The 1996 American Jewish Committee Religious Right Survey was designed by the American Jewish Committee and the Gallup International Institute with advice from academic experts (John Green, Ohio State University; Chris Smith, University of North Carolina; and Tom W. Smith, National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago). The purpose of this study was to gauge and compare the social and political views of the Religious Right with the larger U.S. population. The Survey was conducted during May and June, 1996, under the direction of the Gallup International Institute, using a random sample of telephone numbers. The survey consists of 2 parts: a cross-sectional sample of 572 respondents and an oversample of aligners with the Religious Right of 438. Combined with the 69 aligners from the cross-sectional sample this produces a total sample of 507 Religious Right aligners and 503 other Americans.

As 23 percent of the American population, white evangelicals are an important part of the American mainstream whose collective voice is growing louder both in politics and in culture. In many respects, white evangelicals look like other Americans. They live all over the country, they are found in cities and small towns alike, they have friends outside of their churches, and a majority have at least some college education. They share concerns with the rest of the country about the cost of healthcare and having a secure retirement. Yet white evangelicals share a set of strongly-held beliefs about the role of religion in daily life, and they incorporate a set of religious behaviors based on these beliefs into their daily lives. It is these beliefs and behaviors that set them apart religiously and politically from the rest of the country. This study places white evangelicals in comparative perspective with mainline Protestants, Catholics, African Americans, and Hispanics.

This data set offers information on Americans’ opinions about the role of the arts relative to religion. The study was designed by Princeton University professor Robert Wuthnow and conducted by the Gallup Organization in Princeton, New Jersey. Respondents were asked questions about their creative and arts-related activities, their attitudes toward the arts, their religious activities, behaviors, beliefs and affiliations, their spiritual (or “uplifting”) experiences, their attitudes toward religion and spirituality, and their involvement in charitable activities. http://www.cpanda.org/data/a00082/a00082.html

In 1975 the Carnegie Council on Policy Studies in Higher Education commissioned the Survey Research Center at University of California, Berkeley to design and execute national surveys of faculty and students in colleges and universities throughout the United States. The objectives of the studies were both to identify any new developments in higher education that had transpired since the 1969 surveys, and to track any movement in trends or practices discovered in previous research. Additionally the surveys were designed specifically to gather more information on a variety of new problems posed by emerging issues of affirmative action, the changing role of women, a changing job market for graduates, and new forms of academic governance.

In 1984 the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching commissioned Opinion Research Corporation to design and execute national surveys of faculty and undergraduates in colleges and universities throughout the United States. The objectives of the studies were both to identify any new developments in higher education that had transpired since the 1975 1976 surveys, and to track any movement in trends or practices discovered in previous research. Additionally the surveys were planned to complement other research efforts being sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation.

The Center on Philanthropy Panel Study is the Philanthropy Module of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). The 2001 Center Panel contains data on the charitable giving and volunteering of 7,406 American families. The charitable giving data describe the giving done by the family unit as a whole. The volunteering data are separately available for both "Heads" and "Wives" (PSID terminology) in married and cohabiting families.

The charitable giving data include religious giving. The religious giving data-along with the religious affiliation data-make the Center Panel well-suited for the study of religious giving within the PSID's rich context of families' economic, social, health, and demographic circumstances. The 2001 Center Panel can be linked to the 2003 Center Panel providing the nation's only panel data on religious giving.

The Center on Philanthropy Panel Study is the Philanthropy Module of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). The 2003 Center Panel contains data on the charitable giving, volunteering, and religious service attendance of 7,822 American families. The charitable giving data describe the giving done by the family unit as a whole. The volunteering and attendance data are separately available for both “Heads” and “Wives” (PSID terminology) in married couples and co-habiting families. The Center Panel also contains a question about who in married couples makes decisions about charitable giving.

The charitable giving data include religious giving and the volunteering data include religious volunteering. The religious giving and volunteering data—along with the religious attendance and religious affiliation data—make the Center Panel well-suited for the study of important religious behaviors within the PSID’s rich context of families’ economic, social,
health, and demographic circumstances.

This survey provides data on the level and types of civic involvement of a nationally representative sample of American adults. Extensive questions about respondents' religious activities and beliefs are also included in the survey. The results were originally intended as a comparison to qualitative in-depth interviews with a different sample of respondents (qualitative interviews not available).

