(2007-1467-F) Public Opinion Polls and Polling Methods

266 folders, 11,038 pages

This collection consists of files concerning public opinion polls and the methods employed in conducting such surveys on a regular and consistent basis. Topics covered included the public’s perception of the guilt or innocence of O.J. Simpson and the approval rating for President and Mrs. Clinton in the wake of the Whitewater scandal. The pollster, Stan Greenberg was responsible for creating polls of wide variety and was trusted by Clinton to gauge public opinion at key points in an election campaign. The records in this collection are composed of reports, memoranda, publications, lists, talking points, questionnaires, and polls.

The materials in 2007-1467-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. Containing a wealth of information dealing with public opinion polls and polling methods in the Clinton Administration, 2007-1467-F deals with a wide variety of topics ranging from political issues and favorability ratings for the First Lady and President Clinton to the O.J. Simpson trial and freedom of the press. There are polls by the Times Center for The People and The Press, Gallup Polls, Greenberg Research, Inc. Polls, polls taken by the magazines Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News and World Report, and all manner of polls for many U.S. states. In more than a few instances the methodology utilized by the pollsters is explained in meticulous detail. White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) Subject Files contain records with information items (including polling data) signed off by President Clinton. A researcher will find numbers from a poll showing the reaction of people in India after a visit by the Chief Executive, approval ratings attributed to all kinds of polls sent to him by his advisors, and facts that might be gleaned from a public opinion poll taken in Bosnia. Voluminous and wide-ranging, the records of the Chief of Staff touch on such issues as health care, the 1996 elections, raising the minimum wage, and how television viewing and magazine reading influenced the public’s perception of the guilt or innocence of O.J. Simpson. In the case of Deputy Chief of Staff Harold Ickes, prior to the 1996 campaign, four focus groups concentrated on the beliefs and feelings of women. The findings of these surveys showed that women were much stressed, worried constantly about their ability to make ends meet, couldn’t view the current state of the country with anything but cynicism, and thought neither Republicans nor Democrats could be construed as allies. Comprising a sizable part of the collection, the records of the Health Care Task Force illustrate how public opinion rose and fell over the plan put forward by President Clinton. Polls from a variety of organizations are scattered throughout the papers. Attributed to the AARP (American Association for Retired Persons), Aetna, CBS, APPWP (Association of Private Pension and Welfare Plans), and Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, these surveys emphasize the changing attitudes of Americans. State polls are prominent in the records of the Political Affairs staff office. For instance, the files of Tom Epstein contain numerous issues of a periodical entitled The Field Poll, described as an “independent and non-partisan survey of public opinion” published in California. It deals with very specific issues, and on many occasions address the popularity of the First Lady and President Clinton in the state in the wake of particular events (Whitewater, for example).

Textual

Records that were responsive to this request were found in these collection areas—Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM-Subject File-General and Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files. The White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) contain a variety of series created to organize and track documents and correspondence. The WHORM Subject File was compiled by the White House Office of Records Management and is a series of categories designated by a letter/number combination. Staff and Office Files were maintained at the folder level by staff members within their individual offices and document all levels of administration activity. WHORM Files are processed at the document level; whereas, Staff and Office Files are processed at the folder level, that is, individual documents are not selected and removed from a folder for processing. While this method maintains folder integrity, it frequently results in the incidental processing of documents that are not wholly responsive to the subject area. FOIA 2007-1467-F includes WHORM records from these subject codes: CO054 El Salvador, Republic of CO077 India FE010-01 Access to Records – Documents FG001 President of the United States ND017 Weapons – Ordnance – Munitions PL Political Affairs PU001-07 Clippings to the President ST State Governments.

Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. Chapter 22, as amended) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended) and therefore records may be restricted in whole or in part in accordance with legal exemptions.

Official records of William Jefferson Clinton’s presidency are housed at the Clinton Presidential Library and administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act (PRA).

Staff Archivist, 2013. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released.

