ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – With just over a month left until the 2024 Presidential election, 52% of likely voters in South Carolina would vote for Donald Trump and 42% would vote for Kamala Harris. Two percent would vote for some other candidate and 4% report being undecided.
Among those likely voters who express a preference between the Democratic and Republican candidates, Donald Trump leads Kamala Harris 55% to 45%. In the 2020 Presidential Election in South Carolina, Donald Trump defeated Joe Biden by 11.68%.
The following are GENERAL POPULATION results from the survey:
Results of the GENERAL POPULATION from the survey are of 1829 (weighted) South Carolinians and have a Margin of Error of +/-2.3%.
Results of LIKELY VOTERS from the survey are of 1068 (weighted) South Carolinians and have a Margin of Error of +/- 3%.
Results of LIKELY VOTERS WHO EXPRESS A PREFERENCE from the survey of are 1000 (weighted) South Carolinians and have a Margin of Error of +/-3.1%.
Margin of Error for other populations (e.g. race or partisanship) are noted the first time they are used. Subgroups have higher margins of error.
The survey was conducted via online and phone (with live callers – no IVR) between September 21 and 29, 2024. Data are weighted by sex, race, age, and education.
For additional information or to set up an interview with Scott Huffmon, contact Judy Longshaw at longshawj@winthrop.edu or 803/323-2404 (office) or 803/984-0586 (cell).
Of likely voters in South Carolina, 52% would vote for Donald Trump if the presidential election were held today while 42% would vote for Kamala Harris, and 2% would vote for some other candidate. Four percent are undecided. Of those expressing a preference between the Republican and Democratic candidates, 55% said they would vote for Donald Trump and 45% said they would vote for Kamala Harris.
Fifty-eight percent of South Carolinians disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as President of the United States. Among Republicans, disapproval is close to 90%; 8% approve and 3% are not sure. Among Democrats, 72% approve, 15% disapprove, and 10% are not sure.
Winthrop Poll Director, Dr. Scott Huffmon, noted “Not surprisingly Joe Biden is not particularly popular in South Carolina. Biden’s South Carolina approval rates are ten points lower than his national approval ratings.” (Biden’s national approval rate was 41.4 as of September 27 according to FiveThirtyEight.com.)
When it comes to Henry McMaster, 45% of South Carolinians approve of the way he is handling his job as Governor of South Carolina. Close to a quarter are unsure of how he is handling his job, but of those who are sure, 59% approve while 41% disapprove. Nearly three-quarters of Republicans (73%) approve of Henry McMaster’s job as Governor compared to a quarter of Democrats (23%). Over half of Democrats (56%) disapprove of his job while an equal proportion of Democrats and Republicans are not sure.
According to Huffmon, “While nearly a quarter of the general population are unsure of their opinion on Governor McMaster, he is very popular among those confident enough to form an opinion. Additionally, Governor McMaster’s support among South Carolina’s Republicans is extremely high. McMaster’s support among Republicans in South Carolina is currently higher than both Tim Scott’s and Lindsey Graham’s approval ratings.”
Regarding the United States Senators for South Carolina, less than half of South Carolinians approve of the ways Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott are handling their jobs. Forty-four percent approve of Tim Scott’s job while 36% approve of Lindsey Graham’s job. More Republicans and Democrats approve of Scott’s job than they do Graham’s.
Respondents were asked if Donald Trump’s recent conviction related to payments described by the media as “hush money” was politically motivated or not. Half of respondents – including 75% of Republicans and 22% of Democrats – said this conviction was politically motivated. Fourteen percent of Republicans said the conviction was not politically motivated while 65% of Democrats said the same.
Huffmon noted, “Donald Trump’s narrative that his legal woes are politically motivated seems to have taken root in South Carolina. Republicans overwhelmingly feel that his convictions were politically motivated. Even an ever so slight majority of the South Carolina general population agrees.”
