Positive Ratings for the G.O.P., if Not Its Policy (Bush approval: 65%, Gore: 19%)

Three weeks after Republicans captured control of the government, Americans hold favorable views of the party and President Bush, but they are less enthusiastic about some of the policies Republicans are promoting, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

They are ambivalent about tax cuts, concerned about Republican plans for Social Security and strongly opposed to the administration's environmental policies.

At the same time, nearly half of the respondents expressed an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party — the highest percentage with such a view since 1996. Americans said Democrats had failed to offer a plan for the future or a reason to vote against Republicans in this latest campaign, suggesting that the election's outcome was as much a testament to what Democrats did wrong as to what Republicans did right.

In a measure of additional concern for Democrats, Al Gore, who is the best-known Democrat who might run for president in 2004, is viewed unfavorably today by a ratio of almost two to one, despite a weeklong bath of favorable publicity that accompanied his national tour promoting two new books about the American family.

Nearly two-thirds of all respondents, including just over 50 percent of Democrats, said that Mr. Gore should step aside and allow someone else to run against Mr. Bush.

The poll's finding strongly suggests that Mr. Bush's popularity — he has a 65 percent job approval rating — and heavy schedule of campaign appearances contributed to the strong Republican showing on Election Day. Among those who voted Republican, 55 percent described their vote as being cast in support of Mr. Bush; 37 percent of those who voted Democratic described their vote as being against the president.

The Times/CBS News poll was intended to assess the dynamics of the midterm Congressional elections and to compensate for the loss of data caused by the breakdown of the polling system run by the Voter News Service. This poll is not a substitute for that kind of systematic canvassing of voters as they leave voting booths. Nonetheless it offers a picture of public sentiment in the aftermath of an election that rocked the Democrats and put the Republicans in charge of Congress, while leading to assertions by some senior Republicans that the nation was undergoing a political alignment toward their party.

The findings suggest limits to the mandate that some Republicans have claimed for Mr. Bush as a result of the Republican sweep of the November elections. The poll found that the once solidly Democratic South had a higher opinion of the Republican Party than the rest of the nation, reflecting a geographical alignment that both parties have noted over the last 20 years. But it stopped short of suggesting that an ideological transformation was at hand, given respondents' views on what have emerged as touchstone Republican issues this year.

Those polled did not appear to be particularly happy about how the election turned out: just 37 percent described themselves as pleased, compared with 26 percent who said they were disappointed. By contrast, in 1994, the last time Republicans took control of Congress, providing a Republican counterpart to President Bill Clinton's White House, nearly 50 percent of those surveyed described themselves as pleased with the outcome.

As such, the findings appear to be something of a cautionary note to Republicans, particularly at a time when some party members have warned Republican Congressional leaders against moving too aggressively in pushing the party agenda.

The nationwide telephone poll of 996 adults was taken from Wednesday through Sunday. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Mr. Bush remains extremely popular. Still, on a number of issues, there was evidence of public ambivalence or, in some cases, opposition to policies that the White House has signaled it will pursue once Republicans assume control in January.

For example, 55 percent of respondents said they disapproved of the White House effort to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, compared with 39 percent who approved. Nearly two-thirds said the federal government should do more to regulate the environmental and safety practices of business.

By a ratio of two to one, Americans said they thought that protecting the environment was more important than producing energy. By a seven-to-one ratio, respondents said that Mr. Bush believed that producing energy was more important than protecting the environment.

"I don't like what he's doing to the environment, really," said James Stranz, 57, a Republican unemployed laborer from Philadelphia. "I don't think we should be ruining the environment just because big business wants more oil."

Mr. Stranz added, "I support Bush because Bush didn't back down with Afghanistan."

Mr. Bush's enthusiasm for his $1.25 trillion tax cut plan is also not entirely shared by the public. Two-thirds said they would have preferred the federal surplus be used to shore up Social Security and Medicare rather than finance a tax cut. With the surplus gone, 48 percent of those polled said they did not believe it was possible to both cut taxes and reduce the federal budget deficit; 42 percent said they believed it was possible. But the respondents were evenly divided about whether they preferred to focus on reducing the deficit or cutting taxes.

Nearly 60 percent said they believed that Mr. Bush's tax cut benefited the wealthy; just over 25 percent said it benefited the middle class. Four percent said the tax cut primarily benefited the poor. Three-quarters of respondents said that the first round of tax cuts had not made a noticeable difference in their paychecks.

Americans are also evenly divided about whether future retirees should be permitted to invest part of their Social Security taxes in private accounts, as is strongly supported by Mr. Bush and many Congressional Republicans. At the same time, more than half of the respondents said they did not expect the Social Security system to be able to pay them benefits owed by the time they retire.

Despite Mr. Bush's strong standing with the American public, there were glimmers of hope for the Democrats as they begin preparing a case against Mr. Bush for the 2004 presidential race. Respondents were evenly divided when asked if they had confidence about his ability to make the right decisions about the nation's finances.

Just over half said they were confident in Mr. Bush's ability to handle an international crisis, a relatively small increase, considering what the last two years have been like; 45 percent said the same thing when Mr. Bush took office in 2001.

The findings about Mr. Gore would seem unwelcome news to the former vice president and his advisers as he begins what he describes as a final round of deliberations about another run for the presidency. If he chooses to run, he faces what he described in an interview last week as a virtually start-from-scratch round of fund-raising calls, which could be complicated by a perception that he is a weakened candidate.

The poll was taken just as Mr. Gore was riding a wave of nationwide publicity as part of his book promotion tour. Even Mr. Gore's potential rivals predicted that the exposure would improve his standing among the American people.

So far, that appears not to be the case. Just 19 percent said they held a favorable view of the former vice president, compared with 43 percent who had an unfavorable view. The unfavorable rating is among his worst since The New York Times/CBS News Poll began asking the question about him in 1987. Men are more likely than woman to dislike Mr. Gore.

The unfavorable perception of Mr. Gore crossed party lines: about one-third of Democrats viewed him favorably, compared with about one-fifth who viewed him unfavorably. Of potentially more concern to Mr. Gore, just 17 percent of independent voters said they had a favorable opinion of him, compared with 36 percent who described their view as unfavorable.

"I know that Gore is going around now in all these public places and trying to establish an agenda, but I don't believe he can," said Phyllis Snyder, 68, a Democrat from Summit, Ark. "I just don't believe he can win. I think people are tired of Al Gore. I don't they want Al Gore. "

In another follow-up interview, Wayne Denson, 75, a Democrat and retired optician from Kansas City, Mo., said: "I voted for him to start with but now that Bush got elected, I'd rather vote for Bush than Gore. Bush has got more intelligence."

A spokesman for Mr. Gore, Jano Cabrera, said he was not concerned about the findings, saying it was still early in the race. "With two years to go, realistically speaking, none of these measurements mean much," Mr. Cabrera said. "More importantly, Gore realizes that if he runs he will be starting from scratch and will have to earn every vote."

Complete Results

This New York Times/CBS News poll is based on telephone interviews conducted Nov. 20 to 24 with 996 adults throughout United States. An asterisk indicates registered respondents only.

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as President?


