General Social Survey, 2004 - 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 | 120 | 9.0% | 9.0% | -0.96 |
| 2) Not harshly enough | 861 | 64.3% | 73.2% | -0.33 |
| 3) About right | 266 | 19.9% | 93.1% | 0.30 |
| 8) Don't know | 90 | 6.7% | 99.8% | 3.44 |
| 9) No answer | 3 | 0.2% | 100.0% | 4.06 |
| Missing | 1472 | |||
| Total Unweighted N = 1340 |
Age (I-AGE)
| 18-30 | 31-44 | 45-64 | 65+ | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 14.1%41 | 8.1%32 | 8.0%35 | 5.7%12 | 0 | 9.0%120 |
| Not harshly enough | 61.9%180 | 64.7%257 | 64.7%282 | 66.5%141 | 1 | 64.4%860 |
| About right | 16.2%47 | 21.4%85 | 20.4%89 | 20.3%43 | 2 | 19.8%264 |
| Don't know | 7.9%23 | 5.5%22 | 6.7%29 | 7.1%15 | 1 | 6.7%89 |
| No answer | 0.0%0 | 0.3%1 | 0.2%1 | 0.5%1 | 0 | 0.2%3 |
| Missing | 305 | 413 | 531 | 218 | 1476 | 5 |
| Total | 100%291 | 100%397 | 100%436 | 100%212 | 1336 |
Sex (I-SEX)
| Male | Female | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 9.0%56 | 8.9%64 | 0 | 9.0%120 |
| Not harshly enough | 64.1%400 | 64.4%461 | 0 | 64.3%861 |
| About right | 20.7%129 | 19.1%137 | 0 | 19.9%266 |
| Don't know | 6.3%39 | 7.1%51 | 0 | 6.7%90 |
| No answer | 0.0%0 | 0.4%3 | 0 | 0.2%3 |
| Missing | 656 | 816 | 1472 | 0 |
| Total | 100%624 | 100%716 | 1340 |
Education (I-EDUC)
| Less than high school | High school | Associate/Junior college | Bachelor's | Graduate | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 11.6%20 | 7.9%55 | 7.1%8 | 8.6%19 | 13.2%18 | 0 | 9.0%120 |
| Not harshly enough | 58.4%101 | 70.1%489 | 66.1%74 | 60.9%134 | 45.6%62 | 1 | 64.2%860 |
| About right | 19.7%34 | 15.9%111 | 25.0%28 | 21.4%47 | 33.8%46 | 0 | 19.9%266 |
| Don't know | 9.2%16 | 6.2%43 | 1.8%2 | 8.6%19 | 7.4%10 | 0 | 6.7%90 |
| No answer | 1.2%2 | 0.0%0 | 0.0%0 | 0.5%1 | 0.0%0 | 0 | 0.2%3 |
| Missing | 191 | 737 | 112 | 287 | 145 | 1473 | 0 |
| Total | 100%173 | 100%698 | 100%112 | 100%220 | 100%136 | 1339 |
Political ideology (I-POLITICS)
| Liberal | Moderate, middle of the road | Conservative | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 15.4%49 | 7.8%39 | 6.3%31 | 1 | 9.1%119 |
| Not harshly enough | 53.6%171 | 67.0%333 | 70.0%345 | 12 | 64.9%849 |
| About right | 22.3%71 | 18.7%93 | 18.3%90 | 12 | 19.4%254 |
| Don't know | 8.8%28 | 6.2%31 | 5.3%26 | 5 | 6.5%85 |
| No answer | 0.0%0 | 0.2%1 | 0.2%1 | 1 | 0.2%2 |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1503 | 1472 |
| Total | 100%319 | 100%497 | 100%493 | 1309 |
Marital status (I-MARITAL)
| Married | Widowed | Divorced | Separated | Never married | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 5.9%40 | 4.9%5 | 11.3%23 | 12.8%6 | 14.9%46 | 0 | 9.0%120 |
| Not harshly enough | 66.6%452 | 66.0%68 | 65.0%132 | 61.7%29 | 58.4%180 | 0 | 64.3%861 |
| About right | 20.2%137 | 21.4%22 | 18.7%38 | 14.9%7 | 20.1%62 | 0 | 19.9%266 |
| Don't know | 7.1%48 | 7.8%8 | 4.9%10 | 10.6%5 | 6.2%19 | 0 | 6.7%90 |
| No answer | 0.3%2 | 0.0%0 | 0.0%0 | 0.0%0 | 0.3%1 | 0 | 0.2%3 |
| Missing | 800 | 101 | 212 | 48 | 311 | 1472 | 0 |
| Total | 100%679 | 100%103 | 100%203 | 100%47 | 100%308 | 1340 |
Religion (I-RELIGION)
| Protestant | Catholic | Jewish | None | Other | Missing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too harshly | 7.0%50 | 7.8%25 | 11.8%2 | 17.1%34 | 10.5%9 | 0 | 9.0%120 |
| Not harshly enough | 66.8%477 | 66.3%212 | 52.9%9 | 54.8%109 | 62.8%54 | 0 | 64.4%861 |
| About right | 19.5%139 | 20.3%65 | 23.5%4 | 21.6%43 | 16.3%14 | 1 | 19.8%265 |
| Don't know | 6.4%46 | 5.3%17 | 11.8%2 | 6.5%13 | 10.5%9 | 3 | 6.5%87 |
| No answer | 0.3%2 | 0.3%1 | 0.0%0 | 0.0%0 | 0.0%0 | 0 | 0.2%3 |
| Missing | 769 | 336 | 38 | 204 | 117 | 1476 | 8 |
| Total | 100%714 | 100%320 | 100%17 | 100%199 | 100%86 | 1336 |
