[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 17, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E110-E111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                PUBLIC OPINION ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS ISSUES

                                 ______


                          HON. ELIZABETH FURSE

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 17, 1995
  Ms. FURSE. Mr. Speaker, 1995 is a very important year for the issue 
of nuclear testing. The U.N. Conference on Disarmament will resume 
negotiations January 30 on a comprehensive test ban treaty [CTB].
  Failure to make significant progress toward a CTB before the Non-
Proliferation Treaty [NPT] Extension Conference in April could 
jeopardize the future of the NPT, which is a vital check on the spread 
of nuclear weapons throughout the world. The new Congress must provide 
the strong bipartisan political support necessary to expand efforts to 
halt nuclear proliferation and achieve a CTB.
  A new poll shows that almost 80 percent of the American people 
believe that reducing the danger of nuclear weapons now should be an 
important priority for the U.S. Government. The overwhelming majority 
favor more aggressive arms control measures. These results were true 
for Republican, Independent and Democratic voters alike.
  The national poll of 1,011 Americans revealed that: 90 percent favor 
further cuts in the world's total of nuclear weapons; 82 percent favor 
a global ban on all nuclear tests; and 82 percent favor eliminating all 
or most nuclear weapons.
  Some 80 percent of Republican voters favor a test ban, as do 85 
percent of Democratic voters and 81 percent of Independents. Similarly, 
90 percent of all three voter groups favor further cuts in nuclear 
weapons, with 81 percent of Republicans opting for eliminating all, 
almost all or a lot of the weapons, compared to 84 percent of the 
Democrats and 83 percent of the Independents.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask permission to insert the poll's findings in the 
Record. We need to listen to our constituents and get on with ridding 
the world of the scourge of nuclear weapons.
Public Opinion on Nuclear Weapons Issues--December 30, 1994-January 3, 
                                  1995

       Washington, D.C--A new poll shows that almost 80 percent of 
     the American people believe that reducing the danger of 
     nuclear weapons now should be an important priority for the 
     US government (with 56% saying it was a very important 
     priority). The overwhelming majority favor aggressive arms 
     control measures over the current policies, with lesser 
     majorities supporting building a missile defense system or 
     increasing defense spending. These results were true for 
     republican, independent and democratic voters alike.
       The national poll of 1,011 Americans asked about specific 
     policy options:
       90 percent favor further cuts in the world's total of 
     nuclear weapons (72% strongly in favor).
       82 percent favor a global ban on all nuclear tests (with 
     56% strongly in favor).
       82 percent favor eliminating all or most nuclear weapons.
       68 percent favor trying to build a theater anti-missile 
     system for troops (43% strongly favor).
       64 percent favor trying to building a global anti-missile 
     system for the US (38% strongly favor).
       54 percent favor increasing the US military budget (32% 
     strongly favor).
       80% of republican voters favor a test ban, as do 85% of 
     democratic voters and 81 percent of independents. Similarly, 
     90% of all three voter groups favor further cuts in nuclear 
     weapons, with 81% of republicans opting for eliminating all, 
     almost all or a lot of the weapons, compared to 84% of the 
     democrats and 83% of the independents.
       Given a choice, 58 percent favor eliminating all nuclear 
     arms in the world rather than for a few countries, including 
     the United States, having nuclear weapons so no other nation 
     would dare attack or while trying to keep the rest of the 
     world from getting them. Only 40 percent supported the 
     current policy of a few countries in the world having nuclear 
     weapons.
       Sixty-three percent say they had read or heard little or 
     nothing about President Clinton's policies on nuclear 
     weapons. Fewer than half (45%) said they were satisfied with 
     the President's actions to reduce the danger of nuclear 
     weapons, with 42 percent saying they were dissatisfied.
       The poll was conducted of 1011 Americans over age 18 
     December 30 through January 3, 1995, by ICR Survey Research 
     Group, which does polling for the Associated Press, The 
     Washington Post, and others. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 
     percent (at the 95% level of confidence, according to 
     standard polling practice.)

[[Page E111]]

                          MASTER QUESTIONNAIRE

               [Field dates: Dec. 30, 1994-Jan. 3, 1995]

