Government and Politics Questions: Section 2

Government & Politics
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Section 2: Government & Politics

Political Parties
Question 1: Suppose the Republican Party takes over the Presidency, as well as the Congress, after the election this fall. How likely do you think the Republicans are to propose actions that favor private schools over public schools? (Asked in: 1996, 2000.)
[Code: 196-GovPX-1]

Question 2: Suppose the Democrats win the Presidency again, and also take over Congress, in the election this fall. How likely do you think the Democrats are to propose actions that favor private schools over public schools? (Asked in: 1996.)
[Code: 195-GovPX-2]

Question 3: In your opinion, which of the two major political parties is more interested in improving public education in this country -- the Democratic Party or the Republican Party? (Asked in: 1996, 2000, 2004,2008, 2012.)
[Code: 194-GovPX-3]

Question 4: The major political parties currently differ on how federal funds should be distributed. One party generally favors distributing the money for specific program activities, while the other generally favors giving the states flexibility in determining how federal money should be distributed. Which one of the approaches do you favor? (Asked in: 2000.)
[Code: 197-GovPX-4]

President's Education Programs: Bush Proposals
Question 5: As I read off each of the following measures that would be part of President Bush's education program, would you tell me whether you would favor or oppose it? Increased use of standardized tests for measuring student achievement? Holding the public schools accountable for how much students learn? Giving the states greater authority in deciding how federal funds should be used? (Asked in: 2001.)
[Code: 174-GovPB-5]

President's Education Programs: Clinton's Proposals
Question 6: Here are some education programs currently being advanced by the federal government. As I read off each program, would you tell me whether you favor or oppose it? Assistance with high school students' college expenses in return for performing some kind of public service? Greater emphasis on, including additional money for, work-study vocational programs for high school students who do not plan to go to college? A large increase in funds for early childhood education in those public schools with the highest percentage of children living in poverty? More effort to reach agreement on academic achievement goals for children at various stages of school, without specifying how the schools should reach these goals? (Asked in: 1994.)
[Code: 199-GovPC-6]

Question 7: President Clinton has proposed a tax credit for families with an annual income of $100,000 or less for each first-year college student. The $1,500 tax credit would also apply to the second year it the student maintained a B average and had no conviction for drugs. In general, do you favor or oppose this proposal? (Asked in: 1997.)
[Code: 201-GovPC-7]

Question 8: President Clinton has proposed a five-year, two billion-dollar program that would place a computer with access to the Internet in every public school classroom in the nation. In general, do you favor or oppose this proposal? (Asked in: 1997.)
[Code: 200-GovPC-8]

Question 9: President Clinton has proposed that the performance of the nation's public schools be assessed according to how well students score on achievement tests at two different grade levels. In general, do you favor or oppose this proposal? (Asked in: 1997.)
[Code: 202-GovPC-9]

Presidents and Education: 1984 Election
Question 10: Which Presidential candidate do you feel would be more likely, as President, to improve the quality of public education in the U.S. -- Ronald Reagan or Walter Mondale? (Asked in: 1984.)
[Code: 203-GovP1-10]

Presidents and Education: 1992 Election (following)
Question 11: Do you believe that President Clinton will do a better job of school improvement than President George H. W. Bush or a worse job? (Asked in: 1993.)
[Code: 177-GovP1-11]

Presidents and Education: 2001 Election
Question 12: Do you believe President Bush will do a better job of school improvement than President Clinton or a worse job? (Asked in: 2001.)
[Code: 175-GovP2-12]

Presidents and Education: President Clinton v. Republican Congress
Question 13: In your opinion, who has done more to improve public education in this country since taking office, President Clinton or the Republican Congress? (Asked in: 1996.)
[Code: 198-GovPP-13]

Specific School Improvement Plans
Question 14: Congress is currently considering various plans to improve the quality of the nation's public schools in kindergarten through 12th grade. As I read each of the following plans, would you tell me whether you favor or oppose that plan? Providing funds to help repair and replace older school buildings? Providing block grants to states, with the states taking the responsibility for some federal programs? Allowing parents to build tax-free accounts that they would use to pay tuition and other expenses at private and church-related schools? Providing funds to be used to reduce class size in grades 1, 2, and 3? (Asked in: 1998.)
[Code: 205-GovSX-14]