This is a survey of participants in the U.S. labor force. Nearly 100 social scientists, religion specialists and historians were asked to solicit topics to be included in the survey. "This sample is intended to be representative of the active labor force age eighteen and over living in the continental United States" (Wuthnow 1994, 270).

The purpose of the Exploring Religious America survey was to examine the extent of the nation's tolerance of religious diversity, familiarity with different faiths, and views on Islam, extremism and future conflict -especially in the aftermath of September 11th. The survey was part of a series of five special programs airing on the Public Broadcasting Service television program Religion & Ethics Newsweekly (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/), and it was the subject of a cover story in U.S. News & World Report (http://www.usnews.com/usnews/home.htm). The series, which began on April 26, 2002, also examined broader questions about the role of religious beliefs and experiences in the U.S. As of July 7, 2003, a summary of the poll and survey results for the Exploring Religious America could be found at: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week534/specialreport.html.

Over the last 50 years, our society has undergone huge demographic shifts with regards to family. Fewer people are living in a home with a married head of household, and family sizes have decreased as families have had fewer children and more people have chosen to raise children as single parents. Some religious institutions and leaders voice concerns about the decline of marriage, while others have embraced or at least accepted these changes. This debate polarizes our society, as some Americans are trying to mend what they see as cracks in the foundation of our society while others are seeking to move toward greater openness and tolerance. This study takes on these changes, exploring issues of family, marriage, and parenting in the context of America's religious life.

This study describes data of individuals 55 years of age and under who were married in 1980. The goal of the study was to determine the impact of various factors that could affect the likelihood of divorce. Five waves were completed (1980, 1983, 1988, 1992-1994, and 1997). This particular dataset contains the 1980 wave. The 1980 survey focused on how wives’ participation in the workforce affected marital quality and stability. Religion variables in this wave include the religious affiliations of the respondent and spouse (if applicable), frequency of church attendance, and the degree to which religion influences the life of the respondent.

The National Survey of Youth and Religion (NSYR) is a nationally representative telephone survey of 3,290 English and Spanish-speaking teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17, and their parents. The NSYR also includes 80 oversampled Jewish households, not nationally representative, bringing the total number of completed NSYR cases to 3,370. The purpose of the NSYR is to research the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of American youth; to identify effective practices in the religious, moral, and social formation of the lives of youth; to describe the extent and perceived effectiveness of the programs and opportunities that religious communities are offering to their youth; and to foster an informed national discussion about the influence of religion in youth's lives, in order to encourage sustained reflection about and rethinking of our cultural and institutional practices with regard to youth and religion.

This survey includes questions about the public's views about religious diversity, such as attitudes toward and contact with Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. The survey was designed by Robert Wuthnow at Princeton University in conjunction with the Responding to Diversity Project sponsored by the Lilly Endowment. The survey also includes questions regarding religious beliefs and practices, and opinions concerning terrorism, interreligious understanding, and national identity. (Religion and Diversity Codebook, Princeton University, Department of Sociology, 2003).

The religion and politics survey is part of the larger Public Role of Mainline Protestantism Project, which is coordinated through Princeton University's Survey Research Center. The survey addresses respondents' views on political, social, and religious issues, their political actions, beliefs, and affiliations, and their religious actions, beliefs, and affiliations.

This national survey was part of a three-year research project conducted to understand the small-group movement. "The national survey screened a representative sample of the American public to identify persons who were currently involved in any small group that met regularly and provided caring and support for its members. This procedure yielded approximately 1,000 people who were asked a long list of questions about the nature of their group, why they became involved, what its activities were, how well they liked it, and what they had received from it. For comparative purposes, we also surveyed more than 900 people to find out why they had not become involved in a small group" (Wuthnow, 1994:9).This data file is the first part of the national survey on small groups and contains the sample of those involved in small group activity. The sample containing those not involved in small groups is also available through The ARDA as "SMGRP2."