When asked if they believe Donald Trump committed some or all of the crimes – the 34 felonies related to the “hush money” payments – for which he was convicted, 57% of all respondents said yes while 23% said no. Republicans are more divided over the issue of whether he actually committed some or all of these crimes, while Democrats are far more sure that he did.
“Just under one third of Republicans in South Carolina believe Trump was actually guilty of the crimes for which he was convicted. However, it is almost certain that many in that group come from the minority of Republicans who do not believe the charges were politically motivated,” added Huffmon.
When asked about what to do with monuments or memorials to Confederate soldiers who died during the Civil War, 33% of South Carolinians say leave them just as they are, 32% say leave them but add a plaque or marker for context and historical interpretation, 21% say move them to a museum, and 6% say remove them completely. This same trend exists for white South Carolinians. Among Black South Carolinians, most (33%) say to move them to a museum, followed by 24% who say leave them but add a plaque or marker for historical interpretation, 14% who say to remove them completely, and 13% who say to leave them just as they are.
When it comes to the Confederate battle flag, 39% of South Carolinians say it is more a symbol of Southern pride than of racial conflict. Twenty-six percent say the flag is more a symbol of racial conflict, and 24% say it’s equally a symbol of racial conflict and Southern pride. Half of white South Carolinians (51%) see the flag as more a symbol of Southern pride while nearly half of Black South Carolinians (45%) say it’s more about racial conflict.
According to Huffmon, “Attitudes towards the Confederate flag and Confederate monuments continue to be strongly divided by race in 2024. The difference in attitudes between whites and African Americans in South Carolina on these issues are deeply ingrained and persistent.”
When thinking about the ongoing situation in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine, 42% of South Carolinians sympathize more with the Israelis than with the Palestinians. Seventeen percent sympathize more with the Palestinians and 35% are not sure who they sympathize more with. A majority of Republicans (59%) sympathize more with the Israelis while most Democrats (36%) are unsure; of those Democrats who are sure, 29% sympathize more with the Israelis and 28% sympathize more with the Palestinians.
Over half (54%) of South Carolinians think that supporting Israel is in the national interest of the United States. A majority of both Republicans and Democrats agree.
Respondents were asked how serious they believe different issues to be in America on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is “not a problem” and 10 is “extremely serious problem.” Responses are reported in means.
Regarding the issue of election security, the mean for all respondents is 6.8. Republicans are more likely to believe this is a serious problem in America at a mean of 7.9 compared to Democrats with a mean of 5.7.
Noted Huffmon, “Concerns about election security have been a strong part of the Republican narrative since the 2020 election, and South Carolina Republicans seem to have taken those concerns to heart. That said, while the Republican average was notably higher than that for Democrats, the Democratic average was above the midline. This raises the question of whether Democrats have been open to the Republican messaging or whether ‘election security’ means something different to them.”
On the issue of illegal immigration, the mean for all respondents is 7.7. The mean for Republicans is 9.0, indicating this issue being an extremely serious issue for most within this group. Among Democrats, the mean score is 6.4 - almost a 3-point difference from Republicans.
Huffmon added, “Again, while we see that concern over illegal immigration is extremely high among Republicans, it is also somewhat high among Democrats. The framing of the issue by use of the common term ‘illegal’ is likely to push all respondents toward greater concern. Past Democratic efforts to change the framing from ‘illegal’ to ‘undocumented’ have failed to take root, with even the mainstream media commonly applying the term ‘illegal.’“
Difficulty voting is not a serious issue among respondents with the mean for this issue at 3.5. Republicans and Democrats both rated this issue more towards the “not a problem” end of the scale.
When it comes to opioid addiction, all respondents indicated this being a more serious problem with a mean of 8.3. Republicans and Democrats reported nearly even responses regarding this issue.
Respondents see the country turning its back on God as a serious problem with a mean of 7.2. Republicans were more likely to lean on the side of “extremely serious problem” than were Democrats.
Forty-five percent of South Carolinians think the federal government should declare the United States a Christian nation. Forty-one percent disagree. A majority of Republicans (61%) would like the US declared a Christian nation and most Democrats (47%) disagree with declaring the US a Christian nation.