                Approve    Disapprove    DK/NA
2/10-12/01 CBS    53           21         26
3/8-12/01         60           22         18
4/4-5/01 CBS      53           35         12
4/23-25/01 CBS    56           29         15
5/10-12/01 CBS    57           30         13
6/14-18/01        53           34         13
8/28-31/01 CBS    50           38         12
9/11-12/01 CBS    72           15         13
9/13-14/01        84            9          8 
9/20-23/01        89            7          5
10/25-28/01       87            8          5
12/7-10/01        86            9          4
1/5-6/02 CBS      84           10          6
1/15-17/02 CBS    82           11          7
1/21-24/02        82           12          6
2/24-26/02 CBS    78           14          8
4/1-2/02 CBS      77           17          6
4/28-5/1/02       73           18          9
5/13-14/02 CBS    77           16          7
5/19-20/02 CBS    71           18         11        
6/18-20/02 CBS    70           20         10
7/8-9/02 CBS      74           19          6
7/13-16/02        70           20          9
7/22-23/02 CBS    65           27          8
8/6-7/02 CBS      66           25          9            
9/2-5/02          63           28          9
9/22-23/02 CBS    66           27          7    
10/3-6/02         63           29          8
10/27-31/02       62           28         10
11/20-24/02       65           27          9

1. Do you feel things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track?


             Right direction     Wrong track    DK/NA
1/83 1            34                 59           7     
6/83 NYT 1        47                 44           9     
11/83 NYT 1       47                 43          10     
9/85 1            46                 44          11     
1/91              57                 31          12
3/91              51                 42           7
10/91             33                 60           7
11/94 CBS         30                 65           5 
12/95 NYT         25                 64          10
9/96              44                 47           9
9/96 CBS          41                 48          11
12/96 NYT         39                 51          11
3/97 2            34                 62           4
6/97 2            37                 60           3
8/97 3            39                 57           4
1/98 2            44                 50           6
1/98 4            61                 34           5
2/98              54                 36           9
10/98A            46                 47           7
10/98B            52                 42           7
5/00              48                 44           7
3/8-12/01         40                 54           6
4/23-25/01 CBS    37                 58           5
6/14-18/01        42                 53           5
10/25-28/01       61                 29          10
12/7-10/01        64                 27          10
1/24-27/02        52                 35          12
7/13-16/02        42                 48          10
7/22-23/02 CBS    39                 53           8
8/6-7/02 CBS      41                 51           8
9/2-5/02          43                 49           8
10/3-6/02         42                 48          10
10/27-31/02       41                 52           8
11/20-24/02       41                 49          10

1 Question read: "Do you feel things in this country are generally going in the right direction today, or do you feel things have gotten off on the wrong track?"
2 ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Question read: Do you think things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?
3 ABC News Poll. Question read: Do you think things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?
4 Washington Post Poll, conducted 1/28-31, after the Lewinsky scandal broke.

3. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling foreign policy?


                Approve    Disapprove    DK/NA
3/8-12/01         52          18          30
4/4-5/01 CBS      48          34          18
4/23-25/01 CBS    53          31          16
5/10-12/01 CBS    53          24          23
6/14-18/01        47          31          22
10/25-28/01       74          16          10
12/07-10/01       75          13          12
1/15-17/02 CBS    73          14          13
1/21-24/02        70          14          16
2/24-26/02 CBS    65          22          13
4/1-2/02 CBS      65          23          12
4/15-18/02 CBS    62          26          12
5/13-14-02 CBS    63          25          12
5/19-20/02 CBS    63          25          12
6/18-20/02 CBS    59          27          14
7/8-9/02 CBS      64          23          13
7/13-16/02        68          22          10
9/2-5/02          54          36          11            
9/22-23/02 CBS    58          34           8
10/3-6/02         57          33          11
10/27-31/02       54          34          12
11/20-24/02       54          33          13

4. How about the economy? Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling the economy?


                Approve    Disapprove    DK/NA
3/8-12/01         55           28         17
4/4-5/01 CBS      47           40         13
4/23-25/01 CBS    44           39         17
5/10-12/01 CBS    46           37         17
6/14-18/01        50           38         12
10/25-28/01       64           25         11
12/7-10/01        61           26         13
1/5-6/02 CBS      59           29         12
1/15-17/02 CBS    57           31         12
1/21-24/02        56           33         11
2/24-26/02 CBS    54           37          9
5/13-14/02 CBS    52           38         10
6/18-20/02 CBS    56           36          8
7/8-9/02 CBS      56           35          9
7/13-16/02        52           37         11
7/22-23/02 CBS    44           45         11
8/6-7/02 CBS      45           44         11
9/2-5/02          47           42         11
9/22-23/02 CBS    49           41         10
10/3-6/02         41           46         13
10/27-31/02       46           43         12
11/20-24/02       45           45         10

5. How would you rate the condition of the national economy these days? Is it very good, fairly good, fairly bad or very bad?


        V.gd  F. Gd  F.bd   V.bd DK/NA                V.gd  F. Gd  F.bd   V.bd DK/NA
1/87       5    55    26     11   3    10/95             3    54    32     10   1
10/87      4    54    26     13   3    12/95             4    54    27     13   2
10/87B     4    49    26     17   5    1/96              2    49    33     14   2
11/87      4    50    29     15   2    2/96              3    50    30     15   3
1/88       5    55    33      6   3    4/96              3    53    29     13   2
2/88       4    50    30     13   3    6/96              2    53    32     11   2
9/88A*     6    60    19     12   2    6/96B             4    56    30      9   1
10/88C     7    56    24     11   2    7/96              5    56    27     10   
11/88B     6    57    25     10   2    8/96              5    58    23     10   3
8/90       1    45    36     16   2    9/96              5    64    23      7   1
10/90      1    29    42     25   2    10/96             6    66    19      6   2 
10/90B     1    32    47     19   2    10/96C            6    61    21     10   3
1/91       1    37    39     20   3    11/96             6    64    21      6   2
3/91       1    44    42     11   2    12/96             6    61    22      8   3
4/91       2    40    41     16   2    1/97              7    64    23      5   1
6/91       1    41    40     17   2    4/97              6    62    24      7   1
10/91D     1    31    45     20   3    6/97             12    62    17      6   3
11/91      1    23    41     32   2    7/97             11    62    18      8   1
1/92A      -    17    47     35   1    11/97            14    63    16      5   2 
1/92B      1    20    46     32   1    12/97            17    63    15      4   2
2/92A      1    16    38     42   2    1/98             16    67    13      3   1
2/92B      1    16    40     41   1    2/98             21    67     9      3   1
3/92       1    18    39     40   1    8/11-13/98       21    66     8      3   2
4/92       1    23    40     34   1    8/19-20/98       25    61     9      3   2 
7/92       -    21    41     37   1    10/98A           16    65    15      3   2 
8/92A      1    20    40     38   1    10/98B           16    68    11      3   2
9/92A      1    19    37     39   3    2/00             28    60     8      3   1
10/92A     1    18    42     37   2    5/00             29    58     7      4   2
10/92C     2    21    40     37   1    9/00D*           26    64     7      2   1
10/92D     2    21    40     36   2    10/00            25    60     9      4   3
10/92E     1    22    39     36   2    11/00            26    63     7      3   2
12/92      1    31    39     28   2    12/00 CBS        21    65    10      3   1
1/93       1    34    41     22   2    1/01 CBS         14    70    11      4  10 
2/93       2    33    36     26   3    2/01 CBS          7    65    20      6   2
3/93       1    33    41     22   2    3/8-12/01         6    68    19      5   2
6/93A      1    29    43     25   2    4/01A CBS         3    65    24      6   2
6/93B      1    33    40     23   2    4/01B CBS         3    58    29      7   3
8/93       3    28    45     23   1    5/01 CBS          4    64    23      7   2
9/93       1    31    44     23   1    6/14-18/01        3    67    22      6   2
11/93      2    40    38     18   2    9/20-23/01        3    50    33     11   2
12/93      1    43    39     15   2    10/25-28/01       3    53    33      9   2
12/93      1    43    39     15   2    12/07-10/01       3    52    35      8   2
1/94       2    45    38     14   1    1/5-6/02 CBS      3    49    36      8   4
1/94       1    49    34     14   1    1/15-17/02 CBS    2    49    36     11   2
2/94       2    50    34     12   2    1/21-24/02        2    50    36     10   1
4/94       3    51    33     11   2    2/24-26/02 CBS    1    52    38      7   2
6/94       3    51    32     11   3    5/13-14/02 CBS    4    62    27      7   -
7/94       3    50    35     11   1    6/18-20/02 CBS    3    56    30      9   2
9/94       2    51    33     13   2    7/8-9/02 CBS      3    53    31     12   2
9/94       3    50    34     11   2    7/13-16/02        2    47    36     13   2
11/94      2    53    33     10   1    7/22-23/02 CBS    3    42    39     14   2
1/95       3    57    28     11   1    8/6-7/02 CBS      2    45    38     13   2 
2/95       5    53    29     12   2    9/2-5/02          3    47    36     14   1 
3/95       3    52    29     13   3    9/22-23/02 CBS    3    48    37     10   2
7/95       3    58    26     11   2    10/3-6/02         4    39    42     14   2
10/27-31/02       1    44    38     15   1
11/20-24/02       2    46    37     13   2