This national survey was part of a three-year research project conducted to understand the small-group movement. "The national survey screened a representative sample of the American public to identify persons who were currently involved in any small group that met regularly and provided caring and support for its members. This procedure yielded approximately 1,000 people who were asked a long list of questions about the nature of their group, why they became involved, what its activities were, how well they liked it, and what they had received from it. For comparative purposes, we also surveyed more than 900 people to find out why they had not become involved in a small group" (Wuthnow, 1994:9).
This data file is the second part of the national survey on small groups and contains a comparative sample of those not involved in small group activity. The sample containing those involved in small groups is also available through The ARDA as "SMGRP1."

The SCCBS was done under the Civic Engagement in America Project at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. The SCCBS looks at "social capital": how connected people are to family, friends, neighbors and civic institutions for a random national sample and 40 community samples (totaling 29,233 respondents in all). Social capital is a vital resource for individuals (in social support, obtaining employment, public health and happiness) and communities in making government work better, making communities safer, improving economic growth and educational achievement. The survey developed 11 dimensions of social capital for which there are indices including one on religion. The survey also contains 11 measures of religiosity: 1) the respondent's religion (if any) and denomination; 2) how important religion is to the respondent; 3) whether respondent is a member of a religious group; 4) frequency of religious attendance; 5) religious participation, outside of weekly services; 6) level of religious volunteering; 7) level of religious giving; 8) trust of co-congregants; 9) whether respondent has a personal friend of a different religion; 10) degree to which house of worship gives respondent a sense of belonging; 11) whether respondent is an active member in a religious group (other than his/her house of worship). Data were collected by phone by Taylor Nelson Sofres Intersearch in summer/fall 2000 and were used locally to help community foundations design social capital building strategies and used nationally to analyze the patterns of social capital across America and what are the causes or correlates of this. As a "benchmark" survey, it is the first attempt at widespread systematic measurement of social capital, especially within communities, and it will serve as a point of comparison for future research which attempts to assess changes in key indicators. It is hoped that discussion and use of the survey will also stimulate interest in the broader purpose of fostering civic and social engagement across the country and thus contribute to the revitalization of community institutions.

"This study compared staff and resident knowledge, attitudes and practices related to religious expression in long-term care settings. Staff and residents from 13 facilities and organizations providing services to long-term care staff completed a survey related to religion and spirituality in long-term care" (Walker et al. August 1998).

The State of the First Amendment survey, conducted annually (since 1997, except for 1998) for the First Amendment Center by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut, examines public attitudes toward freedom of speech, press, religion and the rights of assembly and petition. Core questions, asked each year, include awareness of First Amendment freedoms, overall assessments of whether there is too much or too little freedom of speech, press, and religion in the U.S., levels of tolerance for various types of public expression (such as flag-burning and singing songs with potentially offensive lyrics), levels of tolerance for various journalistic behaviors, attitudes toward prayer in schools, and level of support for amending the Constitution to prohibit flag-burning or defacement. Additional (non-core) questions asked in the 1997 survey include how important various Constitutional rights are to people, whether people engaged in various kinds of public or political behaviors during the past year, and how free people feel to speak their minds in various settings.

The State of the First Amendment survey, conducted annually (since 1997, except for 1998) for the First Amendment Center by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut, examines public attitudes toward freedom of speech, press, religion and the rights of assembly and petition. Core questions, asked each year, include awareness of First Amendment freedoms, overall assessments of whether there is too much or too little freedom of speech, press, and religion in the United States, levels of tolerance for various types of public expression. Additional (non-core) questions asked in the 1999 survey include attitudes toward alcohol and tobacco advertisements, levels of tolerance for sexually explicit content in various media, and attitudes toward television and Internet content ratings.

The State of the First Amendment survey, conducted annually (since 1997, except for 1998) for the First Amendment Center by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut, examines public attitudes toward freedom of speech, press, religion and the rights of assembly and petition. Core questions, asked each year, include awareness of First Amendment freedoms, overall assessments of whether there is too much or too little freedom of speech, press, and religion in the United States, levels of tolerance for various types of public expression (such as flag-burning and singing songs with potentially offensive lyrics), levels of tolerance for various journalistic behaviors, attitudes toward prayer in schools, and level of support for amending the Constitution to prohibit flag-burning or defacement. Additional (non-core) questions asked in the 2001 survey include attitudes toward the creation of the federal Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and attitudes toward the regulation of political campaign contributions.

