Judiciary (2)

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Supreme Court / Judiciary (p. 2)

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. June 9-10, 2009. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Which one of the following better describes how you feel about the role of judges in the United States? Do you think judges should only interpret the law, and not take into account their own personal views and experiences, or do you think judges should take their own personal views and experiences into account when interpreting the law?"
						.
		Only interpret	Views, experiences	Unsure	.	.
		%	%	%	.	.
	6/9-10/09	71	26	3	.	.
						.
"As you may have heard, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has said several times that a wise female Hispanic judge would make better decisions than a white male judge. Do you think these remarks should disqualify her from serving on the Court or not?"
						.
		Should disqualify	Should not disqualify	Unsure	.	.
		%	%	%	.	.
	6/9-10/09	29	67	4	.	.

Ipsos/McClatchy Poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs. June 4-8, 2009. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
						.
"As you may have heard, President Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor, a federal appeals court justice, to the U.S. Supreme Court. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable impression of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, or haven't you heard enough yet to have an opinion?"
						.
		Favorable	Unfavorable	Haven't heard enough yet	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/4-8/09	29	14	55	2
						.
"Do you think the Senate should or should not vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor as a Supreme Court justice?"
						.
		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/4-8/09	54	21	26
						.
"If Senate Republicans overwhelmingly oppose the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court, what effect, if any, will this have on your favorability toward the Republican Party? Will you feel much more favorably toward the Republican Party, feel somewhat more favorably, will it make no difference, feel somewhat less favorably, or feel much less favorably toward the Republican Party?"
						.
		Much more favorably	Somewhat more favorably	No difference	Somewhat less favorably	Much less favorably
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/4-8/09	10	13	31	17	20

Diageo/Hotline Poll conducted by FD. June 4-7, 2009. N=800 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
						.
"Now, I'd like to read you a list of various national public figures, and for each one, please tell me if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of them. If you haven't heard of them, just tell me and we'll move on. Sonia Sotomayor."
						.
		Favorable	Unfavorable	Heard of/Can't rate (vol.)	Haven't heard of	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/4-7/09	33	17	18	25	8

Marist College Marist Poll. June 1-3, 2009. N=1,028 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you approve or disapprove of President Barack Obama's nomination of Appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor for United States Supreme Court justice?"
					.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	54	28	18
	Democrats	81	6	13
	Republicans	25	59	16
	Independents	54	23	23

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. May 28-June 1, 2009. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
						.
"As you may know, Supreme Court Justice David Souter is retiring, and President Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor to replace him. Is your opinion of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor favorable, unfavorable, or haven't you heard enough about Sonia Sotomayor yet to have an opinion?"
						.
		Favorable	Unfavorable	Haven't heard enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/28 - 6/1/09	34	18	39	9
						.
"Do you think the U.S. Senate should confirm or should not confirm Sonia Sotomayor as a Supreme Court justice?"
						.
		Should confirm	Should not confirm	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/28 - 6/1/09	50	22	28

Quinnipiac University Poll. May 26-June 1, 2009. N=3,097 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 1.8.
						.
"Do you approve or disapprove of President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court?"
						.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	55	25	20
	Republicans	30	47	23
	Democrats	80	5	15
	Independents	53	26	21
	Men	50	31	20
	Women	60	20	21
						.
"Would you say that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is more liberal than you would like, not liberal enough, or about right?"
						.
		More liberal	Not liberal enough	About right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/26 - 6/1/09	30	5	44	21
						.
"Should senators support or oppose Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court based only on whether she is qualified to be a justice, or should they also consider her views on controversial issues like abortion and affirmative action?"
						.
		Only qualifications	Consider views	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/26 - 6/1/09	46	44	10
						.
"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?"
						.
		Very important	Somewhat important	Not too important	Not at all important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/26 - 6/1/09	34	35	10	17	4
						.
"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?"
						.
		More important	Less important	About as important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/26 - 6/1/09	8	57	30	4

USA Today/Gallup Poll. May 29-31, 2009. Adults nationwide.
						.
"From what you know about Sonia Sotomayor, do you think she would be too liberal, too conservative, or just about right as a Supreme Court justice?" N=495 adults (Form A), MoE ą 5
						.
		Too liberal	Too conservative	About right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/29-31/09	28	3	48	20
						.
"Based on what you have heard or read about her, do you think Sonia Sotomayor's views on important issues are in the mainstream or do you think they are too extreme?" N=520 adults (Form B), MoE ą 5
						.
		In the mainstream	Too extreme	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/29-31/09	49	30	21

