Student Questionnaire

Fall 2000

Name: _______________________________________

Age _________ Class level: ____ Freshman ____ Sophomore ____ Junior ____ Senior

College: _______________________

Major: ________________________

Employed: ____ Yes ____ No

Hours Completed at UNL: _________________

1. Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a Democrat, Republican, an independent or what?

____ Democrat ____Republican ____ independent ____ Other

1b. IF REPUBLICAN: Would you call yourself a strong Republican or not very strong Republican? ____ Strong ____ Not strong

1c. IF INDEPENDENT OR OTHER: Do you think of yourself as closer to Democratic or Republican party? ____ Democratic ____ Republican _____ Neither

2. If the election were held today, would you vote for Gore the Democrat, Bush the Republican, Nader the Green party candidate, Buchanan the Reform party candidate, or haven’t you made up your mind yet who to vote for?

____ Gore ____ Bush ____Nader ____ Buchanan ____ Undecided

3. How interested would you say you are in the presidential election campaign this fall a great deal, some, a little, or not interested at all?

____ Great deal ____ Some ____ A little ____ Not interested at all

4. Would you say that you have followed the campaign on TV a great deal, some, little, or not at all?

____ Great deal ____ Some ____ A little ____ Not interested at all

5. What about in the newspapers?

____ Great deal ____ Some ____ A little ____ Not interested at all

6. Would you say that Gore’s choice of Liberman to be his running mate made you more likely to vote for Gore, less likely to vote for Gore, or that the choice of Liberman did not influence your decision one way of the other.

____ More likely ____ Less likely ____ No effect

7. What about Bush’s running mate Cheney. Did the choice of Cheney make you more likely to vote for Bush, less likely to vote for Bush, or that the choice of Cheney did not influence your decision one way of the other.

____ More likely ____ Less likely ____ No effect

8. Is there anything particular that you dislike about Liberman? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Is there anything particular that you dislike about Cheney? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. What do you think is the most important issue in the presidential campaign? ______________________________________________________________________________

11. Which candidate for president, Gore, Bush, Nader, or Buchanan, will do the best job in handling this issue.

____ Gore ____ Bush ____Nader ____ Buchanan ____ Don’t know

12. One hears a lot of talk these days about liberal and conservatives. Below is a 7-point scale which ranges from extremely liberal to extremely conservative. Where would you place yourself on the scale or haven’t thought much about this.

13. For a nation, it is not always possible to obtain everything one might wish. Which of the following, if you had to choose among them would seem to be the most desirable to you? Which would be your second choice?

____ Maintaining order in the nation.

____ Giving the people more say in important political decision.

____ Fighting rising prices.

____ Protecting freedom of speech.

14. Would you say that your parents are Democrats, Republican, independents or what.

____ Democrats ____Republicans ____ Independents

____ Father Democrat, Mother Republican

____ Father Democrat, Mother Independent

____ Father Republican, Mother Democrat

____ Father Republican, Mother Independent

____ Mother Democrat, Father Independent

____ Mother Republican, Father Independent

15. Many Americans believe that the Public Affairs Act of 1995 should be repealed. How about you, do you think that the Act should be repealed or don’t you think it should be repeals or don’t you know enough about it to have an opinion?

____ Repealed ____ Not repealed ____ Don’t know enough about it.

16. Some people feel that the government in Washington should see to it that every person has a job and a good standard of living. Others think that the government should just let each person get ahead on his/her own. And, of course, others are somewhere in between. Where would you place yourself on the scale below or haven’t you thought much about this.

17. Some people say that because of past discrimination African Americans should be given preferences in hiring and promotion. Others say that such preferences in hiring and promotions of African Americans is wrong because it discriminates against whites. What is your opinion? Are you for preferences for African Americans or against them?

18. 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?

_____ Just about always ____ Most of the time ____ Only some of the time

19. Would you say that the United States was meant to be a Christian nation or a country made up of many races, religious, and nationalities.

____ a Christian nation ____ a country of many races, religious and nationalities

20. There are always some people whose ideas are considered bad and dangerous by other people. For example, someone who is against all churches and religious.

Should such a person be allowed to teach in a college or university or not? ____ Yes ____ No

What about a person who favors government ownership of big industries? ____ Yes ____ No

What about a person who admits to being a homosexual? Should he or she be allowed to teach in a college or university or not? ____ Yes ____ No