CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, April 1992

This poll 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 comment on what they thought was the most important problem facing the country, and to give their approval rating of George Bush with respect to his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy. Questions were posed regarding respondents' vote intentions for the 1992 presidential election, their opinions of potential 1992 presidential candidates, the likelihood of their voting in either a Republican or Democratic presidential primary or caucus, their candidate preferences for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations, and issues presidential candidates should emphasize. Those surveyed were asked whether most members of Congress deserved reelection, whether particular representatives deserved reelection, and whether Bill Clinton had told the truth when answering charges about his personal life. Questions on the Bush administration evaluated its performance in dealing with illegal drugs, education, the economy, and the development of policies. Respondents were asked whether Bush, Clinton, and Ross Perot were liberal, moderate, or conservative, whether they had strong qualities of leadership, and who had more honesty and integrity. The poll also posed a series of questions about the media including whether the names of people accused of crimes and those who were victims of crimes should be made public, whether the media had gone too far in disclosing details of presidential candidates' private lives, and whether the media had been harder on Bush and Clinton than on the other presidential candidates. Respondents were also asked whether the government was in such bad shape that it needed a strong leader who would take charge, whether the federal government should run like a business with one person in charge, and whether it was better for people to take the law into their own hands rather than wait for the government to act. Those surveyed were asked if there was a connection between what a politician says and what he or she does after being elected, whether who was elected made any difference, whether the government would work better if all new people were elected, and whether a politician's methods mattered as long as he or she managed to get the right thing done. Additional questions dealt with the state of the economy, drug testing in the workplace, the respondent's financial situation, organized labor, the national economy, big business, the First Lady's working outside the White House, television news coverage of the presidential campaign, the most important quality the next president should have, call-in polls and programs on radio and television, and the amount of attention the government and Congress pay to what people think. Background information on respondents includes involvement in a labor union, sex, race, age, education, religious preference, family income, political orientation, and party preference.