The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research Poll of Russia was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago with fieldwork by GfK Russia from Nov. 22-Dec. 7. It is based on a nationally representative random sample of 2,008 Russians age 18 and older.

Funding for the survey came from NORC at the University of Chicago.

Fieldwork for the in-person survey was conducted by GfK Russia.

Respondents were selected using a multi-stage cluster method. At the first stage, 200 sampling locations were selected across eight regions with probability of selection proportionate to size. At the second stage, one election district was chosen within each previously selected sampling location. A starting address was then randomly assigned within each of the selected sampling points, and interviewers were assigned random routes with rules to randomly select each household for inclusion. Interviewers then recorded the number of adults in the household and randomly selected an adult for the interview.

Interviews were conducted in Russian.

As done routinely in surveys, results were weighted, or adjusted, to ensure that responses accurately reflect the population's makeup. The sample was weighted to take into account the sampling method, as well as for age, sex and region of the country.

No more than one time in 20 should chance variations in the sample cause the results to vary by more than plus or minus 2.4 percentage points from the answers that would be obtained if all adults in Russia were polled.

There are other sources of potential error in polls, including the wording and order of questions.

The questions and results are available at http://www.apnorc.org.