Survey of Delegates
and Alternate Delegates to the
2004 Republican and Democrat National Conventions
August 2004

SECTION I: FEDERAL LEVEL ISSUE QUESTIONS

1. We would like to know how you would rate the importance of the following issues:

2. Do you think the creation of a cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security was a necessary move?

3. As a result of the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, do you think America is safer and less likely to suffer another catastrophic terrorist attack?

4. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 , do you think there has been an overall improvement in America 's intelligence gathering abilities?

5. Do you think American intervention in Afghanistan was justified?

6. Do you think the American intervention in Iraq was justified?

7. Generally speaking, do you think the U.S. Military has sufficient resources to fulfill its current world mission, or do our armed forced need to be expanded?

8. Generally speaking, do you think the U.S. economy is on the right track,or is it seriously off in the wrong direction?

9. Which of the following best describes how you feel the Federal Budget Deficit should be cut? ( Select one )

10. Do you think the U.S. Constitution should be amended to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman?

11. Do you SUPPORT or OPPOSE: A constitutional amendment requiring a balanced Federal budget?

12. Do you SUPPORT OR OPPOSE: Allowing individuals to establish tax-free savings accounts to help save money for first-time home purchases, college education, and/or medical expenses?

13. Do you SUPPORT OR OPPOSE: Lowering income taxes to stimulate economic growth?

14. Do you SUPPORT OR OPPOSE: A flat tax plan eliminating all deductions?

15. Do you SUPPORT OR OPPOSE: A flat tax plan that retains limited mortgage interest and charitable donation deductions?

16. Do you SUPPORT OR OPPOSE: Abolishment of the inheritance or "death tax"?

17: Do you SUPPORT OR OPPOSE: A national sales tax?

18. Do you SUPPORT OR OPPOSE: Substantially overhauling, but retaining the current tax system?

19. Do you SUPPORT OR OPPOSE: Increasing the Federal minimum wage requirement?

20. Generally speaking, do you FAVOR or OPPOSE free trade policies?

21. Do you FAVOR or OPPOSE the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?

22. Would you FAVOR or OPPOSE expansion of the NAFTA to include the countries of South America ?

23. Do you FAVOR or OPPOSE the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT)?

24. Do you SUPPORT or OPPOSE: Placing limits on the terms of Members of Congress?

25. Do you SUPPORT or OPPOSE: Further overhaul of the nation's campaign finance laws?

26. Do you SUPPORT or OPPOSE: Providing for taxpayer funding for Congressional elections?

27. Do you believe the Federal government is primarily an adversarial force when it comes to helping people solve their problems, or is the Federal government a positive force in helping people in need?

28. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE that damage to the environment should be avoided no matter what it costs?

29. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE that environmental protection is an important goal that should be balanced against economic costs?

30. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE that environmental protection is costing too much and is leading to the loss of jobs?

SECTION II: STATE LEVEL ISSUE QUESTIONS

1. Do you feel the property tax-based system currently utilized by school districts, local and county governments to fund government services is fair and equitable to most segments of your community?

2. Would you favor or oppose replacing property/real estate taxes with a local tax on earned income?

3. Would you favor or oppose replacing property/real estate taxes with a local sales tax?

4. If your ONLY choices were replacing property/real estate taxes with either a local earned income tax or a sales tax, which would you favor?

5. Would you favor or oppose allowing school districts, municipal and county governments to enact a COMBINATION of property/real estate taxes, earned incomes taxes, and local sales taxes?

6. Should government provide financial support for profit seeking entertainment businesses, such as sports teams, by building structures such as stadiums and arenas?

7. Generally speaking, do you feel PERSONAL INCOME TAXES in Pennsylvania are too high, about right, or too low?

8. Generally speaking, do you feel BUSINESS TAXES in Pennsylvania are too high, about right, or too low?

9. If you had the choice of cutting one or the other, would you prefer to see cuts in PERSONAL INCOME or BUSINESS taxes?

10. Do you expect to receive a significant reduction in your real estate/property taxes as a result of recently enacted legislation directing a portion of state revenue from slot/casino gambling to property tax relief?

11. Do you think school district property tax increases will be significantly curtailed as a result of the voter referendum now required for before certain tax increases can tax effect?

12. Do you think the "No Child Left Behind" law has improved the quality of public education in America ?

13. Generally speaking, are you in favor of the concept of "school choice"?

4. Do you feel vouchers or grants should be made available to students who wish to attend a PUBLIC SCHOOL in a district other than their district of residence?

15. Do you feel vouchers or grants should be made available to students who wish to attend a PAROCHIAL SCHOOL?

16. Do you feel vouchers or grants should be made available to students who wish to attend a NON-RELIGIOUS PRIVATE SCHOOL?

17. Do you support the concept of CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

18. Should local school boards be allowed to contract with private companies to provide instructional, administrative, and operational services?

19. Should local school boards be given the ability to hire and retain staff (including teachers) on the basis of performance?

20. Generally speaking, do you feel our public schools are doing a better job, about the same job, or a worse job of educating our young people than they did ten years ago?

21 Generally speaking, do you think too much, about the right amount, or not enough tax money is presently being spent on public education in Pennsylvania today?

22. If you were asked to assign a letter grade based on the overall job our public schools are doing in educating our young people today, what would that grade be?

23. Some states within the nation have a Right to Work law, which means that a worker cannot be fired or kept from having a job for either joining or not joining a labor union. Do you favor or oppose such a law for Pennsylvania ?

24. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , all employees such as teachers, firemen, state workers and local government employees are required to join or pay dues to a union as a condition of employment. Do you agree or disagree with this arrangement that requires public employees to support a union in order to work for the government in Pennsylvania ?

25. Do you think, as a condition of employment, government workers should be prohibited form going on strike?

26. Do you think public school teachers should be required to join a labor union and be required to pay union dues as a condition of their employment?

27. If "Yes," do you think public school teachers should be required to join a labor union and be required to pay union dues as a condition of their employment if a portion of those dues goes to union political activities?

28. Do you agree or disagree with the recent legalization of slot machine gambling in Pennsylvania ?

Please answer the following questions about yourself.

Are you:

Gender:

Age:

Methodology

The Lincoln Institute mailed a survey instrument for the 2004 Poll of Delegates and Alternates to the Democrat and Republican national conventions to the Delegates and Alternates on August 2, 2004. A total of 51 Republicans and 35 Democrats responded to the survey as of the poll’s deadline of August 20, 2004.