Washington Post-ABC News Poll: Domestic Policy
Social Security, Intelligence Reform, Abortion and the Supreme Court
Tuesday, December 21, 2004 | | | | This Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted by telephone December 16-19, 2004 among 1,004 randomly selected adults nationwide. Margin of sampling error for overall results is plus or minus three percentage points. Sampling error is only one source of potential error in this or any other public opinion poll. Fieldwork by TNS of Horsham, PA. *= less than 0.5 percent 13. On another subject, what do you think of the nation's Social Security system? Do you think that by the time you retire there will be enough money in the system to pay you the benefits you are entitled to, or do you think there will not be enough money left to pay you benefits? Enough Not enough Not covered (vol.) No opin.
12/19/04 32 63 1 4
5/10/00 38 51 3 7
5/4/97 27 66 3 4
8/22/95 23 73 0 4
11/19/84 29 59 2 9
14. Which of the following four statements comes closest to your own view of the Social Security program - would you say the program is in crisis, the program has major problems but is not in crisis, the program has minor problems or the program has no problems?
Major Minor No No
Crisis probs. probs. probs. opin.
12/19/04 25 49 23 1 1
1/19/98 34 46 17 2 2
15. Would you support or oppose a plan in which people who chose to could invest some of their Social Security contributions in the stock market?
Support Oppose No opin.
12/19/04 53 44 3
7/15/02 52 45 3
4/22/01 53 46 2
3/25/01 52 45 3
10/30/00 LV 58 35 8
9/6/00 RV 59 37 4
5/10/00 64 31 5
16. (IF SUPPORT) What if setting up a stock-market option for Social Security means the government has to borrow as much as two trillion dollars to set it up, with that money to be paid back over time through cost savings from the current system? Would you support or oppose the stock-market option for Social Security if this borrowing was necessary to set it up?
Support Oppose No opin.
12/19/04 46 47 7
17. People in a plan like this would get (higher Social Security benefits if the stock market went up), but (lower Social Security benefits if the stock market went down). Knowing that, would you personally put some of your Social Security money in the stock market, or not? Yes No No opin.
12/19/04 37 62 1
18. (IF YES) How much of your Social Security money would you put in the stock market - all of it, most of it, some of it or just a little of it? Just a No
All Most Some little opinion
12/19/04 7 11 57 23 1
22. As you may know, the federal government has enacted legislation to restructure the U.S. intelligence gathering agencies under a new director of national intelligence. Just your best guess, do you think this new system will or will not improve U.S. intelligence-gathering operations? IF YES: Do you think it'll improve them a great deal, or somewhat?
--------------Yes-------------- No, will No
NET Great deal Somewhat not improve opinion
12/19/04 69 18 50 23 9
23. On another subject, do you think abortion should be legal in all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most cases or illegal in all cases?
--------Legal-------- -------Illegal-------
All Most Most All No
NET cases cases NET cases cases opin.
12/19/04 55 21 34 42 25 17 3
5/23/04 54 23 31 44 23 20 2
1/20/03 57 23 34 42 25 17 2
8/12/01 49 22 27 48 28 20 3
6/24/01 52 22 31 43 23 20 4
1/15/01 59 21 38 39 25 14 1
9/6/00 RV 55 20 35 42 25 16 3
7/23/00 53 20 33 43 26 17 4
9/2/99 56 20 37 42 26 15 2
3/14/99 55 21 34 42 27 15 3
7/12/98 54 19 35 42 29 13 4
8/5/96 56 22 34 41 27 14 3
6/30/96 58 24 34 40 25 14 2
10/1/95 60 26 35 37 25 12 3
9/21/95 60 24 36 36 25 11 4
7/17/95 59 27 32 40 26 14 1
24. How important is it to you that the next person nominated to join the U.S. Supreme Court agrees with your position on abortion - is that extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, or less important than that?
------Important------ ----Less important---- No
NET Ext. Very NET Smwt. Less opin.
12/19/04 54 26 28 45 30 15 1
25. When it comes time for Bush to nominate a new justice to the U.S. Supreme Court, do you think he should pick someone who is more of a (liberal), moderate or (conservative)?
Liberal Moderate Conservative No opin.
12/19/04 21 43 33 3
26. As you may know, the Constitution gives the Senate the power to confirm the president's nominations to the federal courts. Would you say that the Senate should only consider a judge's background, experience and qualifications, OR should the Senate also consider a judge's views on such issues as abortion, gun control and affirmative action?
Background, experience Views on No
and qualifications issues opinion
12/19/04 35 60 5
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