The 2009 Baton Rouge Survey
Questionnaire (in Development)
(as of 3/6/09)

Post-Katrina

Would you be willing or not willing to pay more in taxes to help with the recovery from Hurricane Katrina?

	Willing		47
	Not Willing		50
	Don't Know		3
	No answer		1
			100


Cut:
When you think of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina who are staying in Baton Rouge, do you have any of the following feelings?

				Yes	Yes, just a little	No	Don't Know	No answer
	Fellow-feeling, Solidarity			33	16	45	5	1	100
	Pity or Compassion			70	16	13	1	0	100
	Irritation, bother			25	16	57	2	0	100
	Fear or concern			39	18	42	1	1	100
	Happiness			24	12	61	3	1	100


CBS News/New York Times Poll. Aug. 17-21, 2006. N=1,206 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.
						.
[Modified] "I'd like to ask you some questions about what has happened since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf area. Do you think the federal government has responded adequately, or could it have done much better?"
						.
		Adequately	Could Have	Unsure
		Adequately	Done Better	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/17-21/06	17	80	3
						.
[Added] "Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is responding to the needs of people affected by Hurricane Katrina?"

[Modified] "Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush responded to the needs of people affected by Hurricane Katrina?"

			Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
			%	%	%
	8/17-21/06		41	51	8
	2/22-26/06		32	64	4
	9/9-13/05		44	48	8

[Modified] "Do you think the Louisiana state government responded adequately to Hurricane Katrina or could it have done much better?"

		Adequately	Could Have	Unsure
		Adequately	Done Better	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/17-21/06	15	81	4
	9/6-7/05	24	70	6
						.
[Added] "Do you think the Local governments responded adequately to Hurricane Katrina or could they have done much better?"


How much confidence do you have in the ability of the U.S. government to respond to natural disasters: a great deal, a fair amount, not very much, or none at all?"

	A Great Deal	A Fair Amount	Not Very	None at All
	A Great Deal	A Fair Amount	Much	None at All
	%	%	%	%
ALL adults	16	43	30	9
Whites	16	45	29	8
Blacks	7	35	40	14

8/17-21/06	13	43	32	12
2/22-26/06	10	39	37	14
10/3-5/05	16	47	32	5
9/6-7/05	19	32	34	15


Crime

Gallup Poll. Oct. 9-12, 2006. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.
						.
"Do you think having a gun in the house makes it a safer place to be or a more dangerous place to be?" Options rotated
						.
	Safer	More		Depends		Unsure
		Dangerous		(vol.)
	%	%		%		%
10/9-12/06	47	43		7		3
10/11-14/04	42	46		10		2
8/29 - 9/5/00	35	51		11		3


Some states have special laws that provide harsher penalties for crimes motivated by hate of certain groups than the penalties for the same crimes if they are not motivated by this kind of hate. Would you favor or oppose this type of hate crime law in your state?

			BR 2001			2000*
	Favor		62			65
	Oppose		31			31
	Don't know		8			4
			100

	*Gallup Poll, Sep 11-13, 2000



Dataset: General Social Surveys, 1972-2006 [Cumulative File]
Variable verdict : WORSE TYPE OF JUDICIAL MISTAKE.
Literal Question
1164. All systems of justice make mistakes, but which do you think is worse?

To convict an innocent person.................1
or
To let a guilty person go free..................2

Values	Categories		N	NW
1	CONVICT INNOCENT		2938	2905	71.7%
2	FREE THE GUILTY		1109	1150	28.3%
0	NAP		46276	46278
8	CANT CHOOSE		608	597
9	NA		89	90
Summary Statistics
Valid cases	4047
Missing cases	46973
This variable is numeric
Notes
Click here to display the associated publications for VERDICT

Click here to see Trends for VERDICT


Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?

Favor		57
Oppose		28
Don't Know/No Answer		15
Total		100


Is there any area right around here - that is, within a mile - where you would be afraid to walk alone at night?