When asked whether they agree or disagree with America holding a special place in God’s plan, a majority – including majorities within each party – agreed.
When asked whether they recall which American state was the first to secede from the Union at the start of the Civil War, 62% correctly answered South Carolina. About a quarter of respondents (27%) said another state while 11% did not know.
“We know from the Census’ American Community Survey that just over half of current South Carolinians were born in South Carolina and we understand that number would be lower when excluding all those age 17 and under, as we do here. However, the fact that over one third of South Carolinians cannot correctly report that we were the first state to secede from the Union shows either a lack of knowledge of, or lack of engagement with, our state’s history among a notable percentage of the population. That said, the significant majority, more than six out of ten, were able to answer the question correctly,” noted Huffmon.
Nearly three-quarters of South Carolinians (72%) believe the South is better off as part of the United States than it would be as a separate country. Republicans and Democrats were in agreement.
Added Huffmon, “Whether they knew we were the first state to secede during the Civil War or not, fortunately, a very strong majority feel that our region is better off currently being part of the United States. Given that South Carolina receives more federal dollars per person than we send to the federal government per person, remaining part of the United States seems to currently be in our fiscal interest.”
[See: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/07/states-federal-benefits/]
Forty-five percent of South Carolinians say that it is important to remember our history, but that the Civil War doesn’t mean much to them personally. Forty-eight percent disagree. Republicans and Democrats did not differ greatly in their responses.
A majority of South Carolinians (56%) think the Civil War was more about slavery than it was about states’ rights or any other issue. Democrats are much more likely to agree with this statement than are Republicans. Among Democrats, 77% say the Civil War was more about slavery compared to 45% of Republicans. Republicans were evenly split in their opinions over whether the Civil War was more about slavery than states’ rights.
According to Huffmon, “The debate over the causes of the Civil War, especially whether it was slavery versus states’ rights, can be extremely passionate at times. That said, much of the disagreement truly comes down to semantics. For example, if someone argues that the cause was states’ rights, the rational question is: the state’s right to do what? Fortunately, this question has been answered for us by the leaders of the Confederacy. Nearly all report, unequivocally, that the states’ right they wished most to protect was the state’s right to have slavery. Slave or slavery is mentioned 18 times in the South Carolina Declaration of Secession and the Declaration makes clear that the push for the national abolition of slavery is the threat to states’ rights most feared. The Declaration states, ‘[b]ut an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery, has led to a disregard of their obligations, and the laws of the General Government have ceased to effect the objects of the Constitution.’ That is to say, the freedoms granted to the states by the Constitution would be null and void in the eyes of South Carolina if slavery were abolished. As an aside, the word ‘tariff’ is not mentioned at all in the SC Declaration of Secession.”
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Other relevant quotes from the SC Declaration of Secession:
The “ends for which this Government was instituted have been defeated, and the Government itself has been made destructive of them by the action of the non-slaveholding States.”
“The slaveholding States will no longer have the power of self-government, or self-protection, and the Federal Government will have become their enemy.”
********************
Added Huffmon, “Additionally, leaders from South Carolina, and Southern leaders in what would become the Confederacy, made it clear that the preservation of slavery was the foremost concern both at the time of the war as well as decades before.”
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Examples:
In the 1830s, Congressional members from the South sought to impose a Gag Rule on even discussing the end of slavery. SC Congressman James Hammond, “the moment this House undertakes to legislate upon this subject [slavery], it dissolves the Union. Should it be my fortune to have a seat upon this floor, I will abandon it the instant the first decisive step is taken looking towards legislation of this subject. I will go home to preach, and if I can, practice, disunion, and civil war, if needs be. A revolution must ensue, and this republic sink in blood.” (cited in Arguing about Slavery: The Great Battle in the United States Congress, by William Lee Miller)
Alfred P. Aldrich, a South Carolina legislator from Barnwell: “If the Republican party with its platform of principles, the main feature of which is the abolition of slavery and, therefore, the destruction of the South, carries the country at the next Presidential election, shall we remain in the Union, or form a separate Confederacy? This is the great, grave issue. It is not who shall be President, it is not which party shall rule -- it is a question of political and social existence.” (cited in Crisis of Fear: Secession in South Carolina, by Steven A. Channing)
Lawrence Keitt, Congressman from South Carolina, in a speech to the House on January 25, 1860: “African slavery is the corner-stone of the industrial, social, and political fabric of the South; and whatever wars against it, wars against her very existence.”