6. Do you think the economy is getting better, getting worse, or staying about the same?


         Better Worse Same DK/NA                    Better Worse Same DK/NA
9/76        25    30   41    4      8/93 CBS          12     30   56    2
10/76A      18    36   44    2      9/93              14     26   58    1   
10/76B      22    35   39    3      11/93             19     24   57    1   
1/77        16    27   54    3      1/94              31     17   51    1    
4/77        18    31   48    4      4/94              24     25   50    1    
7/77        22    22   52    4      7/94              22     21   56    1    
1/78        17    34   45    4      9/94              23     27   50    1    
4/78        12    48   38    2      1/94              20     26   53    1    
6/78         9    58   31    2      1/95 CBS          24     22   53    1    
9/78         9    55   34    2      2/95              27     20   53    1    
1/79         7    59   31    3      3/95              18     27   53    2    
6/79         3    72   22    3      8/95              14     27   58    1    
11/79        5    70   24    1      10/95             13     27   57    2    
4/80         2    81   16    1      2/95              16     26   56    2    
10/80A      14    46   37    4      1/96              13     31   54    2    
11/80        8    58   33    2      2/96              14     29   55    2    
1/81         4    58   35    3      4/96              14     32   53    2    
3/82        16    48   34    2      6/96              13     29   57    1    
1/83        21    39   39    1      6/96 NYT          18     22   58    1    
10/86*      19    27   52    1      7/96              16     27   55    2    
10/87A      12    37   47    3      8/96C             17     23   57    3    
10/87BNYT   11    39   46    4      9/96              23     21   54    2    
11/87       11    41   46    3      10/96             26     19   53    2    
1/88        12    35   51    2      11/96             24     19   55    2    
5/88        21    34   42    3      12/96             19     21   57    2    
9/88*       15    27   56    2      1/97              24     19   56    1    
10/88A*     17    27   53    3      4/97              16     25   57    1    
10/88A*     17    27   53    2      7/97 CBS          27     20   52    1    
11/88B      14    25   58    2      11/97 CBS         23     19   55    3    
1/90         8    36   53    2      12/97             29     18   51    2    
8/90         4    55   40    1      1/98              32     13   55    1    
10/90        2    69   28    2      10/98A            20     26   53    2   
10/90B       3    67   28    1      10/98B            23     21   53    2   
1/91 CBS     7    46   45    2      2/00              30     15   52    2  
2/91 CBS     8    41   45    6      1/01 CBS          11     39   49    1    
3/91        19    32   47    2      2/01 CBS           8     46   44    2    
4/91        18    33   47    2      3/8-12/01          7     41   49    2
6/91        23    29   47    1      4/01A CBS         10     43   44    3    
10/91D      14    40   44    2      4/01B CBS          9     48   41    2
11/91        8    44   46    2      5/01 CBS          10     44   44    2
1/92A        8    47   44    1      6/14-18/01         9     40   50    1 
1/92B        9    45   44    1      9/20-23/01         8     55   35    2    
2/92B       13    38   48    1      10/25-28/01       14     37   46    2
3/92        20    26   53    1      12/07-10/01       19     34   45    2 
4/92        18    31   50    1      1/5-6/02CBS       26     27   44    3
7/92        12    33   54    1      1/15-17/02CBS     20     33   45    2
8/92A       10    36   53    1      1/21-24/02        18     33   48    1
9/92A       10    33   55    2      5/13-14/02 CBS    31     18   51    -
10/92A       9    38   51    1      7/13-16/02        14     41   44    2
10/92C      12    37   49    2      10/3-5/02         13     39   46    2
10/92D      17    33   48    2      10/27-31/02       17     34   48    1    
10/92E      17    32   49    2      11/20-24/02       19     30   50    2
12/92       29    17   51    3
1/93        26    18   55    1        
2/93        32    15   51    2        
3/93        21    19   58    2
6/93A       13    26   60    1

ROTATE BETWEEN QUESTIONS 7 AND 8.

7. In general, is your opinion of the Republican party favorable or not favorable?


           Fav  Not fav  DK/NA                   Fav  Not fav  DK/NA
11/84A*     59     32      8    1/97              50     41      9
11/84B      60     31      9    10/98B            45     46      8
12/85 NYT   58     29     14    12/98             42     51      8
11/88B      57     34     10    12/17             33     57     10
1/90        63     28      9    12/19             36     59      5
4/90        58     34      8    12/20             36     58      6
6/91        62     28     10    1/99 CBS          38     55      7
5/92 CBS    46     45      9    1/99 CBS          42     49      9
6/92        49     43      8    1/99              41     52      8
7/92*       46     47      7    2/99 CBS          40     49     11
8/92*       47     48      5    6/99 CBS          41     47     12
1/94        52     36     12    9/99 CBS          43     45     12
9/94        52     36     10    11/99             48     43      9
11/94       54     39      7    2/00              49     41     10
11/94 CBS   59     33      8    5/00*             53     40      8
1/95 CBS    53     38      9    7/00B*            54     41      5
2/95        54     37      8    9/00D*            49     44      7
4/95        54     40      6    11/00L            49     44      7
8/95        54     37      9    3/8-12/01         54     39      7
4/96*       43     51      7    6/14-18/01        46     47      8
8/96*       46     47      7    8/28-31/01 CBS    46     47      8
8/96B* CBS  47     43     10    1/21-24/02        58     33      9
8/96C*      52     42      6    7/13-16/02        53     38      8
8/96D* CBS  48     43      9    10/3-5/02         53     39      8
9/96*       48     44      7    10/27-31/02       54     35     11
11/20-24/02       51     39     10

