Level of education
1 = Grade school (8th grade or less) : 1
2 = Some high school (not graduate) : 2
3 = High school graduate (12th grade or GED) : 3
4 = Some college (1-3 years-not Graduate or AA/Associates) : 4
5 = College graduate (4 year college) : 5
6 = Some post graduate (no advanced degree) : 6
7 = Post graduate degree : 7
9 = missing value

Household income (HHLD)
1 = Less than $10,000 : 1
2 = $10,000 - $19,999 : 2
3 = $20,000 - $24,999 : 3
4 = $25,000 - $29,999 : 4
5 = $30,000 - $34,999 : 5
6 = $35,000 - $39,999 : 6
7 = $40,000 - $44,999 : 7
8 = $45,000 - $49,999 : 8
9 = $50,000 - $74,999 : 9
10 = $75,000 - $99,999 : 10
11 = $100,000 - $149,999 : 11
12 = $150,000 - $249,999 : 12
13 = $250,000 or more : 13
99 = missing value

Age of respondent
1 = 18 - 20 : 1
2 = 21 - 24 : 2
3 = 25 - 29 : 3
4 = 30 - 34 : 4
5 = 35 - 39 : 5
6 = 40 - 44 : 6
7 = 45 - 49 : 7
8 = 50 - 54 : 8
9 = 55 - 59 : 9
10 = 60 - 64 : 10
11 = 65 - 69 : 11
12 = 70 or older : 12
99 = missing value

Q1. Overall, would you say your view of Social Security is:
1 = 1 - Very positive
2 = 2 - Somewhat positive
3 = 3 - Somewhat negative
4 = 4 - Very negative

Q2. Does the monthly benefit seem:
1 = 1 - Higher than you expected
2 = 2 - About the same as you expected
3 = 3 - Lower than you expected

Q3. How much have heard or read about the Social Security shortfall?
1 = 1 - A lot
2 = 2 - Some
3 = 3 - Just a little
4 = 4 - Nothing

Q4. Very convincing/Very unconvincing: LOWERING MONTHLY BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAD HIGHER EARNINGS: 1: Arguments in Favor of Policy Option.
1 = 1 - Very convincing
2 = 2 - Somewhat convincing
3 = 3 - Somewhat unconvincing
4 = 4 - Very unconvincing

Q8A. Assessing Proposals: The first proposal is to reduce the monthly benefits for the top 25 percent of earners. This would reduce the Social Security shortfall by 7%.
0 = 0 - Completely Unacceptable
1 = 1
2 = 2
3 = 3
4 = 4
5 = 5 - Just Tolerable
6 = 6
7 = 7
8 = 8
9 = 9
10 = 10 - Very Acceptable

Q35. Lower Monthly Benefits of Those with Higher Lifetime Earnings:
1 = Reducing benefits for top 25% of earners. +7%
2 = Reducing benefits for top 40%. +25%
3 = Reducing benefits for top 50%. +34%
99 = Not chosen

Q36. Raise the Full Retirement Age:
1 = Gradually raise age to 68 by 2034. +15%
2 = Gradually raise age to 69 by 2041. +21%
3 = Gradually raise age to 70 by 2064. +29%
99 = Not chosen

Q37. Raise the Cap on Taxable Earnings:
1 = Raising cap from $113,700 to $215,000. +27%
2 = Eliminate the cap. +66%
99 = Not chosen

Q38. Increase Payroll Tax Rate:
1 = Increase payroll tax to 6.6%. +17%
2 = Increase payroll tax to 6.9%. +33%
3 = Increase payroll tax to 7.2%. +49%
99 = Not chosen

Q39a. Raise minimum monthly benefit for those who have worked 30 years or more from $800 to $1,216:
1 = Raise minimum monthly benefit from $760 to $1,134. -7%
99 = Not chosen

Q39b. Supplementing benefits of those 85 and over by $61.50 a month:
1 = Supplement benefits of those 85 and over by $61.50 a month. -5%
99 = Not chosen

