St.
Cloud State University Survey
Annual
Fall Statewide Survey
2008
SUBSTANTIVE
FINDINGS AND PRINT COPY OF QUESTIONNAIRE
10-24-08
MORE
RESULTS LATER
.
|
Sample
Disposition |
|
|
4932 |
Total
Numbers Dialed |
|
|
|
|
313 |
Business / Government |
|
133 |
Computer/Fax |
|
1208 |
Other Not-Working |
|
3278 |
Working
numbers |
|
66.5% |
Working
Rate |
|
|
|
|
763 |
No Answer |
|
228 |
Busy |
|
690 |
Answering Machine |
|
227 |
Other Non-Contacts |
|
1370 |
Contacted
numbers |
|
41.8% |
Contact
Rate |
|
|
|
|
477 |
Callbacks |
|
893 |
Cooperating
numbers |
|
65.2% |
Cooperation
Rate |
|
|
|
|
72 |
Language/Hearing Barrier |
|
112 |
Screenouts |
|
709 |
Eligible
numbers |
|
79.4% |
Eligibility
Rate |
|
|
|
|
200 |
Refusal after case determined eligible |
|
509 |
Completes |
|
71.8% |
Completion
Rate |
|
|
|
Substantive Questions
|
The
Direction of The United States |
||
|
Let's
begin by asking a general question about the United States, do you think
things in the U.S. are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel
things have gotten off on the wrong track? |
||
|
Response |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Right
Direction |
37 |
8 |
|
Neutral
[volunteered] |
26 |
5 |
|
Wrong Track |
432 |
85 |
|
Don’t Know |
11 |
2 |
|
Total |
507 |
100 |
Biggest Problem Facing
The United States |
||
|
What
do you think is the single most important problem facing the United States
today? [CALLERS- Do Not Read List. Probe for specific response.] (Top
Five Answers Listed) |
||
|
Response |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Financial/Mortgage
Crisis |
116 |
23 |
|
Budget Deficit |
54 |
11 |
|
Iraq War |
22 |
4 |
|
Health Care
and Health Insurance |
19 |
4 |
|
Taxes |
17 |
3 |
|
All Others |
262 |
52 |
|
Don’t Know |
17 |
3 |
|
Total |
507 |
100 |
Party to Fix The Problem
Facing The United States |
||
|
Which
political party, if any, do you think can do a better job of handling the
problem you have just mentioned - the Republicans or the Democrats? |
||
|
Response |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Democratic |
189 |
39 |
|
Republican |
133 |
28 |
|
Other
[volunteered] |
14 |
3 |
|
Parties All
The Same/No Difference [volunteered] |
22 |
5 |
|
None |
63 |
13 |
|
Don’t Know |
59 |
12 |
|
Total |
479 |
100 |
The Direction of The
State of Minnesota |
||
|
Thanks. Now we have some questions just about
Minnesota. Do you think things in the
state are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have
gotten off on the wrong track? |
||
|
Response |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Right
Direction |
215 |
42 |
|
Neutral
[volunteered] |
58 |
12 |
|
Wrong Track |
199 |
39 |
|
Don’t Know |
37 |
7 |
|
Total |
509 |
100 |
|
Biggest Problem Facing
Minnesota |
||
|
What
do you think is the single most important problem facing the State of
Minnesota today? [CALLERS- Do Not Read List. Probe for specific response.] (Top
Five Answers Listed) |
||
|
Response |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Education |
60 |
12 |
|
Taxes |
49 |
10 |
|
Financial/Mortgage
Crisis |
44 |
9 |
|
Unemployment |
39 |
8 |
|
Health
Care/ Prescription Costs |
30 |
6 |
|
All Others |
246 |
48 |
|
Don’t Know |
37 |
7 |
|
Total |
505 |
100 |
|
Party to Fix The
Problem Facing Minnesota |
||
|
In
Minnesota, which political party, if any, do you think can do a better job of handling the problem you have
just mentioned - the Republicans, the Democrats, the Independence Party, the
Libertarian Party, or the Green Party? [CALLERS- INDEPENDENCE PARTY IS
DIFFERENT FROM THOSE WHO SAY THEY ARE AN INDEPENDENT WHICH IS NO PARTY] |
||
|
Response |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Republican
Party |
131 |
30 |
|
Democratic
Party |
152 |
34 |
|
Independence
Party |
51 |
11 |
|
Libertarian
Party |
7 |
2 |
|
Green Party |
7 |
2 |
|
Other
[volunteered] |
0 |
0 |
|
Parties All
The Same/No Difference [volunteered] |
15 |
3 |
|
None |
32 |
7 |
|
Don’t Know |
49 |
11 |
|
Total |
444 |
100 |
|
Presidential Election-
All Respondents |
||
|
Thanks.
