General Social Survey, 1996 - Analysis
COURTS
In general, do you think the courts in this area deal too harshly or not harshly enough with criminals?
| Frequency | Percent | Cumulative Percent | Z-Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1) Too harshly | 135 | 4.6% | 4.6% | -0.93 |
| 2) Not harshly enough | 2246 | 77.3% | 82.0% | -0.31 |
| 3) About right | 310 | 10.7% | 92.7% | 0.31 |
| 8) Don't know | 197 | 6.8% | 99.4% | 3.40 |
| 9) No answer | 16 | 0.6% | 100.0% | 4.02 |
Age (I-AGE)
| 18-30 | 31-44 | 45-64 | 65+ | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 7.7%51 | 4.2%40 | 4.0%34 | 2.0%9 | 1 | 4.6%134 |
| Not harshly enough | 75.1%498 | 79.1%751 | 77.1%649 | 77.5%344 | 4 | 77.4%2242 |
| About right | 9.0%60 | 10.3%98 | 12.1%102 | 11.0%49 | 1 | 10.7%309 |
| Don't know | 7.4%49 | 6.0%57 | 6.1%51 | 9.0%40 | 0 | 6.8%197 |
| No answer | 0.8%5 | 0.3%3 | 0.7%6 | 0.5%2 | 0 | 0.6%16 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 100%663 | 100%949 | 100%842 | 100%444 | 2898 |
Gender (I-GENDER)
| Male | Female | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 5.3%68 | 4.1%67 | 0 | 4.6%135 |
| Not harshly enough | 77.0%990 | 77.6%1256 | 0 | 77.3%2246 |
| About right | 11.3%145 | 10.2%165 | 0 | 10.7%310 |
| Don't know | 5.8%75 | 7.5%122 | 0 | 6.8%197 |
| No answer | 0.5%7 | 0.6%9 | 0 | 0.6%16 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 100%1285 | 100%1619 | 2904 |
Race (I-RACE)
| White | Black | Other | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 3.2%76 | 11.7%47 | 7.8%12 | 0 | 4.6%135 |
| Not harshly enough | 78.8%1851 | 71.1%286 | 71.2%109 | 0 | 77.3%2246 |
| About right | 10.9%255 | 9.0%36 | 12.4%19 | 0 | 10.7%310 |
| Don't know | 6.6%154 | 7.5%30 | 8.5%13 | 0 | 6.8%197 |
| No answer | 0.6%13 | 0.7%3 | 0.0%0 | 0 | 0.6%16 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 100%2349 | 100%402 | 100%153 | 2904 |
Education (I-EDUC)
| Less than high school | High school | Associate/Junior college | Bachelor's | Graduate | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 7.4%33 | 3.7%58 | 4.3%8 | 4.7%22 | 5.8%13 | 1 | 4.6%134 |
| Not harshly enough | 75.0%336 | 80.3%1258 | 77.5%145 | 75.2%354 | 65.6%147 | 6 | 77.3%2240 |
| About right | 9.8%44 | 9.3%145 | 12.8%24 | 11.3%53 | 19.6%44 | 0 | 10.7%310 |
| Don't know | 7.4%33 | 6.4%100 | 5.3%10 | 7.4%35 | 8.5%19 | 0 | 6.8%197 |
| No answer | 0.4%2 | 0.4%6 | 0.0%0 | 1.5%7 | 0.4%1 | 0 | 0.6%16 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Total | 100%448 | 100%1567 | 100%187 | 100%471 | 100%224 | 2897 |
Religion (I-RELIGION)
| Protestant | Catholic | Jewish | None | Other | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 3.9%65 | 4.8%33 | 2.9%2 | 8.3%28 | 4.9%7 | 0 | 4.7%135 |
| Not harshly enough | 79.1%1316 | 78.7%539 | 76.5%52 | 69.9%237 | 68.5%98 | 4 | 77.3%2242 |
| About right | 10.3%172 | 11.4%78 | 8.8%6 | 10.0%34 | 13.3%19 | 1 | 10.7%309 |
| Don't know | 5.9%99 | 5.0%34 | 11.8%8 | 11.2%38 | 12.6%18 | 0 | 6.8%197 |
| No answer | 0.7%12 | 0.1%1 | 0.0%0 | 0.6%2 | 0.7%1 | 0 | 0.6%16 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 100%1664 | 100%685 | 100%68 | 100%339 | 100%143 | 2899 |
Worship attendance (I-ATTEND)
| Less than once a year | About once or twice a year | Several times a year | About once a month | 2-3 times a month | Once or more a week | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 6.2%43 | 3.5%14 | 5.3%22 | 7.9%15 | 3.0%13 | 3.3%23 | 5 | 4.6%130 |
| Not harshly enough | 72.9%504 | 77.0%308 | 75.5%314 | 75.3%143 | 79.1%341 | 82.7%575 | 61 | 77.4%2185 |
| About right | 11.0%76 | 12.8%51 | 12.0%50 | 7.9%15 | 12.3%53 | 8.2%57 | 8 | 10.7%302 |
| Don't know | 9.1%63 | 6.3%25 | 7.0%29 | 8.4%16 | 5.1%22 | 5.3%37 | 5 | 6.8%192 |
| No answer | 0.7%5 | 0.5%2 | 0.2%1 | 0.5%1 | 0.5%2 | 0.4%3 | 2 | 0.5%14 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 0 |
| Total | 100%691 | 100%400 | 100%416 | 100%190 | 100%431 | 100%695 | 2823 |
Political ideology (I-POLITICS)
| Liberal or extremely liberal | Slightly liberal | Moderate, middle of the road | Slightly conservative | Conservative or extremely conservative | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 9.7%35 | 4.2%14 | 4.2%44 | 4.2%19 | 3.3%18 | 5 | 4.7%130 |
| Not harshly enough | 63.3%229 | 73.4%245 | 78.8%823 | 81.6%368 | 85.3%470 | 111 | 77.8%2135 |
| About right | 13.8%50 | 13.5%45 | 10.2%107 | 9.3%42 | 8.3%46 | 20 | 10.6%290 |
| Don't know | 11.9%43 | 8.4%28 | 6.6%69 | 4.0%18 | 2.9%16 | 23 | 6.3%174 |
| No answer | 1.4%5 | 0.6%2 | 0.2%2 | 0.9%4 | 0.2%1 | 2 | 0.5%14 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 161 | 0 |
| Total | 100%362 | 100%334 | 100%1045 | 100%451 | 100%551 | 2743 |
