The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University Survey of Political Independents
This survey by The Washington Post, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard University–the 16th in an ongoing partnership–provides a detailed look at self-identified independents: who they are, what issues matter to them, how they approach politics and elections, and their views on key issues including health care, Iraq, and immigration.
It assesses the views and attitudes of independents, their past voting behavior, their political and ideological leanings, their demographic makeup, and provides an early look at their likelihood to vote and their preferences in the 2008 election. The survey also compares the views of independents to those of Democrats and Republicans. The telephone poll was conducted from May 3 to June 3, 2007, among 2,140 randomly selected adults nationwide, including 1,014 who self-identified as political independents.
The survey’s findings were featured in the July 1, 2007, Washington Post. Additional articles drawing on the survey findings are expected to run in the Post over the next few weeks.
A related statewide survey in Virginia by the three partners examines similar issues for indendents in Virginia. These findings were featured in the July 8, 2007, Washington Post.
Survey Brief: Political Independents and Health Care