Our next series of questions relate to next month's Presidential election. If
the November 2008 election for President of the United States were being held
today, would you vote for John McCain, Barack Obama, Ralph Nader, Robert Barr,
or another candidate? [IF NOT SURE] Although
you are not sure, would you say you lean more toward Obama, McCain, Barr,
Nader, or another candidate? |
||
|
Response |
Frequency All Respondents |
Percent All Respondents |
|
McCain |
182 |
37 |
|
Obama |
208 |
42 |
|
Barr |
16 |
3 |
|
Nader |
0 |
0 |
|
Other Candidate |
17 |
4 |
|
Won’t Vote |
10 |
2 |
|
Don’t Know |
59 |
12 |
|
Total |
492 |
100 |
|
Presidential Election-
By Registered To Vote |
|||
|
Response |
Yes Registered (Frequency/Percent) |
No Registered (Frequency/Percent) |
Don’t Know (Frequency/Percent) |
|
McCain |
179/ 38% |
3/ 15% |
1/ 20% |
|
Obama |
198/ 43% |
7/ 35% |
3/ 60% |
|
Barr |
16/ 3% |
0/ 0% |
0/ 0% |
|
Other Candidate |
16/ 3% |
1/ 5% |
0/ 0% |
|
Won’t Vote |
5/ 1% |
3/ 15% |
1/ 20% |
|
Don’t Know |
52/ 11% |
6/ 30% |
0/ 0% |
|
Presidential Election-
By Voted In 2006 |
||||
|
Response |
Yes
Voted (Frequency/Percent) |
No-
But Had Good Reason (Frequency/Percent) |
No-
Did Not Vote (Frequency/Percent) |
Don’t
Know (Frequency/Percent) |
|
McCain |
146/
43% |
11/
33% |
18/
19% |
8/
32% |
|
Obama |
140/
41% |
16/
49% |
44/
46% |
7/
28% |
|
Barr |
14/
4% |
2/
6% |
0/
0% |
0/
0% |
|
Other
Candidate |
4/
1% |
2/
6% |
8/
8% |
3/
13% |
|
Won’t
Vote |
2/
1% |
1/
3% |
7/
7%% |
0/
0% |
|
Don’t
Know |
32/
10% |
1/
3% |
18/
19% |
7/
28% |
|
Presidential Election-
By Likely To Vote in 2008 |
|||||
|
Response |
Very Likely (Frequency/Percent) |
Somewhat Likely (Frequency/Percent) |
Somewhat Unlikely (Frequency/Percent) |
Very Unlikely (Frequency/Percent) |
Don’t Know (Frequency/Percent) |
|
McCain |
161/ 37% |
15/ 37% |
3/ 21% |
2/ 13% |
0/ 0% |
|
Obama |
180/ 43% |
17/ 42% |
6/ 43% |
4/ 25 % |
1/ 50% |
|
Barr |
16/ 4% |
0/ 0% |
0/ 0% |
0/ 0% |
0/ 0% |
|
Other Candidate |
12/ 3% |
2/ 5% |
0/ 0% |
2/ 13% |
0/ 0% |
|
Won’t Vote |
2/ 1% |
0/ 0% |
4/ 27% |
4/ 25% |
0/ 0% |
|
Don’t Know |
46/ 11% |
7/ 17% |
1/ 7% |
4/ 25% |
1/ 50% |
|
Why Voting For
Presidential Candidate |
||
|
Why
are you going to vote for this person? [CALLERS- PROBE/DO NOT READ/ACCEPT
ONLY ONE RESPONSE] (Top
Five Answers Listed) |
||
|
Response |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Like Them
As A Person/ Character |
62 |
15 |
|
Trust Them |
51 |
12 |
|
Change/ Different/
Not Typical |
41 |
10 |
|
Don’t Like
Opposition |
36 |
9 |
|
Same
Political Ideology |
25 |
6 |
|
All Others |
200 |
46 |
|
Don’t Know |
7 |
2 |
|
Total |
422 |
100 |
|
Importance of Vice
Presidential Running Mate |
||
|
How
important is the Vice Presidential running mate in your choice of who to vote
for as President of the United States?
