March 14, 2008 | By Nathaniel Ward

2007 Heritage Members’ Survey

The following are the results of the 2007 Heritage Members’ Survey.

A.  Please rate how important the following issues are to you.

The war in Iraq
      Very Unimportant: 10%
      Somewhat Unimportant:  0%
      Somewhat Important: 16%
      Very Important: 70%
      Other: 2%

Protecting America, and Americans, from freedom's enemies
      Very Unimportant: 11%
      Somewhat Unimportant:  0%
      Somewhat Important: 4%
      Very Important: 82%
      Other: 1%

Immigration
      Very Unimportant: 10%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 2%
      Somewhat Important: 11%
      Very Important: 74%
      Other : 1%

Homeland Security
      Very Unimportant: 11%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 1%
      Somewhat Important: 11%
      Very Important: 73%
      Other: 3%

Advancing American leadership and freedom in the world
      Very Unimportant: 7%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 14%
      Somewhat Important: 45%
      Very Important: 31%
      Other: 1%

Cutting taxes
      Very Unimportant: 10%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 5%
      Somewhat Important: 29%
      Very Important: 53%
      Other:  2%

Reform of the tax system
      Very Unimportant: 12%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 1 5%
      Somewhat Important: 22%
      Very Important: 59%
      Other:  0%

Cutting government spending
      Very Unimportant: 11%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 1%
      Somewhat Important: 14%
      Very Important: 72%
      Other: 1%

Restoring religious liberty in the public square
      Very Unimportant: 10%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 6%
      Somewhat Important: 22%
      Very Important: 59%
      Other: 1%

Returning the Judiciary to its constitutional role
      Very Unimportant: 10%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 3%
      Somewhat Important: 12%
      Very Important: 74%
      Other: 0%

Restoring the family to its primary role in civil society
      Very Unimportant: 30    10%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 4%
      Somewhat Important: 22%
      Very Important: 62%
      Other: 1%

Replacing the entitlement culture with one of mutual responsibility
      Very Unimportant: 10%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 5%
      Somewhat Important: 24%
      Very Important: 56%
      Other: 2%

Abortion
      Very Unimportant: 12%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 18%
      Somewhat Important: 29%
      Very Important: 39%
      Other: 1%

Stem cell research
      Very Unimportant: 10%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 23%
      Somewhat Important: 43%
      Very Important: 20%
      Other: 2%

Providing future generations with the world's finest educational system
      Very Unimportant: 8%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 8%
      Somewhat Important: 35%
      Very Important: 45%
      Other: 2%

Achieving energy security to strengthen our freedom
      Very Unimportant: 10%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 2%
      Somewhat Important: 22%
      Very Important: 62%
      Other:  2%

Social Security reform
      Very Unimportant: 10%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 6%
      Somewhat Important: 28%
      Very Important: 51%
      Other: 3%

Giving every American freedom of choice in health care
      Very Unimportant: 10%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 10%
      Somewhat Important: 25%
      Very Important: 52%
      Other: 1%

Gun rights
      Very Unimportant: 12%
      Somewhat Unimportant: 11%
      Somewhat Important: 25%
      Very Important: 50%
      Other: 1%

B.  Please check the three issues that are the most important to you.

      The war in Iraq: 35%
      Protecting America and Americans from freedoms enemies: 36%
      Immigration: 47%
      Homeland security: 22%
      Advancing American leadership and freedom in the world: 2%
      Cutting taxes: 0%
      Reform of the tax system: 17%
      Restoring religious liberty in the public square: 13%
      Abortion: 9%
      Gun rights: 14%
      Returning the Judiciary to its constitutional role: 20%
      Social Security reform: 10%
      Restoring the family to its primary role in civil society: 13%
      Replacing the entitlement culture with one of mutual responsibility: 0%
      Achieving energy security to strengthen our freedom: 7%
      Providing future generations with the world's finest educational system 3%
      Giving every American freedom of choice in health care: 0%
      Cutting government spending: %
      Stem Cell Research: 1%
      Other: 2%

C.  Opinion Survey:

1.  The War on Terrorism

a.  How do you rate President Bush's leadership in the war on terrorism?
      Excellent: 25%
      Good: 47%
      Fair: 21%
      Poor: 3%
      Other: 2%

b.  How do you rate the Islamo-fascist threat against us?
      The most important issue of our time: 46%
      Very serious: 49%
      Not important: 1%
      Other: 0%

c.  What do you think of the war in Iraq?
      We should stay in Iraq until we have stabilized the country and defeated our enemies there: 66%
      We are not devoting enough resources to defeating our enemies there: 14%
      We cannot win and should withdraw as soon as possible: 5%
      Other: 13%