The following is a list of documents and folders processed in response to 2007-1467-F:
Box 1
Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM: Subject File
Category Case Number
CO054 061699
CO077 425427
FE010-01 067551CU
FG001 113613SS
121698SS
127703SS
147008SS
230921SS
426007
ND017 247142
PL 042528SS
110976SS
118051SS
218129SS
PU001-07 093007SS
 108041
 134480SS
 261269SS
 401526
 401530
ST 041239SS
112483SS
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Advance Office
 1998 Exit Polls & Election Results [OA/ID 24157]
Chief of Staff
Gergen, David
Polls [loose] [OA/ID 2805]
Public Opinion Polls [1] [OA/ID 2805]
Public Opinion Polls [2] [OA/ID 2805]
Public Opinion Polls [3] [OA/ID 2805]
Public Opinion Polls [4] [OA/ID 2805]
Greenstone, Jodi
Health Care Polls [OA/ID 4351]
Box 2
Ickes, Harold
[Democratic National Committee] [1]: Polls – DNC [Democratic National Committee]–
Work [OA/ID 9178]
 Polls – Health [1] [OA/ID 8103]
Polls – Health [2] [OA/ID 8103]
Polls – Health [3] [OA/ID 8103]
Polls – Political [OA/ID 9159]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
Polls – 1994 Elections [OA/ID 9159]
Polls – 1996 Elections [1] [OA/ID 9184]
Polls – 1996 Elections [2] [OA/ID 9184]
Polls – 1996 Elections [3] [OA/ID 9184]
Polls – 1996 Elections [4] [OA/ID 9184]
Polls – 1996 Elections [5] [OA/ID 9184]
Polls – 1996 Elections [6] [OA/ID 9184]
Polls – 1996 Elections [7] [OA/ID 9184]
Box 3
Polls – 1996 Elections [8] [OA/ID 9184]
1994 Elections – Polls – Political [OA/ID 9186]
Stephanopoulos, George
Clinton Polls/Articles [OA/ID 8028]
Convention Poll [OA/ID 14501]
Field Poll [OA/ID 6049]
Penn & Schoen Associates (Polls) [OA/ID 7046]
Penn & Schoen Polls [OA/ID 6918]
Polls [OA/ID 6919]
Polls [OA/ID 8030]
Polls [OA/ID 8034]
Polls/Questionnaires [1] [OA/ID 6409]
Polls/Questionnaires [2] [OA/ID 6409]
Polls/Questionnaires [3] [OA/ID 6409]
Polls/Questionnaires [4] [OA/ID 6409]
[Presentation of Neuro-Personality Poll to Message Meeting] [spiral, loose]
[OA/ID 5846]
Survey/Public Opinion – Entitlements & Federal Deficit/Concord Coalition
[OA/ID 5761]
Communications
Baer, Don
Brown University Polls [OA/ID 10133]
Job Approval Greenberg – Polling, 4/6/95 [OA/ID 10133]
LA Times Polls, 3/10/95 [OA/ID 10133]
Marist Institute – Polls, 3/7/95 [OA/ID 10133]
San Francisco Mayoral Polls [OA/ID 10133]
Polling Reports [OA/ID 10135]
Polls [OA/ID 10135]
Costello, Brenda
District of Columbia Polls [OA/ID 17328]
Horowitz, Russell
Republican Quotes on Gas Tax, Newspaper Articles, & Polls [1] [OA/ID 6418]
Republican Quotes on Gas Tax, Newspaper Articles, & Polls [2] [OA/ID 6418]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
Walker, Ann
Monthly Polling Report, Oct.-Dec. – Reagan & Bush Approval Polls [OA/ID 10458]
Box 4
Polls [1] [OA/ID 10460]
Polls [2] [OA/ID 10460]
Polls [3] [OA/ID 10460]
Polls [4] [OA/ID 10460]
Polls [5] [OA/ID 10460]
Polls – March-April 1994 [OA/ID 11805]
Polls, 1997 – Jan. 1997 [OA/ID 11805]
Program on International Policy Issues – New Polls on U.S. Attitude Towards Haiti –
Think Again on Haiti (Articles) [OA/ID 10490]
Public Opinion Poll [OA/ID 12968]
Vote Studies: Clinton Prevails on Capitol Hill Despite Poor Showing in Polls
[OA/ID 12965]
Correspondence
Van Auken, Kelly
Comment Line/Polls Comparison: 1998 [OA/ID 10816]
Council of Economic Advisors
O’Donnell, Tom
Public Opinion Polls [OA/ID 24242]
Council on Environmental Quality
 Polling Data [OA/ID 41276]
 Steele, Will
DNC [Democratic National Committee] Poll (Takings) [OA/ID 41284]
Polling Information (Takings) [1] [OA/ID 41284]
Polling Information (Takings) [2] [OA/ID 41284]
Polling Information (Takings) [3] [OA/ID 41284]
