Comparison of Baton Rouge to National and South-Central Samples
*See bottom of table for notes on sources
Baton South-
Rouge National Central
    Percent   Percent   Percent  
First, I have a few quick questions about you and your background.
In what year were you born?  [Recoded to age as follows]
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
18-29 27 19 21
30-44 27 36 35
45-59 24 23 22
60 + 21 22 22
Total 100 100 100
N 359 2828 489
[IF UNSURE ASK]: Are you male or female?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Male 42 44 43
Female 58 56 57
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2832 489
Do you consider yourself to be: [READ RESPONSE OPTIONS]
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
White 70 79 77
Black 26 14 18
Asian 1
Other 3 7 5
Total 100 100 100
N 359 2832 489
Now I have some questions about our community.
In a time of crisis, such as a natural disaster or economic trouble, who would you trust most to help you? [READ EACH ANSWER]
BR 2000
The Government 6
Your Church 14
Family and friends 60
Find means within yourself 18
Other (vol.) 1
DK 2
Total 100
N 360
Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted or that you can't be too careful in dealing with people?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Most people can be trusted 34 38 33
You can't be too careful 60 56 60
Other, depends (vol.) 5 6 6
DK 1 0 0
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2353 403
I am going to name some institutions in this country.  As far as the people running these institutions are concerned, would you say you have a great deal of confidence, only some confidence, or hardly any confidence at all in them?  READ EACH ITEM; CODE ONE FOR EACH.
Organized religion 
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
A great deal 40 27 31
Only some 42 51 50
Hardly any 13 19 16
DK 4 3 4
NA 2
Total 100 100 100
N 360 1905 332
Education
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
A great deal 26 27 30
Only some 51 55 52
Hardly any 22 17 16
DK 1 1 2
NA 1
Total 100 100 100
N 360 1904 331
Congress
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
A great deal 10 11 9
Only some 51 56 58
Hardly any 36 30 28
DK 3 3 5
NA 1
Total 100 100 100
N 360 1904 331
Press
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
A great deal 12 9 10
Only some 40 46 46
Hardly any 44 42 39
DK 4 2 5
NA 1
Total 100 100 100
N 360 1908 332
Are you satisfied with the job the local police perform in your area?  [Gallup: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of your local police?]
BR 2000 Gallup 99
Yes 78 81 (Favorable)
No 16 17 (Unfavorable)
Not sure 6 2 (DK)
NA 0
Total 100 100
N 360
Overall, do you feel more threatened by crime today than you did five years ago?  [Gallup: Overall, do you feel more threatened or less threatened by crime today than you did five years ago?]
BR 2000 Gallup 98
More Threatened 64 47
Less Threatened 14 41
Same 21 11
No Opinion 1 1
Total 100 100
N 360
Is there any area right around here - that is, within a mile - where you would be afraid to walk alone at night?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Yes 54 41 43
No 43 57 54
DK 3 1 3
NA 1
Total 100 100 100
N 360 1879 325
What do you think the chances are these days that a woman won't get a job or promotion while an equally or less qualified man gets one instead?  Is this very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely, or very unlikely these days?
BR 2000 GSS 96 GSS 96
Very likely 17 18 25
Somewhat likely 49 49 45
Somewhat unlikely 22 20 18
Very unlikely 6 9 9
DK 4 4 4
NA 1
(No Entry) 0
Total 100 100 100
N 360 744 114
Tell me if you agree or disagree with this statement: Most men are better suited emotionally for politics than are most women.
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Agree 28 22 26
Disagree 58 72 64
Not sure 13 6 9
NA 0
Total 100 100 100
N 360 1863 318
If both a man and a woman living in the same house are working full-time, who ends up doing more of the chores and work around the house?  Do you think... 
BR 2000 CBS News 99
The man generally does more 3 3
The woman generally does more 76 70
Or that both do the same amount? 21 25
DK 2
Total 100 100
N 358 1558
On the average blacks have worse jobs, income, and housing than white people.  Do you think these differences are . . .