********************
Nearly half of South Carolinians (47%) think it is either very likely or somewhat likely that the United States will undergo another civil war in the near future. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe there will be another civil war within the next decade.
“The idea that another civil war could be in our near future demonstrates how irreconcilably polarized many folks believe that we are in America,” stated Huffmon.
RESULTS MAY NOT SUM TO 100 DUE TO ROUNDING
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If the election were held today and you had to decide right now, would you vote for… Options 1-2 were randomized |
||
|
|
Likely Voters expressing a preference (MOE +/- 3.1%) |
All Likely Voters (MOE +/- 3%) |
|
Kamala Harris, the Democrat |
44.9 |
42 |
|
Donald Trump, the Republican |
55.1 |
51.6 |
|
Some other candidate |
- |
2.2 |
|
Undecided |
- |
4.2 |
|
|
White Likely Voters |
Black Likely Voters |
|
Kamala Harris, the Democrat |
31 |
79 |
|
Donald Trump, the Republican |
64 |
13 |
|
Some other candidate |
2 |
2 |
|
Undecided |
4 |
6 |
Results for Black Likely Voters are in line with national polling while results for White Likely Voters show much stronger support for Trump in South Carolina. See: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/09/09/harris-trump-and-the-state-of-the-2024-presidential-race/
|
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as President of the United States? All respondents, not just registered or likely voters |
|||
|
|
All Respondents (MOE +/- 2.3%) |
Republicans (not including leaners) MOE +/- 3.9% |
Democrats (not including leaners) MOE +/- 4.5% |
|
Approve |
31 |
8 |
72 |
|
Disapprove |
58 |
89 |
15 |
|
Not sure |
9 |
3 |
10 |
|
Refused |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Henry McMaster is handling his job as Governor of South Carolina? All respondents, not just registered or likely voters |
||||
|
|
All Respondents |
Only Respondents Expressing an Opinion |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Approve |
45 |
59 |
73 |
23 |
|
Disapprove |
30 |
41 |
9 |
56 |
|
Not sure |
23 |
- |
18 |
18 |
|
Refused |
2 |
- |
1 |
3 |
|
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Lindsey Graham is handling his job as a United States Senator for South Carolina? All respondents, not just registered or likely voters |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Approve |
36 |
60 |
19 |
|
Disapprove |
40 |
18 |
63 |
|
Not sure |
22 |
20 |
16 |
|
Refused |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Tim Scott is handling his job as a United States Senator for South Carolina? All respondents, not just registered or likely voters |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Approve |
44 |
67 |
22 |
|
Disapprove |
26 |
8 |
51 |
|
Not sure |
28 |
24 |
25 |
|
Refused |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
As you may know, Donald Trump was convicted in New York state courts of 34 felonies
related to payments to an adult film actress, which was referred to as “hush money.” All respondents, not just registered or likely voters |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including Leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Politically Motivated |
51 |
75 |
22 |
|
Not Politically Motivated |
34 |
14 |
65 |
|
Not sure |
13 |
9 |
12 |
|
Refused |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Based on what you know, do you believe that Donald Trump did commit some or all of these crimes? All respondents, not just registered or likely voters |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including Leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Yes |
57 |
32 |
86 |
|
No |
23 |
43 |
6 |
|
Not sure |
18 |
22 |
7 |
|
Refused |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
Which of the following comes closest to your opinion about what to do with monuments or memorials to Confederate soldiers who died during the Civil War? Options 1-4 were randomized |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
White Respondents (MOE +/- 2.8%) |