State and Local Officials
Question 15: As I mention each of the following people, would you tell me how strongly committed you think each is to improving education in the public schools in your community? In your opinion, is each of the following very committed, quite committed, not very committed, or not at all committed to improving education in the local schools: Teachers, School board, Superintendent, Governor, State legislatures? (Asked in: 1996.)
[Code: 206-GovSX-15]

State Takeovers
Question 16: Some states have taken over the administration of schools in local school districts where the public schools were considered to be doing a poor job. What effect do you think takeover by the state would have on the academic achievement of students in a public school in your community? Do you think their academic achievement would improve, get worse, or do you think it wouldn't have much effect on their academic achievement? (Asked in: 1997.)
[Code: 207-GovSX-16]

Voting: Likelihood of Voting for Candidate Supporting for Education
Question 17: Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for a candidate who says he would increase federal spending for education? (Asked in: 1984.)
[Code: 192-GovVL-17]

Voting: Vouchers and Votes
Question 18: Would knowing that a candidate for national office supports vouchers for parents to use to pay for private schools make you more or less likely to vote for the candidate? (Asked in: 2000.)
[Code: 208-GovVV-18]

Voting: Parties Supporting Education
Question 19: Suppose you were voting solely on the basis of a desire to strengthen the public schools. Who would you vote for in the presidential election this November -- George W. Bush or Al Gore? [(As asked in 2000.)] Suppose you were voting solely on the basis of a desire to strengthen the public schools. Who would you vote for in the presidential election this November -- George W. Bush or John Kerry? [(As asked in 2008.)] Suppose you were voting solely on the basis of a desire to strengthen the public schools. Who would you vote for in the presidential election this November -- John McCain or Barack Obama? [(As asked in 2008.)] Suppose you were voting solely on the basis of a desire to strengthen the public schools. Who would you vote for in the presidential election this November -- Mitt Romney or Barack Obama? [(As asked in 2012.)] (Asked in: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012.)
[Code: 871-GovVV-19]

Question 20: In your opinion, which presidential candidate -- Barack Obama or John McCain -- do you trust to do a better job dealing with the following education issues? Closing the achievement gap between whites and minority students, promoting parental choice, supporting research efforts for developing new curriculum courses and new educational assessment methods, and funding education? (Asked in: 2008.)
[Code: 873-GovVV-20]

Question 21: In your opinion, who should the next president rely most on for advice about education policy -- education leaders, political leaders, or business leaders? (Asked in: 2008.)
[Code: 874-GovVV-21]

Economic Stimulus
Question 22: In January 2009, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more commonly known as the economic stimulus legislation. Would you say you know a great deal, a fair amount, very little, or nothing at all about this legislation? (Asked in: 2009.)
[Code: 886-GovPX-22]

Question 23: As you may know, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides increased funding to education. Which of the following areas in education do you believe should receive the most new funding? (Asked in: 2009.)
[Code: 887-GovPX-23]

Question 24: In 2009, Congress passed the economic stimulus legislation. Some of that money went to support education. Are you aware of whether or not any of this money helped pay for education expenses in your local community?(Asked in: 2010.)
[Code: 893-GovPX-24]

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POLL RESULTS

	National Totals
Year	Very Likely or Somewhat Likely %	Very Likely %	Somewhat Likely %	Not Very Likely %	Not at All Likely %	Don't Know %
2000	64	24	40	18	7	11
1996	59	27	32	23	8	10

	National Totals: 1996
Favor Nonpublic Schools	Republicans %	Democrats %
Very likely to	27	11
Somewhat likely to	32	26
Not very likely to	23	39
Not at all likely to	8	15
Don't know	10	9

	National Totals
Year	Democratic Party %	Republican Party %	No Difference (Volunteered) %	Don't Know %
2012	50	38		15
2008	44	27		29
2004	42	35		23
2000	41	29		30
1996	44	27	15	14
*Less than one-half of 1%.

	National Totals
Year	Distributing Money for Specific Program Activities %	Giving States Flexibility in Determining How to Spend Federal Money %	Don't Know %
2000	23	71	6

	National Totals: 2001
	Favor %	Oppose %	Don't Know %
Increased use of standardized tests for measuring student achievement	55	40	5
Holding the public schools accountable for how much students learn	75	20	5
Giving the states greater authority in deciding how federal funds should be used	77	19	4

	National Totals: 1994
	Favor %	Oppose %	Don't Know %
Assistance with high school students' college expenses in return for performing some kind of public service	81	17	2
Greater emphasis on, including additional money for, work-study vocational programs for high school students who do not plan to go to college	79	20	1
A large increase in funds for early childhood education in those public schools with the highest percentage of children living in poverty	74	22	4
More effort to reach agreement on academic achievement goals for children at various stages of school,without specifying how the schools should reach these goals	63	32	5