Would you say it is very important, somewhat important, a little
important, or not at all important? |
||
|
Response |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Very
Important |
179 |
42 |
|
Somewhat
Important |
164 |
39 |
|
A Little
Important |
44 |
11 |
|
Not At All
Important |
30 |
7 |
|
Don’t Know |
6 |
1 |
|
Total |
423 |
100 |
Senate Election- All
Respondents |
||
|
Our
next series of questions relate to next month's Senate election. If
the November 2008 election for Senate were being held today, would you vote
for Al Franken, Dean Barkley, Norm Coleman, or a candidate of another party? [IF NOT SURE] Although
you are not sure, would you say you lean more toward Coleman, Barkley,
Franken, or a candidate or another party? |
||
|
Response |
Frequency All Respondents |
Percent All Respondents |
|
Coleman |
176 |
36 |
|
Franken |
132 |
27 |
|
Barkley |
79 |
16 |
|
Other Candidate |
12 |
2 |
|
Won’t Vote |
14 |
3 |
|
Don’t Know |
82 |
16 |
|
Total |
495 |
100 |
|
Senate Election- By
Registered To Vote |
|||
|
Response |
Yes Registered (Frequency/Percent) |
No Registered (Frequency/Percent) |
Don’t Know (Frequency/Percent) |
|
Coleman |
169/ 36% |
5/ 25% |
2/ 50% |
|
Franken |
128/ 27% |
3/ 15% |
1/ 25% |
|
Barkley |
78/ 17% |
1/ 5% |
0/ 0% |
|
Other Candidate |
10/ 2% |
2/ 10% |
0/ 0% |
|
Won’t Vote |
11/ 2% |
2/ 10% |
1/ 25% |
|
Don’t Know |
75/ 16% |
7/ 35% |
0/ 0% |
|
Senate
Election- By Voted In 2006 |
||||
|
Response |
Yes
Voted (Frequency/Percent) |
No-
But Had Good Reason (Frequency/Percent) |
No-
Did Not Vote (Frequency/Percent) |
Don’t
Know (Frequency/Percent) |
|
Coleman |
130/
39% |
13/
38% |
25/
26% |
7/
27% |
|
Franken |
96/
28% |
14/
41% |
20/
21% |
3/
12% |
|
Barkley |
61/
18% |
2/
6% |
9/
9% |
6/
23% |
|
Other
Candidate |
7/
2% |
0/
0% |
5
/5% |
0/
0% |
|
Won’t
Vote |
3/
1% |
1/
3% |
11/
12% |
0/
0% |
|
Don’t
Know |
41/
12% |
4/
12% |
26/
27% |
10/
39% |
|
Senate Election- By
Likely To Vote in 2008 |
|||||
|
Response |
Very Likely (Frequency/Percent) |
Somewhat Likely (Frequency/Percent) |
Somewhat Unlikely (Frequency/Percent) |
Very Unlikely (Frequency/Percent) |
Don’t Know (Frequency/Percent) |
|
Coleman |
156/ 38% |
14/ 32% |
4/ 29% |
2/ 13% |
0/ 0% |
|
Franken |
114/ 27% |
14/ 32% |
0/ 0% |
3/ 19% |
0/0% |
|
Barkley |
74/ 18% |
3/ 7% |
2/ 14% |
1/ 6% |
0/ 0% |
|
Other Candidate |
7/ 2% |
2/ 5% |
0/0% |
2/ 13% |
0/ 0% |
|
Won’t Vote |
3/ 1% |
0/ 0% |
7/ 50% |
4/ 25% |
0/ 0% |
|
Don’t Know |
0/ 0% |
0/ 0% |
0/ 0% |
0/ 0% |
3/ 100% |
Why Voting For Senate
Candidate |
||
|
Why
are you going to vote for this person? [CALLERS- PROBE/DO NOT READ/ACCEPT
ONLY ONE RESPONSE] (Top
Five Answers Listed) |
||
|
Response |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Like Them
As A Person/ Character |
63 |
16 |
|
Don’t Like
Opposition |
52 |
13 |
|
Same
Political Ideology |
27 |
7 |
