Anchoring Vignettes for Freedom
Question:
How free do you think [name/you] [is/are] to express [him-her/your]self without
fear of government reprisal?
Response categories:
- Completely Free
- Very Free
- Moderately Free
- Slightly Free
- Not Free at All
Vignettes:
- [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.
- [Michael] disagrees with my 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.
- [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.
- [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.
- [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.
- [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.