Figure 2 Question Wordings

1958: Between now and 1960, there will be much discussion about the qualifications of presidential candidates—their education, age, religion, race and the like… If your party nominated a generally well-qualified man for president and he happened to be a Negro, would you vote for him? 

1984: This year there has been much discussion about the qualifications of Presidential candidates—their education, age, religion, race, and the like. If your party nominated a generally well-qualified man for president, would you vote for him if he happened to be black?

2007: Between now and the 2008 political conventions, there will be discussion about the qualifications of presidential candidates—their education, age, religion, race, and so on.  If your party nominated a generally well-qualified person for president who happened to be [black], would you vote for that person?

Major data points in the figure are based on polls #604, September 10-15, 1958, N=1,514; #1239, July 27-30, 1984, N=1,579; #2007-06, February 9-11, 2007, N=1,006.