Sheet A · Demographic background

Civic Policy Poll · GOVT 2305 · 2026-10-plain-v1

For adults 18 and older. Taking part is voluntary. Do not write your name. Choose one answer for each question. Return this sheet together with Sheet B to the researcher. The researcher should store both sheets privately.

Paper collection is a separate method: it does not use the website’s duplicate checks and is not automatically included in its dashboard. Do not also submit online.

1. How old are you?

□ 18–24□ 25–34□ 35–49□ 50–64□ 65+

2. How do you describe your gender?

□ Male□ Female□ Prefer not to say

3. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

□ High school diploma or GED□ Some college or an associate (two-year) degree□ College degree (bachelor’s)□ Advanced degree (master’s, doctorate, or professional)

4. What is your household’s annual income?

□ Under $35,000□ $35,000–$69,999□ $70,000–$109,999□ $110,000–$149,999□ $150,000+

5. Which best describes your political or economic outlook?

□ Strongly conservative□ Lean conservative□ Independent or politically in the middle□ Lean liberal□ Strongly liberal□ Libertarian / favors free markets□ No political affiliation

6. Which best describes your main employment situation?

□ Employee of a private business□ Small business owner or self-employed□ Government, public-sector, or education worker□ Student□ Retired□ Not currently employed

7. Where do you mainly get news and information?

□ Broadcast or local news□ Cable TV news□ Online newspapers or academic journals□ Social media or online discussion forums□ Podcasts or independent news outlets

8. Which best describes where you live?

□ Urban / city□ Suburban / suburbs□ Rural / countryside

Sheet B · Government & business

For each statement, choose one answer. There are no right or wrong answers. If unsure, use Neutral / Undecided. You may stop at any time before returning your sheets.

1. Public ownership during bailouts

Corporations rescued with taxpayer money, including disaster bailouts, should give the U.S. Treasury ownership shares until all the aid is repaid. These shares should not give the government a vote in company decisions.

Ownership shares give a stake in the company. The Treasury manages federal finances.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

2. Repayment of executive bonuses

If a federally insured financial company or an essential carrier gets emergency government money to cover immediate financial needs, federal officials should make its executives pay back performance bonuses from the previous three financial years.

A financial year is a 12-month accounting period. A carrier provides transport or communications services; this statement refers to one considered essential.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

3. Public oversight during rescues

If the federal government keeps a private company running because it cannot pay its debts, public watchdogs should temporarily join its board to check how the rescue money is used. They should not have voting rights.

A company’s board oversees how it is run.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

4. Selected corporate tax breaks

State and local tax breaks offered to selected multinational corporations put local small businesses at an unfair economic disadvantage.

A tax break reduces or removes a tax obligation. A multinational corporation operates in more than one country.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

5. Stock buybacks after federal support

Private corporations that accept direct federal subsidies or grants for commercial research should be banned from buying back their own stock for five years.

A subsidy is government financial support. A stock buyback happens when a company purchases its own shares.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

6. Farm subsidy priorities

Federal farm subsidies should give priority to farms owned and operated by families over large agricultural business groups.

Farm subsidies are government financial support for agriculture.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

7. Competition in essential markets

If one private company or organization controls more than 60% of an essential market, competition regulators should make it sell parts of its business so other businesses can compete.

Examples include meat processing, online advertising exchanges, and ticket sales.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

8. Marketplace search results

Dominant online marketplaces should be banned from placing their own-brand products ahead of products from independent sellers in unpaid search results.

Own-brand products carry the marketplace’s own brand. Unpaid search results are separate from paid advertisements.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

9. Medical mergers and prices

Mergers and other combinations of drug companies and hospital networks artificially raise the medical costs consumers pay for everyday care.

A merger combines companies. Consolidation brings businesses under fewer owners. This statement asks for your view on their effect on prices.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

10. Jobs after regulatory service

Senior federal regulatory officials should be required to wait five years before taking paid lobbying or executive jobs in industries they directly supervised.

Regulatory agencies oversee industries. Lobbying means trying to influence government decisions. Examples include the FDA, SEC, and Department of Defense.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

11. Contractors and political contributions

Companies with major federal purchasing contracts awarded without competition should not be allowed to donate to political action committees connected to congressional committees that handle defense and government purchasing.

A political action committee, or PAC, raises and spends money to influence elections.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

12. Funding government oversight

To keep industries from controlling the key government agencies that oversee them, those agencies should get all their funding directly from Congress. None should come from fees paid by the businesses they oversee.

These agencies oversee business activity and enforce government rules.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

13. Prices for publicly researched drugs

For prescription drugs developed through taxpayer-funded basic research, U.S. consumer prices should be capped at the middle price charged in comparable developed countries.

Basic research builds scientific knowledge, such as research funded by NIH grants. The median is the middle price when prices are ordered from lowest to highest.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

14. Medical patents during emergencies

During a national emergency, if a patent owner cannot supply enough of a critical medical treatment for the U.S., the government should require it to license the treatment so others can make it in the U.S.

A patent gives exclusive rights to an invention. A license gives others permission to use it.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

15. Audits of defense contracts

Defense contractors whose federal contracts pay approved costs plus an extra fee should have their financial records checked in detail by independent auditors. They should face mandatory financial penalties for spending more than approved without permission.

These are called cost-plus contracts.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

16. Repair information for public equipment

The federal government should require defense and infrastructure contractors to provide all repair diagrams and software for finding equipment problems. This should let others service the equipment without depending on the original supplier’s private tools or information.

Infrastructure includes public systems such as roads and bridges.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

17. Non-compete rules for workers

Employers unfairly limit free-market competition for workers when they make wage-paid workers, other than executives, agree not to take competing jobs or start competing businesses.

This kind of job restriction is called a non-compete agreement.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

18. Public reporting of pay ratios

Companies that get federal grants for regional development should publicly report the ratio of executive pay and benefits to those of the middle-paid employee.

A ratio compares two amounts. The median employee amount is the middle amount when employee pay and benefits are ordered from lowest to highest.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

19. Local oversight of utilities

Essential utility infrastructure, such as municipal water treatment systems and electric grids, should remain under local government oversight instead of long-term agreements giving private companies the right to operate it.

Municipal means belonging to a city or town. A private concession agreement gives a private company operating rights.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree

20. Ending tolls after construction debt

Toll facilities built using public debt or taxpayer subsidies should become toll-free once the original construction bonds have been fully paid off.

A toll is a charge to use a facility. Construction bonds are debt used to finance construction. This statement refers to the original construction bonds.

□ Strongly Agree□ Somewhat Agree□ Neutral / Undecided□ Somewhat Disagree□ Strongly Disagree