CBS News Monthly Poll #5, October 1998

This poll, fielded October 31-November 1, 1998, 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 were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton and the upcoming November 1998 state and congressional elections. Those queried were asked a series of questions about the United States Congress and the impact of congressional decisions on their lives. Topics covered 1997-1998 congressional accomplishments, the importance of which political party controls Congress, the respondent's level of trust in government, whether congressional representatives should solve national problems or only be concerned with their specific constituencies, and to whom congressional representatives paid the most attention in practice. Respondents were also asked whether non-voters had the right to complain about electoral outcomes, whether the Clinton scandal had prevented political debate on the real issues during the campaigns, whether the Clinton scandal would influence voter turnout and electoral decisions, and how they felt about the content of campaign commercials. Background information on respondents includes age, race, sex, political party, political orientation, marital status, employment status, voter registration and participation history, labor union membership, religion, education, age of children in household, and family income.