Box 5
 Polling Information (Takings) [4] [OA/ID 41284]
Counsel’s Office
 Political Issues/Poll ’95 [OA/ID CF 859]
 Craig, Greg
Polling Data [1] [OA/ID 23652]
Polling Data [2] [OA/ID 23652]
Lindsey, Bruce
Baseball Strike – Letters/Comments/Polls [1] [OA/ID 24792]
Baseball Strike – Letters/Comments/Polls [2] [OA/ID 24792]
Baseball Strike – Letters/Comments/Polls [3] [OA/ID 24792]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
Podesta, John
Polls [OA/ID CF 461]
Polls [1] [OA/ID CF 465]
Polls [2] [OA/ID CF 465]
 Sherburne, Jane
White House: Polls [1] [OA/ID CF 406]
White House: Polls [2] [OA/ID CF 406]
 White House: Polls [3] [OA/ID CF 406]
Box 6
 [Whitewater Binder] Polling Memo, August 24, 1995 [1] [OA/ID CF 425]
 [Whitewater Binder] Polling Memo, August 24, 1995 [2] [OA/ID CF 425]
 [Whitewater Binder] Polling Memo, August 24, 1995 [3] [OA/ID CF 425]
 [Whitewater Binder] Polling Memo, August 24, 1995 [4] [OA/ID CF 425]
Domestic Policy Council
Benos, Deanne
Subject Files
 Gun Polls [OA/ID 103563]
Dailard, Cynthia
 Tobacco – Polls [OA/ID 12975]
Drye, Elizabeth
Tobacco – Polls [OA/ID 13020]
Kagan, Elena
DPC [Domestic Policy Council] – Polls [1] [OA/ID 103353]
DPC [Domestic Policy Council] – Polls [2] [OA/ID 103353]
Polls [OA/ID 103353]
Education – Hart Poll [OA/ID 103357]
Polls [OA/ID 103391]
Tobacco – Settlement Polls [OA/ID 103391]
Klein, Jennifer
Polls [OA/ID 10856]
Liu, Eric
Crime – State Gun Polls [OA/ID 16239]
Reed, Bruce
 Education
A Polls [OA/ID 101930]
Tobacco
Polls [OA/ID 102972]
Welfare Reform
Polls [OA/ID 101078]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
Rice, Cynthia
Tobacco – Price – Polls [OA/ID 15440]
Tanden, Neena
 Subject Files
Child Care – Polls [OA/ID 103063]
Weinstein, Paul
Various Polls [OA/ID 21547]
First Lady’s Office
First Lady’s Press Office
 Misc. Subject Files
Polls [OA/ID 9465]
 Sagawa, Shirley
YMCA Poll [OA/ID 24267]
YMCA Poll [OA/ID 24340]
Verveer, Melanne
Polls [OA/ID 6204]
Health Care Task Force
 Polls – 1 of 3 [OA/ID 3591]
 Polls – 1 of 3 – AARP [American Association for Retired Persons] [1] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 1 of 3 – AARP [American Association for Retired Persons] [2] [OA/ID 3591]
Box 7
Polls – 1 of 3 – Aetna [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 1 of 3 – CBS [Columbia Broadcasting System] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 1 of 3 – APPWP [Association of Private Pension & Welfare Plans] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 1 of 3 – Center for Health Care Policy & Evaluation [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 1 of 3 – DPC [Democratic Policy Committee] [empty] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 1 of 3 – Fabrizio [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 2 of 3 – Intracorp [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 2 of 3 – Kaiser [1] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 2 of 3 – Kaiser [2] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 – Mercer [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 – Novalis [1] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 – Novalis [2] [OA/ID 3591]
 Polls – 3 of 3 – Papers/Magazines [1] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 – Papers/Magazines [2] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 – Papers/Magazines [3] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 – Papers/Magazines [4] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 – Polling [OA/ID 3591]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
Box 8