		BR 2004		BR 2003		BR 2002		BR 2001		BR 2000		US-GSS 98
Yes		57		57		50		52		52		41
No		42		42		49		46		44		57
Don't know, No answer		1		1		1		2		4		1
Total		100		100		100		100		100		100


Cut:
Quinnipiac University Poll. July 8-13, 2008. N=1,783 registered voters nationwide.
						.
"The Supreme Court has recently ruled that a mandatory death penalty for child rape is unconstitutional. Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of child rape?" Split sample A
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/8-13/08	55	38	7
						.
"Which punishment do you prefer for people convicted of murder: the death penalty or life in prison with no chance of parole?" Split sample B
						.
		Death	Life in	Unsure
		Penalty	Prison	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/8-13/08	47	44	9
	12/7-12/04	42	46	12


Dataset: General Social Surveys, 1972-2006 [Cumulative File]
Variable stiffpun : LAWBREAKERS SHOULD GET STIFFER SENTENCES
PreQuestion Text
1373. Here are some measures to deal with crime. Some people are in favor of them while other people are against them.
Do you agree or disagree that. . .
Literal Question
A. People who break the law should be given stiffer sentences.
Values	Categories		N	NW
STRONGLY AGREE			532	531	40.0%
AGREE			607	609	45.8%
NEITHER AGREE NOR DISAGREE			138	141	10.6%
DISAGREE			41	41	3.0%
STRONGLY DISAGREE			8	7	0.5%
NAP			49661	49660
DK			28	27
NA			5	4
Summary Statistics
Valid cases	1326


Gallup Poll. March 5-7, 1999. N=1,021 adults nationwide.
						.
"How much confidence do you have in the ability of the police to protect you from violent crime: a great deal, quite a lot, not very much, or none at all?"
			Mar-99	Sep-95	Oct-93	1989	1981
			%	%	%	%	%
	A great deal		29	20	14	14	15
	Quite lot		41	30	31	34	34
	Not very much		25	39	45	42	42
	None at all		4	9	9	8	8
	No opinion		1	2	1	2	1



Trust, Anomie

Please tell me how you would rate the honesty and ethical standards of people in these different fields -- very high, high, average, low, or very low? First, ... Next, ... [RANDOM ORDER]
2008 Nov 7-9		Very					Very	No
2008 Nov 7-9		high	High	Average		Low	low	opinion
		%	%	%		%	%	%
Advertising practitioners		2	8	49		29	9	3
Bankers		3	20	53		18	5	*
Business executives		1	11	49		27	10	1
Car salesmen		2	5	39		40	14	1
Clergy		16	40	33		7	1	3
Congressmen		2	10	40		30	16	1
How about your own Congressman?
Lawyers		3	15	45		25	12	1
Medical doctors		14	50	30		5	1	*
Nurses		24	60	14		1	*	*
Policemen		13	43	35		7	2	--
Building contractors		3	19	55		17	3	2
Journalists		4	21	44		21	10	1
Labor union leaders		2	14	45		23	12	4
* Less than 0.5%

Cut these
Funeral directors		9	38	40		7	1	5
Accountants		5	33	51		7	1	2
Stockbrokers		2	10	40		34	11	3
Druggists or pharmacists		15	55	27		3	1	*
High school teachers		17	48	30		4	1	1
Real estate agents		3	14	57		21	4	2
Telemarketers		1	4	33		38	22	2
Lobbyists		1	4	27		38	26	5

Gallup
http://www.gallup.com/poll/1654/Honesty-Ethics-Professions.aspx


20. Suppose you had some problem to take up with an important
local official, such as the mayor or local council member,
but you did not personally know this official. Do you feel
that you would have to find someone who could contact the
official FOR you, or could you contact the official
directly?

37 Would have to go through connection
60 Could approach directly
1 Depends on the problem (VOLUNTEERED)
2 Don t know/Refused
100

Pew
http://people-press.org/report/?pageid=525


Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted or that you can't be too careful in dealing with people?

