Suchergebnisse

Notes a number of substantial errors in Citrin, Green and Sears' article in the Spring 1990 issue. Includes a reply. (SJK)

Reported increases in nonresponse rates to sample surveys have not been systematically documented to date. Data from the National Election Studies & the Surveys of Consumer Attitudes, two well-known continuing studies conducted by the Survey Research Center at the U of Michigan, permit the assessment of long-term trends for the two major components of nonresponse, refusals & other noninterviews, by Ur subgroups using time-series regression techniques. The analyses clearly demonstrate that there have been substantial increases in total nonresponse due predominantly to increases in the percentages of Rs who refuse to be interviewed, & that these trends are related to the level of urbanization. 4 Tables, 7 Figures. AA.

Draws on previous research to analyze public attitudes toward affirmative action & the influence of questionnaire wording on public response. The public responds to questions differently depending on the description of a particular policy & whether beneficiaries are specifically identified as black, or more generally, as minorities. It is concluded that Americans are torn between individualism & egalitarianism; typical survey questions on affirmative action tap into the individualist ethic more than the egalitarian one. It is suggested that with more careful wording of survey questions, public response toward affirmative action may appear much more moderate. 24 Tables, 3 Graphs, 21 References. M. Wagner