995 1994 1994 1992 1992 1992 1992
33 Yes 38 36 33 34 34 35 34 33 35 36 34 34
23 No 19 20 24 18 20 20 24 20 36 25 28 22
2 DK/Ref 3 1 2 2 2 3 2 3 5 5 3 5
58% 60% 57% 59% 54% 56% 58% 60% 56% 63% 66% 65% 61%
ASK ALL:
Q.12 Did you happen to use a personal computer at home yesterday?
IF "YES" IN Q.12, ASK:
Q.12a About how much time did you spend using a personal computer at
home yesterday? (DO NOT READ)
Nov April Nov June Feb
1998 1998 1997 1995 1994
34 Yes 19 29 26 14 14
5 A half hour or less 4 -- 4 3 --
7 30 minutes to less than one hour 3 -- 6 3 --
9 About an hour 5 -- 6 3 --
3 More than one but less than two hours 2 -- 2 1 --
5 Two to less than three hours 2 -- 3 2 --
2 Three to less than four hours 2 -- 3 1 --
3 Four or more hours 1 -- 2 1 --
* Don't know/Refused * -- * 0 --
66 No/Doesn't have home PC 81 71 74 86 86
* Don't know/Refused * * * 0 0
100 100 100 100 100 100
ASK ALL:
Q.13 Do you use a computer at your workplace, at school, or at home on at
least an occasional basis?
Yes No Don't know
Late September, 1999 68 32 *=100
September, 1999 70 30 *=100
August, 1999 67 33 *=100
July, 1999 68 32 *=100
June, 1999 64 35 1=100
May, 1999 66 33 1=100
April, 1999 71 29 *=100
March, 1999 68 32 *=100
February, 1999 68 32 *=100
January, 1999 69 31 *=100
Early December, 1998 64 36 *=100
Early September, 1998 64 36 *=100
Early August, 1998 66 34 *=100
April, 1998 61 39 *=100
January, 1998 65 35 *=100
November, 1997 66 34 *=100
June, 1997 60 40 0=100
Early September, 1996 56 44 *=100
July, 1996 56 44 *=100
April, 1996 58 42 *=100
March, 1996 61 39 *=100
February, 1996 60 40 0=100
January, 1996 59 41 0=100
IF YES (USE A COMPUTER), ASK:
Q.14 Do you ever go online to access the Internet or World Wide Web or to
send and receive email?
BASED ON TOTAL RESPONDENTS: Doesn't
Goes Online Go Online Don't know
Late September, 1999 52 48 *=100
September, 1999 53 47 0=100
August, 1999 52 48 0=100
July, 1999 49 51 0=100
June, 1999 50 50 *=100
May, 1999 48 52 0=100
April, 1999 51 49 *=100
March, 1999 49 51 *=100
February, 1999 49 51 *=100
January, 1999 47 53 *=100
Early December, 1998 42 58 0=100
November, 1998 37 63 *=100
Early September, 1998 42 58 *=100
Early August, 1998 43 57 *=100
November, 1997 36 63 1=100
July, 1996 23 77 0=100
June, 1995* 14 86 *=100
[*NOTE: The 1995 figure combines responses from two separate questions:
(1) Do you or anyone in your household ever use a modem to connect to any
computer bulletin boards, information services such as CompuServe or Prodigy,
or other computers at other locations? (IF YES, PROBE: Is that you, someone
else or both?)
(2) Do you, yourself, ever use a computer at (work) (school) (work or
school) to connect with computer bulletin boards, information services such
as America Online or Prodigy, or other computers over the Internet?]
IF YES (GO ONLINE), ASK [N=535]:
Q.14a Did you happen to go online yesterday? (IF YES, ASK: From
where did you go online... home, work, school, or some combination
of these?) (ENTER ALL THAT APPLY)
Nov Nov Oct June
1998 1997 1996 1995
60 Yes (NET) 43 44 38 32
37 Yes, home (INTERVIEWER: home
business/work at home would go here) 32 27 26 19
21 Yes, work 12 20 15 15
4 Yes, school 2 6 3 2
5 Yes, other locations 1 1 1 2
40 No, didn't go online 56 55 62 67
0 Don't know/Refused 1 1 * 1
100 100 100 100 100
ASK OF ALL WHO WENT ONLINE YESTERDAY (1-4 IN Q.14a) [N=829]:
Q.14b Counting all of your online sessions, about how much time did you
spend online yesterday?
