Northwest Area Foundation Social Indicators Survey, September-December 2003

This study was designed to obtain information regarding
community, neighborhood, local government, and community-based
activities in an effort to discover ways of reducing poverty in the
Northwestern states of Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota,
Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington. Respondents were asked a series
of questions relating to their attitudes toward their place of
residence. They were asked how long they had lived at their current
place of residence, what was the best thing about living there, and
what changes they would make. Respondents were asked more specific
questions about their immediate community and neighborhood such as
whether they felt safe walking around during the day and at night,
whether there were job opportunities, and how they perceived race
relations and living conditions in their community. They were asked
whether or not people in their community shared similar values as well
as what sorts of attitudes people in their community had. For example,
respondents were asked whether there was a sense of belonging, hope,
worry, pride, anger, or boredom among members of their community. They
were also asked about the importance of feeling like a member of a
community and about their personal relationships with fellow
neighbors. Other questions concerned their involvement in public
affairs, from what sources they received their news, whether or not
they trusted those news sources, and with what frequency they read the
newspaper. Respondents were asked if they felt the government had the
greatest responsibility in caring for citizens and whether the
government cared more about individuals or larger interests.
Respondents were also asked about their social activism such as
volunteer work, donating blood, and attending government meetings.
Other questions asked about their voting history, as well as their
involvement with local church, sports, civic, and fraternal
organizations. Respondents were asked about their geographic location
including state, county, and town, whether their place of residence
was considered urban or rural, and whether or not they lived near an
Indian reservation. The survey also collected general information on
the respondents such as gender, education, marital status, employment
status, and income.