» MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM NOTE

     GENERAL NOTES:

     FOR ALL YEARS SINCE 1960 WHICH UTILIZED THE 'MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM'
     QUESTION, THE MAJOR GROUPINGS AND THEIR RECODES TO CUMULATIVE DATA
     FILE VARIABLE V875 (with some exceptions) ARE AS FOLLOW:

            CDF V875   Original Codes     Subject grouping
            --------   --------------   --------------------------------
                9         1-99          social welfare
                1         100-149       agriculture
                6         150-199       natural resources
                5         200-299       labor
                8         300-349       race 1960-1972
                          300-319       race 1974-1990
                7         350-399       public order 1960-1972
                          320-399       public order 1974-1990
                2         400-499       economic/business
                3         500-799       foreign affairs & national defense
                4         800-899       functioning of government

     In years 1960-1972 continuity of coding during successive years was
     not maintained.  Beginning in 1974, however, a set of codes was created
     which was reused each following year without renumbering or dropping of
     codes:  the only changes made to the 1974-based set of codes until 1988
     were, where need arose, expansions of individual code texts and insertion
     of additional codes (e.g. for 'new' issues).  In 1988 this set of
     1974-based codes underwent comprehensive review [see part 2].

     Part 1 below covers years 1960-1972.  During 1960-1966, code numbering
     was generally mutually exclusive between study years.  Beginning in
     1968, some previous codes (number and/or text) were reused.

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