Loading…
Which of the following views comes closest to your opinion on the issue of school prayer? [1996-LATER: Just give me the number of your choice] (RESPONDENT BOOKLET SHOWN TO R)
School prayer policy, four options · Asked in 7 waves, 1986–1998 · 11,605 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
Codes that include 'no Pre/Post IW' were dropped for respondents without that interview. Dropped only in years where the codebook names a design split (alternate form, half sample, abbreviated or web instrument): 0 in 1990, 1992. Kept and flagged: 0 (no_answer), 9 (other_missing).
Shares of people who gave an answer. Each column is one wave, evenly spaced rather than to scale in time; hover for exact shares.
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANES 1998 Time Series Study Source variable: V980455. | 1998-11-04 to 1998-12-23 | mixed | 1,281 | 1,281 |
| ANES 1996 Time Series Study Source variable: V961214. | 1996-09-03 to 1997-01-02 | mixed | 1,714 | 1,534 |
| ANES 1994 Time Series Study Source variable: V941020. | 1994-11-09 to 1995-01-08 | mixed | 1,795 | 1,795 |
| ANES 1992 Time Series Study Source variable: V925945. | 1992-09-02 to 1993-01-16 | mixed | 2,485 | 2,055 |
| ANES 1990 Time Series Study Source variable: V900467. | 1990-11-06 to 1991-01-21 | face to face | 1,980 | 989 |
| ANES 1988 Time Series Study Source variable: V880866. | 1988-09-06 to 1989-01-23 | face to face | 2,040 | 1,775 |
| ANES 1986 Time Series Study Source variable: V860481. | 1986-11-05 to 1987-02-07 | face to face | 2,176 | 2,176 |
Shares of people who gave an answer. A group’s column is left blank in waves where its effective sample is under 50; hover for exact shares.
| Group | By law, prayer should not be allowed in public schools | The law should allow public schools to schedule time when children can pray silently if they want to | The law should allow public schools to schedule time when children as a group can say a general prayer not tied to a particular religious faith | By law, public schools should schedule a time when all children would say a chosen Christian prayer | n | MoE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents | 16% | 51% | 25% | 8% | 1281 | ±3 | |
| Democrats | 20% | 47% | 22% | 11% | 475 | ±5 | |
| Independents (incl. leaners) | 15% | 52% | 28% | 6% | 459 | ±5 | |
| Republicans | 11% | 58% | 25% | 6% | 335 | ±6 |
ANES 1998 Time Series Study · US citizens 18+ living in households in the contiguous 48 states. Shares of people who gave an answer. n is unweighted; ± is the 95% margin of error at 50% from the weighted effective sample. Groups with an effective sample under 50 are grayed; under 20, hidden.