STUDY CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
The questionnaires contained both closed and open-ended questions covering a wide range of information. The study deals with general political attitudes and with the attitudes and behaviors pertinent to the 1956 presidential election. Each respondent was interviewed both before and after the election date. In the pre-election survey, attitudes toward political parties, candidates, and specific issues were obtained, as well as personal data and some political history. The post-election interview concentrated on the actual vote and reasons for the vote. It also obtained further personal data and asked non-political attitudinal questions (Form C) of a sub-sample of 579 respondents.

STUDY DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS:
The 1956 Election Study was conducted in September 1956 through January of 1957 and served as the first wave of a 3-wave panel study; the other two waves occurred in the 1958 and 1960 National Election Studies.