VAR CF0849 LIBERAL/CONSERVATIVE 3-CATEGORY SUMMARY COLUMNS 547 - 547 NUMERIC MD EQ 0 OR GE 7 We hear a lot of talk these days about liberals and conservatives. I'm going to show you [1996-later: Here is] a 7-point scale on which the political views that people might hold are arranged from extremely liberal to extremely conservative. Where would you place yourself on this scale, or haven't you thought much about this? (7-POINT SCALE SHOWN TO R). (IF R RESPONDS "DON'T KNOW" OR "HAVEN'T THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT THIS"In 1984 AND LATER; IF R RESPONDS "MODERATE" IN 1988, 1992, 1996-later:) If you had to choose, would you consider yourself a liberal or a conservative? SUMMARY: R'S LIBERAL/ CONSERVATIVE SELF-PLACEMENT ------------------------------------------------------------------- USE WEIGHT VARIABLE VCF0009/VCF0009A/VCF0009B. SEE ALSO VCF0803 and VCF0824. THIS IS THE FINAL 3-CATEGORY SUMMARY FOR YEARS 1984 AND LATER, CONSTRUCTED USING THE INITIAL 7-POINT SCALE QUESTION (VCF0803) AND THE THE FOLLOWUP 'CHOICE' QUESTION (VCF0824), WHICH WAS ASKED OF RESPONDENTS WHO HAD REPLIED "DON'T KNOW" OR "HAVEN'TTHOUGHT MUCH" TO THE 7-POINT SCALE QUESTION AND, EXCEPT FOR YEARS 1984, 1986, AND 1990, ALSO ASKED OF RESONDENTS WHO HAD ANSWERED "MODERATE". If R's response to the 7-point scale question was NA, then the follow-up question ('if you had to choose...') was not asked and VCF0849 has been coded 9. If DK/HTM in first question and the response to the follow-up was "don't know," VCF0848 has been coded 8. If R refused to choose in the follow-up, VCF0848 has been coded 7. If R's response to the follow-up was NA, then VCF0849 has been coded 0. Code 1 is comprised of "extremely liberal," "liberal," and "slightly liberal" responses to the 7-point scale question (codes 1-3 in VCF0803) and of "liberal" responses to the follow-up. Code 3 for 1984,1986,1990 is comprised of Rs who replied "moderate" to the 7-point scale question (code 4 in VCF0803, with the followup not asked) and also of Rs who replied DK or "haven't thought much" to the 7-point scale question and then replied "moderate" to the follow-up. For 1988, 1992, 1996 and later, code 3 is comprised of: 1) cases where R replied "moderate" to the 7-point scale question and then refused to choose another category or replied DK/NA to the follow-up; and 2) Rs who replied DK or 'haven't thought much' to the 7-point scale question and then replied "moderate" in the follow-up. Code 5 is comprised of "extremely conservative," conservative," and "slightly conservative" responses to the 7-point scale question (codes 5-7 in VCF0803) and of "conservative" responses in the follow-up. 1. Liberal 3. Moderate ('middle of the road') 5. Conservative 7. Refuses to choose (in follow-up [exc. 1988 moderates]) 8. DK 9. NA to entire question 0. NA to follow-up; INAP, question not used (1952-1982) 1984: 369,370 1986: 385,386 1988: 230 1990: 406,407 1992: 3513 1994: 839,840 1996: 960365-960368 1998: 980399-980402 ==============================