SOUTHEAST STUDENTS POLLED ON CLINTON

A survey of Southeast Missouri State University students found that a majority opposes impeachment of President Clinton.

But among students from Southeast Missouri's 8th Congressional District, 43 percent favored impeachment. Only 28 percent of students from outside the 8th District supported impeachment.

Political science professors Dr. Brian Smentkowski and Michael Levy surveyed 343 students taking a required course on U.S. political systems. The students included freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Overall, 37 percent supported impeachment compared to 31 percent of Americans surveyed in national polls.

Fifty-nine percent of students approved of Clinton's performance as president compared to 63 percent of Americans nationally.

Sixty-nine percent of the students outside the 8th District approved of the president's performance. But only 51 percent of students in the 26-county 8th District gave the president high marks.

Among students who are likely voters, 55 percent approved of the president's performance on the job. Forty-two percent supported impeachment.

Among 8th District students, 26 percent said a person's private sex life is fair game in a political campaign. Only 13 percent of students from outside the 8th District shared that view.

Fifty-nine percent of the 8th District students said lying under oath about private sexual behavior is grounds for impeachment compared to 50 percent for students outside the district.

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson garnered support from 49 percent of the 8th District students compared to 14 percent for Democratic challenger Tony Heckemeyer. Three percent favored Libertarian candidate John Hendricks.

But nearly 20 percent said they were undecided and another 14 percent said they didn't plan to vote on Nov. 3.

Levy and Smentkowski said the students surveyed from the 8th District were more conservative than students from outside the district.

"Whereas an even split between liberals and conservatives exists among students whose primary residence is beyond the district, local conservatives outnumber local liberals by greater than a 2-to-1 margin," they noted in a memorandum outlining their findings.

Levy said the survey found conservative students were more likely to follow the news than those who identified themselves as liberals.

Sixty-seven percent of students from the 8th District said they read, watched or listened to news reports several times a week compared to 47 percent outside the district.

Seventy-nine percent of 8th District students correctly named the governor of Missouri compared to 73 percent outside the district.

Seventy-eight percent of the 8th District students knew that Republicans are the majority party in the U.S. House of Representatives compared to 69 percent outside the district.