CBS News/New York Times Abortion Polls, September-October 1989

This data collection focuses on abortion issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the July Supreme Court decision in Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services, whether abortion should be legal and under what circumstances (e.g., possibility of birth defects, rape, unmarried motherhood, health risk to the woman, age of the female, and whether the pregnancy would force a teenager to quit high school or a professional woman to interrupt her career), and whether they favored or opposed possible restrictions on abortion, such as requiring parental consent and prohibiting public employees or hospitals from performing abortions. In addition, respondents' opinions were sought concerning use of public funds for abortion, child care costs, adoption services for unwanted children, whether their vote choices were affected by a candidate's stand on abortion, government regulation of abortion, the reasonableness/extremism of pro- and anti-abortionists, whether abortion was murder, and abortion as a form of birth control. In all surveys, respondents were asked if they approved of George Bush's handling of the presidency. A more detailed evaluation of Bush's performance in specific areas as well as Bush's relationship with Congress, important problems facing the nation, taxes, and United States aid to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union also were addressed in the National Survey (Part 1). Background information on respondents includes registered voter status, 1988 presidential vote choice, political party affiliation, age, income, sex, religious preference, education, and race.