THE ANES GUIDE TO PUBLIC OPINION AND ELECTORAL BEHAVIOR ______________________________________________________ Which Party Best Able to Handle Most Important Problem 1972-2000 PERCENT AMONG DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS WHO RESPONDED: 'Republicans' Percent of group: '72 '74 '76 '78 '80 '82 '84 '86 '88 '90 '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 Males 27 ** 14 19 46 27 37 22 27 ** 16 34 23 17 31 Females 23 ** 11 14 35 18 26 15 17 ** 10 23 18 15 16 Whites 27 ** 14 18 45 25 34 20 24 ** 14 31 23 19 25 Blacks 6 ** 0 5 9 1 9 5 6 ** 5 10 9 3 12 Grade School 17 ** 7 10 27 5 21 8 7 ** 9 16 9* 7 10* High School 27 ** 10 12 37 18 27 14 16 ** 9 21 15 15 18 Some College, no Degree 24 ** 15 18 44 25 35 22 28 ** 14 32 22 16 24 College Degree/ Post-grad 29 ** 22 31 53 36 41 25 30 ** 21 42 29 21 29 Income 0-16 Percentile 19 ** 7 12 27 12 18 9 12 ** 8 16 11 13 15 Income 17-33 Percentile 23 ** 7 11 35 16 24 13 17 ** 10 21 7 9 17 Income 34-67 Percentile 26 ** 13 15 38 17 29 17 22 ** 12 29 21 15 24 Income 68-95 Percentile 26 ** 15 18 51 29 38 27 27 ** 16 35 32 20 27 Income 96-100 Percentile 44 ** 25 27 72 42 54 28 45* ** 21 54 28* 26 26* Professionals 31 ** 18 25 49 30 37 25 27 ** 15 37 28 21 27 White Collar 19 ** 15 16 41 26 32 16 24 ** 13 26 23 16 21 Blue Collar 25 ** 9 10 36 15 25 14 20 ** 10 22 15 9 20 Unskilled 24* ** 2 8 38* 18* 32* 20 13* ** 7* 5* 0* 11* 0* Farmers 24* ** 17 11* 54* 23* 46 13 13 ** 18 45* 23* 21* 29* Housewives 25 ** 13 17 34 19 32 18 14 ** 16 28 24 23 21 Union Households 27 ** 6 12 37 17 25 17 17 ** 9 16 14 12 20 Non-Union Households 25 ** 14 18 42 23 33 18 22 ** 14 31 21 17 23 South 24 ** 13 17 38 21 31 16 21 ** 16 31 20 16 24 Nonsouth 25 ** 12 16 41 22 31 19 21 ** 12 27 20 16 21 Born 1975 or later ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** 0* 27 0* 17 10 Born 1959-1974 ** ** ** 13 34 21 28 20 21 ** 14 27 18 15 24 Born 1943-1958 22 ** 9 14 39 22 33 20 23 ** 15 31 26 16 27 Born 1927-1942 25 ** 14 17 45 21 31 18 23 ** 12 29 20 16 24 Born 1911-1926 28 ** 14 16 39 20 29 12 17 ** 9 25 18 19 20 Born 1895-1910 26 ** 16 22 41 24 34 12 17 ** 17 30* 38* 0* 17* Born before 1895 31* ** 16* 22* 38* 50* 0* ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Democrats (incl leaners) 14 ** 4 5 23 5 11 5 7 ** 3 7 4 3 5 Independents & Apoliticals 17 ** 5 4 29 12 21 8 10 ** 6 12 11 6 11 Republicans (incl leaners) 45 ** 28 41 71 54 57 39 40 ** 29 56 44 38 49 Liberals 14 ** 4 9 27 8 16 11 10 ** 5 8 3 7 7 Moderates 25 ** 7 11 42 18 26 15 17 ** 7 19 15 11 13 Conservatives 40 ** 29 33 61 45 52 31 37 ** 29 51 41 31 44 * numbers followed by an asterisk indicate 50 or fewer total respondents within group ** indicates question not asked or no cases within group Table 2B.3.2 Source: The American National Election Studies NOTE: variable used for race grouping has changed. See Table 1A.3 Table generated: 27NOV05