8. In general, is your opinion of the Democratic party favorable or not favorable?


           Fav   Not fav   DK/NA                  Fav   Not fav   DK/NA 
11/84A*     46     43       11    1/97             55     39        7
12/85 NYT   59     27       14    12/98            56     36        8
11/88B      54     36       10    12/17            56     35        8
1/90        58     32       10    12/19            65     31        5
4/90        54     35       11    12/20            60     34        5
6/91        52     34       13    1/99 CBS         61     32        7
5/92 CBS    46     43       10    1/99 CBS         55     36        9
6/92        49     40       11    1/99             56     37        6
7/92*       49     43        8    2/99             57     32       11
8/92*       57     37        6    6/99             51     36       13
1/94        49     40       12    9/99             53     37       10
9/94        48     44        8    11/99            52     39        9
11/94       44     48        8    2/00             61     31        9
11/94 CBS   40     52        8    5/00*            54     40        6
1/95 CBS    47     47        6    7/00B*           56     39        5
2/95        47     45        8    9/00D*           58     36        6
4/95        48     45        7    11/00L           56     37        7
8/95        47     45        8    3/8-12/01        55     38        7
4/96*       46     47        6    6/14-18/01       56     36        9
8/96*       55     39        6    8/28-31/01 CBS   53     40        7
8/96B* CBS  52     39        9    1/21-24/02       58     34        8
8/96C*      53     40        6    7/13-16/02       53     36       11
8/96D* CBS  57     36        7    10/3-5/02        53     39        8 
9/96*       56     39        5    10/27-31/02      55     36        9
11/20-24/02      45     44       11

ROTATE BETWEEN QUESTIONS 9 AND 10.

9. Do you think the Democrats have a clear plan for the country, or don't the Democrats have a clear plan for the country?


                Yes    No    DK/NA
10/27-31/02*1    31    49     20
11/20-24/02      31    52     17

1 VARIED WORDING: Regardless of how you intend to vote, do you think the Democrats have a clear plan for the country if they gain control of Congress this fall, or don't the Democrats have a clear plan for the country?

10. Do you think the Republicans have a clear plan for the country, or don't the Republicans have a clear plan for the country?


                Yes    No    DK/NA
10/27-31/02*1    42    39     18
11/20-24/02      46    39     15

1 VARIED WORDING: REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU INTEND TO VOTE, DO YOU THINK THE REPUBLICANS HAVE A CLEAR PLAN FOR THE COUNTRY IF THEY GAIN CONTROL OF CONGRESS THIS FALL, OR DON'T THE REPUBLICANS HAVE A CLEAR PLAN FOR THE COUNTRY?

VOTE 2002 Did you vote for U.S. House of Representatives in the elections held earlier this month, did something prevent you from voting, or did you choose not to vote for U.S. House of Representatives this month?

IF VOTED, ASK: In the election for U.S. House of Representatives, did you vote for the Republican candidate or the Democratic candidate in your district?


              Rep.   Dem.   Other   Didn't vote   DK/NA
11/20-24/02    24     25      2        48           2

QUESTIONS 11-14 ASKED OF THOSE WHO VOTED IN 2002.

11. Do you think there are any important differences in what the Democratic and Republican parties stand for?


                     Yes    No    DK/NA
8/2-7/80              40    43     17 
9/10-14/80            49    38     13
11/7-12/80            43    45     12
4/22-26/81            47    44      9
11/10-16/88           58    36      6
10/28-31/90           53    39      8
5/27-30/92 CBS        52    40      8
1/10-20/95 CBS        63    31      6
9/8-10/88 CBS         60    32      8         
11/20-24/02 VTD 02    77    18      5

IF ANSWERED AYES@ TO QUESTION 11, ASK:

12. What's the most important difference in what the Democratic and Republican parties stand for?


11/20-24/02            
For/Not for the people        11
For the rich/For the poor      9
Ideology                      24
Government spending            8
Domestic programs              3
Economy                       10
Social programs                7
Taxes                          6
Abortion                       3    
Military/Defense policy        2
Terrorism/National security    1
Other                          5
DK/NA                         11

ASK EITHER QUESTION 13 OR 14.

13. Did you think of your vote for Congress this fall as a vote for George W. Bush, a vote against George W. Bush, or didn't you think of your vote this fall as being about George W. Bush=s presidency?


                     For    Against
                     GWB      GWB    Bush not a factor  DK/NA
11/20-24/02 VTD 02    35       17          43             5

VARIED WORDING: DO YOU THINK OF YOUR VOTE FOR CONGRESS THIS FALL AS A VOTE FOR GEORGE W. BUSH, OR AS A VOTE AGAINST GEORGE W. BUSH, OR ISN'T GEORGE W. BUSH MUCH OF A FACTOR IN YOUR VOTE FOR CONGRESS?


               FOR    AGAINST
               GWB      GWB    BUSH NOT A FACTOR    WON'T VOTE(VOL.)  DK/NA
7/13-16/02*     26      16           51                     1           6
10/3-5/02*      32      20           40                     1           7
10/27-31/02*    31      19           40                                10

14. Did you think of your vote for Congress this fall as a vote for George W. Bush's policies, a vote against George W. Bush's policies, or didn't you think of your vote this fall as being about George W. Bush's policies?


                   For GWB     Against     GWB Policies        
                   Policies    Policies    not a factor    DK/NA
11/20-24/02 VTD 02    30          24           37            8

15. If George W. Bush is renominated as the Republican Party's nominee for president in 2004, do you think you will probably vote for George W. Bush, or vote for the Democratic candidate, or don't you know yet?


              Bush    Dem. candidate    Don't know yet    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    32          18                 47            2

16. Do you think the Democrats should give Al Gore another chance to run and nominate him for President in 2004, or do you think the Democrats should nominate someone new in 2004?


       Gore another chance    Someone new    Deprends(vol)    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    27                 62               3            9

17. When the new Congress begins in January, which party will have more seats -- the Republicans or the Democrats?


           Republicans    Democrats    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    78             8         14

18. In general, are you pleased or disappointed with the outcome of the November elections for Congress, or don't you care much one way or the other?


                 Pleased    Disappointed    Don't care much    DK/NA
11/27-28/94 CBS    49          24                  20            7
11/16-17/98 CBS    42          22                  27            9
11/20-24/02        37          26                  31            6

19. Which one issue was most important issue in deciding who to vote for for U.S. House of Representatives?


                   10/27-31/02* 11/20-24/02    
Health Care/MEDICARE    2            3
Social Security         2            2
Education              11            4
Taxes                   5            3
Economy                15           10
Defense                 3            1
Foreign Policy          2            3
Jobs                    4            -
Abortion                2            3
War                     7            2
Politicians/Government  5            2
Osama Bin Laden         -          
Terrorism general       2          
Campaign                2          
Other                  20           31
DK/NA                  18           36

20. Do you think it is better for the country to have a President who comes from the same political party that controls Congress, or do you think it is better to have a President from one political party and the Congress controlled by another?


            Better when    Better when       
            same party   different parties   DK/NA
9/89            35            34              20
9/92*           47            31              22
8/95            41            38              21
1/96            43            37              20
1/96*           43            37              20
4/96            46            34              20
4/96*           50            31              19
6/96            44            33              23
6/96*           45            32              23
6/96B*          49            31              20
7/96*           43            34              22
10/3-5/02*      38            44              18
10/27-31/02*    38            44              18
11/20-24/02     36            41              24

21. Is your opinion of George W. Bush favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough about George W. Bush yet to have an opinion?


