The ANES Guide to Public Opinion and Electoral Behavior
Is the Government Run for the Benefit of All 1964-2016
| '64 | '66 | '68 | '70 | '72 | '74 | '76 | '78 | '80 | '82 | '84 | '86 | '88 | '90 | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '08 | '12 | '16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Few Big Interests | 29 (412) |
33 (425) |
40 (528) |
50 (749) |
53 (1212) |
66 (1655) |
66 (1883) |
67 (1508) |
70 (1121) |
61 (852) |
55 (1044) |
** | 64 (1120) |
71 (1389) |
75 (1678) |
76 (1338) |
69 (1036) |
64 (812) |
61 (927) |
48 (612) |
56 (593) |
69 (1447) |
79 (4649) |
82 (3479) |
| Benefit of All | 64 (923) |
53 (679) |
51 (684) |
41 (611) |
38 (858) |
25 (615) |
24 (682) |
24 (550) |
21 (336) |
29 (405) |
39 (739) |
** | 31 (545) |
24 (469) |
20 (455) |
19 (340) |
27 (407) |
32 (409) |
35 (529) |
51 (645) |
40 (426) |
29 (611) |
19 (1127) |
17 (736) |
| Don't Know, Depends | 7 (108) |
13 (172) |
9 (124) |
9 (136) |
9 (203) |
9 (230) |
10 (274) |
9 (205) |
9 (136) |
10 (140) |
6 (115) |
** | 5 (96) |
5 (94) |
4 (94) |
4 (79) |
3 (48) |
4 (50) |
5 (73) |
2 (20) |
4 (43) |
2 (43) |
2 (102) |
1 (26) |
| N | 1443 | 1276 | 1336 | 1496 | 2273 | 2500 | 2839 | 2263 | 1593 | 1397 | 1898 | 0 | 1761 | 1952 | 2227 | 1757 | 1491 | 1271 | 1529 | 1277 | 1062 | 2101 | 5878 | 4241 |
Percentage Within Study Year
Table 5A.2.
Question Text:
"Would you say the government is pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves or that it is run for the benefit of all the people?"
Percent among demographic groups who responded:
Note:
2012 and 2016 data are for the combined (face-to-face and internet) sample.
For 2012, the 'Don't Know/Other' category represents face-to-face Don't Know cases only (in the 2012 Web instrument, a Don't Know category was not present).
Return to the ANES Guide Index.