Publics Want More Aggressive Government Action on Economic Crisis: Global Poll

21 Jul 2009 22:00 Africa/Lagos

Publics Want More Aggressive Government Action on Economic Crisis: Global Poll

COLLEGE PARK, Md., July 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new poll by WorldPublicOpinion.org finds that the public in 14 of 19 nations surveyed feel their government's efforts to address the economic crisis do not go far enough. Three additional publics lean to this view. Most publics favor government support for troubled companies and a global body that would monitor large financial institutions.


However, nations differ on whether, in the current crisis, their government should put up new trade barriers to protect domestic industries.


A majority or plurality in nearly every nation polled faults their government for not doing enough to remedy the economic crisis. Across all nations, an average of 56 percent say their "government's efforts to address the current economic crisis do not go far enough;" 25 percent say they "are about right"; and only 15 percent say these efforts "go too far."


The notable exceptions to the desire for governments to do more are the Chinese public (63% feel government efforts "are about right") and India, where as many think efforts "go too far" (37%) as think they "do not go far enough" (36%; 21% say "about right").


"People around the world want more robust action from their governments in the face of the economic crisis", says Stephen Weber of WorldPublicOpinion.org. "Only in China and India, rare countries still on a growth track, do the public seem content with policy."


Government action to provide financial support for large industries in trouble is widely supported, with majorities in most nations taking the position that "if they fail it damages the general economy and too many people lose their jobs." The American public, alone among nations polled, opposes government financial intervention.


WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted the poll of 18,066 respondents between April 4 and June 12, 2009 (margins of error +/- 3-4%) in 19 nations that comprise 62 percent of the world's population (China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Mexico, Germany, Great Britain, France, Poland, Ukraine, Kenya, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, the Palestinian territories, and South Korea). Polling was also conducted in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.


WorldPublicOpinion.org, a collaborative project of research centers worldwide, is managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland.


For more information, please visit www.worldpublicopinion.org


Source: Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland

CONTACT: Stephen Weber, WorldPublicOpinion.org, +1-202-232-7500


Web Site: http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/