VAR CF0201 DEMOCRATS THERMOMETER

VAR CF0201    DEMOCRATS THERMOMETER
              COLUMNS 225-226
              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 something we call 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
        -------------------------------------------------------------------

        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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