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ABOUT THE DATASET:
 Time Series Study
Includes: vote validation
Completions: 2,040 pre-election; 1,775 post-election
Sample: all fresh cross-section
Modes used: face-to-face
Weights: (none)
Auxiliary files: nonresponse 'bias' file
Two forms were used, in both the Pre and the Post, which maximized content and also allowed extensive experiments in the survey response.
Retrospective evaluations of the Reagan presidency; evaluations of presidential primary candidates; new measures of system support and efficacy; vote validation is included.
STUDY CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
In addition to content on electoral participation, voting behavior, and public opinion, the 1988 ANES contains questions in other areas such as media attention and group closeness. Special-interest and topical content includes a new question on the death-penalty, a new health insurance 7-point scale, questions on the respondent's vote in the presidential primary and presidential-primary candidate evaluations, new system support and political efficacy items, and a substantial Reagan retrospective battery.
STUDY DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS:
The 1988 NES was designed to feature a number of experiments. To implement the experiments in question ordering and question wording, and to reduce the overall length of the interview, respondents were randomly assigned to 2 versions or 'forms' of the questionnaire. Experimental versions of questions were administered to half-samples, and alternate halves of the lengthy Reagan retrospective were split between Pre and Post, through the form assignments. Probes used by interviewers were coded for a subset of specific questions.
Beginning September 6, interviews were conducted prior to the November 8 elections using a pre-election instrument averaging 68 minutes. Post-election interviews that averaged 60 minutes were administered November 9,1988-January 24, 1989. The sample included 2,893 eligible persons, among whom 2,040 completed pre-election interviews, and 1,775 were subsequently re-interviewed in the post.
AUXILARY FILES DESCRIPTION:
The 1988 Nonresponse or 'Bias' File includes variables from the Interviewer Description Booklet, which describes attempts at contact with each household and with the designated R. Sampling, interviewer, and field administration variables are also present for the full sample.
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