Q41. Recalculating Cost Of Living Adjustments (COLAs):
1 = Chained CPI: +19%
2 = Base COLA on what elderly buy. -13%
3 = No change to COLA. 0%
99 = Not chosen

Q42. At this point would you like to:
1 = See the options again and try to cover more of the shortfall
2 = Choose among other possible ways for dealing with the shortfall
3 = Finish the policymaking simulation now

Borrow the funds
1 = Chosen
99 = Not chosen

Chose to go back
1 = Chose to go back and try again
99 = Did not chose to go back or solved SS shortfall

DK
1 = After going back solved in some way
2 = DK
3 = Did not chose to go back

QD1. Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a:
1 = Republican
2 = Independent
3 = Democrat
4 = Other
5 = No preference

QD1A. Do you think of yourself as closer to the:
1 = Republican Party
2 = Democratic Party
3 = Neither

QD2A. How often would you say you vote in the primary elections-that is, the elections in which a party selects their nominee to run in a general election?
1 = Always
2 = Nearly Always
3 = Part of the time
4 = Seldom
5 = Never

QD3A. Which one of the following candidates would you most prefer for President?
1 = Jeb Bush
2 = Ben Carson
3 = Ted Cruz
4 = John Kasich
5 = Marco Rubio
6 = Donald Trump

QD3B. Which one of the following candidates would you most prefer for President?
1 = Hillary Clinton
2 = Bernie Sanders

QD3OTHER. Other: Which one of the following candidates would you most prefer for President?
15 = Other

QD4. What is your religion?
1 = Baptist (any denomination)
2 = Pentecostal
3 = Other protestant (e.g., Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal)
4 = Catholic
5 = Mormon
6 = Eastern Orthodox candi
7 = Other Christian
8 = Jewish
9 = Muslim
10 = Hindu
11 = Buddhist
99 = None

QD4A. Would you describe yourself as a born-again Christian?
1 = Yes
2 = No

County size
1 = A
2 = B
3 = C
4 = D

630 = Birmingham (Anniston and Tuscaloosa), AL
637 = Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque, IA
686 = Mobile-Pensacola (Ft. Walton Beach), AL-FL
709 = Tyler-Longview (Lufkin & Nacogdoches), TX
855 = Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo, CA

DMA for Ohio
1 = Cleveland group
2 = Cincy - Dayton
3 = Columbus

DMA for Texas
1 = Dallas-Ft Worth -- Panhandle -- N Texas
2 = Austin -- El Paso -- S Texas
3 = Houston - San Antonio

DMA for New York
1 = NY City -- Rochester -- Plattsburgh
2 = Other New York state

DMA for California
1 = LA and Bay area
2 = Other CA

Oversample States
1 = CA
2 = FL
3 = MD
4 = MI
5 = NY
6 = NC
7 = OH
8 = OK
9 = PA
10 = TX
11 = VA
99 = Other

1 = CA
2 = FL
4 = MI
5 = NY
6 = NC
7 = OH
9 = PA
10 = TX

Geographic division
1 = CT, ME, MA. NH, RI, VT
2 = NJ, NY, PA
3 = IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
4 = IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD
5 = DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV
6 = AL, KY, MS, TN
7 = AR, LA, OK, TX
8 = AZ,CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY
9 = AK, CA, HI, OR, WA

Party id -- 3way
1 = GOP
2 = Dems
3 = Indie

Sex of respondent
1 = Men
2 = Women
9 = missing value

Income
1 = < $30,000
2 = $30-50,000
3 = $50-75,000
4 = $75-100,000
5 = $100-150,000
6 = > $150,000

Education
1 = HS or less
2 = Some college
3 = BA
4 = Advanced degree

Age -- 6 cats
1 = 18-24
2 = 25-34
3 = 35-44
4 = 45-54
5 = 55-64
6 = 65+

1 = White
2 = Black
3 = Hispanic
4 = Asian
5 = Other