CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, February 2005

This poll conducted February 24-28, 2005, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit opinions on the presidency and on other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to assess the performance of United States President George W. Bush relative to the issues concerning national economy, the conflict in Iraq, North Korea, Iran, education, the national deficit, health care, terrorism, taxes, and international affairs. Respondents were further asked to proffer the most important issue facing the country, the priorities of the administration related to domestic issues, the most important foreign policy issue, and the foreign policy priorities of the administration. Additional queries were of respondents' views on same sex unions, abortion, social security, prescription drug costs, and whether the country was headed in the right direction. Multiple questions addressed various issues surrounding Social Security, retirement, health care, and Medicare. One such question was whether Medicare should cover or pay for erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra. Respondents were asked for their opinions on the conflict in Iraq, the possible threat of North Korea, and the possibility or probability of Iran building nuclear weapons and how that would affect the United States. Additional questions asked respondents to describe their experiences with the health care system and health care professionals. Background information includes age, education, ethnicity, frequency of religious participation, household income, the last year the respondent voted, marital status, number of children in the household, political ideology, political party affiliation, race, religious affiliation, voter registration status, whether the respondent considered herself or himself an evangelical, and whether the respondent voted in the 2004 United States presidential election, and if yes, for whom.