Because most blacks don't have the chance for education that it takes to rise out of poverty?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Yes 36 43 36
No 47 52 59
DK 11 5 5
NA 3
Not applicable 1
(No Entry) 3
Total 100 100 100
N 360 1866 318
Because most blacks just don't have the motivation or will power to pull themselves up out of poverty?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Yes 36 42 47
No 43 49 45
DK 14 8 8
NA 3
Not applicable 1
(No Entry) 3
Total 100 100 100
N 360 1862 318
Within the last few years, do you feel that racism in the U.S. has decreased, increased, or remained the same?  [Princeton Survey Research/Newsweek: Please tell me if you think race relations where you live are better than they were five years ago, worse, or about the same?]
BR 2000 PSR 99
Decreased 26 32 (Better)
Increased 25 6 (Worse)
Stayed the same 44 58 (Same)
DK 5 5 (DK)
NA 0
Total 100 100
N 360
SPLIT BALLOT: ASK BLACKS & WHITES APPROPRIATE VERSION:
[ASK WHITES ONLY:] Do you think only a few black people dislike whites, many black people dislike whites, or almost all black people dislike whites?  [Gallup: Apparently asked of all respondents]
BR 2000 Gallup 98
Only a few 45 47
Many 36 40
Almost all 7 8
None (vol.) 0 1
No opinion 12 4
Total 100 100
N 260
[ASK BLACKS ONLY:] Do you think only a few white people dislike blacks, many white people dislike blacks, or almost all white people dislike blacks?  [Gallup: Apparently asked of all respondents]
BR 2000 Gallup 98
Only a few 50 56
Many 34 37
Almost all 8 3
None (vol.) 2 1
No opinion 6 3
Total 100 100
N 98
Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Favor 60 68 70
Oppose 24 25 22
DK 12 8 8
NA 3
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2819 485
In general, do you think the courts in this area deal too harshly or not harshly enough with criminals?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Too harshly 8 6 7
Not harshly enough 59 74 75
About right (vol.) 23 13 13
DK 9 6 6
NA 1
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2821 487
Do you feel that laws covering the sale of firearms should be stricter?  [Gallup: In general, do you feel that the laws covering the sale of firearms should be made more strict, less strict, or kept as they are now?]
BR 2000 Gallup 2000
Stricter 56 61
Less strict 8 7
Keep as they are 33 30
DK 3 2
NA 1
Total 100 100
N 360
How often do you think innocent suspects are wrongfully convicted in court? [READ CHOICES]
BR 2000
Frequently 10
Only some of the time 54
Almost never 20
Not sure 16
Total 100
N 360
Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if the woman wants it for any reason?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Yes 40 39 28
No 46 56 65
DK 11 5 6
NA 4
Total 100 100 100
N 360 1876 327
[ASK WHITES ONLY:] Suppose there is a community-wide vote on the general housing issue.  There are two possible laws to vote on (READ CATEGORIES A & B). Which law would you vote for?
BR 2000 GSS 96 GSS 96
One law says that a homeowner can decide for himself whom to sell his house to, even if he prefers not to sell to blacks  40 29 40
The second law says that a homeowner cannot refuse to sell to someone because of their race or color  38 67 55
Neither (vol.) 8 2 1
DK 11 2 4
NA 3
Total 100 100 100
N 262 967 158
Now we just have a few questions about your household and your background.