Gallup Poll. May 26, 2009. N=1,015 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"As you may know, President Obama has nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Generally speaking, how would you rate Obama's choice of Sonia Sotomayor as a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court -- as excellent, good, only fair, or poor?"
						.
		Excellent	Good	Only Fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/26/09	19	28	20	13	20
						.
"Just your best guess, how important do you think each of the following considerations was to Barack Obama when he chose Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court: very important, somewhat important, not too important or not important at all? How about [see below]?"
						.
		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Too Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
						.
	"Her 17 years of experience as a federal judge"
	5/26/09	61	28	4	3	4
						.
	"Her intellect"
	5/26/09	59	24	4	4	8
						.
	"Her views on major issues and past judicial decisions"
	5/26/09	52	30	4	4	11
						.
	"She is a woman"
	5/26/09	39	27	12	18	4
						.
	"She is Hispanic"
	5/26/09	34	27	13	21	5

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. May 14-17, 2009. N=1,010 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"As you may know, President Obama will soon announce a nominee to the Supreme Court. Which of the following best describes your view about whether the next Supreme Court justice has each of the following characteristics? Is it very important to you, somewhat important, not too important, or not important at all that Barack Obama nominates someone to the Supreme Court who is . . . ?"
						.
		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Too Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
						.
	"A woman"
	5/14-17/09	20	19	16	45	-
						.
	"Black"
	5/14-17/09	9	13	24	54	1
						.
	"Hispanic"
	5/14-17/09	11	15	23	51	-
						.
	"Someone who has had experience as a judge"
	5/14-17/09	67	22	4	7	-
						.
	"Someone who has had experience in an elected office, such as a governor or senator"
	5/14-17/09	28	21	19	32	-
						.
"Do you think Barack Obama should nominate somebody to the Supreme Court who is very liberal, somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat conservative, or very conservative?"
						.
		Very Liberal	Somewhat Liberal	Moderate	Somewhat Conservative	Very Conservative
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/14-17/09	9	18	37	19	16

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. May 12-13, 2009. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"How comfortable are you with Barack Obama selecting the next U.S. Supreme Court nominee: very comfortable, somewhat comfortable, not very comfortable, or not at all comfortable?"
						.
		Very Comfortable	Somewhat Comfortable	Not Very Comfortable	Not at All Comfortable	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/12-13/09	34	26	13	20	7
						.
"Supreme Court Justice David Souter recently announced he will resign at the end of his term, which will give Barack Obama his first chance to nominate a Supreme Court justice. I'm going to read a list of qualities that might be considered when selecting a new justice. For each one, please tell me whether you think it should be the single most important factor, should be a factor but not the most important, shouldn't matter, or should be a disqualifying factor. . . ."
						.
		Single Most Important	A Factor	Shouldn't Matter	Disqualifying Factor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
						.
	"The nominee being a woman"
	5/12-13/09	5	18	75	1	-
						.
	"The nominee being a minority"
	5/12-13/09	4	17	75	2	2
						.
	"The nominee being a homosexual"
	5/12-13/09	4	11	66	17	2
						.
	"The nominee having judicial experience"
	5/12-13/09	45	44	8	1	1
						.
	"The nominee sharing Obama's views on key issues"
	5/12-13/09	12	29	47	10	3

CBS News Poll. May 6-12, 2009. N=1,874 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.
					.
"Do you have confidence that Barack Obama will nominate good justices to the Supreme Court, or are you uneasy about who he will choose?"
					.
		Have Confidence	Uneasy	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	55	35	10
	Republicans	26	66	8
	Democrats	83	10	7
	Independents	49	38	13

Quinnipiac University Poll. July 8-13, 2008. N=1,783 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 2.3.
						.
"The next president may have the opportunity to make several nominations to the Supreme Court. How important is the appointment of Supreme Court justices in your vote for president this year: very important, somewhat important, or not important at all?"
						.
		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/8-13/08	48	39	12	1
	8/7-13/07	52	36	11	2
						.
"Is your opinion of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts favorable, unfavorable, mixed or haven't you heard enough about him?"
						.
		Favorable	Unfavorable	Mixed	Haven't Heard	Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/8-13/08	17	7	18	57	1
	8/7-13/07	21	9	21	49	1

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. July 2-3, 2007. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
						.
"Now I have a few questions about the United States Supreme Court. In its recent rulings, do you think the Supreme Court has been too liberal, too conservative, or just about right?"
						.
		Too Liberal	Too Conservative	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/2-3/07	19	29	35	17
	7/1-2/86	14	22	42	22