                  Fav.     Not Fav.  Undecided    DK enough  Refused
4/99 CBS           40       13         23            24        
6/99 CBS*          38       17         22            22           1
7/99 CBS*          32       16         21            30           1
9/99 CBS*          31       17         24            27           1
10/99 CBS*         27       19         30            24      
11/99*             34       24         25            17           -
12/99* CBS         37       26         21            16           -
2/00*              32       33         22            12           1     
3/00* CBS          42       32         20             5           1
4/00* CBS          35       30         21            12           2
5/00*              40       28         21            10           1
7/00*              40       29         18            13           1
7/00B*             44       26         19            10           1
8/00* CBS          48       22         17            12           1
8/00* CBS          45       27         17            10           1  
9/00A*             42       28         19             9           1
9/00D*             43       30         19             9           -
10/00* CBS         44       30         16             8           2
10/00*             49       30         14             5           2
10/00* CBS         48       33         12             5           2
11/00*             48       32         14             5           1
11/00L*            45       36         13             4           2
1/15-17/01 CBS     44       30         17             8           1
2/10-12/01 CBS     42       24         16            16           2
3/8-12/01          42       19         17            21           -
4/4-5/01 CBS       40       29         13            17           1
4/23-25/01 CBS     41       26         18            13           2
6/14-18/01         37       29         16            18           -   
8/28-31/01 CBS     40       29         17            13           1
7/13-16/02         64       21         13             2           1
11/20-24/02        55       25         14             6           1

22. Is your opinion of Al Gore favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough about Al Gore yet to have an opinion?


               Favorable  Not fav.  Undecided  DK enough  Refused
5/87                 5        6            13       75       1
10/87                9        9            16       66
11/87                8       10            18       63       1
7/92*               29        6            19       45       1
8/92A*              44       10            16       30       1
8/92B*              39       11            20       29       1
8/92D*              36       14            20       30       -
8/92E*              40       12            19       28       1
9/92A*              39       13            20       27       1
10/92A*             43       16            19       23       -
10/92C*             40       25            16       19       1
10/92D*             43       24            16       16       -
10/92E*             43       26            16       14       -
1/93*               40        7            19       33       1
2/93*               32       12            12       44       -
11/93*              48       17            19       15       1
1/94 CBS            32       15            22       30       1
1/94*               42       15            19       24       1
2/95*               48       24            18       10       -
4/96*               32       21            23       23       -
8/96*               39       18            22       20       1
8/96B* CBS          32       26            24       17       1
8/96C*              35       26            19       18       1
8/96D* CBS          34       24            21       20       1
9/96*               43       24            18       14       1
10/96*              45       26            18       10       1
10/96C*             47       27            15       11       1
11/96*              43       27            17       13       1
1/97                41       12            19       27       1     
3/97 CBS            29       18            20       31       2
4/97                25       21            19       35       1  
5/97 CBS            29       18            19       33       1
8/97 CBS            38       21            24       15       2
9/97 CBS            21       24            21       32       -
11/97 CBS           31       30            26       13       -
12/97               19       24            24       32       1
1/98B               35       20            26       18       1
2/98                22       17            17       43       1
4/98                29       22            20       29       -
7/98 CBS            25       19            21       34       1
8/11-13             29       22            20       29       -
8/19-20             24       19            20       36       1
9/98 CBS            22       19            22       35       2 
9/12 CBS            23       20            22       34       1
9/13                25       23            18       34       1
9/14                23       21            18       37       1
9/98B               24       21            20       34       1
11/98 CBS           22       21            20       35       2
12/98               23       21            20       35       1
12/19               24       21            24       31       -
12/20               27       20            21       31       1
1/99 CBS            24       19            24       32       1
1/99 CBS            21       19            19       41       -
1/99                20       20            23       35       2  
2/99 CBS            23       21            21       34       1
4/99 CBS            18       22            23       36       1
6/99 CBS*           17       25            23       33       2
7/99 CBS*           19       27            25       28       1
8/99 CBS*           18       27            23       30       2
10/99 CBS*          22       34            24       19       1
11/99*              25       38            26       11       1
12/99* CBS          24       39            23       13       1
2/00*               30       35            24       11       - 
3/00* CBS           34       40            20        5       1
4/00* CBS           34       35            21        9       1
5/00*               34       36            20        9       1
7/00*               35       34            20       10       1
7/00B*              36       35            18        9       2
8/00* CBS           33       32            20       14       1
8/00* CBS           45       27            16       10       2
9/00A*              44       29            17        9       1
9/00D*              49       28            17        5       1
10/00* CBS          46       31            16        6       1
10/00*              46       35            13        4       1
10/00* CBS          45       37            11        5       2
11/00*              45       38            12        4       1
11/00L*             41       41            12        4       2
12/9-10/00 CBS      51       35            11        1       2
12/14-16/00 CBS     44       39            15        2        
1/15-17/01 CBS      44       40            13        2       1
3/8-12/01           37       39            14        9       1
8/28-31/01 CBS      31       33            21       14       1
11/20-24/02         19       43            24       14       -

23. In January, the Republican party will take over control of both houses of Congress. Do you think under Republican control of Congress, the United States will be more secure against terrorist attacks than it is now, less secure, or will the United States be about as secure against terrorist attacks as it is now?


              More  Less   About as it is now   DK/NA
11/20-24/02    29     8             55            8

24. With Republicans in control of Congress, will the nation's economy get better, get worse, or stay about the same?


           Get better    Get worse   Stay about the same   DK/NA
11/20-24/02    28           23                40             9

25. With Republicans in control of Congress, do you think your taxes will increase, decrease, or stay about the same?


            Increase    Decrease    Stay about the same    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    40         14                  40             6

WITH THE REPUBLICANS IN CONTROL OF BOTH THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE U.S. SENATE, DO YOU THINK YOUR TAXES WILL GO UP, GO DOWN, OR STAY ABOUT THE SAME?


                   UP    DOWN    STAY ABOUT THE SAME   DK/NA
11/27-28/94 CBS    42      9             46              5

26. With Republicans in control of Congress, do you think your family's financial situation will get better, get worse, or stay about the same?


             Better    Worse    Stay about the same    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    20        21             54               5

27. With Republicans in control of Congress, do you think big business will have more influence in Washington, less influence, or will big business have about the same amount of influence as it does now?


         More influence    Less    Same as now    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    44            6         44           6

28. With Republicans in control of Congress, do you think the federal courts will become more conservative, less conservative, or will the federal courts remain about the same as they are now?


       More conservative    Less    Same as now    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    42             6         46           6

29. With Republicans in control of Congress, do you think war with Iraq is more likely, less likely, or about the same as it is now?


          More likely    Less    About the same    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    55          4           38            4

30. How much do you think George W. Bush cares about the needs and problems of people like you -- a lot, some, not much or none at all?


             A Lot    Some    Not Much    None at all    DK/NA
3/8-12/01      33      34        20            11          1  
6/14-18/01     23      37        21            16          3
1/21-24/02     34      42        16             7          1     
11/20-24/02    32      32        22            12          2

VARIED WORDING: DO YOU THINK GEORGE W. BUSH CARES ABOUT THE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF?


                 YES    NO    DK/NA
7/00B*            55    36      9          
8/00* CBS         58    32     10
8/00* CBS         54    37      9
9/00A*            49    41     10
9/00D*            53    39      9
10/00* CBS        52    39      9
10/00*            55    37      8           
11/00*            53    37     10
1/15-17/01 CBS    53    38      9
2/10-12/01 CBS    56    36      8
1/5-6/02 CBS      53    38      9
1/15-17/02 CBS    68    25      7
6/18-20/02 CBS    61    33      6
7/13-16/02        68    27      4

31. How much do you think George W. Bush cares about the needs and problems of blacks -- a lot, some, not much or none at all?


             A lot    Some    Not much    None at all    DK/NA
3/8-12/01      30      31        22            11          5  
6/14-18/01     18      37        19            15         11
11/20-24/02    27      35        20            11          7

VARIED WORDING: DO YOU THINK GEORGE W. BUSH CARES ABOUT THE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF BLACKS AND OTHER MINORITIES?


