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Volume 61, No. 4 Friday, May 24, 1996

  Issues Referendum Reveals Populist Leanings But Traditional, Conservative
                             Views also Evident

By Lydia Saad

PRINCETON, NJ-According to a new Gallup Public Opinion Referendum,
super-majorities of Americans favor a balanced budget amendment, want the
minimum wage raised, would establish English as the official language and
support the death penalty for murder. These are four of twenty-seven issues
Referendum respondents were asked to vote on as hypothetical ballot
propositions-some of them enduring topics, others current proposals. Gallup
found two-thirds or more of Americans in agreement on sixteen of the
propositions, smaller majorities in agreement on four of them, and sharp
divisions on seven.

Super-majority Consensus

Majority, but less widespread, support is measured for voucher-based choice
in public education and a requirement that creationism be taught in public
schools along with evolution.

Methodology

The results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected
national sample of 1,001 adults, 18 years and older, conducted April 25-28,
1996. For results based on samples of this size, one can say with 95 percent
confidence that the error attributable to sampling and other random effects
could be plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error,
question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can
introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Suppose that on election day this year you could vote on key issues as well
as candidates. Please tell me whether you would vote for or against each one
of the following propositions... (RANDOM ORDER)

Opinion Referendum: Ranking

                               For      Against No
                                                opinion

 7. Prayer in public schools
 amendment                     73%      25      2

 13. Teaching creationism in
 public schools                58%      36      6


For or against a constitutional amendment to permit prayer in the public
schools

 1996 Apr 25-28                                        73%    25      2
 1984®                                                 69%    24      7
 1982®                                                 73%    27      0
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