The State of the First Amendment survey, conducted annually (since 1997, except for 1998) for the First Amendment Center by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut, examines public attitudes toward freedom of speech, press, religion and the rights of assembly and petition. Core questions, asked each year, include awareness of First Amendment freedoms, overall assessments of whether there is too much or too little freedom of speech, press, and religion in the United States., levels of tolerance for various types of public expression (such as flag-burning and singing songs with potentially offensive lyrics), levels of tolerance for various journalistic behaviors, attitudes toward prayer in schools, and level of support for amending the Constitution to prohibit flag-burning or defacement. Additional (non-core) questions asked in the 2002 survey include attitudes toward media coverage of the "war on terrorism," whether the government has the right to monitor the activities of religious groups even if it means infringing upon religious freedoms, and levels of support for public access to various types of local government records.

The State of the First Amendment survey, conducted annually (since 1997, except for 1998) for the First Amendment Center by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut, examines public attitudes toward the freedoms of speech, press, and religion and the rights of assembly and petition. Core questions asked each year include: awareness of First Amendment freedoms, overall assessments of whether there is too much or too little freedom of speech, press, and religion in the United States, levels of tolerance for various types of public expression (such as flag-burning and singing songs with potentially offensive lyrics), levels of tolerance for various journalistic behaviors, attitudes toward prayer in schools, and level of support for amending the Constitution to prohibit flag-burning or defacement. Additional (non-core) questions asked in the 2003 survey include attitudes toward corporate ownership of news organizations, media coverage of the Iraq War and "the war on terrorism," whether the government has the right to monitor the activities of religious groups even if it means infringing upon religious freedoms, and whether controversial political remarks by entertainers affect the likelihood of attending performances or purchasing products featuring such entertainers.

The State of the First Amendment Survey, conducted annually (since 1997, except for 1998) for the First Amendment Center by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut, examines public attitudes toward the freedoms of speech, press, and religion and the rights of assembly and petition. Core questions, asked each year, include awareness of First Amendment freedoms, overall assessments of whether there is too much or too little freedom of speech, press, and religion in the United States, levels of tolerance for various types of public expression (such as flag-burning and singing songs with potentially offensive lyrics), levels of tolerance for various journalistic behaviors, attitudes toward prayer in schools, and level of support for amending the Constitution to prohibit flag-burning or defacement. Additional (non-core) questions asked in the 2004 survey include attitudes about the effort to amend the Constitution to ban flag-burning, proposals to expand regulation of so-called indecent material in the media, attempts by government officials and private advocates to lower the "wall of separation between church and state," and scandals involving made-up stories and facts at major news organizations.

The State of the First Amendment survey, conducted annually (since 1997, except for 1998) for the First Amendment Center, examines public attitudes toward the freedoms of speech, press, and religion and the rights of assembly and petition. Core questions, asked each year, include awareness of First Amendment freedoms, overall assessments of whether there is too much or too little freedom of speech, press, and religion in the United States, levels of tolerance for various types of public expression (such as flag-burning and singing songs with potentially offensive lyrics), levels of tolerance for various journalistic behaviors, attitudes toward prayer in schools, and level of support for amending the Constitution to prohibit flag-burning or defacement. Additional (non-core) questions asked in the 2005 survey include attitudes toward religious freedom in the workplace, freedom of expression in the public schools, the display of the Ten Commandments in public buildings, the confidentiality of library records, and government's ability to restrict various types of content in public broadcasts.

The State of the First Amendment survey, conducted annually (since 1997, except for 1998) for the First Amendment Center, examines public attitudes toward the freedoms of speech, press, and religion and the rights of assembly and petition. Core questions, asked each year, cover awareness of First Amendment freedoms, overall assessments of whether there is too much or too little freedom of speech, press, and religion in the United States, levels of tolerance for various types of public expression (such as flag-burning and singing songs with potentially offensive lyrics), levels of tolerance for various journalistic behaviors, attitudes toward prayer in schools, and level of support for amending the Constitution to prohibit flag-burning or defacement.

