Anchoring Vignettes for Privacy (Government - Databases)


Question:

How much privacy [do you / does 'Name'] have from the government?

Response categories:

  1. Unlimited
  2. A lot
  3. Moderate
  4. Some
  5. None
Vignettes:
  1. As part of the war on terrorism, the government creates a database to search for terrorist activity. All criminal records, including [Janet's], are included in this database.
  2. As part of the war on terrorism, the government creates a database to search for terrorist activity. All IRS files, including [Dorothy's], are included in this database.
  3. As part of the war on terrorism, the government creates a database to search for terrorist activity. All motor vehicle records, including [Nathan's], are linked by the government to the database. Any police officer can access files on individuals by entering a license plate number.
  4. As part of the war on terrorism, the government creates a database to search for terrorist activity. The government requires everyone, including [Rana], to submit a form annually with detailed information about themselves. The form asks for job history, criminal activity, and any travel abroad by the individual or any family members in the last five years.
  5. As part of the war on terrorism, the government creates a database to search for terrorist activity. All local, state, and federal government records, including [Morton's] tax, immigration, criminal, and court records, are merged into a single database, available to all law enforcement officers. The government in requires all residents, including [Morton], to submit a photograph, finger prints, and a DNA sample to be added to the database.
  6. As part of the war on terrorism, the government creates a database to search for terrorist activity. All government records are merged with any available commercial data such as telephone logs, bank records, credit statements, and email archives. The database is available to all law enforcement officers. [Gordon's] file includes emails that he sent out, recorded telephone conversations, credit card bills, as well as [his] photograph, finger prints, and a DNA sample.

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