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VAR CF0201 DEMOCRATS THERMOMETER
COLUMNS 170 - 171
NUMERIC
MD EQ 98 OR GE 99
1964-1968:
There are many groups in America that try to get the government or the
American people to see things more their way. We would like to get
your feelings towards some of these groups. I have here a card on
which there is something that looks like a thermometer. We call it a
"feeling thermometer" because it measures your feelings towards
groups. Here's how it works. If you don't know too much about a group
or don't feel particularly warm or cold toward them, then you should
place them in the middle, at the 50 degree mark. If you have a warm
feeling toward a group or feel favorably toward it, you would give it
a score somewhere between 50 degrees and 100 degrees, depending on how
warm your feeling is toward the group. On the other hand, if you
don't feel very favorably toward some of these groups--if there are
some you don't care for too much--then you would place them somewhere
between 0 degrees and 50 degrees.
1970-1974:
(1970: As you know, there are many groups and persons in America that
try to get the government or the American people to see things more
their way. Please use the thermometer again--this time to indicate
your feelings toward these groups or persons.) (1972,1974: We'd also
like to get your feelings about some groups in American society, using
the feeling thermometer just as we did for the [1972: candidates;
1974: leaders]. If we come to a group you don't know much about, just
tell me and we'll move on to the next one.) PRECEDING THERMOMETER
DESCRIPTION FOR POLITICAL LEADERS, 1970-1974: I have here a card on
which there is something that looks like a thermometer. We call it a
"feeling thermometer" because it measures your feelings toward these
people. Here's how it works. If you don't feel particularly warm or
cold toward a person, then you should place him in the middle of the
thermometer, at the 50 degree mark. If you have a warm feeling toward
him or feel favorably toward him, you would give him a score somewhere
between 50 degrees and 100 degrees. (1970 only: depending on how warm
your feeling is toward that person). On the other hand, if you don't
feel very favorably toward a person--that is, if you don't care for
him too much--then you would place him somewhere between 0 degrees and
50 degrees.
1976: We'd also like to get your feelings about some groups in
American society. When I read the name of a group, we'd like you to
rate it with what we call a feeling thermometer. Ratings between 50
degrees-100 degrees mean that you feel favorably and warm toward the
group; ratings between 0 and 50 degrees mean that you don't feel
favorably towards the group and that you don't care too much for that
group. If you don't feel particularly warm or cold toward a group you
would rate them at 50 degrees. If we come to a group you don't know
much about, just tell me and we'll move on to the next one.
1978-1984: (1980-1984: And still using the thermometer, how would you
rate the following.) PRECEDING THERMOMETER DESCRIPTION FOR POLITICAL
LEADERS, 1978-1984: I'd like to get your feelings toward some of our
political leaders and other people who are in the news these days.
I'll read the name of a person and I'd like you to rate that person
using the feeling thermometer. Ratings between 50 degrees and 100
degrees mean that you feel favorably and warm toward the person;
ratings between 0 and 50 degrees mean that you don't feel favorably
toward the person and that you don't care too much for that person.
If we come to a person whose name you don't recognize, you don't need
to rate that person. Just tell me and we'll move on to the next one.
If you do recognize the name, but you don't feel particularly warm or
cold toward the person, then you would rate the person at the 50
degree mark.
1986-later: (And still using the thermometer, how would you rate the
following) PRECEDING THERMOMETER DESCRIPTION FOR POLITICAL LEADERS,
1986-later: I'd like to get your feelings toward some of our
political leaders and other people who are in the news these days
(1990: who have been in the news). I'll read the name of a person and
I'd like you to rate that person using the feeling thermometer.
Ratings between 50 and 100 degrees mean that you feel favorably and
warm toward the person; ratings between 0 and 50 degrees mean that you
don't feel favorably toward the person and that you don't care too
much for that person. You would rate the person at the 50 degree mark
if you don't feel particularly warm or cold toward the person. If we
come to a person whose name you don't recognize, you don't need to
rate that person. Just tell me and we'll move on to the next one.
DEMOCRATS -- FEELING THERMOMETER
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USE WEIGHT VARIABLE VCF0009/VCF0009A/VCF0009B.
(CARD OR RESPONDENT BOOKLET SHOWN TO R IN ALL YEARS)
In all presidential years except 1968 and 1976, group thermometers
followed, within the same (wave) interview if not immediately, the
series of thermometers for specific political figures: R was asked to
recall for the group thermometers the "explanation" of the thermometer
itself which was given for the individual thermometers. In 1968 and
1976 only, group thermometers appeared in a separate wave. [NOTE: no
individual thermometers at all were used in 1964 and 1966; no group
thermometers were used in 1978, except for Democratic Party and
Republican Party-- which appeared within the individual thermometer
series].
In 1964, 1966 and 1968 "don't knows" were coded 50 on thermometers;
groups about which the respondent "didn't know much" were also placed
at 50 degrees during these years.
In 1970 all respondents were asked for the group feeling
thermometers but the order in which group thermometers were asked
varied according to whether the form used was form 1 or form 2.
In 1970-1976, the respondent was not asked to give thermometer ratings
for groups about which R "didn't know much" or "didn't know too
much." However, it is unclear whether such cases were coded DK or
NA: even within a single study year, "don't know much/too much" may
not have been coded consistently to one MD category.
00-96. Degrees as coded
97. 97-100 Degrees
98. DK (exc. 1964-1968: SEE VCF0201 note)
99. NA; INAP, no post IW (1972,1976,1980); form III, IV (1972);
question not used
1964: 242 1966: 124 1968: 230
1970: 248 (type 0) 1972: 719 1974: 2364
1976: 3833 1980: 871 1982: 146
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Walter Mebane
Mon Nov 12 02:55:58 EST 2001