Black Respondents (MOE +/- 4.5%) |
|
Leave them just as they are |
33 |
41 |
13 |
|
Leave them, but add a plaque or marker for context and historical interpretation |
32 |
35 |
24 |
|
Move them to a museum |
21 |
16 |
33 |
|
Remove them completely |
6 |
3 |
14 |
|
Don't know |
7 |
5 |
12 |
|
Refused |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
Some people say the confederate flag reminds them of white supremacy and racial conflict. Other people say the confederate battle flag is a symbol of southern heritage and pride. Do you think the flag is more a symbol of racial conflict or of southern pride? |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
White Respondents |
Black Respondents |
|
Racial Conflict |
26 |
18 |
45 |
|
Southern Pride |
39 |
51 |
14 |
|
Equally Both |
24 |
21 |
30 |
|
Not sure |
8 |
8 |
9 |
|
Refused |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
From what you know about the situation in the Middle East, do your sympathies lie more with the Israelis or more with the Palestinians? |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Israelis |
42 |
59 |
29 |
|
Palestinians |
17 |
9 |
28 |
|
Not sure |
35 |
28 |
36 |
|
Refused |
7 |
4 |
7 |
|
Which comes closer to your line of thinking: supporting Israel is in the national interest of the United States or supporting Israel is not in the national interest of the United States? |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
IS in United States' interest |
54 |
66 |
52 |
|
Is NOT in United States' interest |
19 |
13 |
21 |
|
Not sure |
24 |
18 |
23 |
|
Refused |
4 |
2 |
4 |
TABLES 12-16: On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is Not a Problem and 10 is Extremely Serious Problem, please tell us how serious a problem you believe each of the following to be in America.
|
Elections are not secure enough |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Mean Score |
6.8 |
7.9 |
5.7 |
|
Illegal Immigration |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Mean Score |
7.7 |
9.0 |
6.4 |
|
It is too hard to vote |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Mean Score |
3.5 |
3.1 |
4.2 |
|
Opioid addition |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Mean Score |
8.3 |
8.5 |
8.1 |
|
The country is turning its back on God |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Mean Score |
7.2 |
8.2 |
6.3 |
|
Do you recall which was the American state that was the first to secede from the Union at the beginning of the Civil War? |
|
|
|
All Respondents |
|
South Carolina |
62 |
|
Any other state |
27 |
|
Don't know |
11 |
|
Refused |
0 |
TABLES 18-22: Tell me whether you STRONGLY AGREE, SOMEWHAT AGREE, SOMEWHAT DISAGREE, or STRONGLY DISAGREE with the following statements:
|
The federal government should declare the United States a Christian nation. |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Strongly agree |
24 |
34 |
21 |
|
Somewhat agree |
21 |
27 |
20 |
|
Somewhat disagree |
14 |
14 |
11 |
|
Strongly disagree |
27 |
15 |
36 |
|
Don't know/Refused |
13 |
11 |
11 |
|
America holds a special place in God's plan. |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Strongly agree |
36 |
51 |
28 |
|
Somewhat agree |
25 |
26 |
24 |
|
Somewhat disagree |
9 |
5 |
11 |
|
Strongly disagree |
16 |
7 |
25 |
|
Don't know/Refused |
14 |
10 |
13 |
|
The South is better off as part of the United States than it would be as a separate country. |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Strongly agree |
54 |
55 |
51 |
|
Somewhat agree |
18 |
19 |
22 |
|
Somewhat disagree |
7 |
10 |
7 |
|
Strongly disagree |
11 |
9 |
13 |
|
Don't know/Refused |
10 |
7 |
7 |
|
It’s important to remember our history, but the Civil War doesn’t mean much to me personally. |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Strongly agree |
20 |
21 |
19 |
|
Somewhat agree |
25 |
24 |
27 |
|
Somewhat disagree |
22 |
22 |
20 |
|
Strongly disagree |
26 |
27 |
25 |
|
Don't know/Refused |
8 |
6 |
8 |
|
The Civil War was more about slavery than it was about states’ rights or any other issue. |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Strongly agree |
