Background Memo  

The most recent survey by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind was conducted by telephone from March 30, 2009, through April 5, 2009 using a randomly selected sample of 809 registered voters statewide.  The margin of error for 809 randomly selected respondents is +/- 3.5 percentage points.  Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers. PublicMind interviews are conducted by professionally trained interviewers use a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system. Random selection is achieved by computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a land-line phone number (including those with unlisted numbers) an equal chance of being selected. Results are mathematically weighted to match known demographics.

In your opinion, do you believe that the country is moving in the right direction or do you believe it has gotten off on the wrong track?

By the way, have you heard of …? [If “yes,” ASK: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of …? Would that be very… or somewhat…?]

• the insurance company called AIG
• a company called Merrill Lynch
• a company called Goldman Sachs

In general, do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President?

In general, do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?

Given what you have heard or read at this point, do you approve or disapprove of the government’s efforts to support banks, investment firms, and insurance companies by loaning money to them?

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Tim Geithner is doing as Secretary of the Treasury?

see also:
Survey Analysis
Tabular Results