Nikkei Shimbun March 2010 Telephone Opinion Poll

 

*All numbers are percentages

*Numbers in parentheses are the total number of respondents  

 

Q1.  Do you support or not support the Hatoyama cabinet? (N=954) 

Support	29
Do not support	53
Cannot say/Do not know	19

SQ1.  [For those who answered “Cannot say”/”Do not know”] Which of the following is closest to your feelings? (N=179)  

Support	39
Do not support	25
Cannot say/Do not know	36

  [Total (combined) approval rating (N=954)] 

Support	36
Do not support	57
Cannot say/Do not know	7

 

SQ2.  [For those who answered “Support”] What are the reasons you support the cabinet?  Please choose all that apply from the following eight answers: (N=344) 

Because it is a DPJ cabinet	39
Because it has good policies	23
Because it is internationally minded	7
Because it has good leadership	3
Because it is stable	3
Because of the trustworthy character of its members	23
Because it is politically clean	11
Because its management of government and party is good	8
Other	10
Cannot say/Do not know	5

 

SQ3.  [For those who answered “Do not support”] What are the reasons you do not support the cabinet?  Please choose all that apply from the following eight answers: (N=546) 

Because it is a DPJ cabinet	13
Because its policies are bad	34
Because it is not internationally minded	12
Because of its lack of leadership	57
Because it is not stable	33
Because its members are not trustworthy	14
Because it is not clean politically	11
Because its management of government and party is bad	41
Other	6
Cannot say/Do not know	4

 

Q2.  Which political party do you currently support?  Please choose only one. (N=954) 

Democratic Party ofJapan	29
Liberal Democratic Party	16
New Komeito	4
JapanCommunist Party	3
Social Democratic Party	1
The People’s New Party	0
Your Party	4
Kaikaku Club	0
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other political party	0
Do not favor any political party	39
Cannot say/Do not know	4

 

SQ1.  [For those who answered “Do not support any party” or “Cannot say/Do not know”] If you had to name one, which political party would you favor? (N=412) 

Democratic Party ofJapan	11
Liberal Democratic Party	15
New Komeito	1
JapanCommunist Party	3
Social Democratic Party	1
The People’s New Party	1
Your Party	9
Kaikaku Club	0
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other political party	1
Do not favor any political party	44
Cannot say/Do not know	14

  [Support + Preferred Parties (N=954)] 

Democratic Party ofJapan	33
Liberal Democratic Party	23
New Komeito	5
JapanCommunist Party	4
Social Democratic Party	1
The People’s New Party	1
Your Party	8
Kaikaku Club	0
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other political party	0
Do not favor any political party	19
Cannot say/Do not know	6

 

Q3.  How do you evaluate the performance of the Hatoyama cabinet during the latter half of the year? (N=954) 

Positively	29
Not positively	57
Neither	10
Cannot say/Do not know	3

 

SQ1.  [For those who answered “Positively”] What is the biggest reason for your evaluation? Please choose one from the following seven answers: (N=277) 

Approach toward economic measures	8
Approach toward cutting wasteful public spending	59
Approach toward pension/medical care problems	9
Approach toward diplomacy/national security	1
Approach toward the politics and money problem	6
Approach toward building a system of political leadership	6
Approach toward global warming problems	6
Other	4
Cannot say/Do not know	2

 

SQ2.  [For those who answered “Not positively”] What is the biggest reason for your evaluation?  Please choose one from the following seven answers:  (N=547) 

Approach toward economic measures	19
Approach toward cutting wasteful public spending	6
Approach toward pension/medical care problems	7
Approach toward diplomacy/national security	10
Approach toward the politics and money problem	39
Approach toward building a system of political leadership	11
Approach toward global warming problems	1
Other	3
Cannot say/Do not know	4

 

Q4.  Although it appears that the national and prefectural debt will be the largest ever, Prime Minister Hatoyama has stated “the consumption tax will not be raised in four years.”  What are your thoughts on the prime minister’s statement? (N=954)  

For	43
Against	46
Neither	6
Cannot say/Do not know	5

 

Q5. The government is considering prohibiting donations from corporations and organizations to combat the politics and money problem.  It has been suggested that subsidies to political parties from the country should be increased.  What are your thoughts on how political funds should be raised? (N=954) 

Prohibit donations from corporations and organizations and increase political subsidies	16
Should prohibit donations from corporations and organizations, but should not increase political subsidies either	47
Should not prohibit donations from corporations and organizations	16
Other	2
Cannot say/Do not know	18

 

Q6.  The government aims to make a decision on the relocation of the U.S. Futenma Air Station by the end of May and is hurrying its examination of the issue.  How do you believe the government should handle this issue? (N=954)  

Should relocate elsewhere withinOkinawa	19
Should relocate withinJapan, but outsideOkinawa	12
Should relocate outside ofJapan	32
No need to relocate from Futenma	20
Neither	6
Cannot say/Do not know	11

  

Q7.  It is being said that if the U.S. Futenma Air Station relocation issue is not resolved by the end of May it will affect the future of the Hatoyama administration.  What are your thoughts on this problem?  (N=954)  

The issue is of critical enough importance to influence the future of the administration	42
The issue is of critical importance, however not enough to influence the future of the administration	44
The issue is not of critical importance	6
Other	1
Cannot say/Do not know	8

 

Q8.  When you cast your vote this summer for the House of Councillors election, will you take into consideration Prime Minister Hatoyama and DPJ Secretary General Ozawa’s political fund scandals? (N=954) 

Will take into consideration	60
Will not take into consideration	32
Neither	2
Cannot say/Do not know	6

 

Q9.  In this summer’s House of Councillors election, which party or which candidate’s party will you vote for?  (N=954)

Democratic Party ofJapan	24
Liberal Democratic Party	20
New Komeito	5
JapanCommunist Party	4
Social Democratic Party	2
The People’s New Party	1
Your Party	9
Kaikaku Club	1
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other political party	1
Have not decided yet	22
Will not vote	0
Cannot say/Do not know	10

  

Q10.  In the future, which politician would you like to see demonstrate greater influence over Japanese politics?  Please choose one from the following: (N=954)  

Yukio Hatoyama	6
Katsuya Okada	8
Ichiro Ozawa	3
NaotoKan	7
Seiji Maehara	10
Akira Nagatsuma	3
Sadakazu Tanigaki	1
Shigeru Ishiba	6
Nobuteru Ishihara	5
Yoichi Masuzoe	28
Other	6
Cannot say/Do not know	15

 

Polling Information

F1. Gender (Determined by the polltaker) (N=954) 

Male	47
Female	53
Unknown	0

 

F2.  How old are you? (N=954) 

20s	5
30s	12
40s	19
50s	18
60s	25
70 years old or older	17
Refused to answer	4

 Average Age: 55.0 years

 

F3. What is your occupation? (N=954) 

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries	3
Employee (company or governmental employee, teacher, etc.)	43
Self-owned business, self-employed (including a homemaker)	11
Full-time housewife (without job only)	19
Student	1
Unemployed	18
Refused to answer	3