			BR 2003		BR 2002		BR 2001		BR 2000		US-GSS 98		So-GSS 98
Most people can be trusted			32		33		40		31		38		33
Can't be too careful			60		55		52		62		56		60
Other, depends (Volunteered)			6		11		8		6		6		6
Don't know, No answer			2		1		0		1		0		0
		Total	100		100		100		100		100		100




Q.9 Now I am going to read you a series of statements that will help us understand how you
feel about a number of things. For each statement, please tell me if you completely agree
with it, mostly agree with it, mostly disagree with it or completely disagree with it.
The first one is... (READ ITEMS, IN ORDER. DO NOT ROTATE)

Completely Mostly Mostly Completely Don't
Agree Agree Disagree Disagree Know
a. People like me don't have any say
about what the government does 15 31 35 18 1=100
July, 1994 22 32 31 15 *=100
May, 1993 15 37 31 16 1=100
June, 1992 14 36 32 17 1=100
Nov, 1991 22 28 28 21 1=100
May, 1990 19 38 31 11 1=100
Feb, 1989 22 40 29 8 1=100
May, 1988 16 39 33 11 1=100
May, 1987 14 38 34 12 2=100

b. Generally speaking, elected
officials in Washington lose
touch with the people pretty
quickly 32 44 18 5 1=100
July, 1994 39 44 13 3 1=100
May, 1993 29 53 13 3 2=100
June, 1992 35 49 12 3 1=100
Nov, 1991 41 43 11 4 1=100
May, 1990 30 48 17 2 3=100
Feb, 1989 30 50 16 2 2=100
May, 1988 26 50 19 3 2=100
May, 1987 22 51 21 3 3=100

c. Most elected officials care what
people like me think 6 35 38 19 2=100
July, 1994 4 29 41 25 1=100
May, 1993 5 35 42 16 2=100
June, 1992 5 31 46 16 2=100
Nov, 1991 7 29 39 23 2=100
May, 1990 7 37 39 14 3=100
Feb, 1989 5 39 42 12 2=100
May, 1988 5 42 40 11 2=100
May, 1987 5 42 40 9 4=100

d. Voting gives people like me some
say about how government runs
things 27 40 23 9 1=100
July, 1994 24 42 21 11 2=100
Nov, 1991 32 42 15 9 2=100
May, 1990 23 50 18 7 2=100
Feb, 1989 25 48 20 5 2=100
May, 1988 26 49 18 5 2=100
May, 1987 23 55 15 4 3=100

Source: PEW VALUES UPDATE: AMERICAN SOCIAL BELIEFS 1997 - 1987
Released: April 20, 1998
http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=91

Add

How much of the time do you think you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right - just about always, most of the time or only some of the time?

			BR 2005		BR 2004		NES 02
	Just About Always		2		3		5
	Most of the Time		26		29		51
	Some of the Time		66		63		44
	None of the Time		3		4		0
	Don't Know, Depends		2		0		0
	No answer				0		0
			100		100		100

How about State government? How of much of the time do you think you can trust the State of Louisiana government to do what is right - just about always, most of the time or only some of the time?

	Just About Always
	Most of the Time
	Some of the Time
	None of the Time
	Don't Know, Depends
	No answer

And the local East Baton Rouge government? How of much of the time do you think you can trust City-Parish government to do what is right - just about always, most of the time or only some of the time?

	Just About Always
	Most of the Time
	Some of the Time
	None of the Time
	Don't Know, Depends
	No answer


Computers, Internet, Science

Thinking about songs people copy from their CDs onto their computers, do you think it should be legal -- or illegal -- to trade these songs with other people on the Internet?
	Legal	Illegal	No opinion
2002 Mar 22-24	43%	46	11

Add

What about movies that people copy from their DVDs onto their computers, do you think it should be legal -- or illegal -- to trade these movies with other people on the Internet?

Add

How likely is it that you would download songs from an Internet site if you could do so quickly and easily -- very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not at all likely?

How about movies - how likely is it that you would download movies from an Internet site if you could do so quickly and easily -- very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not at all likely?
[BASED ON 703 INTERNET USERS]
	Very		Somewhat		Not too		Not at all		No
	likely		likely		likely		likely		opinion
2002 May 28-29	21%		18		22		38		1

Gallup
http://www.gallup.com/poll/1591/Computers-Internet.aspx


Dataset: General Social Surveys, 1972-2006 [Cumulative File]

772. In the past 30 days, how often have you visited a web site for?

E. News and current events.
P. Humor?
A. Financial information?
G. Political information?
I. Sports?
J. Music/concerts?
M. Health and fitness?
N. Religion/church related?

Add

Social Networking?
Shopping?