 Polls – 3 of 3 – National Institute for Health Care Management [1] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 – National Institute for Health Care Management [2] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 – Times/Mirror [1] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 – Times/Mirror [2] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 [1] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 [2] [OA/ID 3591]
Polls – 3 of 3 [3] [OA/ID 3591]
 Health Care Interns
 Polls, Statistics [1] [OA/ID 4715]
 Polls, Statistics [2] [OA/ID 4715]
 Polls, Statistics [3] [OA/ID 4715]
 Polls, Statistics [4] [OA/ID 4715]
Legislative Affairs
Newell, Felton
 Polls [OA/ID 5279]
National AIDS Policy Office
Summers, Todd
 Issues – Needle Exchange – Polls [OA/ID 21080]
National Economic Council
Haacke, Carl
Trade, Polls, Wages [1] [OA/ID 15355]
Box 9
Trade, Polls, Wages [2] [OA/ID 15355]
National Security Council
 Global Affairs
Sheehan, Michael
PK [Peacekeeping] – Polling [1] [OA/ID 645]
PK [Peacekeeping] – Polling [2] [OA/ID 645]
 Inter-American Affairs
Hanley, Tim
Haiti – 1998 Presentation of Polling Results [OA/ID 3342]
 Legislative Affairs
Rosner, Jeremy
Polling [OA/ID 3]
 Press
Gobush, Matthew
Bosnia Polling [OA/ID 3302]
Bosnia Polling, December 1997 [OA/ID 3302]
CTBT [Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty] Polling, September 25, 1997 [OA/ID 3293]
Fast Track Polling, August 1997 [1] [OA/ID 3303]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
Fast Track Polling, August 1997 [2] [OA/ID 3303]
Iraq – Polling, February 1998 [OA/ID 3108]
Latin America – Polling [OA/ID 3107]
NATO Enlargement Polling [OA/ID 3302]
 Russia/Ukraine/Eurasian Affairs
Gaiti, Toby
Russia – Public Opinion Polls [OA/ID 68]
Pascual, Carlos
CIA Polling, 1999 [OA/ID 2815]
 Speechwriting
Boorstin, Robert
Immigration – Editorial, Op-Ed, & Polls – Tracking Report, 7/93 [OA/ID 414]
Mideast – Polls [OA/ID 415]
New Direction – Polling [OA/ID 413]
New Direction – White House Telephone Polls [OA/ID 413]
Russia/U.S. Opinion Polls [OA/ID 415]
 Transnational Threats
Simon, Steven
Polling Data [OA/ID 2248]
Political Affairs
Baggett, Joan
Polls [1] [OA/ID 4058]
Box 10
Polls [2] [OA/ID 4058]
Polls [3] [OA/ID 4058]
Polls [4] [OA/ID 4058]
2 Polls from George Brown Campaign (June & Oct. 1992) [OA/ID 5276]
Baggett, Joan/Burns, Tara
Polls [OA/ID 4122]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
Emanuel, Rahm
Crime Polls [OA/ID 3828]
Greenberg Polls [1] [OA/ID 6053]
Greenberg Polls [2] [OA/ID 6053]
[Greenberg Research, June Public Poll Summary, June 28, 1995] [loose] [OA/ID 6053]
Hart Polls [OA/ID 6053]
Poll [1] [OA/ID 6053]
Poll [2] [OA/ID 6053]
[1994 Election Exit Polls Analysis] [loose] [OA/ID 6053]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
Epstein, Tom
California Polls, 1994 [1] [OA/ID 6465]
California Polls, 1994 [2] [OA/ID 6465]
California Polls, 1994 [3] [OA/ID 6465]
Box 11
California Polls, 1994 [4] [OA/ID 6465]
California Polls, 1994 [5] [OA/ID 6465]
California Polls, 1994 [6] [OA/ID 6465]
California Polls, 1994 [7] [OA/ID 6465]
Epstein, T./Dunn, D./Wofford, D.
Polls – Georgia [OA/ID 10669]
Polls – Kentucky [OA/ID 10669]
Polls – Louisiana [OA/ID 10669]
Polls – North Carolina [OA/ID 10669]
Polls – Oklahoma [OA/ID 10669]
Epstein, Tom/Emanuel, Rahm
CA [California] Polls [OA/ID 10661]
Presidential Personnel
Haley, Maria
Gallup Poll Breakfast at Mess [OA/ID 23993]
President’s Commission on Y2K
 Polls [OA/ID 15537]
Press Secretary
 Health Care Reform Polls, Nov. 1994 [OA/ID 14262]
 Health Care Reform Polls, 11/94 [OA/ID 14262]
 Polls [1] [OA/ID 14263]
 Polls [2] [OA/ID 14263]
 Polls [3] [OA/ID 14263]