CBS News/New York Times Poll. March 7-11, 2007. N=1,362 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Do you think George W. Bush's nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court have been more conservative than you would like, not conservative enough, or about right?"
						.
		More Conservative	Not Conservative Enough	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/7-11/07	24	17	44	15
	12/2-6/05	25	15	50	10
	10/30 - 11/1/05	30	16	45	9

CNN Poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation. Oct. 20-22, 2006. N=1,013 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"In general, do you think federal court judges are too liberal, too conservative, or just about right?"
						.
		Too Liberal	Too Conservative	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/20-22/06	34	20	41	5
						.
"Do you think elected officials should have more control over federal judges and the decisions they make in court cases, or don't you think so?"
						.
		More Control	Don't Think So	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/20-22/06	30	67	3

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Sept. 26-27, 2006. N=900 likely voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Who do you think should decide whether there should be television coverage of Supreme Court sessions? Should Congress decide or should the Supreme Court decide?"
					.
		Congress	Court	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/26-27/06 LV	37	49	15

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Jan. 26-29, 2006. N=1,011 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1
						.
"As you may know, President Bush recently nominated Sam Alito to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court. Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose Sam Alito's serving as a justice on the Supreme Court, or do you not know enough about him to say?"
						.
		Strongly Support	Somewhat Support	Somewhat Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Don't Know Enough
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/26-29/06	24	20	12	13	30
	12/9-12/05	16	16	9	9	48
	11/4-7/05	16	16	10	10	47

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Jan. 24-25, 2006. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"President George W. Bush has nominated Samuel Alito to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. If you were voting on Samuel Alito's nomination, would you vote to confirm him or not?"
					.
		Confirm	Not Confirm	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/24-25/06	47	32	21
	1/10-11/06	45	30	25

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Jan. 20-25, 2006. N=1,229 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Is your opinion of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito favorable, not favorable, undecided or haven't you heard enough about Samuel Alito yet to have an opinion?"
						.
		Favorable	Not Favorable	Undecided	Haven't Heard Enough	Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/20-25/06	27	16	23	33	1
	1/5-8/06	16	7	18	59	0
	12/2-6/05	14	10	18	57	1
	10/31 - 11/1/05	11	7	16	65	1
						.
"As you may know, George W. Bush has nominated federal Judge Samuel A. Alito to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. What do you think right now? Should the Senate vote to confirm Samuel Alito as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, or vote against Alito, or can't you say?"
						.
		Vote To Confirm	Vote Against	Can't Say	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	ALL adults	33	18	46	3
	Republicans	63	2	33	2
	Democrats	10	37	49	4
	Independents	31	13	52	4

*CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll*. Jan. 20-22, 2006. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Now, turning to the U.S. Supreme Court: As you may know, Samuel Alito is the federal judge nominated to serve on the Supreme Court. Would you like to see the Senate vote in favor of Alito serving on the Supreme Court, or not?"
					.
		In Favor	Not In Favor	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/20-22/06	54	30	16
	1/6-8/06	49	30	21
	12/9-11/05	49	29	22
	11/7-10/05	50	25	25
					.
"Suppose all or most of the Democrats in the Senate oppose Alito's nomination. Do you think they would be justified or not justified in using Senate procedures, such as the filibuster, to prevent an up-or-down vote on his nomination?"
					.
		Justified	Not Justified	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/20-22/06	38	48	15
					.
"Just your best guess: If Alito were confirmed to the Supreme Court, do you think he would or would not vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision on abortion?"
					.
		Would	Would Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/20-22/06	34	44	21
	11/1/05	38	38	24

*CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll*. Jan. 6-8, 2006. Adults nationwide.
						.
"From what you know about Samuel Alito, as a Supreme Court justice, do you think he would be too liberal, too conservative, or just about right?" N=498, MoE ą 5 (Form A)
						.
		Too Liberal	Too Conservative	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/6-8/06	6	29	49	15
						.
"Based on what you have heard or read about him, do you think Alito's views on important issues are in the mainstream or do you think they are too extreme?" N=505, MoE ą 5 (Form B)
						.
		Main- stream	Too Extreme	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/6-8/06	52	30	19
	11/1/05	51	26	23
						.
"Suppose that after his confirmation hearings you were convinced Samuel Alito would vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision on abortion. If that were the case, would you like to see the Senate vote in favor of Alito serving on the Supreme Court, or not?" N=1,003, MoE ą 3
						.
		Vote In Favor	Not Vote In Favor	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/6-8/06	34	56	11