|
Change/
Different/ Not Typical |
24 |
6 |
|
Experience/
Good Record |
21 |
5 |
|
All Others |
194 |
49 |
|
Don’t Know |
17 |
4 |
|
Total |
398 |
100 |
|
Iraq Policy |
||
|
Do
you approve or disapprove of the United States’ current policy toward Iraq? |
||
|
Response |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Approve |
135 |
27 |
|
Disapprove |
303 |
61 |
|
Don’t Know |
57 |
12 |
|
Total |
495 |
100 |
Evaluation of
President Bush |
||
|
How
would you rate the overall performance of George W. Bush as President? Would
you rate his performance as excellent, pretty good, only fair, or poor? |
||
|
Response |
Frequency |
Percent |
|
Excellent |
24 |
5 |
|
Pretty Good |
63 |
12 |
|
Only Fair |
145 |
29 |
|
Poor |
268 |
53 |
|
Don’t Know |
7 |
1 |
|
Total |
507 |
100 |
Feeling Thermometer |
||||
|
“Please
think of a thermometer that has a range of 0 to 100 degrees. I’d like you to
rate your feelings toward some of our political leaders and other people who are
in the news. Ratings on the thermometer between 50 and 100 degrees mean that
you feel favorable and warm toward the person. Ratings between 0 and 50 mean
that you do not feel too favorable toward the person. If we come to a person
whose name you don’t recognize, you don’t need to rate that person. Just tell
me and we will move on to the next one. If you do recognize the name, but do
not feel particularly warm or cold toward the person, you would rate that
person at the 50 degree mark.” |
||||
|
Person |
Mean
Response |
Number
of Responses Used |
Number
of Responses Can’t
Judge /Don’t
Know |
Percent
Can’t
Judge /Don’t
Know |
|
George W.
Bush |
33 |
492 |
11 |
2 |
|
Barack
Obama |
54 |
481 |
23 |
4 |
|
John McCain |
50 |
492 |
13 |
3 |
|
Joe Biden |
51 |
428 |
76 |
15 |
|
Sarah Palin |
42 |
475 |
28 |
6 |
|
Tim
Pawlenty |
53 |
456 |
48 |
10 |
|
Norm
Coleman |
46 |
487 |
18 |
4 |
|
Al Franken |
46 |
487 |
41 |
8 |
|
Dean
Barkley |
49 |
286 |
214 |
42 |
|
Amy
Klobuchar |
53 |
426 |
79 |
16 |
|
Hillary
Rodham Clinton |
53 |
486 |
17 |
3 |
|
Cindy
McCain |
47 |
395 |
102 |
20 |
|
Michelle
Obama |
51 |
430 |
67 |
13 |
|
Party 1- Party
Identification |
||
|
Do
you usually consider yourself to be a Democrat, Republican, Green party member,
Minnesota Independence Party member, another party, or are you an independent
who is not a member of any party? |
||
|
RESPONSE |
FREQUENCY |
PERCENT |
|
Democrat |
155 |
30 |
|
Republican |
123 |
24 |
|
Green |
3 |
1 |
|
Libertarian |
3 |
1 |
|
MN Independence
Party |
19 |
4 |
|
Other
[volunteered] |
3 |
1 |
|
Independent,
Not A Member Of Any Party |
189 |
37 |
|
Not
Political |
6 |
1 |
|
Don’t Know |
9 |
1 |
|
Total |
510 |
100 |
Party 2- Always Vote
With Party |
||
|
Would
you say that you always vote for a person of your party or do you sometimes
vote for a person of another party? |
||
|
RESPONSE |
FREQUENCY |
