APPENDIX: Item wording and coding
Level of education
What is the highest grade of school or year of college you have completed? (recoded to run from 0 – 1)
1 = less than high school diploma
2
=
high
school
graduate
3 = trade/vocational school
4 = some college
5 = BA or BS
6 = some graduate school
7 = graduate level degree
Partisan identification
Generally speaking, do you consider yourself a Republican, an independent, a Democrat, or something
else? (if R or D) Would you call yourself a strong Republican/Democrat or a not very strong
Republican/Democrat? (if something else) Do you think of yourself as closer to the Republican or
Democratic party? (recoded to run from 0 – 1).
1 = strong Democrat
2
=
Democrat
3 = leans Democrat
4
=
Independent
5 = leans Republican
6 = Republican
7 = strong Republican
Generalized trust
Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted, or that you can't be too careful in
dealing with people?
0 = You can’t be too careful
1 = Most people can be trusted
Civic republican understanding of American identity:
I’m going to read a list of things that some people say are important in making someone a true American.
The first one is ________. Would you say that it should be very important, somewhat important, somewhat
unimportant, or very unimportant in making someone a true American? (1 = very unimportant, 4 = very
important; all items recoded to run from 0 to 1 then combined into summated rating scale)
Doing volunteer work in one’s community
Being informed about local and national politics
Being involved in local and national politics
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Convention