CBS News Poll. Jan. 5-8, 2006. N=1,151 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"How much confidence do you yourself have in the United States Supreme Court: a great deal, quite a lot, some, or very little?"
						.
		A Great Deal	Quite a Lot	Some	Very Little	None (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/5-8/06	22	27	37	13	1
	7/13-14/05	14	22	40	20	4
	11/19-21/04	20	21	39	17	3
	5/01	16	22	41	16	4
	12/00	24	22	33	18	3
						.
"When the Senate votes on a Supreme Court nominee, should it consider only that person's legal qualifications and background, or along with legal background, should the Senate also consider how that nominee might vote on major issues the Supreme Court decides?" N=567 adults (Form A)
						.
		Legal Only	Issues, Too	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/5-8/06	41	49	10
	10/30 - 11/1/05	35	54	11
	9/9-13/05	36	54	10
	8/29-31/05	33	57	10
	7/29 - 8/2/05	46	46	8
	7/13-14/05	45	47	8
	9/91	39	49	12
						.
"When the Senate votes on a Supreme Court nominee, should it consider only that person's legal qualifications and background, or along with legal background, should the Senate also consider that nominee's personal views on major issues the Supreme Court decides?" N=584 adults (Form B)
						.
		Legal Only	Personal Views, Too	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/5-8/06	32	61	7
						.
"Do you think a Supreme Court judge's personal views should or should not be a factor in his or her decisions on cases before the court?"
						.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/5-8/06	25	69	6
	7/29 - 8/2/05	19	77	4
						.
"Is your opinion of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito favorable, not favorable, undecided or haven't you heard enough about Samuel Alito yet to have an opinion?"
						.
		Favorable	Not Favorable	Undecided	Haven't Heard Enough	Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/5-8/06	16	7	18	59	0
	12/2-6/05	14	10	18	57	1
	10/31 - 11/1/05	11	7	16	65	1
						.
"Before senators vote on whether Samuel Alito should be confirmed as a justice of the Supreme Court, how important do you think it is for the Senate to know his position on issues such as abortion and affirmative action? Is that very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not at all important?"
						.
		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Very Important	Not At All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/5-8/06	46	31	9	12	2
						.
"What do you think right now? Should the Senate vote to confirm Samuel Alito as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, or vote against Alito, or can't you say?"
						.
		Vote To Confirm	Vote Against	Can't Say	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/5-8/06	17	9	70	4
	10/31 - 11/1/05	15	7	75	3

*ABC News/Washington Post* Poll. Jan. 5-8, 2006. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"As you may know, Bush has nominated federal judge Samuel A. Alito to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Do you think the U.S. Senate should or should not confirm Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court?"
						.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/5-8/06	53	27	20
	12/15-18/05	54	28	19
	10/31 - 11/2/05	49	29	22
						.
"How closely will you be following the Senate confirmation hearings for Alito, which start next/this week: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely or not closely at all?"
						.
		Very Closely	Somewhat Closely	Not Too Closely	Not Closely At All
		%	%	%	%
	1/5-8/06	18	43	24	15
						.
"The Supreme Court legalized abortion 33 years ago in the ruling known as Roe versus Wade. Do you think that if Alito is confirmed to the court, he would vote to overturn Roe versus Wade entirely; vote to keep abortion legal but with greater restrictions; or vote to leave current abortion law as it is?" Options rotated
						.
		Overturn	Greater Restrictions	Leave As Is	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/5-8/06	18	26	38	18

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Jan. 4-8, 2006. N=1,503 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"From what you've seen and heard so far, do you think the Senate should or should not confirm Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/4-8/06	33	19	48
	12/7-11/05	32	19	49
	11/3-6/05	40	23	37

*ABC News/Washington Post* Poll. Dec. 15-18, 2005. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"The Supreme Court legalized abortion 32 years ago in the ruling known as Roe versus Wade. If that case came before the court again, would you want Alito to vote to uphold Roe versus Wade, or vote to overturn it?" Options rotated
						.
		Uphold	Overturn	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/15-18/05	61	35	4
	10/31 - 11/2/05	64	31	5
						.
"How important is it to you that Alito agrees with your position on abortion? Is that extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, or less important than that?"
						.
		Extremely Important	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Less Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/15-18/05	17	26	38	17	1

