Politicians Should Follow the Advice of Relevant Experts (October 2012)

Respondents were told, "Please tell us whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following statements: When faced with a difficult decision, politicians should follow the advice of relevant experts, even if it means going against their ideology." Ideology is measured on a scale of 1-7, with 1 corresponding to "extremely liberal", 7 corresponding to "extremely conservative, and 4 corresponding to "in the middle." For the purposes of this table, respondents who placed themselves at or between points 1 and 3 on the scale are considered "liberal," respondents who placed themselves at point 4 on the scale are considered "moderate," and respondents who placed themselves at or between points 5 and 7 on the scale are considered conservative.