General Social Survey, 2002 - 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 | 126 | 9.2% | 9.2% | -0.95 |
| 2) Not harshly enough | 919 | 67.0% | 76.2% | -0.30 |
| 3) About right | 240 | 17.5% | 93.7% | 0.35 |
| 8) Don't know | 83 | 6.0% | 99.7% | 3.59 |
| 9) No answer | 4 | 0.3% | 100.0% | 4.24 |
| Missing | 1393 | |||
| Total Unweighted N = 1372 |
Marital status (I-MARITAL)
| Married | Widowed | Divorced | Separated | Never married | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 6.8%41 | 9.5%12 | 10.7%23 | 7.7%4 | 12.2%46 | 0 | 9.2%126 |
| Not harshly enough | 72.0%435 | 63.5%80 | 64.5%138 | 67.3%35 | 61.4%231 | 0 | 67.0%919 |
| About right | 16.2%98 | 19.8%25 | 16.4%35 | 21.2%11 | 18.9%71 | 0 | 17.5%240 |
| Don't know | 4.8%29 | 7.1%9 | 7.0%15 | 3.8%2 | 7.4%28 | 0 | 6.0%83 |
| No answer | 0.2%1 | 0.0%0 | 1.4%3 | 0.0%0 | 0.0%0 | 0 | 0.3%4 |
| Missing | 665 | 121 | 231 | 44 | 332 | 1393 | 0 |
| Total | 100%604 | 100%126 | 100%214 | 100%52 | 100%376 | 1372 |
Age (I-AGE)
| 18-30 | 31-44 | 45-64 | 65+ | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 11.7%34 | 9.5%36 | 7.9%35 | 8.1%21 | 0 | 9.2%126 |
| Not harshly enough | 66.0%192 | 70.4%267 | 67.3%299 | 62.4%161 | 0 | 67.0%919 |
| About right | 16.2%47 | 15.6%59 | 17.6%78 | 21.7%56 | 0 | 17.5%240 |
| Don't know | 5.8%17 | 4.2%16 | 6.8%30 | 7.8%20 | 0 | 6.0%83 |
| No answer | 0.3%1 | 0.3%1 | 0.5%2 | 0.0%0 | 0 | 0.3%4 |
| Missing | 300 | 418 | 432 | 243 | 1393 | 0 |
| Total | 100%291 | 100%379 | 100%444 | 100%258 | 1372 |
Political ideology (I-POLITICS)
| Liberal | Moderate, middle of the road | Conservative | Don't know | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 14.6%51 | 8.6%45 | 6.1%28 | 5.6%2 | 0 | 9.2%126 |
| Not harshly enough | 60.5%211 | 66.9%349 | 74.1%341 | 44.4%16 | 2 | 67.1%917 |
| About right | 18.3%64 | 17.0%89 | 16.7%77 | 25.0%9 | 1 | 17.5%239 |
| Don't know | 6.0%21 | 7.1%37 | 3.0%14 | 25.0%9 | 2 | 5.9%81 |
| No answer | 0.6%2 | 0.4%2 | 0.0%0 | 0.0%0 | 0 | 0.3%4 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1398 | 1393 |
| Total | 100%349 | 100%522 | 100%460 | 100%36 | 1367 |
Religion (I-RELIGION)
| Protestant | Catholic | Jewish | None | Other | Don't know | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 7.4%52 | 9.3%32 | 12.0%3 | 13.1%25 | 12.1%13 | 100.0%1 | 0 | 9.2%126 |
| Not harshly enough | 68.6%479 | 74.1%254 | 60.0%15 | 57.6%110 | 54.2%58 | 0.0%0 | 3 | 67.1%916 |
| About right | 19.2%134 | 12.0%41 | 16.0%4 | 17.3%33 | 23.4%25 | 0.0%0 | 3 | 17.4%237 |
| Don't know | 4.4%31 | 4.7%16 | 12.0%3 | 11.5%22 | 9.3%10 | 0.0%0 | 1 | 6.0%82 |
| No answer | 0.3%2 | 0.0%0 | 0.0%0 | 0.5%1 | 0.9%1 | 0.0%0 | 0 | 0.3%4 |
| Missing | 762 | 330 | 23 | 188 | 79 | 3 | 1400 | 8 |
| Total | 100%698 | 100%343 | 100%25 | 100%191 | 100%107 | 100%1 | 1365 |
Education (I-EDUC)
| Less than high school | High school | Associate/Junior college | Bachelor's | Graduate | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 11.8%24 | 9.5%70 | 11.1%10 | 3.6%8 | 10.9%13 | 1 | 9.1%125 |
| Not harshly enough | 66.5%135 | 68.3%502 | 65.6%59 | 71.3%159 | 53.8%64 | 0 | 67.1%919 |
| About right | 15.8%32 | 17.0%125 | 17.8%16 | 16.6%37 | 25.2%30 | 0 | 17.5%240 |
| Don't know | 5.9%12 | 4.9%36 | 4.4%4 | 8.5%19 | 9.2%11 | 1 | 6.0%82 |
| No answer | 0.0%0 | 0.3%2 | 1.1%1 | 0.0%0 | 0.8%1 | 0 | 0.3%4 |
| Missing | 197 | 750 | 112 | 220 | 111 | 1395 | 3 |
| Total | 100%203 | 100%735 | 100%90 | 100%223 | 100%119 | 1370 |
Sex (I-SEX)
| Male | Female | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 12.0%78 | 6.7%48 | 0 | 9.2%126 |
| Not harshly enough | 64.2%418 | 69.5%501 | 0 | 67.0%919 |
| About right | 19.0%124 | 16.1%116 | 0 | 17.5%240 |
| Don't know | 4.3%28 | 7.6%55 | 0 | 6.0%83 |
| No answer | 0.5%3 | 0.1%1 | 0 | 0.3%4 |
| Missing | 577 | 816 | 1393 | 0 |
| Total | 100%651 | 100%721 | 1372 |
