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MA — Party identification and ideology
MB — Political confidence and efficacy
MC — General political knowledge
Party ID
Schedule
Nat RCS
R
All dates
Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or something else?
1
Republican
2
Democrat
3
Independent
4
Other (verbatim answer in MA01r4v)
998
Don't know
999
No answer
Data columns
Name
Codes
Width
MA01
1 – 4, 998, 999
3
MA01r4v
Verbatim
255
Party ID strength
Schedule
Nat RCS
R
All dates
Do you consider yourself a strong or not a very strong ([party named in MA01:] Republican / Democrat / Independent)?
1
Strong
2
Not very strong
998
Don't know
999
No answer
Data columns
Name
Codes
Width
MA02
1, 2, 998, 999
3
Conservative – liberal
Schedule
Nat RCS
R
All dates
Generally speaking, would you describe your political views as very conservative, somewhat conservative, moderate, somewhat liberal, or very liberal?
1
Very conservative
2
Somewhat conservative
3
Moderate
4
Somewhat liberal
5
Very liberal
998
Don't know
999
No answer
Data columns
Name
Codes
Width
MA04
1 – 5, 998, 999
3
Trust federal government
Schedule
Nat RCS
5/30/08 – 9/3/08
Thinking about the federal government in Washington, how much of the time do you think you can trust the federal government to do what is right: always, most of the time, or some of the time?
1
Always
2
Most of the time
3
Some of the time
4
Never
998
Don't know
999
No answer
Data columns
Name
Codes
Width
MB01
1 – 4, 998, 999
3
Sometimes politics too complicated
Schedule
Nat RCS
R
5/30/08 – 11/3/08
Please tell me if you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with this statement: Sometimes politics seems so complicated that a person like me cannot really understand what is going on.
1
Strongly agree
2
Somewhat agree
3
Somewhat disagree
4
Strongly disagree
5
Neither agree nor disagree
998
Don't know
999
No answer
Data columns
Name
Codes
Width
MB02
1 – 5, 998, 999
3
People like me have no say over government
Schedule
Nat RCS
R
5/30/08 – 11/3/08
Please tell me if you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with this statement: People like me have no say over what the government does.
1
Strongly agree
2
Somewhat agree
3
Somewhat disagree
4
Strongly disagree
5
Neither agree nor disagree
998
Don't know
999
No answer
Data columns
Name
Codes
Width
MB03
1 – 5, 998, 999
3
Who determines if law is constitutional
Schedule
Nat RCS
All dates
Who has the final responsibility to determine if a law is constitutional or not? Is it the president, the Congress, or the Supreme Court?
[Probe if don't know:] Anything come to mind?
1
President
2
Congress
3
Supreme Court
998
Don't know
999
No answer
See also MC01a for don't know prompt.
Data columns
Name
Codes
Width
MC01
1 – 3, 998, 999
3
Majority required to override presidential veto
Schedule
Nat RCS
All dates
How much of a majority is required for the US Senate and House to override a presidential veto?
[Probe if don't know:] Anything come to mind?
1
Two-thirds
2
Other (verbatim answer in MC02r2v)
998
Don't know
999
No answer
See also MC02a for don't know prompt.
Data columns
Name
Codes
Width
MC02
1, 2, 998, 999
3
MC02r2v
Verbatim
255
Party with most members in Congress
Schedule
Nat RCS
All dates
Do you happen to know which party has the most members in the United States House of Representatives?
[Probe if don't know:] Anything come to mind?
1
Democratic
2
Republican
998
Don't know
999
No answer
See also MC03a for don't know prompt.
Data columns
Name
Codes
Width
MC03
1, 2, 998, 999
3
How Supreme Court justices are chosen
Schedule
Nat RCS
5/12/08 – 11/3/08
To the best of your knowledge, do you happen to know how Supreme Court justices are chosen? Are they nominated by a nonpartisan congressional committee, elected by the American people, nominated by the president and then confirmed by the Senate, or appointed if they receive a two-thirds majority vote of the justices already on the court?
[Probe if don't know:] Anything come to mind?
1
Nominated by congressional committee
2
Elected
3
Nominated by president and confirmed by Senate
4
Appointed by two-thirds of justices
998
Don't know
999
No answer
See also MC04a for don't know prompt.
Data columns
Name
Codes
Width
MC04
1 – 4, 998, 999
3