ANES 2004 Time Series Study

This study is part of the American National Election Study
(ANES), a time-series collection of national surveys fielded
continuously since 1948. The American National Election Studies are
designed to present data on Americans' social backgrounds, enduring
political predispositions, social and political values, perceptions
and evaluations of groups and candidates, opinions on questions of
public policy, and participation in political life. The 2004 ANES Time Series study was conducted in two waves, before and after the
2004 presidential election in the United States, and comprises both a
pre-election interview and a post-election re-interview. A freshly
drawn cross-section of the electorate was taken, yielding 1,212
valid cases. Like its predecessors, the 2004 ANES includes both questions necessary for tracking long-term trends and questions attempting to assess the political moment of this particular year. This study maintains and extends the ANES time-series 'core' by providing data on Americans' basic political beliefs, allegiances, and behaviors that are monitored at every election, irrespective of the nature of the specific campaign or the broader setting, because they are central to the general understanding of politics. Current and study-specific topics were also addressed.
Questions covering issues prominent in 2004 referred to job outsourcing,
private investment of Social Security funds, and President Bush's tax
cut. Americans' views on foreign policy, the war on terrorism, and the
Iraq War and its consequences were also assessed. Additional questions were asked on inflation, immigration, gender politics, and gay and lesbian politics. The study also extended the experiment on the measurement of voter turnout that began in 2002. Demographic variables include respondent's age, education level, political affiliation, race/ethnicity, marital status, and family composition.