Nov Nov June
1998 1997 1995
19 A half hour or less 29 19 36
27 Thirty minutes to less than one hour 18 22 13
20 About an hour 23 21 17
9 More than one but less than two hours 8 9 8
11 Two to less than three hours 12 10 8
5 Three to less than four hours 4 6 4
9 Four or more hours 6 12 13
* Don't Know/Refused * 1 1
100 100 100 100
ASK ALL:
Q.15 Now I am going to read you another series of statements on some
different topics. For each statement, please tell me if you completely
agree with it, mostly agree with it, mostly disagree with it or
completely disagree with it. The first one is... (READ ITEMS, IN
ORDER. DO NOT ROTATE)
Completely Mostly Mostly Completely Don't
Agree Agree Disagree Disagree Know
a. There needs to be stricter laws
and regulations to protect the
environment 41 42 12 4 1=100
November, 1997 41 40 13 5 1=100
July, 1994 46 36 13 4 1=100
June, 1992 55 35 7 2 1=100
b. People should be willing to pay
higher prices in order to protect
the environment 15 41 29 13 2=100
November, 1997 17 38 29 14 2=100
July, 1994 17 40 28 14 1=100
May, 1993 12 45 31 10 2=100
June, 1992 26 41 22 10 1=100
c. Our society should do what is
necessary to make sure that everyone
has an equal opportunity to succeed 50 40 7 2 1=100
November, 1997 52 38 6 3 1=100
July, 1994 52 39 6 2 1=100
June, 1992 59 34 4 2 1=100
Nov, 1991 64 30 3 2 1=100
May, 1990 45 46 6 1 2=100
Feb, 1989 49 42 6 2 1=100
May, 1988 48 43 6 1 2=100
May, 1987 37 53 7 1 2=100
d. We have gone too far in pushing
equal rights in this country 20 28 29 21 2=100
November, 1997 17 28 32 21 2=100
July, 1994 21 27 28 22 2=100
May, 1993 14 29 34 20 3=100
June, 1992 16 24 30 27 3=100
Nov, 1991 16 22 32 27 3=100
May, 1990 15 28 32 21 4=100
Feb, 1989 17 24 34 22 3=100
May, 1988 17 28 32 20 3=100
May, 1987 11 31 37 16 5=100
e. It is the responsibility of the
government to take care of people
who can't take care of themselves 20 42 21 14 3=100
November, 1997 23 38 26 11 2=100
July, 1994 20 37 26 15 2=100
May, 1993 19 43 26 9 3=100
June, 1992 28 41 20 8 3=100
May, 1990 23 44 23 6 4=100
May, 1988 26 48 17 6 3=100
May, 1987 21 50 20 4 5=100
f. The government should help more
needy people even if it means
going deeper in debt 15 34 33 14 4=100
November, 1997 14 30 37 16 3=100
July, 1994 13 28 37 19 3=100
May, 1993 9 34 40 12 5=100
June, 1992 18 35 31 12 4=100
Nov, 1991 20 31 31 15 3=100
May, 1990 15 36 34 10 5=100
May, 1988 17 35 30 12 6=100
May, 1987 13 40 33 7 7=100
g. The government should guarantee
every citizen enough to eat and
a place to sleep 29 35 22 11 3=100
November, 1997 29 33 25 11 2=100
July, 1994 27 32 25 14 2=100
June, 1992 32 33 22 10 3=100
Nov, 1991 41 32 16 9 2=100
May, 1990 27 35 25 9 4=100
Feb, 1989 35 30 22 10 3=100
May, 1988 28 38 22 9 3=100
May, 1987 22 40 26 7 5=100
h. I like political leaders who
are willing to make compromises
in order to get the job done 32 45 15 4 4=100
November, 1997 32 46 14 5 3=100
May, 1990 23 48 17 6 6=100
May, 1988 23 49 17 5 6=100
May, 1987 16 56 16 4 8=100
i. I am very patriotic 49 38 8 3 2=100
November, 1997 48 42 6 2 2=100
July, 1994 51 40 6 2 1=100
June, 1992 52 39 5 2 2=100
Nov, 1991 58 33 5 2 2=100
May, 1990 48 40 8 2 2=100
Feb, 1989 51 40 6 1 2=100
May, 1988 51 38 6 2 3=100
May, 1987 43 46 7 1 3=100
j. In the past few years there hasn't
been much real improvement in the
position of black people in this
country 10 28 37 16 9=100
November, 1997 13 27 39 14 7=100
July, 1994 14 33 35 14 4=100
May, 1993 14 37 37 9 3=100
June, 1992 21 36 30 9 4=100
Nov, 1991 17 28 33 16 6=100
May, 1990 10 28 42 16 4=100
Feb, 1989 13 29 39 16 3=100
May, 1988 12 25 41 18 4=100
May, 1987 8 28 45 14 5=100
k. I think it's all right for blacks
and whites to date each other 43 30 12 11 4=100
November, 1997 37 33 13 13 4=100
July, 1994 35 33 13 16 3=100
June, 1992 33 31 14 18 4=100