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Dec. 13-14, 2005. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"I'm going to read the names of several individuals or groups. Please tell me whether you have a generally favorable or unfavorable opinion of each one. If you've never heard of someone, please just say so. Samuel Alito."
						.
		Favorable	Unfav- orable	Unsure	Never Heard Of
		%	%	%	%
	12/13-14/05	23	15	24	38
						.
"Samuel Alito has been nominated to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. If you were voting on Samuel Alito's nomination, would you vote to confirm him or not?"
						.
		Confirm	Not Confirm	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/13-14/05	35	27	38
	11/8-9/05	46	29	25
						.
"From what you know about Samuel Alito, would you say he is more of a liberal or a conservative?" Options rotated
						.
		Liberal	Conservative	Moderate (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/13-14/05	7	46	8	39
						.
"Do you think it is acceptable or unacceptable for a U.S. senator to base his or her vote on a Supreme Court nominee solely on the nominee's position on abortion?"
						.
		Acceptable	Unaccep- table	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/13-14/05	15	75	10
	7/12-13/05	20	73	8
	6/30 - 7/1/03	15	72	13

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Dec. 9-12, 2005. N=1,006 adults nationwide.
					.
"Twenty years ago, when he was a lawyer for the Justice Department, Sam Alito wrote a report in which he suggested actions the Reagan Administration might take to encourage the Supreme Court to overturn the Roe versus Wade decision, which gave women the constitutional right to have abortions. Which of the following statements comes closer to your view about this? Statement A: This is an important issue that should play a significant role in Alito's nomination hearings. Statement B: This was so long ago in his career that it should not play a significant role in Alito's nomination hearings." Half sample (Form B); MoE ą 4.4
					.
		Significant Role	Not a Significant Role	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/9-12/05	45	51	4

Cook Political Report/RT Strategies Poll. Dec. 8-11, 2005. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
					.
"As you may know, to replace U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, President Bush has nominated Judge Samuel Alito, who has 15 years of experience on the federal courts. Alito is considered a conservative in his views while O'Connor is considered a moderate who has been a swing vote on some key issues. Does hearing that Alito would make the Supreme Court more conservative make you feel MORE likely or LESS likely to support the choice of Judge Alito for the Supreme Court, or does hearing that make no difference to you?" If unsure/makes no difference: "Well, does hearing that make you lean toward being more likely or less likely to support Alito?"
					.
		More Likely	Less Likely	Makes No Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/8-11/05	32	29	35	3

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Dec. 2-6, 2005. N=1,155 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"In making choices for the U.S. Supreme Court, which do you think has been MORE important to George W. Bush -- making sure a candidate has the right legal qualifications or making sure a candidate has conservative views on most issues?"
						.
		Legal Qualifications	Conservative Views	Both (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/2-6/05	28	59	2	11
						.
"Before Senators vote on whether a nominee should be confirmed to the Supreme Court, how important do you think it is for the Senate to know his or her position on abortion? Is that very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not at all important?"
						.
		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Very Important	Not At All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/2-6/05	37	34	16	12	1

The Harris Poll. Nov. 8-13, 2005. N=1,011 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Do you think President Bush is trying to make the Supreme Court too conservative, too liberal, or neither too conservative nor too liberal?"
						.
		Too Conservative	Too Liberal	Neither	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	ALL adults	42	9	44	5
	Republicans	16	5	75	4
	Democrats	63	12	20	4
	Independents	50	7	41	3

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Nov. 10-11, 2005. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"We'd like your opinion of the way George W. Bush is handling certain aspects of his job. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling appointments to the Supreme Court?"
					.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/10-11/05	42	42	16
	9/29-30/05	57	28	15
	9/8-9/05	48	33	19
					.
"Based on what you've heard or read about Samuel Alito, President Bush's most recent nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, do you think he should or should NOT be confirmed by the Senate to serve on the Court?"
					.
		Should Be Confirmed	Should Not Be Confirmed	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/10-11/05	40	26	34
					.
"As a Supreme Court justice, do you think Samuel Alito is likely to vote to overturn Roe versus Wade, the decision establishing a woman's constitutional right to a legal abortion, or not?"
					.
		Likely To Overturn	Not Likely	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/10-11/05	29	33	38

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Nov. 8-9, 2005. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"President George W. Bush has nominated Samuel Alito to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Overall, do you think Alito is a good choice or a bad choice?"
					.
		Good	Bad	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL registered voters	45	23	32
	Democrats	25	40	35
	Republicans	72	5	23
	Independents	40	24	36
					.
"Do you think Samuel Alito is qualified to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court or not?"
					.
		Qualified	Not Qualified	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/8-9/05	62	12	26
					.
"Do you think the Senate will confirm Samuel Alito or not?"
					.
		Confirm	Not Confirm	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/8-9/05	61	10	29
					.
"Do you agree or disagree that one of the privileges of being president is having the right to choose Supreme Court nominees who share your philosophy"
					.
		Agree	Disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/8-9/05	62	31	7

