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JANUARY 2007 NIKKEI REGULAR TELEPHONE INTERVIEW POLL(P07-3)

January 2007 Nikkei Regular Telephone Interview Poll

Dates Conducted

January 26-28, 2007

Methodology

Nationwide poll. See below for age and gender breakdown.

Key Issues

• Support for the Abe administration
• Issues for upcoming Diet session
• Education reform
• House of Councillors election
• Constitutional reform

Background

The Diet opened for its annual 150-day session on January 25th with a speech from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emphasizing his desire to move away from the so-called postwar regime. This change includes the Abe Cabinet’s revisions to the 1947 Fundamental Law of Education, which has reintroduced patriotism into school curricula. The debate between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the minority Democratic Party of Japan over the revisions to the Fundamental Education Law is predicted to intensify in the spring and summer as the nation nears the House of Councillors’ election. In addition, Abe is expected to call for a bill that would outline the process of a national referendum on revising the constitution. Further, the Abe administration seeks to push a bill that will revise the Teacher License Law, the School Education Law, and strengthen the position of school boards in deciding school curricula.

Link to Original Source

http://www.nikkei-r.co.jp/nikkeipoll/qandres/y200701a.html

Disclaimer

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

Survey:

Q1: Do you support or not support the Abe Cabinet? (N=905)

Support	48%
Do not support	41
Can't say/ don't know	11

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=434)

Because it is an LDP cabinet	24%
Good policies	8
Good sense of international affairs	15
Leadership	5
Stability	10
Can trust members' personalities	52
Politically clean	25
Other	5
Can't say/ don't know	4

Q1SQ2: For those who answered “don’t support” in Q1, what is the reason for your lack of support? Please choose as many as apply from the following seven answers. (N=373)

Because it is an LDP cabinet	21%
Bad policies	37
Bad sense of international affairs	9
Leadership	54
Instability	34
Can't trust members' personalities	12
Politically unclean	7
Other	4
Can't say/ don't know	3

Q2: What political party do you currently support? Please choose only one. (N=905)

Liberal Democratic Party	35%
Democratic Party ofJapan	12
Komeito	3
JapanCommunist Party	2
Social Democratic Party ofJapan	1
The People's New Party	0
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other	0
Do not support any party	43
Can't say/don't know	4

Q2SQ: For those who answered “don’t support any party” or “can’t say/don’t know” in Q2, if you had to choose one party, which party do you feel is most preferable? Please choose only one. (N=427)

Liberal Democratic Party	14%
Democratic Party ofJapan	19
Komeito	0
JapanCommunist Party	3
Social Democratic Party ofJapan	2
The People's New Party	0
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other	1
Do not support any party	49
Can't say/don't know	13

[Support+Preferable parties (N=905)]

Liberal Democratic Party	41%
Democratic Party ofJapan	21
Komeito	3
JapanCommunist Party	3
Social Democratic Party ofJapan	1
The People's New Party	0
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other	0
Do not support any party	23
Can't say/don't know	6

Q3: Do you support or not support the Abe Cabinet’s first four months of performance? (N=905)

Support	29%
Not support	55
Neither support nor not support	7
Can't say/ don't know	9

Q3SQ1: For those who answered “support” in Q3, what is the primary reason for your answer? Please choose only one of the following. ( N=264)

Efforts toward fiscal reconstruction	8%
Efforts toward education reform	40
Restoration of party membership to opponents of postal privatization	2
Reconsideration of highway appropriations	3
Confronting problems associated with "government and money"	6
Elevation of the Japan Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense	2
(Abe's) visit toChinaandSouth Korea	16
Response toNorth Koreanuclear test	14
Other	0
Can't say/ don't know	8

Q3SQ2: For those who answered “not support” in Q3, what is the primary reason for your answer? Please choose only one of the following. (N=500)

Efforts toward fiscal reconstruction	14%
Efforts toward educational reform	12
Restoration of party membership to opponents of postal privatization	20
Reconsideration of highway appropriations	6
Confronting problems associated with "politics and money"	22
Elevation of the Japan Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense	8
(Abe's) visit toChinaandSouth Korea	1
Response toNorth Koreanuclear test	8
Other	2
Can't say/ don't know	6

Q4: In regards to positions on reform, how do you rate Abe’s cabinet as compared to Koizumi’s cabinet? (N=905)

Positively	7%
Negatively	41
Hasn't changed	43
Can't say/don't know	10

Q5: What do you expect to be the issues of debate for the ordinary session of Diet, convened on January 25? (N=905)

Economic reconstruction	17
Educational rejuvenation	15
Problems stemming from "politics and money"	10
Reform of the public servant system	7
Social Insurance Agency reform	9
Centralization of welfare and mutual aid pension	11
Rethinking employment and hiring rules	6
Implementing constitutional reform	8
Foreign policy	4
Other	1
Can't say/ don't know	13

Q6: What do you think is the most important theme of the “education revitalization” that the Abe administration is confronting? (N=905)

Bullying counter-measures	15%
Reconsidering the "Education with breathing space" system	23
Strengthening public school systems	6
School staff license renewal system	11
External school rating system	2
Expansion of the school choice system	2
Reform of the education committee	15
Improving the level of higher education including universities	2
Strengthening consciousness of discipline and standards	9
Other	1
Can't say/ don't know	13

Q7: In the House of Councillors election this summer what party or what party’s candidate do you want to vote for? (N=905)

Liberal Democratic Party	33%
Democratic Party ofJapan	19
Komeito	4
JapanCommunist Party	3
Social Democratic Party ofJapan	2
The People's New Party	0
The New Party ofJapan	0
Other	3
Do not support any party	11
Not yet decided	10
Will not vote	0
Cast a blank ballot	0
Can't say/ don't know	14

Q8: What do you think about Prime Minister Abe making constitutional reform an issue of the House of Councillors election? (N=905)

Think it is appropriate	40%
Think it is inappropriate	40
Can't say/ don't know	20

Q9: Do you or do you not think there should be a change in the majority and minority parties? (N=905)

Should change	57%
Should not change	29
Can't say/ don't know	14

Q10: To what degree do you have interest in politics? (N=905)

Very interested	16%
More or less interested	57
Not really interested	14
Not interested at all	3
Can't say/ don't know	9

Poll Characteristics

F1: Gender (judged by interviewers, N=905)

Male	45%
Female	55
Unknown	0

F2: Age (N=905)

20s	5%
30s	17
40s	17
50s	23
60s	16
70s	19
Refused to answer	3

F3: What is your occupation? Please choose one of the following. (N=905)

Agriculture, forestry, fishing	6%
Employed (corporate employee, bureaucrat, teacher, etc.)	41
Self-employed (business, engineer), freelance (including family business)	13
Housewife (without any outside job)	19
Student	2
Unemployed	17
Refused to answer	3