Nov, 1991 35 31 12 18 4=100
May, 1990 19 30 18 26 7=100
Feb, 1989 21 29 20 25 5=100
May, 1988 21 28 18 28 5=100
May, 1987 13 35 22 24 6=100
l. We should make every possible
effort to improve the position
of blacks and other minorities,
even if it means giving them
preferential treatment 12 19 34 31 4=100
November, 1997 10 21 34 31 4=100
July, 1994 10 19 35 34 2=100
May, 1993 8 26 41 22 3=100
June, 1992 11 23 36 27 3=100
Nov, 1991 10 20 33 34 3=100
May, 1990 8 16 39 33 4=100
Feb, 1989 8 20 36 32 4=100
May, 1988 7 19 36 35 3=100
May, 1987 6 18 43 28 5=100
m. Discriminations against blacks
are rare today 5 17 47 26 5=100
November, 1997 7 17 47 27 2=100
July, 1994 6 18 45 28 3=100
June, 1992 6 13 43 35 3=100
May, 1990 5 26 42 23 4=100
May, 1988 7 25 41 24 3=100
May, 1987 6 28 43 18 5=100
n. We should restrict and control
people coming into our country
to live more than we do now 38 34 18 6 4=100
November, 1997 39 34 18 6 3=100
July, 1994 47 35 12 5 1=100
June, 1992 42 34 15 6 3=100
o. It is my belief that we should
get even with any country that
tries to take advantage of the
United States 17 25 35 16 7=100
November, 1997 17 32 32 14 5=100
July, 1994 19 24 35 19 3=100
June, 1992 19 27 34 15 5=100
Nov, 1991 21 24 31 20 4=100
May, 1990 14 33 33 13 7=100
Feb, 1989 20 34 30 12 4=100
May, 1988 19 34 29 11 7=100
May, 1987 11 33 37 10 9=100
p. The best way to ensure peace is
through military strength 23 32 30 12 3=100
November, 1997 23 34 29 11 3=100
July, 1994 20 35 27 17 1=100
May, 1993 16 38 33 10 3=100
June, 1992 21 33 30 13 3=100
Nov, 1991 21 31 29 16 3=100
May, 1990 17 35 31 13 4=100
Feb, 1989 22 39 26 10 3=100
May, 1988 22 37 25 12 4=100
May, 1987 14 40 30 10 6=100
q. American lives are worth more
than the lives of people in
other countries 7 10 31 49 3=100
November, 1997 8 11 31 47 3=100
July, 1994 12 14 31 42 1=100
Nov, 1991 11 12 28 46 3=100
May, 1990 10 18 32 36 4=100
Feb, 1989 8 15 31 43 3=100
May, 1988 9 15 34 39 3=100
May, 1987 7 17 39 32 5=100
r. We all should be willing to fight
for our country, whether it is
right or wrong 21 28 28 18 5=100
November, 1997 21 31 26 19 3=100
July, 1994 25 28 25 20 2=100
May, 1993 21 34 29 13 3=100
June, 1992 24 33 25 14 4=100
Nov, 1991 30 30 21 16 3=100
May, 1990 22 33 24 16 5=100
Feb, 1989 22 35 23 15 5=100
May, 1988 23 34 24 14 5=100
May, 1987 17 37 27 13 6=100
s. I often worry about the chances
of nuclear war 22 30 28 18 2=100
November, 1997 21 27 31 19 2=100
July, 1994 24 24 32 19 1=100
May, 1990 21 31 29 16 3=100
May, 1988 28 33 25 12 2=100
May, 1987 23 39 27 0 2=100
t. Most of the countries that have
gotten help from America end up
resenting us 24 40 23 4 9=100
November, 1997 24 43 23 3 7=100
July, 1994 29 43 21 3 4=100
June, 1992 30 43 19 3 5=100
May, 1990 27 46 18 2 7=100
May, 1988 32 44 16 2 6=100
May, 1987 21 50 19 2 8=100
u. It's best for the future of our
country to be active in world
affairs 45 43 8 2 2=100
November, 1997 48 43 6 2 1=100
July, 1994 51 39 7 2 1=100
May, 1993 33 54 9 1 3=100
June, 1992 47 44 5 2 2=100
Nov, 1991 54 38 4 2 2=100
May, 1990 39 50 6 1 4=100
Feb, 1989 51 42 3 1 3=100
May, 1988 47 43 6 1 3=100
May, 1987 32 55 7 1 5=100
v. Poor people have become too
dependent on government assistance
programs 34 43 14 5 4=100
November, 1997 35 44 14 4 3=100
July, 1994 46 39 10 3 2=100
May, 1993 31 49 15 3 2=100
June, 1992 35 44 14 4 3=100
w. Japan has taken unfair advantage
of the United States 19 32 26 5 18=100
November, 1997 23 38 23 4 12=100
July, 1994 29 37 21 5 8=100
June, 1992 34 35 21 6 4=100
x. We should pay less attention to
problems overseas and concentrate
on problems here at home 39 41 15 4 1=100
November, 1997 40 38 17 3 2=100
July, 1994 46 38 12 3 1=100
May, 1993 40 45 12 2 1=100
June, 1992 48 40 9 2 1=100
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- Questionnaire Part 4