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Nov. 4-7, 2005. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
						.
"Based on what you have heard so far, do you think that Sam Alito is qualified or not qualified to be a Supreme Court justice, or do you not know enough about him to say?"
						.
		Qualified	Not Qualified	Don't Know Enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	11/4-7/05	51	6	41	2
						.
"How much confidence do you have that, if he is confirmed by the Senate to sit on the Supreme Court, Sam Alito will reflect your views about most issues: a great deal of confidence, quite a bit of confidence, some confidence, very little confidence, or no confidence at all? If you have no opinion, please just say so." Half sample (Form A)
						.
			%
	A great deal of confidence		8
	Quite a bit of confidence		10
	Some confidence		24
	Very little confidence		16
	No confidence at all		11
	Unsure		31
						.
"Do you feel that President Bush's selection of Sam Alito to be his nominee for associate justice of the Supreme Court was more of a choice aimed at getting broad support from both Democrats and Republicans, or more of a choice aimed at appealing to the conservative base of his party?" Half sample (Form B)
						.
		Broad Support	Conservative Base	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/4-7/05	20	55	25
						.
"Does the fact that President Bush did not nominate another woman to serve on the Supreme Court bother you or not bother you?"
						.
		Bothers	Does Not Bother	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/4-7/05	25	74	1

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Nov. 3-6, 2005. N=1,201 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
						.
"Do you worry that Samuel Alito would make the Supreme Court too conservative, not conservative enough, or don't you worry about this?"
						.
		Too Conservative	Not Conservative Enough	Don't Worry About This	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	11/3-6/05	25	6	56	13
						.
"As I read some issues the Supreme Court may rule on over the coming years, please tell me how important each issue is to you personally. Are court decisions on [see below] very important, fairly important, not too important, or not at all important to you?"
						.
		Very Important	Fairly Important	Not Too Important	Not At All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Abortion"
	11/3-6/05	62	20	8	8	2
						.
	"Affirmative action"
	11/3-6/05	38	37	12	7	6
						.
	"Issues related to homosexuality"
	11/3-6/05	36	20	20	21	3
						.
	"The rights of people held in custody as terrorist suspects" Form 1 (N=589, MoE ą 4.5)
	11/3-6/05	57	23	10	6	4
						.
	"The amount of money courts can award in personal injury lawsuits"
	11/3-6/05	44	34	14	6	2
						.
	"Whether to allow religious displays on government property"
	11/3-6/05	46	25	16	10	3
						.
	"How terrorist suspects should be treated" Form 2 (N=612, MoE ą 4.5)
	11/3-6/05	60	24	8	5	3
						.
"When senators ask Supreme Court nominees questions about issues like abortion that may come before the court, do you think nominees should be required to answer those questions or do you think nominees should be allowed to not comment on those questions?" Options rotated
						.
		Required To Answer	Allowed To Not Comment	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/3-6/05	60	35	5
	10/6-10/05	55	39	6
						.
"Do you worry that Samuel Alito would go too far in restricting access to abortions, not go far enough, or don't you worry about this?"
						.
		Go Too Far	Not Go Far Enough	Don't Worry About This	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	11/3-6/05	25	12	47	16

*ABC News/Washington Post* Poll. Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2005. N=641 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
						.
"Given what you know, do you think Alito is a more conservative nominee than you'd have liked, less conservative than you'd have liked, or about right?" Options rotated
						.
		More	Less	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/31 - 11/2/05	29	10	44	17
						.
"Alito wrote a legal opinion saying a state can require a woman to notify her husband if she decides to have an abortion. Does knowing this make you more likely to support, more likely to oppose, or doesn't it make much difference in your opinion?" Options rotated
						.
		More Likely To Support	More Likely To Oppose	No Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/31 - 11/2/05	27	26	46	1

Associated Press-Ipsos poll conducted by Ipsos-Public Affairs. Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2005. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
						.
"As you may know, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is retiring, and President Bush has nominated Samuel Alito to replace her. Is your opinion of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito favorable, unfavorable, or haven't you heard enough about Samuel Alito yet to have an opinion?"
						.
		Favorable	Unfavorable	Haven't Heard Enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/31 - 11/2/05	20	14	64	2
						.
"Do you think the U.S. Senate should or should not confirm Samuel Alito as a Supreme Court justice?"
						.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/31 - 11/2/05	38	22	40

*CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll*. Nov. 1, 2005. N=603 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
						.
"As you may know, President Bush has nominated Judge Samuel Alito to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Generally speaking, how would you rate Bush's choice of Samuel Alito as a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court -- as excellent, good, only fair, or poor?"
						.
		Excellent	Good	Only Fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	11/1/05	17	26	22	17	18
						.
"Next, thinking about Samuel Alito himself: How would you describe your first impressions of him? Would you say they are very positive, somewhat positive, neither positive nor negative, somewhat negative, or very negative?"
						.
			%
	Very positive		17
	Somewhat positive		27
	Neither positive nor negative		23
	Somewhat negative		12
	Very negative		7
	Unsure		14
						.
"As you may know, Alito was nominated to replace Sandra Day O'Connor. Does it bother you that President Bush did not nominate a woman to replace O'Connor, or does it not bother you?"
						.
		Bothers	Does Not Bother	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/1/05	23	75	2
						.
"If you were convinced that Alito would vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, would you, personally, want the Senate to vote to confirm him to the Supreme Court, or not?"
						.
		Confirm	Not Confirm	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/1/05	37	53	10
						.
"Suppose all or most of the Democrats in the Senate oppose Alito's nomination. Do you think they would be justified or not justified in using Senate procedures, such as the filibuster, to prevent an up-or-down vote on his nomination?"
						.
		Justified	Not Justified	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/1/05	50	40	10
						.
"If that happens, the Republicans in the Senate would consider changing Senate procedures to eliminate the filibuster on judicial nominations, which would ensure an up-or-down vote on the nomination. Do you think the Republicans in the Senate would be justified or not justified in doing this?"
						.
		Justified	Not Justified	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/1/05	45	47	8

CBS News Poll. Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2005. N=936 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you have confidence that George W. Bush will nominate good justices to the Supreme Court, or are you uneasy about who he will choose?"
					.
		Confident	Uneasy	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/30 - 11/1/05	38	54	8

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. Oct. 28-30, 2005. N=800 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
						.
"As you may know, President Bush will soon announce another nominee to the Supreme Court to fill the seat of retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Which of the following best describes your view about whether the next Supreme Court justice is [see below]? Do you think it is essential that the next justice is [see below], is it a good idea but not essential, does it not matter to you, or do you think it is a bad idea?" Options rotated
						.
		Essential	Good Idea	Doesn't Matter	Bad Idea	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
						.
	"Someone who has experience as a judge"
	10/28-30/05	50	36	11	2	1
						.
	"A conservative"
	10/28-30/05	21	24	32	20	3
						.
	"Someone who would vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision on abortion"
	10/28-30/05	16	16	20	42	6

*CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll*. Oct. 21-23, 2005. N=1,008 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Now, turning to the U.S. Supreme Court: As you may know, Harriet Miers is the person nominated to serve on the Supreme Court. Would you like to see the Senate vote in favor of Miers serving on the Supreme Court, or not?"
					.
		In Favor	Not In Favor	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/21-23/05	42	43	15
	10/13-16/05	44	36	20
					.
"Regardless of how you think the Senate should vote, would you say you are pleased or disappointed with George W. Bush's choice of Harriet Miers as the nominee to the Supreme Court?"
					.
		Pleased	Disappointed	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/21-23/05	40	50	10

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. Oct. 13-16, 2005. Adults nationwide.
						.
"Next, we'd like to get your overall opinion of some people in the news. As I read each name, please say if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of these people -- or if you have never heard of them. How about U.S. Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers?" N=1,012 adults, MoE ą 3
						.
		Favorable	Unfav- orable	Never Heard Of	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/13-16/05	31	26	17	26
						.
"Would you like to see President Bush continue to support his nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court or withdraw his nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court?" Options rotated. Form B (N=527 adults, MoE ą 5).
						.
		Continue To Support	Withdraw Nomination	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/13-16/05	46	36	18

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Oct. 11-12, 2005. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"President George W. Bush has nominated Harriet Miers to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court. So far, do you think most people are giving Harriet Miers fair consideration or are most people jumping to conclusions about her nomination?"
						.
		Fair Consideration	Jumping To Conclusions	Both (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/11-12/05	19	51	7	24
						.
"Overall, do you think Harriet Miers is qualified to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court or not?"
						.
		Is	Is Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/11-12/05	37	28	35
						.
"If you were voting on Harriet Miers' nomination, would you vote to confirm her or not?"
						.
		Confirm	Not Confirm	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/11-12/05	37	32	31
						.
"Some people think all Supreme Court justices should have prior experience as a judge, while others think it is a good idea if some Supreme Court justices do not have prior experience as a judge. Which of these comes closer to your view?" Options rotated
						.
		All Should Have Prior Experience As Judge	Some Shouldn't Have Prior Experience As Judge	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/11-12/05	55	35	10

