This study is a one-wave reinterview of a randomly-selected subset of 1996 respondents with telephones; most of the selection from 1996 were fresh cross-section cases (respondents not previously interviewed in 1994).

The content of the study reflects the ANES commitment to improve measures of group mobilization, interest articulation and representation, group-based political reasoning, race and racial attitudes and policy, issue attitudes, human and social capital, social choice, and theories of the survey response. EXPERIMENTS: (1) a battery designed to improve ANES instrumentation on nonelectoral political participation and mobilization, (2) testing of ANES instrumentation on group closeness, group difference, and group conflict as a basis of current mass politics, and group threat as a basis of group-based politics, (3) evaluations of the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court using a new battery of items, and (4) the role of religion in citizens' political thinking. The use of CATI enabled a number of experimental treatments within the survey instrumentation, including random assignment, early-late placement, and presentation order. In addition, rosters of items, such as the thermometer, were randomized in administration to minimize order effects.

Special Content: Specific topic areas in the study include: (1) a battery designed to improve ANES instrumentation on nonelectoral political participation and mobilization, (2) testing of ANES instrumentation on group closeness, group difference, and group conflict as a basis of current mass politics, and group threat as a basis of group-based politics, (3) evaluations of the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court using a new battery of items, and (4) the role of religion in citizens' political thinking. The use of CATI enabled a number of experimental treatments within the survey instrumentation, including random assignment, early-late placement, and presentation order. In addition, rosters of items, such as the thermometer, were randomized in administration to minimize order effects.