SURVEY OF POLITICAL ATTITUDES
INSTRUCTIONS: For each item, indicate the response that most closely reflects
your attitude.
1. As part of its effort to combat terrorism, the government should have the
authority to indefinitely detain persons it believes might have
information about terrorist activities, even if the person himself or
herself is not suspected of engaging in terrorist activities.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
2. Tax rates should be higher for wealthy families than moderate income
families while rates for lower income families should be lower.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
3. A professor at a public college or university who admits to being an
Islamic fundamentalist should be fired.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
4. The government ought to reduce the income differences between the
rich and the poor by raising the taxes of wealthy families or by giving
income assistance to poor families.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
5. To better fight crime, requirements that law enforcement agencies
respect the rights of criminal suspects should be eased.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
6. Graduated income tax brackets punish people who work hard to earn
higher incomes.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
7. An adult should be allowed to use pornography as a form of
entertainment.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
8. Because capital gains taxes [taxes on profits from stocks, etc.]
discourage investment, capital gains tax rates should be lowered.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
9. Communities should have the power to regulate the sale of rock and rap
recordings which offend community standards or morals.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
10. The government should provide tax breaks for families with young
children to subsidize day care expenses.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
11. The government should not interfere with a woman’s access to abortion
services.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
12. Government should guarantee access to health care for Americans who
cannot afford private insurance or whose employers do not provide
health coverage.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
13. A person should be allowed to burn an American flag as a form of
political speech.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
14. Congress should enact regular increases in the minimum wage.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
15. Non-sectarian or non-denominational prayer should be instituted as
daily practice in public schools.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
16. The government needs to enforce stricter laws and regulations to
protect environmental quality even if it means higher costs for
businesses and consumers.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
17. Parents should be allowed to educate their children in their own homes.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
18. Poverty relief (welfare) programs promote dependency among their
recipients and should be scaled back.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
19. The death penalty is an appropriate sentence for defendants convicted
of murder.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
20. Government should provide subsidies to students to increase their
opportunities to receive college educations.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
21. Prostitution is a victimless crime and should be decriminalized.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
22. Financing public schools by local property taxes is inequitable; the
state should establish a funding formula to redistribute funds from
wealthy to poorer districts.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
23. Penalties for illegal drug possession should be strengthened.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
24. Government should have more authority to pass laws that guarantee
equality among races and between sexes even if it means restricting the
ability of private businesses to hire whom they want or the ability of
private clubs to choose whom they want to admit.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
25. A person’s sexual orientation is his/her personal business; laws that
discriminate against homosexuals should be repealed.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
26. Universities and colleges should be allowed to limit their athletic
programs to men’s sports.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
27. Communities should have the authority to establish curfews for teens
to combat juvenile crime.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
28. Government-mandated affirmative action and equal employment
opportunity programs constitute reverse discrimination and should be
discontinued.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
29. The police should not be allowed to randomly check motorists for
DUI/DWI; police should be required to have probable cause.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
30. The government should provide low-interest loans to encourage female
or minority-owned business enterprise.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
31. To reduce the number of handgun-related crimes, handgun owners
should be required to register their weapons with the government.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
32. The government should increase efforts to enforce equal compensation
laws relating to women in the workplace.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
33. The government should pass laws limiting the amount of violence that
children are exposed to in the entertainment media (television, movies,
video games, etc.).
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
34. American citizens should have the right to make contributions to the
political candidates and political parties they support without financial
limitations imposed by the government.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
35. Public school children should be required to recite the pledge of
allegiance as part of the daily school regimen.
Adamantly
Agree
3
Strongly
Agree
2
Agree
1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
-1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
-2
-3
36. In order to permit the widest choices and lowest prices for American
consumers, the government should pursue free trade policies with
other countries.
Adamantly
Agree
-3
Strongly
Agree
-2
Agree
-1
Indifferent/
No opinion
0
Disagree
1
Strongly Adamantly
Disagree Disagree
2
3
37. How would you rate your own political orientation?
Very
Liberal Liberal
1
2
Lean
Liberal
3
Moderate
4
Lean
Conservative
5
Very
Conservative Conservative
6
7
38. Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a Republican,
Democrat, or something else?
Strong
Democrat
1
Weak
Democrat
2
Independent
3
Weak
Republican
4
Strong
Don’t know/
Republican Something else
5
6
39. Do your parents agree or disagree with your political party preference?
1 - They agree with me.
2 - One agrees; the other doesn’t care.
3 - One agrees; the other disagrees.
4 - One disagrees; the other doesn’t care.
5 - Both disagree.
6 - Neither one cares much about politics.
40. Indicate your standing this semester:
Freshman
1
Sophomore
2
Other
3
41. Indicate your declared or intended major:
1 - Social sciences
2 - Biological sciences
3 - Business
4 - Education
5 - English
6 - Physical science
7 - Vocational field
8 - Other field
9 - Undecided
42. What is the usual occupation of the main income-earner in your
household?
1 - laborer or factory worker
2 - skilled labor or crafts
3 - civil service; police, firefighter, government employee, postal worker
4 - clerical or retail sales
5 - management in business/industry
6 - lawyer
7 - physician, dentist
8 - teacher
9 - other professional
10 - other non-professional
43. Where did you spend most of your childhood years?
1 - not spent in U.S.
2 - In Central Texas
3 - In some other region of Texas
4 - Midwest U.S.
5 - Northeast U.S.
6 - Rocky Mountain U.S.
7 - Pacific Coast U.S.
8 - Southern U.S.
9 - Other
44. Where did you spend most of your teen-age years?
1 - not spent in U.S.
2 - In Central Texas
3 - In some other region of Texas
4 - Midwest U.S.
5 - Northeast U.S.
6 - Rocky Mountain U.S.
7 - Pacific Coast U.S.
8 - Southern U.S.
9 - Other
45. Where have you spent most of your adult years?
1 - not spent in U.S.
2 - In Central Texas
3 - In some other region of Texas
4 - Midwest U.S.
5 - Northeast U.S.
6 - Rocky Mountain U.S.
7 - Pacific Coast U.S.
8 - Southern U.S.
9 - Other
46. How would you classify the community in which you spent most of your
time growing up?
1 - Rural farm
2 - Rural non-farm
3 - Small town (under 20,000)
4 - Medium/Large town (20,000 - 50,000)
5 - Urban (50,000 - 500,000)
6 - Metropolitan (Over 500,000)
7 - Suburban
47. Indicate your sex:
1 - Male
2 - Female
48. Indicate your race/ethnicity:
1 - African-American
2- Asian
3 - Hispanic
4 - White
5 - Other
49. Indicate your religion:
1 - Catholic
2 - Jewish
3 - Muslim
4 – Protestant [all Christian sects other than Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox
5 - Other
6 - None
50. Roughly speaking, what would you estimate your annual family income
to be?
1 - under $7,500
2 - $7,500 - 10,000
3 - $10,000 - 15,000
4 - $15,000 - 20,000
5 - $20,000 - 25,000
6 - $25,000 - 35,000
7 - $35,000 - 50,000
8 - $50,000 - 75,000
9 - $75,000 - 100,000
10 - over $100,000