Nikkei Shimbun October 2008 Telephone Opinion Poll

*All numbers are percentages
*Number in parentheses are the number of respondents

 

Q1.  Do you support or not support the Aso Cabinet? (N=947)

Support	38
Do not support	36
No answer/Do not know	26

 

SQ1.  For those who answered “no answer” and “do not know,” which out of the following most closely resembles your feelings? (N=243)

Support	38
Do not support	26
No answer/Do not know	36

 

[Support ratio total (N=947)]

Support	48
Do not support	43
No answer/Do not know	9

 

SQ2.  For those who answered “support,” what are the reasons for your support?  Please choose as many as applies from the following seven answers. (N=451)

Because it is an LDP cabinet	33
Good policies	13
Good sense of international affairs	22
Leadership	29
Stability	10
Trustworthy character of members	23
Politically clean	8
Other	4
No answer/Do not know	6

 

SQ3.  For those who answered “do not support,” what are the reasons for not supporting?  Please choose as many as apply from the following seven answers. (N=408)

Because it is an LDP cabinet	40
Bad policies	33
Bad sense of international affairs	6
Lack of leadership	19
Instability	26
Members not trustworthy	29
Politically not clean	8
Other	5
No answer/Do not know	4

 

Q2.  Which political party do you currently support?  Please choose only one. (N=947)

Liberal Democratic Party	34
Democratic Party of Japan	22
Komeito	3
Japan Communist Party	3
Social Democratic Party	1
The People's New Party	0
Kaikaku Club (Reform Club)	0
The New Party of Japan	0
Other political party	0
Do not favor any political party	29
No answer/Do not know	8

 

SQ1.  For those who answered “do not support any party” or “no answer/do not know,” if you are to name one, which political party do you favor? (N=344)

Liberal Democratic Party	20
Democratic Party of Japan	23
Komeito	1
Japan Communist Party	4
Social Democratic Party	2
The People's New Party	0
Kaikaku Club (Reform Club)	0
The New Party of Japan	0
Other political party	0
Do not favor any political party	32
No answer/Do not know	18

 

[Support + Preferable Parties (N=947)]

Liberal Democratic Party	41
Democratic Party of Japan	31
Komeito	3
Japan Communist Party	5
Social Democratic Party	2
The People's New Party	0
The Reform Club	0
The New Party of Japan	0
Other political party	0
Do not favor any political party	11
No answer/Do not know	6

 

Q3.  Do you approve or not of the performance of the Aso Cabinet? (N=947)

Approve	34
Do not approve	39
Cannot say either	14
No answer/Do not know	13

 

SQ1. For those who answered “approve,” what is the biggest reason for your approval?  Please choose one from the following answers: (N=319)

Handling of economy	38
Handling of financial crisis	11
Handling of pension/medical care issues	16
Handling of foreign policy/national security issues	8
Handling of "politics and money" issues	7
Handling of food safety issues	8
Other	3
No answer/Do not know	9

 

SQ2.  For those who answered “do not approve,” what is the biggest reason for your lack of approval?  Please choose one from the following answers: (N=367)

Handling of economic measures	20
Handling of financial crisis	10
Handling of pension/medical care issues	32
Handling of foreign policy/national security issues	5
Handling of "politics and money" issues	19
Handling of food safety issues	6
Other	4
No answer/Do not know	4

 

Q4.  Which issue do you think Prime Minister Aso should prioritize: economic measures or the dissolution of the House of Representatives/general election? (N=947)

Should prioritize economic measures	63
Should prioritize the dissolution of the House of Representatives/general election	29
No answer/Do not know	8

 

Q5.  The government and ruling parties are planning to enact a one-time, fixed-amount tax reduction on income taxes etc.  Do you approve or not of this measure?

Approve	54
Do not approve	32
No answer/Do not know	14

 

Q6.  When do you think the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the next general election should be held? (N=947)

It should be dissolved as soon as possible	30
It should be dissolved at the beginning of next year's regular session of the Diet	10
It should be dissolved next spring, once the budget is complete	14
There is no need to speed up the dissolution of the House of Representatives	36
Other	1
No answer/Do not know	9

 

 Q7.  Which policy areas do you think should receive the most emphasis in the next House of Representatives election? (N=947)

Pensions and healthcare	49
Economic measures	55
Fiscal reconstruction	30
Foreign policy and national security	13
Politics and money	19
Food safety	27
Education reform	22
Decentralization	10
Other	1
No answer/Do not know	8

 

Q8.  During the next election for the House of Representatives, which party will you vote for in your proportional-representation district? (N=947)

Liberal Democratic Party	36
Democratic Party of Japan	31
Komeito	4
Japan Communist Party	4
Social Democratic Party	2
The People's New Party	1
The Reform Club	0
The New Party of Japan	0
Other	1
Undecided	12
Will abstain	1
No answer/Do not know	8

 

Q9.  Who do you think is suitable to serve as the next prime minister after the next House of Representatives election? (N=947)

Taro Aso	36
Ichiro Ozawa	16
Neither	42
No answer/Do not know	6

 

Q10.  What is the most desirable form for the next administration? (N=947)

Administration centered on the LDP	17
Administration centered on the DPJ	20
LDP-DPJ coalition	47
Other	3
No answer/Do not know	13

 

Q11.  Uncertainty over the economy is growing.  How are you careful these days when it comes to spending your money?

Only purchase necessary items	66
Purchase items that are cheaper than before	28
Refrain from renewing household appliances or cars	21
Refrain from leisure activities and hobbies	15
Actions not affected	13
No answer/Do not know	7

 

Polling Information
F1.  Gender (Determined by the polltaker) (N=947)

Male	46
Female	54
Unknown	0

 

F2.  How old are you? (N=947)

In my 20s	6
In my 30s	16
In my 40s	18
In my 50s	20
In my 60s	21
70 years old or older	15
Refused to answer	4

Average Age    53.2

 

F3.  What is your occupation? (N=947)

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries	4
Employee (company or governmental employee, teacher, etc.)	45
Self-owned business, self-employed (including a homemaker)	14
Full-time housewife (without job only)	19
Student	2
Unemployed	14
Refused to answer	4