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Oct. 8-10, 2005. N=807 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.4.
						.
"As you may know, President Bush recently nominated Harriet Miers to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court. Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose Harriet Miers' serving as a justice on the Supreme Court, or do you not know enough about her to say?"
						.
		Strongly Support	Somewhat Support	Somewhat Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Don't Know Enough
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/8-10/05	11	16	10	11	51
						.
"Based on what you have heard so far, do you think that Harriet Miers is qualified or not qualified to be a Supreme Court justice, or do you not know enough about her to say?"
						.
		Qualified	Not Qualified	Don't Know Enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/8-10/05	29	24	46	1
						.
"I'm going to read you several things about Harriet Miers. For each one, please tell me whether this makes you feel more positive about Harriet Miers sitting on the Supreme Court, less positive, or does it make no difference to you either way? [See below.]"
						.
		More Positive	Less Positive	No Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	"She was the first woman to be president of the Texas Bar Association"
	10/8-10/05	47	10	42	1
						.
	"She has been named one of America's one hundred most powerful lawyers"
	10/8-10/05	45	14	39	2
						.
	"She has worked for President Bush as his personal lawyer for many years, previously while he was governor of Texas, and most recently as White House counsel"
	10/8-10/05	24	40	35	1
						.
	"She has not previously served as a judge"
	10/8-10/05	8	50	40	2
						.
	"Her positions on many legal issues facing the Court are unknown"
	10/8-10/05	8	52	37	3

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Oct. 6-10, 2005. N=1,500 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"From what you've seen and heard so far, do you think the Senate should or should not confirm Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court?"
						.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/6-10/05	33	27	40
						.
"Do you worry that Harriet Miers would make the Supreme Court too conservative, not conservative enough, or don't you worry about this?"
						.
		Too Conservative	Not Conservative Enough	Don't Worry About This	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/6-10/05	18	8	56	18
						.
"Do you worry that Chief Justice John Roberts will make the Supreme Court too conservative, not conservative enough, or don't you worry about this?"
						.
		Too Conservative	Not Conservative Enough	Don't Worry About This	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/6-10/05	20	9	60	11
						.
"Does the fact that Harriet Miers [see below] make you feel more favorably toward her, less favorably, or does this not affect your opinion at all?"
						.
		More Favorably	Less Favorably	Does Not Affect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	"Is a woman"
	10/6-10/05	22	3	72	3
						.
	"Once served as George W. Bush's personal attorney"
	10/6-10/05	10	35	52	3
						.
	"Has never before served as a judge"
	10/6-10/05	10	38	49	3
						.
	"Had a long career in a major law firm"
	10/6-10/05	29	11	56	4
						.
	"Is an evangelical Christian"
	10/6-10/05	20	14	61	5
						.
"When senators ask Supreme Court nominees questions about issues like abortion that may come before the court, do you think nominees should be required to answer those questions or do you think nominees should be allowed to not comment on those questions?" Options rotated
						.
		Required To Answer	Allowed To Not Comment	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/6-10/05	55	39	6

Associated Press-Ipsos poll conducted by Ipsos-Public Affairs. Oct. 3-5, 2005. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
						.
"As you may know, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is retiring, and President Bush has nominated Harriet Miers to replace her. Is your opinion of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers favorable, unfavorable, or haven't you heard enough about Harriet Miers yet to have an opinion?"
						.
		Favorable	Unfavorable	Haven't Heard Enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/3-5/05	19	13	67	1
						.
"Do you think the U.S. Senate should or should not confirm Harriet Miers as a Supreme Court justice?"
						.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/3-5/05	41	27	32

CBS News Poll. Oct. 3-5, 2005. N=808 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
						.
"Do you have confidence that George W. Bush will nominate good justices to the Supreme Court, or are you uneasy about who he might choose?"
						.
		Confident	Uneasy	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/3-5/05	41	43	16
						.
"As president, George W. Bush may appoint several justices to the United States Supreme Court. Do you think his nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court are more conservative than you would like, not conservative enough, or about right?"
						.
		More Conservative	Not Conservative Enough	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/3-5/05	30	16	42	12
						.
"Is your opinion of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough about Harriet Miers yet to have an opinion?"
						.
		Favorable	Not Favorable	Undecided	Haven't Heard Enough	Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/3-5/05	11	11	18	59	1
						.
"What do you think right now? Should the Senate vote to confirm Harriet Miers as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, or vote against Miers, or can't you say?"
						.
		Vote To Confirm	Vote Against	Can't Say	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/3-5/05	14	13	70	3

Supreme Court / Judiciary continued

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