30 |
19 |
50 |
|
Somewhat agree |
26 |
26 |
27 |
|
Somewhat disagree |
17 |
20 |
11 |
|
Strongly disagree |
15 |
25 |
5 |
|
Don't know/Refused |
12 |
11 |
7 |
|
In the near future, say a decade or less, how likely do you think it is that the United States will undergo another Civil War? |
|||
|
|
All Respondents |
Republicans (not including leaners) |
Democrats (not including leaners) |
|
Very likely |
17 |
20 |
14 |
|
Somewhat likely |
30 |
33 |
27 |
|
Somewhat unlikely |
17 |
16 |
20 |
|
Not very likely |
26 |
25 |
27 |
|
Don't know/Refused |
10 |
6 |
11 |
The September 2024 Winthrop Poll was a mixed-mode online and phone survey conducted and paid for by Winthrop University. The survey is a sample of adult residents of South Carolina. The sample includes a probability sample of cell phones, a probability sample of landlines, a non-probability sample from an online panel curated by Dynata, and a non-probability sample of cell phones verified by Dynata (aka “Smart Cell"). 68.7% of unweighted respondents came from the online panel. 27.4% of unweighted respondents were contacted via cell phone. 3.9% of the unweighted respondents were contacted via landline. Data from 1829 (weighted) respondents were collected between September 21 and September 29, 2024. Results using ALL RESPONDENTS have a margin of error of +/- 2.3% at the 95% confidence level (weighted data). All subgroups will have a higher margin of error. Results of LIKELY VOTERS from the survey are of 1068 (weighted) South Carolinians and have a margin of error of +/- 3%. Results of LIKELY VOTERS WHO EXPRESS A PREFERENCE from the survey of are 1000 (weighted) South Carolinians and have a margin of error of +/-3.1%. Results of the GENERAL POPULATION from the survey are of 1829 (weighted) South Carolinians and have a margin of error of +/-2.3%. Margins of error for other populations (e.g. race or partisanship) are noted the first time they are used.
The September 2024 Winthrop Poll was conducted online and via telephone and was paid for by Winthrop University (1, 2). The online sample is a non-probability sample drawn from panels of adult residents of South Carolina curated by and purchased from Dynata (4, 5). The sample includes a probability sample of cell phones, a probability sample of landlines, a non-probability sample from an online panel curated by Dynata and a non-probability sample of cell phones verified by Dynata (aka “Smart Cell"). 68.7% of unweighted respondents came from the online panel. 27.4% of unweighted respondents were contacted via cell phone. 3.9% of the unweighted respondents were contacted via landline. (4, 5). Data were weighted on sex, race, and age based on data from the US Census Bureau (9). Full question wording for released results is included (3). Participants responded using CAPI via computer or smartphone for the online sample and were hand-dialed by trained interviewers from Winthrop University’s Center for Public Opinion & Policy Research and the Siena College Research Institute using a CATI system for the telephone sample; the survey averaged 8-10 minutes (6). Data were collected between September 21 and September 29, 2024 (7). Weighted data include a sample of 1829 respondents which translates to a margin of error of +/- 2.3% at the 95% confidence level for results using all respondents; all subgroups will have a higher margin of error (8). Center for Public Opinion & Policy Research personnel conducted quality control by eliminating data with inappropriate responses (didn’t match the question asked), “line” data (strings of the same number punched in in a long row), attention check questions online, or completions recorded too quickly for an individual to have actually read the questions for data collected online and through direct supervision and full monitoring for responses collected via telephone (10). All survey research contains unmeasured error and results should be seen as informative, not definitive (11).
Numbers correspond to the AAPOR Transparency Initiative Disclosure Elements found HERE.
