ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, April 2006

This poll, conducted April 6-9, 2006, is part of a
continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on
the current presidency and on a range of other political and social
issues. A national sample of 1,229 adults was surveyed, including an
oversample of 27 Black respondents and 202 respondents aged 65 and
older. Part 1 contains data on non-oversample respondents and Black
oversample respondents, while Part 2 contains information asked only
of respondents aged 65 and older, including the aged 65 and older
oversample. Respondents were queried on whether they approved of the
way President George W. Bush was handling the presidency, and issues
such as the economy and the campaign against terrorism. Respondents
were also asked whether they approved of the way the United States
Congress and their own representatives were handling their jobs,
whether they would vote for a Democratic or Republican candidate in
the upcoming United States House of Representatives election, the
importance of issues such as health care in their voting choice, and
which party they trusted to handle the main problems the nation would
face over the next few years. Views were also sought on the war in
Iraq, whether United States military forces in Iraq should be
withdrawn, and whether Iraq was currently in a state of civil war. A
series of questions asked how much respondents knew about the new
Medicare prescription drug program, whether they approved of it, and
who was responsible for its creation. Respondents aged 65 and older
were asked whether they took prescription drugs, whether they had
signed up for the new Medicare prescription drug program, whether it
saved them money, and whether the enrollment deadline should be
extended. Other topics addressed the recent increase in gasoline
prices, illegal immigration, government waste, a new Massachusetts law
requiring all residents to have health insurance, and whether Congress
should officially reprimand or impeach President Bush for authorizing
wiretaps on suspected terrorists without court approval. Demographic
variables include sex, age, race, household income, marital status,
education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy,
voter registration status, religious preference, whether respondents
considered themselves born-again or evangelical Christians, and
whether they and their parents were born in the United States.