            YES    NO    DK/NA
8/00 CBS*    55    28     17
2/01 CBS     54    33     13

32. Do you have confidence in George W. Bush=s ability to deal wisely with an international crisis, or are you uneasy about his approach?


              Confidence      Uneasy      DK/NA
7/00B*            46            44          9
8/00* CBS         46            41         13
8/00* CBS         46            43         11
9/00*             46            44         10
10/00* CBS        40            47         13
10/00*            45            46         10
11/00*            46            47          7
1/15-17/01        45            45         10
2/10-12/01        43            45         12
3/8-12/01         52            40          7
4/4-5/01 CBS      48            46          6
4/23-25/01 CBS    47            47          6
6/14-18/01        42            52          6 
11/20-24/02       53            43          5

33. Do you have confidence in George W. Bush's ability to make the right decisions about the nation's economy, or are you uneasy about his approach?


           Confidence    Uneasy    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    47          48        5

VARIED WORDING: HOW MUCH CONFIDENCE DO YOU HAVE IN GEORGE W. BUSH'S ABILITY TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS ABOUT THE NATION'S ECONOMY -- A LOT, SOME, NOT MUCH, OR NONE AT ALL?


            A LOT    SOME    NOT MUCH    NONE AT ALL    DK/NA
1/21-24/02    39      42        13            5           1

34. Do you think of George W. Bush as more of a liberal, a moderate, or a conservative?


               Liberal    Moderate  Conservative    DK/NA
11/99*           13          35         38           14
2/00*            15          33         37           16
5/00*             8          34         43           15
7/00B*           14          27         46           13
8/00* CBS        12          26         48           14
8/00* CBS        11          28         47           14
9/00A*           10          29         46           15
9/00D*           10          26         51           12
10/00*           10          27         52           12
1/15-17/01 CBS    9          31         48           12
3/8-12/01        11          30         49           10
6/14-15/01       13          24         53           10
1/21-24/02       11          41         41            8 
11/20-24/02      13          29         47           12

35. Do you think the religious right has too much influence, too little influence, or the right amount of influence in the Bush administration?


            Too much   Too little   Right amount   No influence(vol.)   DK/NA
3/8-12/01      22         19             31                2             27  
11/20-24/02    22         20             39                2             16

36. How much have you heard or read about the tax cuts which were enacted in 2001 - a lot, some, or not much so far?


             A lot    Some    Not much so far    DK/NA    
11/20-24/02    15      34           50             1

37. In general, do you think the tax cuts were a good idea or a bad idea, or don't you know enough about the tax cuts to say?


           Good idea    Bad    Don't know enough    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    23        20            55             2

38. Have the tax cuts made a significant difference in the amount of money you have after taxes, or not?


   Have made a difference    Have not    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    17               74         9

39. Do you think the government can reduce the federal budget deficit, and cut taxes at the same time?


              Can    Cannot    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    42      48       10

VARIED WORDING: DO YOU THINK THE GOVERNMENT CAN REDUCE THE FEDERAL BUDGET DEFICIT AND CUT TAXES FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS AT THE SAME TIME, OR NOT?


        CAN    CANNOT    DK/NA
4/95     44      50        6
1/96     34      56       10
5/96     45      47        8
8/96     49      44        7
8/96*    50      44        7

40. If you had to choose, would you prefer reducing the federal budget deficit or cutting taxes?


             Reducing deficit    Cutting taxes    DK/NA
2/95               55                 40            5
10/95              60                 35            4
1/96*              71                 24            5
8/96*              55                 39            5
8/96*              55                 39            5
8/96B* CBS         55                 39            6
8/96C*             55                 41            4
9/96*              57                 35            8
10/10-13/96*       51                 43            6
10/27-29/96 CBS    55                 41            4
11/20-24/02        45                 44           11

ASK EITHER QUESTION 41 OR 42.

41. Overall, do you think the tax cuts enacted 17 months ago have been good for the nation's economy, bad for the economy, or haven't they made much difference one way or the other?


       Good for economy    Bad    Haven't made difference    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    20           12              61                 7

42. Overall, do you think the tax cuts enacted 17 months ago by George W. Bush have been good for the nation's economy, bad for the economy, or haven't they made much difference one way or the other?


       Good for economy    Bad    Haven't made difference    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    20           12              61                 7

RELATED QUESTION: DO YOU THINK THE RECENT TAX CUTS WILL BE GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY, BAD FOR THE ECONOMY OR DOn't YOU THINK THEY'LL MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER?


             GOOD  BAD  WON'T MAKE DIFFERENCE   DK/NA
6/14-18/01    32    13          50                5
1/21-24/02    28    13          56                3

ASK EITHER QUESTION 43 OR 44.

43. From what you have heard so far, who do you think has benefitted the most from the tax cuts -- rich people, poor people or middle income people?


11/20-24/02
Rich              62
Poor               3
Middle income     20
Everybody(vol.)    3
No one(vol.)       1
DK/NA             10

44. From what you=ve heard so far, who do you think has benefitted the most from George W. Bush=s tax cut plan ---- rich people, poor people or middle income people?


11/20-24/02
Rich               57
Poor                4
Middle income      26
Everybody(vol.)     3
No one(vol.)        1
DK/NA               9

RELATED QUESTION: FROM WHAT YOU=VE HEARD SO FAR, WHO DO YOU THINK WOULD BENEFIT THE MOST FROM GEORGE W. BUSH'S TAX CUT ---- RICH PEOPLE, POOR PEOPLE, OR MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE?


                     2/10-12/01 CBS       3/8-12/01
RICH                         57            58            
POOR                          3             5
MIDDLE INCOME                25            24
RICH AND POOR (VOL.)          1             -
RICH AND MIDDLE (VOL.)        1             1
POOR AND MIDDLE (VOL.)        0             -
ALL THREE/EVERYBODY (VOL.)    7              7
NO ONE (VOL.)                 0             -
DK/NA                         6             5

ASK EITHER QUESTION 45 OR 46.

45. The tax cuts passed in 2001 are scheduled to take effect over a nine year period and then taxes will go back to where they were before the tax cuts. Which comes closer to your view 1) The country should continue cutting taxes right now and should consider making all the tax cuts permanent or 2)The country should not continue to cut taxes right now and not consider making the tax cuts permanent?


      Continue to cut and    Not continue to cut    Cut not
         Make permanent       and not permanent     perm(vol)   DK/NA
11/20-24/02    45                    44                 1        10

46. The Bush tax cuts passed in 2001 are scheduled to take effect over a nine year period and then taxes will go back to where they were before the tax cuts. Which comes closer to your view 1) The country should continue cutting taxes right now and should consider making all the Bush tax cuts permanent or 2)The country should not continue to cut taxes right now and not consider making the Bush tax cuts permanent?


      Continue to cut and    Not continue to cut    Cut not
         Make permanent       and not permanent     perm(vol)   DK/NA
11/20-24/02    37                    52                 2        10

47. When the tax cuts were passed, there was a budget surplus. Do you think using a significant portion of the budget surplus to cut taxes was the best thing to do or would it have been better to have spent the money on programs like Social Security and Medicare?


           Tax cut was   Better used for
           best thing    Social Security    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    23              69             8

48. When it comes to regulating the environmental and safety practices of business, do you think the federal government is doing enough, should it do more, or should it do less?


             Enough    Do more    Do less   DK/NA
2/96           23         55        17        5    
8/96*          26         53        15        6
7/00*          30         50        11        9
11/20-24/02    25         62         7        5

49. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Protecting the environment is so important that requirements and standards cannot be too high and continuing environmental improvements must be made regardless of cost.


              Agree    Disagree    DK/NA
9/81           45         42        13
9/82*          52         41         7
4/83           58         34         8
1/86           66         27         7
7/88           65         22        13
4/89           74         18         8
6/89           80         14         6
4/90           74         21         5
5/92 CBS       67         29         5
10/92C         52         40         8
6/96           57         37         5
11/97          57         36         7
3/8-12/01      61         33         6
6/14-18/01     57         38         5
1/21-24/02     56         39         4
11/20-24/02    57         36         7

50. With Republicans in control of Congress, do you think pollution and other environmental problems are likely to get better, get worse or stay about the same as they are now?


             Better    Worse    Stay about the same    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    10        27             59               4

ASK EITHER QUESTION 51 OR 52.

51. Currently, drilling for oil and natural gas is prohibited in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Do you approve or disapprove of the proposal to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for oil and natural gas drilling?


                Approve    Disapprove    DK/NA
2/10-12/01 CBS    42          50           8
3/8-12/01         36          57           6
4/23-25/01 CBS    37          54           9
11/20-24/02       39          55           6

52. Currently, drilling for oil and natural gas is prohibited in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Do you approve or disapprove of George W. Bush=s proposal to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for oil and natural gas drilling?


            Approve    Disapprove    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    40          52          7

53. Do you think the Social Security system will have the money available to provide the benefits you expect for your retirement?


                 Yes    No    Already get SS(vol.)   DK/NA
6/81              30    54             -              15
1/83              27    58             6               6
1/90              36    52             -              12
1/92C             40    53             -               7
3/95A             35    53             -              12
2/96              27    60             8               5
10/96 CBS         36    54                            10
10/96 CBS         32    55             7               6
1/97 CBS          32    54             9               5
8/97 CBS          26    58             9               7
5/11/99 CBS       29    55             8               8
5/10-13/00        41    45             7               7
2/10-12/01        39    48             6               7
3/8-12/01         37    49             9               5
6/14-18/01        30    56             8               6 
8/28-31/02 CBS    35    53             8               4
1/15-17/02 CBS    34    46            10              11    
11/20-24/02       28    55             9               8

54. Some people have suggested allowing individuals to invest portions of their Social Security taxes on their own, which might allow them to make more money for their retirement, but would involve greater risk. Do you think allowing individuals to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes on their own is a good idea or a bad idea?


              Good idea    Bad idea      DK/NA
5/00              51          45           4
10/00* CBS        50          42           8
6/14-18/01        48          46           6
8/28-31/01 CBS    52          43           5
1/15-17/02 CBS    54          39           7    
11/20-24/02       48          46           6

55. If people who chose to invest their Social Security taxes in the stock market lost their money, should it be the government's responsibility to make up the losses, or should this not be the government's responsibility?


         Gov. responsibility  Not gov.   DK/NA
5/00               8            89         2 
6/14-18/01         9            88         2 
8/28-31/01 CBS    12            85         3
1/15-17/02 CBS    10            85         5
11/20-24/02       12            85         3

56. What do you think is more important - producing energy, or protecting the environment?


           Producing energy    Protecting the environment    DK/NA
7/77              30                      51                  19
7/79              41                      43                  16
2/10-12/01 CBS    32                      56                  16
3/8-12/01         29                      61                   9
4/4-5/01 CBS      29                      61                  10
4/23-25/01 CBS    28                      58                  14
5/10-12/01 CBS    32                      58                  10
6/14-18/01        29                      55                  15
8/28-31/01 CBS    27                      59                  14
11/20-24/02       29                      57                  14

57. What do you think George W. Bush thinks is more important - producing energy, or protecting the environment?


           Producing energy   Protecting the environment    DK/NA
4/4-5/01 CBS      65                  9                      26
4/23-25/01 CBS    70                 12                      18
5/10-12/01 CBS    66                 12                      22
6/14-18/01        71                 12                      17
8/28-31/01 CBS    69                 16                      15
11/20-24/02       68                 11                      22

ASK EITHER QUESTION 58 OR 59.

58. When new judges are appointed to the courts, should those judges be reviewed and confirmed by Congress as quickly as possible, or should the Congress take as much time as it needs to review new judges?


  Reviewed/confirmed quickly    Take time    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    26                   70         4

59. When President George W. Bush appoints new judges to the courts, should those judges be reviewed and confirmed by Congress as quickly as possible, or should Congress take as much time as it needs to review new judges?


   Reviewed/confirmed quickly    Take time    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    24                    73         3

60. [As you may know,] As president, George W. Bush may appoint as many as three justices to the United States Supreme Court. Do you think Bush's nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court will be more conservative than you would like, not conservative enough, or about right?


              More     Not conservative    About
          conservative     enough          right    DK/NA
5/10-12/011    28            16             46       10
6/14-18/011    31            14             47        9
11/20-24/02    29            11             50        9

1 ASKED WITH BRACKETED PREFACE

ASK EITHER QUESTION 61 OR 62.

61. Currently the federal government taxes the estates C that is, the property and money -- people leave when they die. In a few years, that tax will only apply to estates worth more than $3.5 million, and by 2010 there would be no tax on any estate, no matter what it is worth. Which comes closer to your view: 1. There should be no tax on any estate or 2. The estate tax should be eliminated for most people, but kept in place for the very largest estates?


            No tax on     Tax only on
&nbps;            any estate    large estates    Tax all estates(vol.)  DK/NA
11/20-24/02    41             54                    2               4

62. Currently the federal government taxes the estates C that is, the property and money someone leaves when they die if the estate is worth more than $1 million. By 2009 the tax will be only on estates worth more than $3.5 million, by 2010 there would be no tax on any estate no matter what it is worth. Which comes closer to your view: 1. There should be no tax on any estate as George W. Bush proposes or 2. The estate tax should be eliminated for most people, but kept in place for the very largest estates as the Democrats propose?


            No tax on     Tax only on
            any estate    large estates    Tax all estates(vol.)  DK/NA
11/20-24/02    44            47                     2               6

63. When it comes to the campaign against terrorism, do you think the Bush Administration has a clear plan for their policy or do you think the Bush Administration is just reacting to events as they occur?


       Has a clear plan     Reacting to events     DK/NA
9/2-5/02       39                    52              9  
10/3-5/02      41                    54              5    
10/27-31/02    42                    49              8
11/20-24/02    45                    48              6

64. Which concerns you more right now --- that the government will fail to enact strong anti- terrorism laws, or that the government will enact new anti-terrorism laws which excessively restrict the average person=s civil liberties?


              Fail to enact  Laws are excessive  Neither (vol.)  DK/NA
9/13-17/011            39             34                10           17
12/7-10/01          43             45                 2           10
11/20-24/02         40             44                 3           13

1 Princeton Survey Research

65. In order to reduce the threat of terrorism, would you be willing or not willing to allow government agencies to monitor the telephone calls and e-mail of ordinary Americans on a regular basis?


               Willing     Not willing     DK/NA
9/13-14/01       39           53              9
9/20-23/01       45           51              4
12/7-10/01       31           65              4
11/20-24/02      33           62              5

66. Do you think that in order to fight terrorism, the federal government should have more authority to use wiretaps, or would this violate Americans= Constitutional rights?


        More authority    Violate rights    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    43              50             7

67. Do you approve or disapprove of the United States taking military action against Iraq to try and remove Saddam Hussein from power?


