CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #2, March 2003

This poll is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, the economy, the situation with Iraq, and the situation with North Korea, as well as their views on the United Nations and its handling of the situation with Iraq. Their views were sought on which of the following issues should receive the most congressional attention in the coming year: the economy, fighting the war on terror, handling the situation in Iraq, or dealing with the situation in North Korea. Respondents were asked to assess their confidence in Bush's ability to make the right decisions about the situation in Iraq and the use of military force to remove Iraqi President Saddam Hussein from power. Their views were sought on whether there was sufficient evidence that military action was necessary, whether Congress was asking enough questions, whether diplomatic solutions had been exhausted, and whether the United States should do what it believed to be right, despite the lack of a supporting United Nations resolution, the views of allies such as France and Russia, and the views of anti-war protesters. A series of questions focused on the motivation of the Bush administration and on the recent press conference, in which Bush outlined the United States position on Iraq. Questions focused on the seriousness of the Iraqi threat, whether weapons inspectors had made progress, needed additional time, and had received the cooperation of Iraq, and which of the following they believed to be of greatest interest to the Bush administration: ending the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction, removing weapons of mass destruction, removing Saddam Hussein from power, protecting the supply of oil to the United States, or Bush's personal desire to accomplish what his father's administration failed to do. Respondents were asked if any of these objectives were worth the potential casualties and deaths of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians. Those polled were asked about the implications of a war with Iraq: whether the removal of Hussein would lead to greater stability in the Middle East, how a war would impact the United States economy, whether the threat of terrorism against the United States would increase, and whether a clear plan existed for rebuilding Iraq after a war. In response to North Korea's announcement that they had developed nuclear weapons, respondents were asked for their opinions on the seriousness of this situation. In addition, respondents were asked whether Iraq or North Korea posed the greater threat to world peace and stability. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, voter registration and participation history, political party, political orientation, marital status, religion, education, Hispanic descent, race, and household income.