CBS News Monthly Poll, July 1999

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This poll, fielded July 13-14, 1999, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton, the United States Congress, First Lady Hillary Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Texas governor George W. Bush, and former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley. Those queried were asked whether they were concerned about potential Y2K computer problems and whether they had acted on those concerns by stocking water, food, and money, and/or copying personal medical and financial records. A series of questions addressed the United States' health care system, with items on which political party was best suited to improve the system, the effect that health maintenance organizations (HMO) had on physician decision-making and out-of-pocket expenses by patients, the current trend toward more managed care, and respondents' experiences with the medical system over the last year. Additional questions focused on proposed federal legislation that would allow patients to appeal to medical experts if denied treatment by their health insurance plans, allow patients to sue HMOs if they were harmed due to a denial of coverage, and change the Medicare system to cover prescription costs. Those queried were also asked a series of questions regarding gun ownership and gun control, including whether the Second Amendment guaranteed all Americans the right to own a gun, whether gun manufacturers should include trigger locks/safety devices with guns, whether gun buyers should have to pass a safety course and be licensed prior to purchase, whether gun owners should be required to register their guns with the government, and whether individuals should be permitted to carry concealed weapons. Additional topics covered the proposed flat tax on income, decreasing the capital gains tax, keeping Internet transactions free from state sales tax, offering child-care tax credits to families with a stay-at-home parent, giving federal money to faith-based institutions for local programming, campaign finance reform including public financing and soft money contributions, and the amount of attention paid to the 2000 election campaigns. Background information on respondents includes age, sex, race, education, religion, marital status, political party, political orientation, Hispanic descent, age of children in household, household income, computer access, stock market investments, and intention to vote in 2000.