CBS News Monthly Poll, July 2003

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 George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, the economy, and the situation with Iraq. Their views were sought on the state of the economy and how it compared to the state of the economy two years ago. A series of questions addressed pre-emptive military strikes and interference in foreign governments, whether the costs of the Iraq War or the removal of Saddam Hussein was worth the loss of American lives, and whether, in retrospect, Iraq and Saddam Hussein had posed real threats to the United States. Respondents were asked what they felt Iraqi sentiment was toward the United States and if they thought the United States was really in control of events in Iraq. Respondents were asked to give an estimate on how long American troops would be in Iraq, and whether that was too long, about right, or not long enough. Those polled were asked if they thought the war will have been "worth it," if they would consider it to be "worth it" if no weapons were ever found, whether the Bush Administration's estimates on the number of weapons Iraq had were accurate, and whether those in the administration were telling the truth about what they knew. Respondents were also asked if they were confident that the United States would find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and whether or not it mattered. Questions concerning the upcoming presidential election asked those polled how much attention they paid to the 2004 campaign, and if the respondent could name any of the Democratic candidates for president. Background information on respondents includes voter registration status, party identification, voting record in the 2000 election, marital status, religious preference, education record, age, Hispanic nationality, racial background, total family income in the year 2002, and reachable call-back phone numbers.