       Note: The following precautions were taken to minimize the 
     effect of bias by averaging out small, deliberate biases 
     introduced in question pre-ambles and response choices. This 
     method also serves to prove that small biases do produce 
     comfortingly small changes in the response statistics, so 
     that the resulting averages not only probably produce less 
     bias than the older method of survey design where preambles 
     and response menu choices introduced by the survey designers 
     are not tested at all. The new method also brackets the 
     effect of bias, and often shows how little dependent on 
     wording-bias responses are, and when they do occur what the 
     exceptions to that rule are and how they arise: Questions 
     were read in the order presented to both half samples. Q1 is 
     identical to Q2 except Q1 has a more ``comforting'' 
     introduction and Q2 has a more ``alarming'' introduction. 
     Questions were read to half sample A as presented here. Half 
     sample B had the ``comforting'' and ``alarming'' 
     introductions [the words in brackets, like these] 
     interchanged in Q1 and Q2. Half sample B in Q3 and Q8 were 
     read the response choices in reverse order, and half samples 
     A and B in Q12 tested the support for two strong but 
     different reasons for not aiming toward the elimination of 
     all nuclear weapons.
       First a little background--
       1. (half sample A). [The nuclear arms race has 
     substantially diminished and many nuclear weapons have been 
     eliminated in the last five years.] Should reducing the 
     danger of nuclear weapons now be an important priority for 
     the U.S. government or NOT an important priority? Is that 
     very or somewhat important/unimportant?
       Very important, 46%; Somewhat important, 30%; Somewhat 
     unimportant, 17%; Very unimportant, 4%; and DK/NA, 3%.
       Important 76%; Unimportant 21%.
       1. (half sample B). Very important, 60%; Somewhat 
     important, 21%; Somewhat unimportant, 10%; Very unimportant, 
     6%; and DK/NA, 3%.
       Important 81%; Unimportant 18%.
       2. (half sample A). It is also true that [the U.S. Russia 
     still have many thousands of nuclear weapons. Terrorists 
     could buy or steal nuclear weapons from a nuclear state. And 
     other nations such as Iraq and North Korea may be building 
     nuclear bombs.] Knowing that, I'd like to ask you again: 
     Should reducing the danger of nuclear weapons now be an 
     important priority for the U.S. government or NOT an 
     important priority? Is that very or somewhat important/
     unimportant?
       Very important, 61%; Somewhat important, 18%; Somewhat 
     unimportant; 14%; Very unimportant, 5%; and DK/NA, 2%.
       Important 79%; Unimportant 19%.
       2. (half sample B). Very important, 58%; Somewhat 
     important, 24%; Somewhat unimportant; 11%; Very unimportant, 
     5%; and DK/NA, 1%.
       Important 82%; Unimportant 16%.
       Average of four: Q1 and Q2 responses, A and B samples:
       Should reducing the danger of nuclear weapons now be an 
     important priority for the U.S. government or NOT an 
     important priority? Is that very or somewhat important/
     unimportant?
       Very important, 56%; Somewhat important; 23%; Somewhat 
     unimportant, 13%; Very unimportant, 5%; and DK/NA, 2%.
       Important 79%; Unimportant 18%.
       3. How concerned are you that renegade countries or 
     terrorist groups could get nuclear weapons?
       Extremely, 21%; Very, 40%; Somewhat, 28%; Not very, 8%; Not 
     at all, 2%; and DK/NA, 0%.
       4. How much have you read or heard about President 
     Clinton's policies on nuclear weapons?
       A lot, 7%; Some, 30%; Just a little, 37%; Nothing, 26%; and 
     DK/NA, 0%.
       5. Are you satisfied with what President Clinton has done 
     to reduce the danger of nuclear weapons?
       Extremely, 3%; Very, 9%; and Somewhat, 33%.
       Total satisfied, 45%.
       Extremely, 6%; Very, 13%; Somewhat, 23%; and DK/NA, 13%.
       Total dissatisfied, 42%.
       Now some suggestions for dealing with nuclear weapons--
       6. Do you favor or oppose the U.S. negotiating an 
     international agreement to end all nuclear test explosion?
       Strongly, 56%; and Somewhat, 26%.
       Total favor, 82%.
       Strongly, 7%; Somewhat, 8%; and, DK/NA, 3%.
       Total oppose, 15%.
       7. Do you favor or oppose negotiating an agreement where 
     all nations with nuclear weapons agree to further reduce the 
     world's total stockpile of nuclear weapons?
       Strongly, 72%; and Somewhat, 19%.
       Total favor, 90%.
       Strongly, 4%; Somewhat, 3%; and DK/NA, 3%.
       Total oppose, 7%.
       8. [Asked of 90.4% who favor in Q7] Reduce the world's 
     nuclear weapons stockpile how much? Of those asked:--
       A little, 7%; A lot, 26%; Almost complete, 27%; Completely, 
     39%; and DK/NA, 2%.
       Of total sample:--
       Eliminate completely, 35%; Eliminate almost completely, 
     24%; Reduce a lot, 24%; Reduce a little, 6%; Oppose reduction 
     (from Q7), 7%; and DK/NA (Total of Q7 and Q8), 4%.
       Total reduce a lot, complete or almost, 82%.
       9. Do you favor or oppose increasing the U.S. military 
     budget?
       Strongly, 32%, Somewhat, 21%.
       Total favor, 54%.
       Strongly, 22%, Somewhat, 21% and, DK/NA, 3%.
       Total oppose, 43%.
       10. Do you favor or oppose building an anti-missile system 
     to protect the overseas troops of the U.S. and its allies 
     from nuclear missile attack?
       Strongly, 43%; and Somewhat, 25%.
       Total favor, 68%.
       Strongly, 12%, Somewhat, 15%; and, DK/NA, 4%.
       Total oppose, 27%.
       11. In addition, some say we need a new anti-missile system 
     to protect the U.S. from accidental launches, unauthorized 
     launches and threats of attack from third world nations. 
     Others say that such systems will be expensive, will work 
     poorly--in some circumstances not at all--and would sooner or 
     later violate our ABM treaty obligations. Do you approve or 
     disapprove of trying to build an anti-missile system that 
     will try to shoot down missiles launched at the U.S.?
       Strongly approve, 38%; and Somewhat approve, 26%.
       Total approve, 64%.
       Strongly disapprove, 19%; Somewhat disapprove, 13%; and DK/
     NA, 4%.
       Total disapprove, 32%.
       12. (A half sample) As a general goal, which of these two 
     things do you think is more desirable--
       1. The elimination of all nuclear arms in the world, 55%; 
     or
       2. For a few countries, including the U.S. to have enough 
     nuclear arms so no country would dare attack them, 44%; and
       3. DK/NA, 1%.
       12. (B half sample). As a general goal, which of these two 
     things do you think is more desirable--
       1. The elimination of all nuclear arms in the world, 60%; 
     or
       2. For a few countries, including the U.S. to have nuclear 
     arms, while trying to keep the rest of the world from getting 
     them, 36%; and
       3. DK/NA, 0%.
       

                          ____________________