NewsAndAnalysis.org

Definitions of terms

 

The following definitions aim to clarify our meaning of the words "barely," "partially," and "mostly" as they pertain to our measure of agreement and "low," "medium," and "high" as they pertain to our measure of importance.  Although most readers will likely have a clear personal sense of theses definitions, we want to ensure that all respondents begin our survey from a common understanding.

 

In the definitions that follow, the term "issue" relates to the specific political topics addressed by our survey, such as abortion, the war in Iraq, immigration, and Social Security.

 

The following definitions apply to the respondent's assessment of agreement:

• Barely - The respondent had difficulty selecting either option provided.  The option selected barely reflects the respondent's opinion.

• Partially - The respondent had little difficulty selecting an answer.  The option selected partially reflects the respondent's opinion.

• Mostly - The respondent did not have difficulty selecting an answer.  The option selected mostly - if not fully - reflects the respondent's opinion.

The following definitions apply to the respondent's assessment of importance:

• Low - The respondent's decision to support a particular political platform will not likely be affected by the platform's position on an issue rated with low importance.

• Medium - The respondent's decision to support a particular political platform may be affected by the platform's position on an issue rated with medium importance.

• High - The respondent's decision to support a particular political platform will likely be affected by the platform's position on an issue rated with high importance.