The State of the First Amendment survey, conducted annually (since 1997, except for 1998) for the First Amendment Center by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut, examines public attitudes toward freedom of speech, press, religion and the rights of assembly and petition. Core questions, asked each year, include awareness of First Amendment freedoms, overall assessments of whether there is too much or too little freedom of speech, press, and religion in the U.S., levels of tolerance for various types of public expression (such as flag-burning and singing songs with potentially offensive lyrics), levels of tolerance for various journalistic behaviors, attitudes toward prayer in schools, and level of support for amending the Constitution to prohibit flag-burning or defacement. Additional (non-core) questions asked in the 2000 survey include attitudes toward the role of government in political campaigns, the role of religion and the use of religious materials in classrooms, and attitudes toward government regulation of content on the Internet.

Convinced that the beliefs and moral values of children are important in their own right and that children's voices need to become part of the larger public discussion of America's future, the Girl Scouts of the USA, in partnership with the Lilly Endowment and the C.S. Mott Foundation, commissioned child psychiatrist Robert Coles of Harvard University, sociologist James Davison Hunter of the University of Virginia, public opinion researcher Louis Harris of Louis Harris and Associates, Inc., and John Seel of the Williamsburg Charter Foundation to conduct a nationwide survey of children's beliefs and moral values. The purpose of the study was to explore the range of children's beliefs and moral values and the consequences in their lives. Questions asked include: Who are the adults with the most influence on the children's moral commitments? What are the moral bearings directing their decision-making in practice? What are the pressures children face as adolescents and young adults? What are the moral judgments they make in the face of difficult everyday situations? How do they view the choices concerning their own futures and the responsibilities of citizenship as they approach adulthood?

"On the eve of the bicentennial of the Bill of Rights, it is plain that controversies about religion in public life are as lively and potent today as when the First Amendment was being debated nearly 200 years ago. But how do the American people view the place of religion in public life today? Is there a vital knowledge of the Constitution? Where do Americans currently draw the line between church and state: Are there significant limits to tolerance? To answer such questions and help assess the state of the union regarding religion and public life, the Williamsburg Charter Foundation commissioned a nationwide opinion survey...to learn how people view these issues 200 years into the American Experiment" (The Williamsburg Charter Survey on Religion and Public Life 1988).

The Young Adolescents and their Parents project began in 1980, with major funding provided by Lilly Endowment, Inc. The project brought together the research capability of Search Institute and the programming expertise of 13 national youth-serving organizations. The research component included a 319-item survey given to more than 8,000 fifth- through ninth-grade young adolescents and a different 328-item survey administered to more than 10,000 parents of these youths. Because so little previous research had focused on young adolescents and their families, this project was designed to fill this "information gap." The surveys covered the topics of social context (school, friends, church, families, mass media exposure, group involvement); developmental processes (autonomy, maturation and sexuality, identity, intimacy, achievement, social integration); beliefs, attitudes and values (social attitudes, worries, moral values, religion); and perspectives on receiving help and on behavior.

The Young Adolescents and their Parents project began in 1980, with major funding provided by Lilly Endowment, Inc. The project brought together the research capability of Search Institute and the programming expertise of 13 national youth-serving organizations. The research component included a 319-item survey given to more than 8,000 fifth- through ninth-grade young adolescents and a different 328-item survey administered to more than 10,000 parents of these youths. Because so little previous research had focused on young adolescents and their families, this project was designed to fill this "information gap." The surveys covered the topics of social context (school, friends, church, families, mass media exposure, group involvement); developmental processes (autonomy, maturation and sexuality, identity, intimacy, achievement, social integration); beliefs, attitudes and values (social attitudes, worries, moral values, religion); and perspectives on receiving help and behavior.

The Young Adolescents and their Parents project began in 1980, with major funding provided by Lilly Endowment, Inc. The project brought together the research capability of Search Institute and the programming expertise of 13 national youth-serving organizations. The research component included a 319-item survey given to more than 8,000 fifth- through ninth-grade young adolescents and a different, 328-item survey administered to more than 10,000 parents of these youths. Because so little previous research had focused on young adolescents and their families, this project was designed to fill this "information gap." The surveys covered the topics of social context (school, friends, church, families, mass media exposure, group involvement); developmental processes (autonomy, maturation and sexuality, identity, intimacy, achievement, social integration); beliefs, attitudes and values (social attitudes, worries, moral values, religion); and perspectives on receiving help and on behavior.