PERCENT |
|
Always Vote
For Person of Same Party |
89 |
29 |
|
Sometimes
Vote for Person of Another Party |
208 |
69 |
|
Don’t Vote |
2 |
1 |
|
Don’t Know |
3 |
1 |
|
Total |
302 |
100 |
|
Independent Closer To
Which Party |
||
|
Although
you are an independent, do you usually consider yourself to be closer to the
Democrats, Republicans, the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, or the
Minnesota Independence Party? |
||
|
RESPONSE |
FREQUENCY |
PERCENT |
|
Democrat |
59 |
32 |
|
Republican |
52 |
28 |
|
Green |
7 |
4 |
|
Libertarian |
4 |
2 |
|
Minnesota
Independence Party |
9 |
5 |
|
Not Close
To Any Party [volunteered] |
42 |
22 |
|
Don’t Know |
14 |
7 |
|
Total |
187 |
100 |
Recoded Party |
||
|
Combines party identifies and party
leaners. |
||
|
RESPONSE |
FREQUENCY |
PERCENT |
|
Democrat |
214 |
42 |
|
Republican |
175 |
34 |
|
Green |
10 |
2 |
|
Libertarian |
6 |
1 |
|
Minnesota
Independence Party |
28 |
6 |
|
Other Party
[volunteered] |
3 |
1 |
|
Not Close
To Any Party [volunteered] |
42 |
8 |
|
Not
Political |
19 |
4 |
|
Don’t Know |
12 |
2 |
|
Total |
509 |
100 |
|
Registered to Vote |
||
|
Are
you presently registered to vote or do you plan to register to vote in the
area in which you are now living? |
||
|
RESPONSE |
FREQUENCY |
PERCENT |
|
Yes,
Registered or Plan to Register |
483 |
95 |
|
No, Not
Planning to Register |
20 |
4 |
|
Don’t Know |
5 |
1 |
|
Total |
508 |
100 |
|
Voted In 2006 |
||
|
Did
you get a chance to vote in the 2006 U.S. Senate election for U.S. Senate
between candidates Amy Klobuchar and Mark Kennedy? |
||
|
RESPONSE |
FREQUENCY |
PERCENT |
|
Yes |
343 |
67 |
|
No [But had
good reason such as “not 18 years old”/”ill”/”out of country” |
33 |
7 |
|
No |
104 |
21 |
|
Don’t Know |
28 |
5 |
|
Total |
508 |
100 |
|
Will Vote in 2008 |
||
|
Next
month there will be elections for President, members of the U.S. House
of Representatives, and state representatives for the Minnesota
legislature. How likely is it that you will vote in the election-are you very
likely to vote, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely, or very unlikely to vote? |
||
|
RESPONSE |
FREQUENCY |
PERCENT |
|
Very Likely |
424 |
83 |
|
Somewhat
Likely |
45 |
9 |
|
Somewhat
Unlikely |
15 |
3 |
|
Very
Unlikely |
21 |
4 |
|
Don’t Know |
3 |
1 |
|
Total |
508 |
100 |
Demographics
Shown below are frequency tables of the demographic indicators we collected as part of the sample or asked of the respondents. Also, we show demographic tables of party, age, income, and employment with some categories combined to facilitate cross tabulation analysis. The tables labeled “recoded” are used in the cross tabulation analysis.
|
Gender |
||
|
RESPONSE |
FREQUENCY |
PERCENT |
|
Male |
248 |
49 |
|
Female |
260 |
51 |
|
Total |
509 |
100 |
Age |
||
|
RESPONSE |
FREQUENCY |
PERCENT |
|
18-24 |
||