CBS News Monthly Poll #1, April 2003

This poll, conducted April 2-3, 2003, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions on President George W. Bush and his overall job performance, his handling of military action against Iraq, his administration's expectations of the outcome of military action against Iraq, and whether he was the primary decision- and policymaker concerning military action in Iraq. Respondents were also asked whether they thought Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was alive or dead, whether they thought the benefits of removing Saddam Hussein outweighed the economic and human costs, and whether he was involved in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC. Questions were asked about the likelihood of another terrorist attack in the United States, whether military action against Iraq was part of the war on terrorism, and whether the chances of another terrorist attack had been affected by military action in Iraq. Respondents were asked whether they approved of military action against Iraq, whether they were following the news coverage concerning Iraq, how they viewed media coverage of military action in Iraq, what their personal expectations of the outcome of military action were, how long they thought United States military personnel would be in Iraq, whether an appropriate amount of force was being used, what the probability of military and civilian casualties in Iraq was, how military action against Iraq would affect current and future relations with other Arab countries, and whether they or an immediate family member was a member of the United States military. Background variables include age, sex, ethnicity, political orientation, marital status, religious preference, and household income.