2.  Homeland Security

a.  Do you think enough is being done to protect Americans from attack here at home?
      Yes: 0%
      No: 3%
      Undecided: 7%
      Other: 3%

b.  Do you believe the prison at Guantanamo should be shut down?
      Yes: 5%
      No: 79%
      Undecided: 12%
      Other: 3%

c.  Do you think the government should have the power to conduct surveillance of telephone calls from suspected terrorists outside the United States?
      Yes: 94%
      No: 1%
      Undecided: 2%
      Other: 1%

3.  Foreign Policy

a.  Do you think it is important to have good relations with the European nations?
      Yes: 81%
      No: 5%
      Undecided: 10%
      Other: 2%

b.  Do you think it is important for the U.S. to remain in the United Nations?
      Yes: 20%
      No: 64%
      Undecided: 13%
      Other: 2%

4.  Immigration

a.  Which statement comes closest to your view on immigration?
      Immigrants take jobs away from Americans and we should severely limit immigration: 18%
      Immigrants add valuable talent and energy to America and we should keep a high rate of immigration: 3%
      Immigrants vary in their value to America and we should be more selective in who we admit: 74%
      Other: 3%

 b.  Which goals do you support for our immigration policy?
      Controlling our borders: 92%
      Making sure there is no shortage of workers: 8%
      Attracting the most skilled people from around the world: 32%
      Giving illegal aliens a path to citizenship: 11%
      Reducing the number of illegal aliens: 72%
      Making English our official language: 86%
      Teaching immigrants American history and civics: 36%
      Ending birthright citizenship: 64%
      Other: 1%

5.  Taxes

a.  Do you think you pay too much in taxes?
      Yes: 66%
      No: 17%
      Undecided: 13%
      Other: 0%

b.  Would you prefer a flat tax on income to our current income tax system?
      Yes: 55%
      No: 16%
      Undecided: 25%
      Other: 0%

c.  Would you prefer a national sales tax to our current income system?
      Yes: 46%
      No: 22%
      Undecided: 28%
      Other: 0%

6.  Values and the Family

a.  Do you think we need a constitutional amendment to stop the imposition of same-sex marriage by the courts?
      Yes: 70%
      No: 15%
      Undecided: 11%
      Other:  0%

b.  Do you think children would get a better education if their parents could choose which school they attend?
      Yes: 69%
      No: 11%
      Undecided: 17%
      Other:  0%

c.  Do you think private organizations such as the Boy Scouts should have the right to adhere to traditional values?
      Yes: 97%
      No: 0%
      Undecided: 1%
      Other:  0%

d.  Do you think the traditional family is under assault from the media and the general culture?
      Yes: 92%
      No: 1%
      Undecided: 4%
      Other: 0%

e.  Do you think parents should have the right to raise their children with minimal interference from government?
      Yes:94%
      No: 1%
      Undecided: 2%
      Other: 0%

f.  Do you think that activist judges have taken over powers that belong to the legislatures and changed society in ways that elected representatives would and could not?
      Yes: 90%
      No: 1%
      Undecided: 6%
      Other: 0%

7.  Social Security Reform

a.  Do you think the Social Security system needs to be reformed in order to have the resources to continue paying benefits to retirees over the next few decades?
      Yes:82%
      No: 5%
      Undecided: 10%
      Other: 0%

b.  Do you think younger workers should be able to put some of their  Social Security payments into private investment accounts?
      Yes: 69%
      No: 11%
      Undecided: 18%
      Other: 0%

c.  Do you think personal Social Security accounts would bring a higher income to retirees than the current system?
      Yes: 58%
      No: 9%
      Undecided: 29%
      Other: 0%

8.  Health Care Reform

a.  Do you think America's health care system needs reform?
      Yes: 56%
      No: 724%
      Undecided: 16%
      Other:  0%

b.  Do you think that giving the federal government control of  America's health care would be an improvement over what we have now?
      Yes: 1%
      No: 92%
      Undecided: 5%
      Other: 0%

c.  Do you think there is a way to improve our health care that would not involve more government control?
      Yes: 75%
      No: 5%
      Undecided: 17%
      Other:  0%

Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.