2005 Aiken County Survey [FILL IN TOP SECTION AFTER INTERVIEW COMPLETED]

1. ID # ______Phone # ______Interviewer ______

2. Exchange: 1) Aiken 2) North Augusta 3) other

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3. Some people want to build a new nuclear reactor at the Savannah River Site to generate electricity. Do you oppose or support that idea?

0) oppose 1) support [READ] 2) or have you not had time to think about this issue?

4. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as President? [IF APP, ASK “DO YOU APPROVE STRONGLY OR NOT STRONGLY”–SAME FOR DISAPPROVE]

5) Strongly approve 4) Approve 3) Mixed feelings 2) Disapprove 1) Strongly disapprove

6) not sure/don’t know

5. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Mark Sanford is handling his job as Governor? [IF APP, ASK “DO YOU APPROVE STRONGLY OR NOT STRONGLY”–SAME FOR DISAPPROVE]

5) Strongly approve 4) Approve 3) Mixed feelings 2) Disapprove 1) Strongly disapprove

6) not sure/don’t know

6. What would you say is the most important issue facing South Carolina that the state government should do something about?

______

7. Governor Sanford has said he wants to make the state more competitive economically, educationally, and in how government works. What grade would you give him on improving the state’s economy?

[READ ONLY GRADES, NOT “DK”] 5) A 4) B 3) C 2) D 1) F 6) dk

8. What grade would you give him on improving education? 5) A 4) B 3) C 2) D 1) F 6) dk

9. On improving the operation of state government? 5) A 4) B 3) C 2) D 1) F 6) dk

10. And what grade on tax reform? 5) A 4) B 3) C 2) D 1) F 6) dk

11. Do you generally consider yourself to be a Democrat, Republican, neither one, or what? [IF "DEMOCRAT" OR "REPUBLICAN" ASK:] Are you a strong or weak ______? [IF "NEITHER ONE" OR IF THEY USE THE TERM "INDEPENDENT" OR SAY THEY "VOTE THE PERSON" OR "ISSUES", ASK:] Do you lean to the Democrats or Republicans?

1) strong Democrat 5) leaning Republican

2) weak (moderate) Democrat 6) weak (moderate) Republican

3) leaning Democrat 7) strong Republican

4) insist they are independent, 8) other: [SPECIFY]

neither, issues, or person ______

12. Which political party currently has the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives?

0) Democrats 0) they are tied 1) Republicans 0) dk

13. If you were forced to choose, which is more important in political leaders?

1) understanding people and helping them 3) strength, discipline and self-reliance

[DO NOT READ] 2) insist both equal

14. Which political party currently has the majority in the U.S. Senate?

0) Democrats 0) they are tied 1) Republicans 0) dk

15. All in all, do you think the situation in Iraq was worth going to war over, or not? [READ ANWERS]

0) not worth going to war 1) worth going to war 3) or have you not had time to think

about this issue?

** PLEASE TURN OVER TO OTHER SIDE **

16. How many years are in the term of a U.S. Senator? ____ years [FILL IN #: CODES: 1 IF 6;

CODE 0 FOR ALL ELSE]

17. Which of the following comes closest to describing your views on politics? [READ ANSWERS]

1) liberal 2) slightly liberal 3) middle 4) slightly 5) or conservative

of the road conservative

[DO NOT READ THIS LAST ANSWER] 6) none/not sure/don’t know

18. About how many American soldiers have lost their lives in the conflict in Iraq?

1) about 400 2) about 800 3) about 1200 4) about 1600 5) about 2000

6) about 2400 7) about 2800 8) dk

19. Which of the following best describes your regional identity?

0) non-southerner 1) converted southerner 2) native southerner 4) other ______

20. How many days in the past week did you read about the news (either in a paper or on the Web)?

____ [RECORD #: 0-7; 0 FOR D/K]

21. Suppose the election for South Carolina’s governor were held today and Republican Mark Sanford was running against Democrat Tommy Moore. For whom do you think you would vote?

1) Tommy Moore 2) Mark Sanford 3) dk/not sure/neither

22. Do you consider yourself to be a religious fundamentalist? 0) no 1) yes

[IF THEY ASK WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SAY “FUNDAMENTALISTS ARE THOSE WHO STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE MUST BE INTERPRETED LITERALLY AND THAT IT IS THE INERRENT WORD OF GOD.”]

23. Who is the new Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court? 0) wrong/dk 1) right (John Roberts)

Just a few more questions now. We need a little background information for statistical purposes.

24. Starting with the first grade, how many years of formal education have you completed?

______years [HS-12; ASSOC DEG-14; BS/BA-16; MA-18; PhD-20]

25. What is your age? ______

26. In which of the following ethnic groups would you classify yourself?

1) white 2) black 3) Hispanic 4) or some other ethnic group?

27. Did you vote in the 2004 presidential election? 0) no 1) yes 2) ineligible

28. Finally, I'm going to read a list of family income groups. Just say "stop" when I reach the level that best describes your family's income last year.

1) less than $15,000 6) $35 to $40,000

2) $15 to $20,000 7) $40 to $50,000

3) $20 to $25,000 8) $50 to $75,000

4) $25 to $30,000 9) $75 to $100,000

5) $30 to $35,000 10) over $100,000

Thanks very much. I enjoyed talking with you.

29. [DO NOT ASK CODE AFTER INTERVIEW] Gender: 0) male 1) female