2004 Palmetto Benchmarking Survey
[Field Questionnaire]
"Hello, this is ______calling for the University of South Carolina. This month the University is conducting a confidential study of public opinion in the City of [NAME OF CITY] and we'd really appreciate your help and cooperation."
"Do you live within the city limits of [NAME OF CITY]?"
[IF "NO", TERMINATE SAYING: "I'm sorry, but for this survey we are only interviewing residents of (NAME OF CITY)."]
"Now, to determine who to interview ... of the people who currently live in your household who
are 18 or older -including yourself -- we would like to interview the one who will have the
NEXT birthday. Would that be you or someone else?"
[SELECT RESPONDENT WHO IS 18 OR OLDER WITH THE NEXT BIRTHDAY]
"The purpose of this survey is to find out how residents of [NAME OF CITY] feel about the services provided by the city. The results will be used in efforts to improve these services."
Q1. "First, in general, how would you rate the quality of life in [NAME OF CITY] … would you rate it as excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?"
1. EXCELLENT
2. GOOD
3. FAIR
4. POOR
5. VERY POOR
6. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general…")
Q2. "In general, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the city of [NAME OF CITY] … would you rate these services as excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?"
1. EXCELLENT
2. GOOD
3. FAIR
4. POOR
5. VERY POOR
6. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general…")
Q3. "Next, I'd like to ask you some questions about law enforcement in your city. In general, how would you rate the quality of the law enforcement services provided by your city …would you rate these services as excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?"
1. EXCELLENT
2. GOOD
3. FAIR
4. POOR
5. VERY POOR
6. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general…")
Q4. "How safe do you feel or would you feel being out alone in your neighborhood at night … would you say you feel very safe, somewhat safe, somewhat unsafe, or very unsafe?"
1. VERY SAFE
2. SOMEWHAT SAFE
3. SOMEWHAT UNSAFE
4. VERY UNSAFE
5. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general …")
Q5. "In the past twelve months, would you say that the amount of crime in your neighborhood has gone up, gone down, or remained the same?"
1. GONE UP
2. GONE DOWN
3. REMAINED THE SAME
4. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general…")
Q6. "In the past twelve months, have you had any direct contact with a city of [NAME OF CITY] police officer for any reason?"
1. YES
2. NO
3. UNSURE IF CITY OR COUNTY (VOL.)
4. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: REPEAT QUESTION)
Q7. "My next questions are about the services provided by the city fire department. In general, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by your city fire department …would you rate these services as excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?"
1. EXCELLENT
2. GOOD
3. FAIR
4. POOR
5. VERY POOR
6. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general…").
Q8. "In the past twelve months, have you seen or heard any broadcasts, read any articles or pamphlets, or seen any other materials from the city fire department related to fire prevention?"
1. YES
2. NO
3. DON'T KNOW (DO NOT PROBE)
Q9. "Next, I'd like to ask you about garbage collection in your area. In general, how would you rate the quality of the garbage collection services in your area … would you rate these services as excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?"
1. EXCELLENT
2. GOOD
3. FAIR
4. POOR
5. VERY POOR
6. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general…").
Q10a. "To the best of your knowledge, does your city provide for the collection of yard waste or debris, such as grass clippings, leaves, or tree branches?"
1. YES
2. NO ------SKIP TO Q11a
3. DON’T KNOW (DO NOT PROBE) --- SKIP TO Q11a
Q10b. "In general, how would you rate the quality of the yard waste collection services provided by your city … would you rate the yard waste collection services as excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?"
1. EXCELLENT
2. GOOD
3. FAIR
4. POOR
5. VERY POOR
6. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general…").
Q11a. "To the best of your knowledge, does your city provide any type of recycling services?"
1. YES
2. NO ------SKIP TO Q12a
3. DON’T KNOW (DO NOT PROBE) --- SKIP TO Q12a
Q11b. "In general, how would you rate the quality of the recycling services provided by your city … would you rate these services as excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?"
1. EXCELLENT
2. GOOD
3. FAIR
4. POOR
5. VERY POOR
6. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general…").
Q12a. "To the best of your knowledge, does your city provide parks and recreation services?"
1. YES
2. NO ------SKIP TO Q13
3. DON’T KNOW (DO NOT PROBE) --- SKIP TO Q13
Q12b. "In general, how would you rate the quality of the parks and recreation programs provided by your city … would you rate these programs as excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?"
1. EXCELLENT
2. GOOD
3. FAIR
4. POOR
5. VERY POOR
6. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general…")
Q12c. "And how would you rate the quality of the parks and recreation facilities provided by your city … would you rate these facilities as excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?"
1. EXCELLENT
2. GOOD
3. FAIR
4. POOR
5. VERY POOR
6. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general…").
Q13. “Overall, how would you rate the beautification efforts of your city … would you say they were excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?"
1. EXCELLENT
2. GOOD
3. FAIR
4. POOR
5. VERY POOR
6. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "In general…").
"And now some final questions ….
Q14. "What is your age? RECORD AGE IN YEARS: ______
Q15. "Do you own or rent the place where you live?"
1. OWN 2. RENT 3. OTHER ______
Q16. "What is your race? [READ CATEGORIES IF NECESSARY]
1. BLACK
2. WHITE
3. OTHER (SPECIFY: ______)
Q17. "So that we can be sure we’re getting a cross-section of all people, I’d like for you to estimate your family’s total income for 2003 before taxes were taken out. Include wages, social security, welfare, and any other income. Into which of the following categories does it fall? As with all of the interview, this information will be strictly confidential. Was it ...
1. less than $15,000,
2. $15,000 - $29,999,
3. $30,000 - $49,999,
4. $50,000 - $99,999, or
5. $100,000 or more?"
6. DON'T KNOW (PROBE: "Just approximately …")
7. REFUSED
"That's all the questions I have. Thank you very much for your cooperation."
Q18. RECORD RESPONDENT'S SEX: 1. MALE 2. FEMALE