                Approve    Disapprove    DK/NA
2/24-26/02 CBS    74          18           8
6/18-20/02 CBS    70          20          10
7/8-9/02 CBS      73          21           6
8/6-7/02 CBS      66          26           8
9/2-5/02          68          24           8
10/3-5/02         67          27           5
10/27-31/02       64          25          11
11/20-24/02       70          23           6

68. Do you expect the United States military to end up fighting against Iraq or do you think the situation will be resolved without fighting?


                 End up       Resolved
                Fighting  without fighting  DK/NA
8/16-19/90         39           51            9
9/10/90 CBS        27           64            9
10/8-10/90         43           47           10
11/13-15/90        51           36           13  
12/9-11/90         44           44           12  
1/5-7/91           57           31           12
1/11-13/91         66           26            7  
10/16-18/94 CBS    35           57            8
9/2-5/02           74           19            7
9/22-23/02 CBS     78           17            5
10/3-5/02          70           24            6
10/27-31/02        68           25            7
11/20-24/02        69           24            7

74. Suppose U.S. military action in Iraq would result in substantial U.S. military casualties, then would you favor or oppose the United States taking military action against Iraq?


                 Favor    Oppose    DK/NA
9/2-5/02          50        38       12    
9/22-23/02 CBS    57        33       10
10/3-5/02         54        37        9
10/27-31/02       49        41       10
11/20-24/02       51        40        8

VARIED WORDING: SUPPOSE MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ WOULD RESULT IN SUBSTANTIAL U.S. MILITARY CASUALTIES, THEN WOULD YOU FAVOR OR OPPOSE THE UNITED STATES USING ITS MILITARY TO BOMB TARGETS IN IRAQ?


            FAVOR    OPPOSE    DK/NA
2/19-21/98    53       37       10

75. Suppose U.S. military action in Iraq meant that the U.S. would be involved in a war there for months or even years, then would you favor or oppose the United States taking military action against Iraq?


             Favor    Oppose    DK/NA
9/2-5/02       49       44        8
10/3-5/02      49       44        7
10/27-31/02    42       48       10
11/20-24/02    48       46        6

76. How do you think a war with Iraq would affect the U.S. economy ---- would it make the economy better, or would it make it worse, or would the economy be about the same as it is now?


             Better    Worse    Same    DK/NA
10/3-5/02      23       37       31      10
10/27-31/02    21       45       28       6
11/20-24/02    25       42       26       7

77. If the United States takes military action against Iraq, do you think the threat of terrorism against the United States will increase, decrease, or stay about the same?


               Increase    Decrease    About the same    DK/NA
9/22-23/02 CBS    44          18             34            4
10/3-5/02         50          16             32            2
10/27-31/02       59          12             26            3
11/20-24/02       64           9             23            4

78. Do you think Saddam Hussein will keep his promise to allow United Nations weapons inspectors full access to look for weapons of mass destruction, or will Saddam Hussein not keep his promise?


        Will keep promise    Will not    DK/NA
11/20-24/02    14               80         6

79. If Saddam Hussein does not keep his promise to allow United Nations weapons inspectors full access to look for weapons of mass destruction, would you favor or oppose the United States immediately using its Air Force to bomb targets in Iraq?


              Favor    Oppose    DK/NA    
12/7-10/01     74        19        8
11/20-24/02    66        26        7

80. How likely do you think it is that there will be another terrorist attack in the United States within the next few months--very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, not at all likely?


                 Very    Somewhat  Not very   Not at all   DK/NA
9/20-23/01        36        42       16          4           2
10/8/01 CBS       46        39        8          3           4
10/25-28/01       53        35        8          2           3
12/7-10/01        23        50       19          5           3
1/5-6/02 CBS      18        47       27          6           2
1/21-24/02        23        48       21          4           3
2/24-26/02 CBS    18        44       29          5           4
4/1-2/02 CBS      28        46       17          5           4
4/15-18/02 CBS    21        46       22          7           4
5/13-14/02 CBS    25        47       21          4           3
5/19-20/02 CBS    33        41       17          6           3
6/18-20/02 CBS    36        45       13          3           3
7/8-9/02 CBS      30        43       22          4           1
7/13-16/02        27        47       20          4           3
9/2-5/02          23        46       23          5           3
10/27-31/02       27        47       15          7           3
11/20-24/02       27        50       15          6           2

81. Would you say you personally are very concerned about a terrorist attack in the area where you live, or not?


                 Yes    No    DK/NA
9/11/01 CBS       43    56      1
9/12/01 CBS       36    62      2
9/13-14/01        39    59      2
9/20-23/01        32    66      1
10/8/01 CBS       30    69      1
10/25-28/01       26    71      2
12/7-10/01        24    75      1
1/5-6/02 CBS      22    77      1
6/18-20/02 CBS    29    70      1
9/2-5/02          25    74      1
10/27-31/02       32    67      1
11/20-24/02       30    69      1

82. How much confidence do you have in the ability of the U.S. government to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden, [who is believed to have planned the September 11th attacks on the U.S.] -- would you say you're very confident he will be caught, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?


                  Very    Somewhat    Not too  Not at all  DK/NA
10/8/01 CBS1       38        38          16         5        3
10/25-28/011       28        42          20         7        2
12/7-10/011        37        41          15         6        1
1/5-6/02 CBS1      34        42          15         7        2
1/15-17/02 CBS1    34        38          19         8        1
1/21-24/021        29        44          17         8        2
2/24-26/02 CBS1    22        42          21        12        3
6/18-20/02 CBS1    18        41          24        15        2     
9/2-5/022          15        34          32        16        3
9/22-23/02 CBS3    17        41          25        12        3      
11/20-24/023       15        38          30        15        2

1 ASKED WITH BRACKETED PHRASE
2 HALF OF THE RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED THE QUESTION WITHOUT THE PHRASE "WHO IS BELIEVED TO HAVE PLANNED THE SEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACKS ON THE U.S."
3 ASKED WITHOUT BRACKETED PHRASE

83. If Osama bin Laden is NOT captured or killed, then do you think the United States will have won the war in Afghanistan, or not?


            Will have won    Will not have won    Mixed (vol.)    DK/NA
1/5-6/02 CBS      28                60                4             8
1/15-17/02 CBS    29                56                6             9
1/21-24/02        31                61                2             7
2/24-26/02 CBS    32                59                3             6
5/13-14/02 CBS    23                67                4             6
6/18-20/02 CBS    22                65                4             9
9/2-5/02          27                61                3             9
9/22-23/02 CBS    30                60                1             9
11/20-24/02       27                62                2             8

84. From what you have heard or read, do you think Osama bin Laden is probably alive or probably dead?


                Alive    Dead    DK/NA
1/5-6/02 CBS      88       5       7
2/24-26/02 CBS    82      12       6
5/13-14/02 CBS    81      12       7
6/18-20/02 CBS    80      12       8
9/2-5/02          77      15       8
11/20-24/02       88       7       6

ASK EITHER QUESTION 85 OR 86.

85. Who do you think is currently winning the war against terrorism: the U.S. and its allies, neither side, or the terrorists?


        U.S. and allies    Neither side    Terrorists     DK/NA
10/27-31/02    37               42             16           4
11/20-24/02    32               44             19           6

86. Who do you think is currently winning the war against terrorism: the terrorists, neither side, or the U.S. and its allies?


           Terrorists    Neither side    U.S. and allies    DK/NA
10/27-31/02    13             51                30            7
11/20-24/02    21             42                31            6

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