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Thomas
E. Brown The National Archives acquires, preserves and provides access to records created by Federal agencies. While most of the holdings are from administrative systems or survey research activities, Federal agencies sometimes engage in opinion polls. One of the rich sources is the survey of public opinion begun by the United States Information Agency. However, other agencies engage in opinion surveys. When the Government establishes a commission to investigate public policy question (as opposed to an event), the commission will sponsor an opinion survey to collect data to buttress its position. Thus Commission has polled the American public on a range of questions: marijuana and drug abuse, policies on gambling, opinions on violence in the late 1960's, and changes in social security. Sometimes, a commission will narrow its survey universe - - the Commission on Coal asked coal miners about the quality of life in the coal producing areas, the Commission on the Child and the Family asked the same type of questions of a national sample of parents. The civil services agencies have major opinion survey programs in place to question Federal employees about their attitudes toward work related questions. Regarding attitudes from military personnel, a commission collected attitudinal information from military personnel on women in the military. And we are currently negotiating with the Department of Defense the transfer of survey opinion data on military personnel views on gays in the military. Buried in research surveys, one will find opinion questions. For example, the Fish and Wildlife Service includes attitudes on government policies in the surveys on hunting and fishing. This presentation will briefly outline the opinion survey data available from the National Archives. Such a presentation would be very appropriate for this IASSIST conference since the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research is hosting the conference. Thomas E. Brown |