ABC News/Washington Post Poll, March 1996

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 give their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy, as well as their views on First Lady Hillary Clinton and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole. Those queried were asked for their opinions on the recent Chinese aggression against Taiwan, including Clinton's response, the use of United States troops to maintain peace, the presence of United States vital interests in Taiwan, and whether Clinton had a clear policy for handling the situation. The 1996 presidential election was also addressed, with questions comparing Clinton and Dole in the areas of leadership skills, integrity, experience, innovativeness, and political agendas. In addition, respondents were asked to consider the past, present, and future state of their economic and employment security. A series of questions was posed regarding the Whitewater investigation, including the role of the Clintons, national media attention paid to the scandal, and whether the hearings and investigations were warranted. The suspension by the National Basketball Association of Denver Nuggets player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf for his refusal to stand during the playing of the national anthem was also addressed. Additional topics covered legal immigration, reform of the tax system, respondents' hopes for future generations, and alternative medicine. Demographic variables include age, race, education, sex, religion, family income, political party, political orientation, economic class, marital status, labor union membership, demographics of the respondent's local community, voter registration and participation history, ownership of publicly-traded stock, and ownership of a small business.