Question 7: President Clinton has proposed a tax credit for families with an annual income of $100,000 or less for each first-year college student. The $1,500 tax credit would also apply to the second year if the student maintained a B average and had no conviction for drugs. In general, do you favor or oppose this proposal? (Asked in: 1997.)
[Code: 201-GovPC-7]

	National Totals
Year	Favor %	Oppose %	Don't Know %
1997	82	17	1

	National Totals
Year	Favor %	Oppose %	Don't Know %
1997	66	32	2

	National Totals
Year	Favor %	Oppose %	Don't Know %
1997	57	37	6

	National Totals: 1984
	%
Walter Mondale	42
Ronald Reagan	34
No opinion	24

	National Totals
Year	Clinton Better Job %	Clinton Worse Job %	No Difference (Volunteered) %	Don't Know %
1993	38	33	16	13

	National Totals
Year	Better Job %	Worse Job %	Same/No Difference %	Don't Know %
2001	49	33	6	12

	National Totals
Year	President Clinton %	Republican Congress %	Don't Know %
1996	49	23	28

	National Totals: 1998
	Favor %	Oppose %	Don't Know %
Providing funds to help repair and replace older school buildings	86	13	1
Providing block grants to states, with the states taking the responsibility for some federal programs	73	21	6
Allowing parents to build tax-free accounts that they would use to pay tuition and other expenses at private and church-related schools	68	29	3
Providing funds to be used to reduce class size in grades 1, 2, and 3	80	17	3

	National Totals: 1996
	COMMITTED			NOT COMMITTED
	Total %	Very %	Quite %	Total %	Don't Know %
Teachers	80	45	35	16	4
School board	73	35	38	21	6
Superintendent	70	37	33	20	10
Governor	65	30	35	29	6
State legislators	55	17	38	35	10

	National Totals
Year	Would Improve %	Would Get Worse %	Wouldn't Have Much Effect %	Don't Know %
1997	25	26	43	6

	National Totals
Year	More Likely %	Less Likely %	Don't Know %
1984	66	22	12

	National Totals
Year	More Likely %	Less Likely %	No Difference (Volunteered) %	Don't Know %
2000	41	44	12	3

Voting: Party Support of Education
Question 19: Suppose you were voting solely on the basis of a desire to strengthen the public schools. Who would you vote for in the presidential election this November -- George W. Bush or Al Gore? [(As asked in 2000.)] Suppose you were voting solely on the basis of a desire to strengthen the public schools. Who would you vote for in the presidential election this November -- George W. Bush or John Kerry? [(As asked in 2004.)] Suppose you were voting solely on the basis of a desire to strengthen the public schools. Who would you vote for in the presidential election this November -- John McCain or Barack Obama? [(As asked in 2008.)] Suppose you were voting solely on the basis of a desire to strengthen the public schools. Who would you vote for in the presidential election this November -- Mitt Romney or Barack Obama? [(As asked in 2012.)] (Asked in: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012.)
[Code: 871-GovVV-19]

	National Totals
Year	Mitt Romney %	Barack Obama %	Don't Know %
2012	44	49	8
Year	John McCain %	Barack Obama %	Don't Know %
2008	29	46	25
Year	George W. Bush %	John Kerry %	Don't Know %
2004	41	41	18
Year	George W. Bush %	Al Gore %	Don't Know %
2000	38	37	25

	2008 National Totals
	John McCain %	Barack Obama %	Don't Know %
Closing the achievement gap	18	59	23
Promoting parental choice	32	43	25
Supporting research	25	48	27
Funding education	28	48	24

	2008
	National Totals %	Democrats %	Republicans %
Education leaders	77	83	75
Political leaders	4	5	2
Business leaders	14	9	20
Don't know	5	3	3

	National Totals
Year	A Great Deal %	A Fair Amount %	Very Little %	Nothing At All %	Don't Know %
2009	8	51	35	6	0

	National Totals %
Keep teachers that were planned to be laid off	46
Build new or modernize existing schools buildings	15
Provide more support for the lowest-performing schools	36
Don't know	3

	National Totals
Year	Yes %	No %	Don't Know %
2010	21	71	8

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Last modified August 6, 2012
k_q_government_2.htm