schleth
General Social Survey https://gss.norc.org
Question 536. Some people say that it is only fair in a society liek ours, people holding public office should have roughly the same racial or ethnic background as the population as a whole. So, for example, if 30pct of the people were Hispanic, then 30pct of the public officials should be Hispanic as well. Others say that in choosing people for public office they should be considered purely on the basis of ability without regard to their ethnic or racial background. Let me ask you abou these ideas in several different areas: c. What about students in medical, law, and other professional schools? Should they have roughly the same racial or ethnic background as the people in their area, or should they be considered purely ont he basis of their ability without regard to their racial or ethnic background?
For further details see the official GSS documentation.
Counts by year:
| year | iap | ability, not background | consider ethnic background | don't know | no answer | Total |
| 1972 | 1613 | - | - | - | - | 1613 |
| 1973 | 1504 | - | - | - | - | 1504 |
| 1974 | 1484 | - | - | - | - | 1484 |
| 1975 | 1490 | - | - | - | - | 1490 |
| 1976 | 1499 | - | - | - | - | 1499 |
| 1977 | 1530 | - | - | - | - | 1530 |
| 1978 | 1532 | - | - | - | - | 1532 |
| 1980 | 1468 | - | - | - | - | 1468 |
| 1982 | 1860 | - | - | - | - | 1860 |
| 1983 | 1599 | - | - | - | - | 1599 |
| 1984 | 1473 | - | - | - | - | 1473 |
| 1985 | 1534 | - | - | - | - | 1534 |
| 1986 | 1470 | - | - | - | - | 1470 |
| 1987 | 1819 | - | - | - | - | 1819 |
| 1988 | 1481 | - | - | - | - | 1481 |
| 1989 | 1537 | - | - | - | - | 1537 |
| 1990 | 1372 | - | - | - | - | 1372 |
| 1991 | 1517 | - | - | - | - | 1517 |
| 1993 | 1606 | - | - | - | - | 1606 |
| 1994 | 1518 | 1329 | 82 | 41 | 22 | 2992 |
| 1996 | 2904 | - | - | - | - | 2904 |
| 1998 | 2832 | - | - | - | - | 2832 |
| 2000 | 2817 | - | - | - | - | 2817 |
| 2002 | 2765 | - | - | - | - | 2765 |
| 2004 | 2812 | - | - | - | - | 2812 |
| 2006 | 4510 | - | - | - | - | 4510 |
| 2008 | 2023 | - | - | - | - | 2023 |
| 2010 | 2044 | - | - | - | - | 2044 |
| 2012 | 1974 | - | - | - | - | 1974 |
| 2014 | 2538 | - | - | - | - | 2538 |
| 2016 | 2867 | - | - | - | - | 2867 |
| 2018 | 2348 | - | - | - | - | 2348 |
| 2021 | 4032 | - | - | - | - | 4032 |
| 2022 | 3544 | - | - | - | - | 3544 |
| Total | 70916 | 1329 | 82 | 41 | 22 | 72390 |
1 consider ethnic background
2 ability, not background
NA(d) don't know
NA(i) iap
NA(j) I don't have a job
NA(m) dk, na, iap
NA(n) no answer
NA(p) not imputable
NA(q) not imputable
NA(r) refused
NA(s) skipped on web
NA(u) uncodeable
NA(x) not available in this release
NA(y) not available in this year
NA(z) see codebook