Background Memo  

The sampling error for the 596 randomly selected respondents In Fairleigh Dickinson's late September survey is +/- 4 percentage points at the 95% level of confidence. The sampling error for Fairleigh Dickinson's early November survey of 355 respondents is +/- 5 percentage points. The margin of error for Rutgers University's survey of 347 likely voters is +/- 5 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence interval, and +/- 4 percentage points for the sample of 500 registered voters.

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.  

The wording and order of the questions included in this release are as below.  These were preceded by a number of voter screening questions as well as questions about the direction of the state, name recognition and attitudes towards statewide office holders or candidates for statewide office. For these questions, go to “Recent Research” at http://publicmind.fdu.edu.

CE1.    How much of the time do you think you can trust the state legislature in Trenton to do what is right?

• 1.         Just about always
• 2.         Most of the time
• 3.         Some of the time
• 4.         None of the time

CE2.    How concerned are you that people who give money to campaigns might influence the state legislature after the election? Are you…

• 1.         Very concerned
• 2.         Somewhat concerned
• 3.         Not concerned at all

CE3.    AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, the state is applying new, experimental campaign finance rules to elections in two assembly districts. How much have you heard or read about this Clean Elections legislation…?

•             1.         Quite a lot
•             2.         Some
•             3.         Just a little or
•             4.         Nothing at all

CE4.    How confident are you that public financing of campaigns will reduce the influence of large donors in the political process? Are you…

• 1.         Very confident
• 2.         Somewhat confident
• 3.         Not confident at all

CE5.    And what about the Assembly race… How much have you heard or read so far about the Assembly race in the district where you live…?

• 1.         Quite a lot
• 2.         Some
• 3.         Just a little or
• 4.         Nothing at all

Please answer yes or no to the following questions. In the past month, have you received information about your ASSEMBLY race in any of the following ways:

• CE6.    Campaign ads in the mail
• CE7.    Radio or TV ads
• CE8.    News or advertising on an Internet web site
• CE9.    An article or articles in the newspaper

CE10.  In general, would you say that the campaign for state ASSEMBLY where you live has focused more on [ROTATE RESPONSES 1 and 2]

• 1.                  The candidates' issue positions
• 2.                  The personal characteristics of the candidates

D1. Regardless of who you might vote for, do you consider yourself a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent?

• Democrat
• Republican
• Independent [ASK: which way do you lean?]

D2. In thinking about government and politics, do you consider yourself to be liberal, moderate, or conservative?

• Liberal
• Moderate [ASK: which way do you lean?]
• Conservative

D3. In what year were you born?

D4. Are you currently employed full time, part time, or are you retired or not employed?

• FT
• PT
• Retired
• Not employed

D5. What is the highest level of education you have achieved so far?

• Some HS
• HS degree
• Some college
• College degree
• Masters or above

D6. Gender (from observation)

D7. Are you married, living as married, widowed, divorced, separated, or have you never been married?

D8 County code [break by region]

D9. In addition to being American, would you say you're… ?

• White
• African-American
• Asian-American
• Hispanic/Latin American

see also:
Survey Analysis
Report in .doc format
Report in .html format
Tabular Results