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NIKKEI SHIMBUN JUNE 2007 TELEPHONE INTERVIEW POLLS (P07-22)

Nikkei Shimbun June 2007 Telephone Interview Polls

Dates Conducted

June 22-24, 2007

Released

June 25, 2007

Methodology

Nationwide poll. See below for age and gender breakdown.

Key Issues

· Support for the Abe Cabinet

· Missing records of the public pension

· Public pension benefits payment system

· House of Councilors election in summer 2007

Link to Original Source

http://www.nikkei-r.co.jp/nikkeipoll/qandres/y200706a.html

Disclaimer

The Mansfield Foundation is responsible for the translation of this Nikkei Telephone poll, subject to the Mansfield Foundation Terms of Use

Q1. Do you support or not support the Abe cabinet? (N=898)

Support	36
Do not support	52
No answer/do not know	12

Q1SQ1. For those who answered “support” in Q1, what is the reason for your support? Please choose as many as apply from the following seven answers. (N=321)

Because it is an LDP cabinet	30
Good policies	13
Good sense of international affairs	16
Leadership	12
Stability	13
Can trust members' personality	45
Politically clean	20
Others	5
Can't say/ don't know	4

Q1SQ2. For those who answered “do not support” in Q1, what is the reason for your lack of support? Please choose as many as apply from the following seven answers. (N=468)

Because it is an LDP cabinet	15
Bad policies	42
Bad sense of international affairs	9
Lack of leadership	51
Instability	36
Cannot trust members' personality	13
Politically not clean	5
Others	3
Can't say/ don't know	2

Q2. Which political party do you currently support? Please choose only one of the following. (N=898)

Liberal Democratic Party	28
Democratic Party ofJapan	17
Komeito	4
JapanCommunist Party	2
Social Democratic Party	1
The People's New Party	0
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other political party	0
Do not support any party	41
Can't say/ don't know	6

Q2SQ. For those who answered “Do not support any party” or “Can not say/do not know” in Q2, if you had to select one, which party would you prefer the most? Please choose only one of the following. (N=421)

Liberal Democratic Party	15
Democratic Party ofJapan	20
Komeito	2
JapanCommunist Party	2
Social Democratic Party	3
The People's New Party	1
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other political party	0
Do not favor any party	45
Can't say/ don't know	12

[Support + Preferable Parties (N=898)]

Liberal Democratic Party	35
Democratic Party ofJapan	26
Komeito	5
JapanCommunist Party	3
Social Democratic Party	3
The People's New Party	0
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other political party	0
Do not support or favor any party	21
Can't say/ don't know	6

Q3. Do you support or not support the performance of the Abe Cabinet? (N=898)

Highly evaluate	32
Do not highly evaluate	55
Cannot say either	6
Can't say/ don't know	7

Q4. Missing records of the public pension are creating big controversies. What do you think is the biggest cause for this problem? Please choose one from the following four answers. (N=898)

Defects of the pension system	14
Negligence of the Social Insurance Agency employees	26
Negligence of the Director General and other senior officials of the Social Insurance Agency	24
Inadequate supervision by the government including succession of Ministers of Health,Labourand Welfare	26
Can't say/ don't know	11

Q5. The government and the ruling party are setting forth the countermeasures such as abolishing statute of limitations on failure in public pension benefits payment. Do you support or not support? (N=898)

Support	48
Do not support	36
Can't say/ don't know	15

Q6. In response to the problems of the missing public pension records, Prime Minister Abe promised to expedite the study for introduction of the social security number system in order to manage contribution and benefits for pension, healthcare and custodial care in an integrated fashion. What is your opinion on this? (N=898)

Support	53
Oppose	27
Can't say/ don't know	19

Q7. Which party do you want to vote for or has a candidate you want to vote for in the House of Councilors election in this summer? (N=898)

Liberal Democratic Party	27
Democratic Party ofJapan	26
Komeito	5
JapanCommunist Party	4
Social Democratic Party	2
The People's New Party	0
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other political party or candidate	3
Independent candidate	10
Have not made up mind	9
Not going to vote	0
Cast a blank ballot	0
Can't say/ don't know	12

Q8. On which policy do you place importance when you vote for the House of Councilors election this summer? (N=898)

Social security policy including pension and welfare policy	57
Increase of consumer tax rate	15
Issues of gap	21
Constitutional amendment	13
Education reform	28
Foreign policy and national security	15
Issues relating "politics and money"	27
Agricultural policy	9
Administrative reform	16
Others	1
Can't say/ don't know	10

Q9. At present, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito maintain the majority of the House of Councilors seats. Do you prefer to see the ruling parties maintain the majority or lose the majority in the election? (N=898)

Prefer to see them maintain the majority	35
Prefer to see them lose the majority	49
Can't say/ don't know	16

Q10. If the ruling parties lose the majority in the upcoming election of the House of Councilors, how do you think the Abe cabinet should respond? (N=898)

Current system is all right as it is	9
Abe cabinet should be reshuffled	19
Framework of LDP/Komeitocoalition should be changed	9
Abe cabinet should resign	15
It should appeal to the country through dissolution of the House of Representatives and general elections	36
Can't say/ don't know	13

Q11. The government/ruling parties extended the regular Diet session in order to amend the National Civil Service Law to restrict the practice of high-level government officials taking jobs in the private sector. What do you think about this decision? (N=898)

Reasonable	41
Unreasonable	44
Can't say/ don't know	15

F1. Gender (Determined by the polltaker) (N=898)

Male	48
Female	52
Unknown	0

F2. How old are you? (N=898)

In my 20s	6
In my 30s	17
In my 40s	18
In my 50s	19
In my 60s	20
70 years old or older	19
Refused to answer	2

Average age: 54.0

F3. What is your occupation? Please choose one from the following list. (N=898)

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries	3
Employee (company or government employee, teacher, etc.)	42
Self-owned business, self-employed (including a homemaker)	10
Full-time housewife(without job only)	20
Student	1
Unemployed	21
Refused to answer	2