Chitester, Ken
 News Analysis Files
Polls [1] [OA/ID 100399]
Polls [2] [OA/ID 100399]
Box 12
 Ken Chitester: Polls [1] [OA/ID 100408]
Ken Chitester: Polls [2] [OA/ID 100408]
Polls [1] [OA/ID 100408]
 Polls [2] [OA/ID 100408]
Polls [3] [OA/ID 100408]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
Myers, Dee Dee
Polls [OA/ID 4482]
Polls [1] [OA/ID 7368]
Polls [2] [OA/ID 7368]
Public Liaison
Echaveste, Maria
Bilingual Education – UNZ [Initiative] – Polls [1] [OA/ID 13015]
Bilingual Education – UNZ [Initiative] – Polls [2] [OA/ID 13015]
Polls [OA/ID 11822]
Herman, Alexis
CBS Poll [OA/ID CF 218]
Peter Hart & Bob Teeter Poll [OA/ID CF 218]
Herman, Alexis/Moy, Ruby
Marist Institute of Public Opinion Poll [OA/ID 5263]
Memo from Joe Goode re African-American Focus Group & DNC Polls [OA/ID 6659]
Box 13
P: Polling [OA/ID 7662]
Lux, Mike
’92 Exit Polling Analysis [OA/ID 5094]
Nuccio, Richard
 Cuban Affairs
 CID [Interdisciplinary Development Consultants, Inc.] – Gallup Poll (Draft):
Analysis & Implications [OA/ID CF 827]
Potter, Julian
California Polls [OA/ID 16149]
Politics/Polls [OA/ID 18040]
Scott, Maria
California Field Polls [OA/ID 8411]
Valdez, Suzanna
[Cuban Accordion Folder]: Polls [OA/ID 6448]
[National Hispanic Poll – 1994] [loose] [OA/ID 5340]
 Woolley, Barbara
Health Polls [OA/ID 8242]
Speechwriting
Curiel, Carolyn
Crime Polls [1] [OA/ID 10991]
 Crime Polls [2] [OA/ID 10991]
Polls [OA/ID 10994]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
Edmonds, Terry
Public Opinion [Polls] [OA/ID 24673]
Waldman, Michael
Polls [OA/ID 14439]
Polls [OA/ID 14443]
Polls [OA/ID 14458]
Polls [OA/ID 14458]
Polls [OA/ID 14459]
Polls, 1998-1999 [OA/ID 14459]
[Reemployment Act] Polls/Surveys [OA/ID 13658]
[State of the Union, 1999] Polls [1] [OA/ID 14424]
[State of the Union, 1999] Polls [2] [OA/ID 14424]
Strategic Planning: Polling Data [OA/ID 13659]
Women’s Initiative and Outreach
Brown, L.
Women & the 1996 Elections – Studies & Polls – Manual [1] [OA/ID 21960]
Women & the 1996 Elections – Studies & Polls – Manual [2] [OA/ID 21960]
Women & the 1996 Elections – Studies & Polls – Manual [3] [OA/ID 21960]
Women & the 1996 Elections – Studies & Polls – Manual [4] [OA/ID 21960]
Women & the 1996 Elections – Studies & Polls – Manual [5] [OA/ID 21960]
Women & the 1996 Election – Studies & Polls – Manual [1] [OA/ID 21961]
Women & the 1996 Election – Studies & Polls – Manual [2] [OA/ID 21961]
Box 14
Women & the 1996 Election – Studies & Polls – Manual [3] [OA/ID 21961]
Women & the 1996 Election – Studies & Polls – Manual [4] [OA/ID 21961]
Women & the 1996 Election – Studies & Polls – Manual [5] [OA/ID 21961]
Women & the 1996 Election – Studies & Polls – Manual [1] [OA/ID 21961]
Women & the 1996 Election – Studies & Polls – Manual [2] [OA/ID 21961]