THIRTEEN POLL QUESTIONS PROBING THE VIEWS
OF AMERICAN VOTERS ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

The poll whose questions appear below is the most intelligent and extensive attempt I have seen to discover how American voters define, and whether they support, affirmative action programs. The poll, released on June 3, 2009, was conducted from May 26 through June 1 by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, Hamden, CT. The Institute states that 3,097 registered voters were surveyed nationwide with a margin of error of +/- 1.8 percentage points. According to the accuracy ratings for election polls at http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/search/label/pollster%20ratings , the Quinnipiac Poll rates higher than many polls that are better known. For more data or RSS feed from the Institute, see its website – http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml , or call (203) 582-5201.

The voters surveyed were tabulated by race, ethnicity, sex, religion, politics, political philosophy, age, education, and income. They were helped to define what they meant by affirmative action programs, to say which kind, if any, they approved or disapproved of, and to clarify the standards by which they made these judgments. Such a poll is a superb educational opportunity, not only for those surveyed, but for anyone who reads and thinks about the questions.

The 13 questions are presented here, first by themselves, and then accompanied by respondents' answers. The latter are provided for US voters as a whole, and then for the voters, according to their politics, sex, ethnicity, age, income, political philosophy, presidential vote, education, and (among whites) religion. Finally, the questions are listed again, with a few modifications, which might have improved the poll's ability to descry the public mind.

The 13 affirmative action questions begin with Number 11. I wondered what the first ten questions were, why they were omitted, and whether responding to them might have influenced respondents' answers concerning affirmative action. The Institute explains that the first ten questions, though released a day later as a separate poll concerning the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sotomayor, did indeed precede the 13 questions in the May 26 – June 1 survey. QQ 1-5 were standard approval/disapproval questions, concerning one's Congressman, the President, the Congress, and the Supreme Court. QQ 6-10 dealt with the Sotomayor nomination. The last two raised the issue of judicial appointments based in part on ethnicity and gender. They are worded as follows:

9. As you may know, Sonia Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice. Do you think this was a very important factor in President Obama's choice of her, somewhat important, not too important, or not important at all?

10. Do you think making the Supreme Court look like the rest of the nation in terms of race, religion, ethnicity, and gender is more important than a justice's legal qualifications for the job, less important or about as important?

Although the phrase, affirmative action, is not in these questions, the issue is present. My guess is that these two questions, while helping respondents bring to mind their opinions concerning decisions based on a candidate's ethnicity, race, sex, or religion, did not pull or push those opinions one way or another.

Curtis Crawford

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THE THIRTEEN QUESTIONS

Do you think affirmative action programs that give preferences to blacks and other minorities in hiring, promotions and college admissions should be continued , or do you think these affirmative action programs should be abolished?

Which comes closer to your point of view - affirmative action programs seek out qualified minorities and do not disadvantage members of other groups, or affirmative action programs result in members of some minority groups being advantaged at the expense of other groups?

If affirmative action programs giving preference to blacks and other minorities do result in less opportunities for whites, do you think that's a price worth paying to help blacks and other minorities, or not?

Which comes closer to your point of view regarding affirmative action programs in the work place - A) We should have affirmative action programs to overcome past discrimination, B) We should have affirmative action programs to increase diversity or C) We should not have affirmative action programs?

Do you think members of some racial groups should get preference for government jobs so that the workforce has the same racial makeup as its community?

Do you think members of some racial groups should get preference for jobs in private companies so that the workforce has the same racial makeup as its community?

Does Barack Obama's election as president make you more likely to support continuation of affirmative action programs, less likely, or does it not change your view?

In order to increase diversity, do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to - Hispanics in hiring, promotions and college admissions?

In order to increase diversity, do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to - white women in hiring, promotions and college admissions?

In order to increase diversity, do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to - blacks in hiring, promotions and college admissions?

In order to increase diversity, do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to those who are - handicapped in hiring, promotions and college admissions?

In order to increase diversity, do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to - gays and lesbians in hiring, promotions and college admissions?

Which do you think is the best term to describe these programs – affirmative action or preferences?

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  THE THIRTEEN QUESTIONS
WITH VOTER RESPONSES

11. Do you think affirmative action programs that give preferences to blacks and other minorities in hiring, promotions and college admissions should be continued, or do you think these affirmative action programs should be abolished?

12. Which comes closer to your point of view - affirmative action programs seek out qualified minorities and do not disadvantage members of other groups or affirmative action programs result in members of some minority groups being advantaged at the expense of other groups?

13 . If affirmative action programs giving preference to blacks and other minorities do result in less opportunities for whites, do you think that's a price worth paying to help blacks and other minorities, or not?

14. Which comes closer to your point of view regarding affirmative action programs in the work place - A) We should have affirmative action programs to overcome past discrimination, B) We should have affirmative action programs to increase diversity or C) We should not have affirmative action programs?

15. Do you think members of some racial groups should get preference for government jobs so that the workforce has the same racial makeup as its community?

16. Do you think members of some racial groups should get preference for jobs in private companies so that the workforce has the same racial makeup as its community?

17. Does Barack Obama's election as president make you more likely to support continuation of affirmative action programs, less likely, or does it not change your view?

18. In order to increase diversity, do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to - Hispanics in hiring, promotions and college admissions?

19. In order to increase diversity, do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to - white women in hiring, promotions and college admissions?

20. In order to increase diversity, do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to - blacks in hiring, promotions and college admissions?

21. In order to increase diversity, do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to those who are - handicapped in hiring, promotions and college admissions?

22. In order to increase diversity, do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to - gays and lesbians in hiring, promotions and college admissions?

23. Which do you think is the best term to describe these programs – affirmative action or preferences?  

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THE THIRTEEN QUESTIONS
[with suggested deletions in brackets and suggested additions in italics]

Do you think affirmative action programs that give preferences to blacks and other minorities in hiring, promotions and college admissions should be continued , or do you think these affirmative action programs should be abolished?  

Which comes closer to your point of view - affirmative action programs seek out qualified minorities and do not disadvantage members of other groups, or affirmative action programs result in members of some minority groups being advantaged at the expense of individuals in other groups?  

If affirmative action programs giving preference to blacks and other minorities do result in [less] fewer opportunities for whites, do you think that's a price worth paying to help blacks and other minorities, or not?  

Which comes closer to your point of view regarding affirmative action programs in the work place –
A) We should have affirmative action programs that give preferences to overcome past discrimination;
B) We should not have affirmative action programs that give preferences , because they discriminate;
C) We should have affirmative action programs [to increase diversity] that give preferences;or
D) We should not have affirmative action programs that give preferences ?  

Do you think members of some racial groups should get preference for government jobs so that the workforce has the same racial makeup as its community?  

Do you think members of some racial groups should get preference for jobs in private companies so that the workforce has the same racial makeup as its community?  

Does Barack Obama's election as president make you more likely to support continuation of affirmative action programs that give preferences, less likely, or does it not change your view?  

[In order to increase diversity,] Do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to – Hispanics , in hiring, promotions and college admissions?
[This and the following four questions deal with affirmative action preference programs for individuals in five different population groups. Striking the first five words in these questions would allow respondents to base their answers, not only on the diversity impact, but on any grounds they deem relevant.]  

[In order to increase diversity,] Do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to - white women , in hiring, promotions and college admissions?  

[In order to increase diversity,] Do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to – blacks , in hiring, promotions and college admissions?  

[In order to increase diversity,] Do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to - [those who are] the handicapped , in hiring, promotions and college admissions?  

[In order to increase diversity,] Do you support or oppose affirmative action programs that give preferences to - gays and lesbians , in hiring, promotions and college admissions?  

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