ei: Zogby Poll: Should AIPAC be asked to register as an agent of a foreign government and lose its tax-exempt status?

Methodology

Zogby International conducted interviews of 1,004 likely voters chosen at random nationwide.

All calls were made from Zogby International headquarters in Utica, N.Y., from 9/8/04 thru 9/9/04. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points. Slight weights were added to region, party, age, race, religion, and gender to more accurately reflect the voting population. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest percent and might not total 100.

Narrative Summary

14. A tax-exempt organization that lobbies Congress on behalf of Israel, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (also known as AIPAC), has been under investigation by the FBI for allegedly receiving classified information from a Pentagon official and using this information on behalf of the government of Israel. In view of this investigation, do you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree that AIPAC should be asked to register as an agent of a foreign government and lose its tax-exempt status?

Strongly agree	44%
Somewhat agree	17%
Agree	61%
Somewhat disagree	6%
Strongly disagree	6%
Disagree	12%
Not sure	27%

By a five-to-one margin, people are much more likely to agree than disagree that AIPAC should be asked to register as an agent of a foreign government and lose its tax-exempt status. Three in five (61%) agree, including 44% who strongly agree. One in eight (12%) disagrees, and more than one in four (27%) are not sure.

A majority of people within almost every subgroup agrees. This includes 77% of 18-29 year-olds, 72% of Hispanics, and approximately two-thirds of independent voters, 50-64 year-olds, residents of the West region, Catholics, single adults, parents of children under 17, and men.

African Americans (22%) and born-again Christians (17%) are the most likely to disagree.

More than half of Jews (59%), two-fifths of seniors 65 and older, and one-third of Republicans, Protestants, and women are not sure.

For more information see cnionline.org/learn/polls/aipac and www.zogby.com.