CBS News Monthly Poll #5, October 1996

This poll, fielded October 27-29, 1996, 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. Those polled rated the condition of the national economy and gave their opinions of Vice President Al Gore, First Lady Hillary Clinton, the United States Congress, and the presidential and vice presidential candidates in the upcoming election. Opinions were elicited on the 1996 presidential and congressional elections, the likelihood that respondents would vote, for whom they would vote, what issue the next administration should focus on, and whether America was ready to elect a Black or female president. Views were also sought on the presidential campaign, including campaign spending, length of the campaign season, and media coverage, as well as respondents' preferred voting methods and their voter registration history. Several questions asked about the Whitewater inquiry, foreign campaign contributions accepted by the Democratic Party, and how the next administration should handle issues such as education and crime. Others topics addressed feelings about the federal government, the federal budget deficit, taxes, Social Security, holiday spending, crime in the respondent's community, and whether the United States had a responsibility to provide military assistance around the world. Information was also collected on whether respondents had contacted their member of Congress in the past two years, whether they had lived in the same community for the past two years, and how often they watched comedians on late-night television. Demographic variables include sex, race, age, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter participation history and registration status, and type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural).