ANES 1956 Time Series Study

This study is part of a time-series collection of national surveys fielded continuously since 1948. The election studies are designed to collect 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 questionnaires contained both closed and open-ended questions covering a wide range of topics. The study inquired about general political attitudes as well as the attitudes and behaviors pertinent to the 1956 presidential election. Each respondent was interviewed both before and after the election date. In the pre-election survey, respondents were asked about their attitudes toward political parties, candidates, and other specific issues, as well as personal data and some political history. The post-election interview focused on the actual vote and reasons for the vote. It also obtained further personal data and asked non-political attitudinal questions (Form C) of a sub-sample of 579 respondents.