Are your currently married, living with a partner, separated, divorced, widowed, or have you never been married?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Married 47 48 45
Living with Partner 4
Separated 3 3 2
Divorced 13 16 19
Widowed 9 10 12
Single, never married 23 23 21
NA 1
(No Entry) 0
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2831 488
Do you have children?  How many?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
None 30 28 29
One 13 17 17
Two 29 26 24
Three 14 15 15
Four or more 12 14 15
Other answer 1
NA 1
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2825 489
What is the highest grade of schooling that you have completed? [READ RESPONSES IF NECESSARY] [Recodes listed here]
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Less Than HS 8 15 18
High School degree 58 53 54
[Junior College] 7 6
College Degree 23 17 16
Graduate Degree 11 7 6
DK, NA 1
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2822 489
Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or what?  [IF REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT] Would you call yourself a strong (Republican/Democrat) or not a very strong (Republican/Democrat)?  [IF INDEPENDENT, NO PREFERENCE, OR OTHER] Do you think of yourself as closer to the Republican or Democratic Party?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Strong Democrat 15 13 14
Democrat 20 21 19
Lean Democratic 9 12 10
Independent 8 17 17
Lean Republican 6 9 8
Republican 18 17 20
Strong Republican 15 8 10
DK, NA 4
Other Party 0 2 1
None 5
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2823 487
We hear a lot of talk these days about liberals and conservatives.  Would you call yourself [READ ANSWER CATEGORIES]:
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Extremely Liberal 2 2 2
Liberal 12 13 11
Slightly Liberal 9 12 11
Moderate, middle of the road 28 35 33
Slightly Conservative 16 15 16
Conservative 19 15 16
Extrememely Conservative 5 3 5
DK 6 5 7
NA 3
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2824 485
What is your religious preference?  Is it Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, some other religion, or no religion?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Protestant 47 54 71
Catholic 32 25 17
Jewish 2 0
None 7 14 9
Other 8 1 0
[Christian] 1 1
[Inter-Nondenominational] 1 1
DK 1 0 0
NA 4
(No Entry) 1
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2802 482
Would you call yourself a strong (PREFERENCE NAMED FOR RELIGION) or a not very strong (PREFERENCE NAMED FOR RELIGION)?
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Strong 44 38 43
Not very strong 23 36 33
Somewhat strong (vol.) 20 11 13
No religion 2 15 10
DK 1 1 2
NA 7
(No Entry) 3
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2694 460
Fundamentalism/Liberalism of Respondent's Religion [recoded from denomination]
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Fundamentalist 29 31 51
Moderate 39 39 26
Liberal 16 31 23
No Answer & Excluded 16
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2640 462
Just one more question: I’m going to read you a series of income categories.  Please stop me when I get to the category that includes the total income that you and all other members of your household earned before taxes during 1999, from all sources.  [Categories recoded]
BR 2000 GSS 98 GSS 98
Under $25,000 24 32 34
$25,000 - $50,000 20 29 29
Over $50,000 24 27 22
Don't Know 4 4 5
Refused 27 7 9
[Missing] 1 1
Total 100 100 100
N 360 2832 489
City
BR 2000
Baker 6
Baton Rouge 86
Brusly 2
Zachary 5
Total 100
N 360
Region Of Interview
GSS 98 GSS 98
New England 5
Middle Atlantic 15
E  Nor Central 17
W  Nor Central 7
South Atlantic 19
E  Sou  Central 7 39
W  Sou  Central 11 61
Mountain 7
Pacific 13
Total 100 100
N 2832 489
Expanded Norc Size Code
GSS 98 GSS 98
City Gt 250000 18 20
City,50-250000 16 8
Suburb, Lrg City 21 26
Suburb, Med City 16 9
Uninc,Lrg City 3 1
Uninc,Med City 2 2
City,10-49999 8 10
Town Gt 2500 7 8
Smaller Areas 8 17
Open Country 2
Total 100 100
N 2832 489
             
*Notes on Sources
BR 2000 = Data collected by students in Sociology 2211 ("Sociological Methods"), Louisiana
State University, March-April 2000.  Data are based on a random-digit-dialed telephone sample,
representative of the general population over age 18 in the Baton Rouge, LA, metropolitan area.
Survey includes 360 completed interviews.
GSS = The General Social Survey, Conducted by the National Opinion Research Center,
  University of Chicago.  See the GSS website.  South-Central region includes Louisiana,
  Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky.
Gallup = The Gallup Organization.  See the Gallup website.
CBS News.  Data listed at the Polling Report's website.
PSR = Princeton Survey Research/Newsweek.  Data listed at Public Agenda Online.