free2                 package:Zelig                 R Documentation

_F_r_e_e_d_o_m _o_f _S_p_e_e_c_h _D_a_t_a

_D_e_s_c_r_i_p_t_i_o_n:

     Selection of individual-level survey data for freedom of speech.

_U_s_a_g_e:

     data(free2)

_D_e_t_a_i_l_s:

     A table with 150 observations and 12 variables. 

   _s_e_x 1 for men and 0 for women

   _a_g_e Age of respondent in years

   _e_d_u_c Levels of education, coded as a numeric variable with

      _1 No formal education

      _2 Less than primary school education

      _3 Completed primary school

      _4 Completed secondary school

      _5 Completed high school

      _6 Completed college

      _7 Completed post-graduate degree


   _c_o_u_n_t_r_y Character strings consisting of "Oceana", "Eurasia", and
        "Eastasia", after Orwell's _1984_.

   _y Self assessment (see below).

   _v_1-_v_6 Response to vignettes (see below).

     Survey respondents were asked in almost the same language for a
     self-assessment and for an assessment of several hypothetical
     persons described by written vignettes.  The self assessment
     ('self', in the data set), "How free do you think [name/you]
     [is/are] to express [him-her/your]self without fear of government
     reprisal?" was first asked of the survey respondent with respect
     to him or herself, and then after each of vignette.  The possible
     response categories are:  

   _1 Completely free

   _2 Very free

   _3 Moderately free

   _4 Slightly free

   _5 Not free at all

     The vignettes, ordered from most free to least free, are:

   _v_i_g_n_1 [Kay] does not like many of the government's policies. She
        frequently publishes her opinion in newspapers, criticizing
        decisions by officials and calling for change. She sees little
        reason these actions could lead to government reprisal.

   _v_i_g_n_2 [Michael] disagrees with many of the government's policies.
        Though he knows criticism is frowned upon, he doesn't believe
        the government would punish someone for expressing critical
        views. He makes his opinion known on most issues without regard
        to who is listening.

   _v_i_g_n_3 [Bob] has political views at odds with the government. He has
        heard of people occasionally being arrested for speaking out
        against the government, and government leaders sometimes make
        political speeches condemning those who criticize. He sometimes
        writes letters to newspapers about politics, but he is careful
        not to use his real name.

   _v_i_g_n_4 [Connie] does not like the government's stance on many issues.
        She has a friend who was arrested for being too openly critical
        of governmental leaders, and so she avoids voicing her opinions
        in public places.

   _v_i_g_n_5 [Vito] disagrees with many of the government's policies, and
        is very careful about whom he says this to, reserving his real
        opinions for family and close friends only. He knows several
        men who have been taken away by government officials for saying
        negative things in public.

   _v_i_g_n_6 [Sonny] lives in fear of being harassed for his political
        views. Everyone he knows who has spoken out against the
        government has been arrested or taken away. He never says a
        word about anything the government does, not even when he is at
        home alone with his family. 

_R_e_f_e_r_e_n_c_e_s:

     _WHO's World Health Survey_ by Lydia Bendib, Somnath Chatterji,
     Alena Petrakova, Ritu Sadana, Joshua A. Salomon, Margie Schneider,
     Bedirhan Ustun, Maria Villanueva

     Jonathan Wand, Gary King and Olivia Lau. (2007) ``Anchors:
     Software for Anchoring Vignettes''. _Journal of Statistical
     Software_.  Forthcoming. copy at
     http://wand.stanford.edu/research/anchors-jss.pdf

     Gary King and Jonathan Wand.  "Comparing Incomparable Survey
     Responses: New Tools for Anchoring Vignettes," Political Analysis,
     15, 1 (Winter, 2007): Pp. 46-66, copy at
     http://gking.harvard.edu/files/abs/c-abs.shtml.

