High officials in U.S. government are no doubt weighing America's policy options in the Ukrainian conflict. Nearly a quarter of Americans know what we should do about the Ukraine Administrative Adjustment Act of 2005, a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds.
That's not a good thing, because the Ukraine Administrative Adjustment Act doesn't exist.
On a more positive note, 76 percent of Americans apparently recognized they didn't know enough -- about the Ukraine crisis generally or about the purported law specifically -- to express an opinion on whether the law should be repealed.
The new survey highlights a key problem with surveys of public opinion on issues that Americans aren't fully engaged in: Some people will answer questions about complex matters they don't fully understand -- or even those, like the aforementioned Ukraine Administrative Adjustment Act, that don't exist at all.
Although most Americans said they were paying at least some attention to the Ukraine story, few claimed to be paying close attention. Only 19 percent of respondents to the poll, which was conducted last week, said they were following the story very closely, while another 45 percent said they were following it somewhat closely. Thirty-six percent said they weren't following very closely (23 percent) or weren't following closely at all (13 percent).
A news quiz included in the survey confirms that many were paying enough attention to the Ukraine conflict to identify at least a few important details. For example, most Americans (64 percent) correctly selected Crimea as the Ukrainian region that Russian troops had occupied. Ten percent chose an incorrect answer, while 27 percent said they weren't sure.
On the other hand, 44 percent weren't sure about the name of the former Ukrainian president with close ties to Russia who was recently removed from office. Only 40 percent correctly chose Viktor Yanukovych from the list. Sixteen percent selected an incorrect answer.
A relative lack of knowledge, however, doesn't stop some from giving their opinion on various policy questions. The poll found that 24 percent of Americans were willing to express an opinion on whether the nonexistent Ukraine Administrative Adjustment Act should be repealed in light of the conflict. Respondents who gave an answer were divided evenly, with 12 percent backing repeal and 12 percent opposed.
Not only are some willing to give opinions on issues they know little about, but those opinions may be swayed by the context of the questions.
YouGov's Doug Rivers reported last week on the results of a YouGov/Economist poll that showed Americans were more likely to say that the United States should take action in Ukraine if they were first presented with two questions: "Do you think Vladimir Putin's actions in Crimea today are similar to what Hitler did in Austria and Czechoslovakia in 1938?" and "Would you consider it 'appeasement' for the U.S. and other western democracies not to take strong action to defend Ukraine?"
Only 21 percent of Americans who did not see those questions first said that the United States should get involved in Ukraine, while 29 percent of those who did see the two questions called for action.
This phenomenon isn't unique to polls on Ukraine. Whenever Americans aren't fully engaged in following a story, some will still try to answer questions they don't completely understand. That means anyone attempting to read U.S. public opinion on Ukraine right now should interpret survey results with caution.
The HuffPost/YouGov poll was conducted March 11-13 among 1,000 U.S. adults, using a sample selected from YouGov's opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population. Factors considered include age, race, gender, education, employment, income, marital status, number of children, voter registration, time and location of Internet access, interest in politics, religion and church attendance.
The Huffington Post has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov's nationally representative opinion polling.
Before You Go
Protestors inspect damage caused by recent anti-government protests on Independence Square following recent clashes in Kiev, Ukraine, on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. Violence is escalating in the country of 45 million as the Russian-backed leader's security service conducts a nationwide anti-terrorism operation to end the three-month uprising.
A wounded anti-government protester is treated by medics near Independence Square on Feb. 20, 2014, in Kiev, Ukraine. After several weeks of calm, violence has again flared between anti-government protesters and police, with dozens killed.
A demonstrator stands on a balcony overlooking Independence square during the face-off against heavily armed police on Feb. 20, 2014, in Kiev. Armed protesters stormed police barricades in Kiev on Thursday in renewed violence that killed at least 26 people and shattered an hours-old truce as EU envoys held crisis talks with Ukraine's embattled president. Bodies of anti-government demonstrators lay amid smoldering debris after masked protesters hurling Molotov cocktails and stones forced police from Kiev's iconic Independence Square.
A wounded anti-government protester is carried to a waiting ambulance on Feb. 20, 2014, in Kiev, Ukraine. After several weeks of calm, violence has again flared between anti-government protesters and police, with dozens killed.
Dead bodies lay covered on the ground during clashes with riot police in central Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014, in Kiev. At least 26 protesters were killed on Feb. 20 in fresh clashes between thousands of demonstrators and heavily armed riot police in the heart of Kiev, AFP correspondents at the scene said.
Anti-government protesters clash with police in the center of Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014.
Anti-government protesters clear ashes and debris from a newly occupied portion of Independence Square on Feb. 20, 2014, in Kiev, Ukraine.
An anti-government protester sits on the Founders of Kiev monument during clashes with riot police in central Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014. At least 26 protesters were killed on Feb. 20 in fresh clashes between thousands of demonstrators and heavily-armed riot police in the heart of Kiev, AFP correspondents at the scene said.
Anti-government protesters stand behing their burning barricades during clashes with police in the center of Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014. At least 25 protesters were killed on Feb. 20 in fresh clashes between thousands of demonstrators and heavily armed riot police in the heart of Kiev, Agence France-Presse correspondents at the scene said. The bodies of eight demonstrators were lying outside Kiev's main post office on Independence Square, an AFP reporter said. The bodies of 17 other demonstrators with apparent gunshot wounds were also seen in the vicinity of two hotels on opposite sides of the protest encampment.
An anti-government protester holds a crucifix as he prays at Independence Square in Kiev, Ukraine, on Feb. 20, 2014. Ukraine's protest leaders and the president they aim to oust called a truce on Feb. 19, just hours after the military raised fears of a widespread crackdown with a vow to defeat "terrorists" responsible for seizing weapons and burning down buildings.
A heavily injured anti-government protestor is carried by fellow demonstrators during clashes with riot police in central Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014.
Anti-government protesters stand behind a 'wall of smoke' during clashes with police in the center of Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014. At least 25 protesters were killed on Feb. 20 in fresh clashes between thousands of demonstrators and heavily armed riot police in the heart of Kiev, Agence France-Presse correspondents at the scene said.