Americans are tired of lying politicians and "anything-goes'' campaigns, a survey unveiled yesterday shows.

The poll, conducted for the Institute for Global Ethics, shows people want the sort of clean campaigns that the nonprofit Maine organization espouses through its Project on Campaign Conduct.

"They (voters) see that negative campaigns make it harder for them to learn about issues, and they feel the tone translates into worse governance once candidates are elected,'' said Brad Rourke, the Institute's vice president for public policy.

"But this is not a hopelessly cynical public. Rather it's a disappointed one.''

The national results are similar to a 1998 poll of Ohioans sponsored by the same group, which attempted -- with limited success -- to get Ohio candidates last year to sign clean- campaign agreements.

A similar effort is expected for the 2000 campaign in Ohio and perhaps other areas of the country.

"There's a real hunger among American voters for cleaner, issue- oriented campaigns,'' said Republican pollster John Deardourff. "These results ought to be a shot across the bow of those candidates and consultants who are waging take-no- prisoners, win-at-all-costs campaigns.''

"While Americans' distrust of government and politicians is not new, it's remarkably high for a time when the economy is booming,'' Democratic pollster Celinda Lake said.

"Voters are especially concerned about lying by candidates, the lack of debate about -- and media coverage of -- issues, negative campaigning and the role of money in politics.''

Poll respondents expressed definite views about what's fair and unfair. They said it is fair for candidates to criticize opponents for:

Those answering the poll said it was unfair to criticize opponents for:

"The good news for candidates is that voters know the difference between what's fair and unfair in campaigns,'' said Rourke, also the director of the Project on Campaign Conduct.

"They want strong and vigorous debates, but think unfair, personal attacks are out of bounds.''

The national survey of 800 adults, including 500 people who identified themselves as likely voters in next November elections, was conducted Nov. 4-9 by Lake Snell Perry & Associates, traditionally a Democratic polling firm, and Deardourff/The Media Company, usually a Republican public-opinion company.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.