Starting in fall 2022, IPOL began working to enter and analyze data from some recently unearthed Iowa Polls from the 1940s through the 1980s (see background story). This academic year we are working with Iowa Poll #248 from April 1981. Topics asked about that we plan to explore include Iowan's opinions on President Reagan's performance in office, the assassination attempt on his life, gun control, U.S. relations with China and Russia, smoking habits, education cuts, personal finances, and social trust. 

Over the course of the fall sixteen students worked from a printout of the original data file to double enter all the data for Iowa Poll 248 compared the two versions, and corrected any discrepancies. We now have a complete version of the data that we plan to analyze this semester. Keep an eye out for our news releases and the full report later in the spring.