CBS News Monthly Poll #1, March 1996

This special topic poll, conducted March 20-21, 1996, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents of this poll were asked to give their opinions about whether they thought it was possible to start out poor and become rich in this country, whether all Americans had equal opportunities, and whether there were more opportunities for Americans now than in the past. Respondents of this poll were asked to personally evaluate their lives and give their opinions on whether they had more opportunities than most Americans, and whether their lives at that time were the result of luck or fate. This poll also solicited respondents' opinions about how important certain factors were to getting ahead in life. These factors included hard work, knowing the right people, having educated parents, having strong religious faith, having a good education, and the number of years of education. Respondents' opinions were also collected on the importance of having strong religious faith. Other questions sought respondents' opinions on the difficulty of overcoming various situations in order to get ahead in life. These situations included overcoming having a parent that abused alcohol or drugs, living in a high-crime neighborhood, being a victim of physical abuse, growing up in a single parent household and growing up on welfare. Demographic variables include sex, race, age, marital status, employment status, whether respondents grew up in a single parent household, household income, education level, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), presence of children and teenagers in the household, political party affiliation, religious preference, and political philosophy.