Faith Matters Survey, 2006 - Analysis
GOVXFR
5-2. Some people think that the government in Washington ought to reduce the income differences between the rich and poor. Others think that the government should not concern itself with reducing this income difference. Which comes closer to your views?
| Frequency | Percent | Cumulative Percent | Z-Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0) Government shouldn't concern itself | 1035 | 33.3% | 33.3% | -0.59 |
| 1) Government should reduce income differences | 1868 | 60.1% | 93.4% | -0.07 |
| 8) Don't know/No opinion | 173 | 5.6% | 99.0% | 3.57 |
| 9) No answer/Refused | 32 | 1.0% | 100.0% | 4.09 |
Age (I-AGE)
| 18-29 years old | 30-39 years old | 40-49 years old | 50-59 years old | 60-69 years old | 70 years and older | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government shouldn't concern itself | 29.6%126 | 35.5%162 | 30.2%199 | 30.8%195 | 40.0%186 | 37.3%155 | 12 | 33.5%1023 |
| Government should reduce income differences | 65.4%278 | 59.2%270 | 62.3%411 | 63.2%400 | 54.2%252 | 53.0%220 | 37 | 60.0%1831 |
| Don't know/No opinion | 4.2%18 | 4.4%20 | 6.2%41 | 4.9%31 | 4.5%21 | 9.2%38 | 4 | 5.5%169 |
| No answer/Refused | 0.7%3 | 0.9%4 | 1.4%9 | 1.1%7 | 1.3%6 | 0.5%2 | 1 | 1.0%31 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 0 |
| Total | 100%425 | 100%456 | 100%660 | 100%633 | 100%465 | 100%415 | 3054 |
Education (I-EDUC)
| High school incomplete (grades 0-11) | High school graduate/GED | Business, technical, or vocational school | Some college, no four-year degree | College graduate | Post graduate training or professional | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government shouldn't concern itself | 17.4%43 | 28.8%238 | 37.1%46 | 33.8%290 | 42.5%241 | 37.3%169 | 8 | 33.4%1027 |
| Government should reduce income differences | 72.9%180 | 64.7%535 | 57.3%71 | 60.6%519 | 49.6%281 | 57.2%259 | 23 | 60.0%1845 |
| Don't know/No opinion | 9.3%23 | 5.9%49 | 4.8%6 | 4.7%40 | 6.2%35 | 4.0%18 | 2 | 5.6%171 |
| No answer/Refused | 0.4%1 | 0.6%5 | 0.8%1 | 0.9%8 | 1.8%10 | 1.5%7 | 0 | 1.0%32 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Total | 100%247 | 100%827 | 100%124 | 100%857 | 100%567 | 100%453 | 3075 |
Region (I-REGION)
| Northeast | North Central | South | West | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government shouldn't concern itself | 27.2%155 | 32.6%231 | 35.7%400 | 35.1%249 | 0 | 33.3%1035 |
| Government should reduce income differences | 66.7%380 | 61.6%436 | 57.6%646 | 57.3%406 | 0 | 60.1%1868 |
| Don't know/No opinion | 5.3%30 | 4.8%34 | 5.4%60 | 6.9%49 | 0 | 5.6%173 |
| No answer/Refused | 0.9%5 | 1.0%7 | 1.3%15 | 0.7%5 | 0 | 1.0%32 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 100%570 | 100%708 | 100%1121 | 100%709 | 3108 |
Religion (I-RELIGION)
| None | Catholic | Mainline Protestant | Evangelical Protestant/Other Protestant | Black Protestant | Other | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government shouldn't concern itself | 27.6%130 | 31.4%228 | 39.5%197 | 38.1%348 | 19.0%46 | 36.2%81 | 5 | 33.5%1030 |
| Government should reduce income differences | 66.9%315 | 61.4%446 | 54.7%273 | 55.1%503 | 74.8%181 | 57.6%129 | 21 | 60.1%1847 |
| Don't know/No opinion | 4.2%20 | 6.3%46 | 4.8%24 | 5.9%54 | 5.8%14 | 4.0%9 | 6 | 5.4%167 |
| No answer/Refused | 1.3%6 | 0.8%6 | 1.0%5 | 0.9%8 | 0.4%1 | 2.2%5 | 1 | 1.0%31 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Total | 100%471 | 100%726 | 100%499 | 100%913 | 100%242 | 100%224 | 3075 |
Gender (I-GENDER)
| Male | Female | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government shouldn't concern itself | 39.7%575 | 27.7%460 | 0 | 33.3%1035 |
| Government should reduce income differences | 54.6%791 | 65.0%1077 | 0 | 60.1%1868 |
| Don't know/No opinion | 4.5%65 | 6.5%108 | 0 | 5.6%173 |
| No answer/Refused | 1.3%19 | 0.8%13 | 0 | 1.0%32 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 100%1450 | 100%1658 | 3108 |
Political party (I-PARTYID)
| Strong Republican | Weak Republican or leans Republican | Independent | Democratic leaner | Weak Democrat | Strong Democrat | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government shouldn't concern itself | 66.7%310 | 44.9%295 | 29.7%69 | 25.7%81 | 22.5%106 | 14.5%91 | 83 | 34.4%952 |
| Government should reduce income differences | 28.2%131 | 50.1%329 | 57.8%134 | 67.3%212 | 71.5%337 | 81.2%508 | 217 | 59.7%1651 |
| Don't know/No opinion | 4.5%21 | 4.6%30 | 9.5%22 | 6.0%19 | 5.1%24 | 3.7%23 | 34 | 5.0%139 |
| No answer/Refused | 0.6%3 | 0.5%3 | 3.0%7 | 1.0%3 | 0.8%4 | 0.6%4 | 8 | 0.9%24 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 342 | 0 |
| Total | 100%465 | 100%657 | 100%232 | 100%315 | 100%471 | 100%626 | 2766 |
