FSS Public Opinion Survey
Round 32 Pretest
READ: Now I have some questions on a different topic. At a few points throughout this next series, I will ask you to tell me why you chose your answer to that question. This will be helpful information as we try to understand how different people interpret our questions.
First, I will ask you about six four different numbers that you may have heard of or read about on the radio, TV, newspapers, the Internet, or somewhere else.. (READ Q12-Q63)
1. Do you happen to know who measures the unemployment rate? (DO NOT READ)
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Department of Labor
Census Bureau
Department of Commerce
Unemployment Bureau/Department
Federal Government
State Government
Media/TV/News
Gallup
Other
2. Do you happen to know who measures the total number of people in the United States, or the population count? (DO NOT READ)
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Department of Labor
Census Bureau
Department of Commerce
Unemployment Bureau/Department
Federal Government
State Government
Media/TV/News
Gallup
Private Company
Other
3.. Do you happen to know who measures the poverty rate? (DO NOT READ)
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Department of Labor
Census Bureau
Department of Commerce
Health and Human Services
Federal Government
State Government
Media/TV/News
Gallup
Other
4. Do you happen to know who measures the leading causes of death? (DO NOT READ)
National Center for Health Statistics
Health and Human Services
Centers for Diseases Control
Federal Government
State Government
Media/TV/News
Gallup
Hospitals/Doctors
Private Company
Other
5. Do you happen to know who measures the crime rate? (DO NOT READ)
Federal Bureau of Investigations
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Department of Justice
Federal Government
State Government
Media/TV/News
Gallup
Police
Private Company
Other
6. Do you happen to know who measures the Consumer Price Index or CPI? (DO NOT READ)
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Department of Labor
Census Bureau
Department of Commerce
Federal Government
State Government
Media/TV/News
Gallup
Private Company
Other
Numbers like the ones I just mentioned are federal statistics produced by federal statistical agencies that are part of the federal government. Have you ever used federal statistics for study or work?
1 Yes
2 No
3 (DK)
4 (Refused)
When important decisions need to be made based on statistics, which of the following sources is the most believable to you: (Read and rotate 1-5)
A University
An agency of the Federal government
A private company
A political party
The Media
(None)
(DK)
(Refused)
Personally, how much trust do you have in the federal statistics in the United States? Would you say that you tend to trust federal statistics or tend not to trust them?
Tend to trust them
Tend not to trust them
(DK)
(Refused)
At some point in this next series, I will ask you to tell me why you chose your answer to that question. This will be helpful information as we try to understand how different people interpret our questions.
Please tell me, do you Strongly agree, Somewhat agree, Neither agree nor disagree, Somewhat disagree, or Strongly disagree with the following statements:
5 Strongly agree
4 Somewhat agree
3 Neither agree nor disagree
2 Somewhat disagree
1 Strongly disagree
6 (DK)
7 (Refused)
Policy makers need federal statistics to make good decisions about things like federal funding.
State and local government officials need federal statistics to make good decisions about things like where to locate hospitals and schools.
Statistics provided by federal agencies are generally accurate.
The unemployment rate gives a true picture of what is happening to unemployment.
Statistics provided by federal agencies are often biased.
Elected officials interfere with the production of statistics by federal agencies.
Federal statistics are made public only if approved by the president or congress.
People can trust federal statistical agencies to keep information about them confidential.
Federal statistical agencies give personal information about people to the IRS.
Federal statistical agencies give personal information about people to marketing firms.
People can easily find out exactly how federal statistics are produced.
Federal statistical agencies are honest.
Federal statistical agencies have the experts they need to produceare a reliable source for high quality statistics.
Private companies could produce more accurate statistics than Federal statistical agencies.
Now I’m going to read you a list of organizations in American
society. Please tell me how much confidence you, yourself, have in
each one – a great deal, quite a lot, some or very little?
(Read and rotate Q24-Q27)
4 A great deal
3 Quite a
lot
2 Some
1 Very little
5 (DK)
6 (Refused)
Newspapers
The military
Federal statistical agencies
Congress
In
order to produce statistics, federal agencies can ask people for
information in a survey or get it from another source. If you knew
your name and other information would never be singled out and would
only be used for statistics, would
you prefer that federal statistical agencies:
29. Ask you for your
employment information in a
survey -- or ask a state agency, like the employment or workforce
office for it?
Ask me in a survey
Ask a state agency
(Neither)
(DK)
(Refused)
30. Ask you for information on your
use of healthcare services in a
survey -- or ask your insurance company for it?
Ask me in a survey
Ask my insurance company
(Neither)
(DK)
(Refused)
31. Ask you for information about the cost
of products on you buyyour
purchases in a survey -- or use
commercial records, like grocery store loyalty cards?|
Ask me in a survey
Use commercial records
(Neither)
(DK)
(Refused)
32. Ask you for your earnings history
information from you in a survey -- or ask the Social Security
Administration for it?|
Ask me in a survey
Ask Social Security Administration
(Neither)
(DK)
(Refused)
33. Ask you for your income information
from you in a survey -- or ask the IRS for it?|
Ask me in a survey
Ask IRS
(Neither)
(DK)
(Refused)
Gallup 2011 G1K_Outbound
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| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | Miller Steiger, Darby |
| Last Modified By | demai001 |
| File Modified | 2012-01-30 |
| File Created | 2012-01-30 |