Asahi Shimbun September 2007 Opinion Poll – Inauguration of the Fukuda Cabinet
Dates Conducted
September 25 and 26, 2007
Date Released
September 27, 2007
Methodology
The poll was conducted by telephone on September 25 (following the announcement of the makeup of the Fukuda cabinet) and September 26, 2007, of voters from across Japan, whose telephone numbers were selected by a computer at random. Subjects were selected using a three-stage random sampling method (the Asahi RDD). The total number of those polled was 908, with a 55% response rate. The numbers in [ ] are the percentages of those polled as compared to the entire population of those who answered. The numbers in ( ) are the results from a poll conducted on September 15 and 16, 2007.
Key Issues
- Support for Prime Minister Fukuda and his administration
Disclaimer
The Mansfield Foundation is responsible for the translation of this Asahi Shimbun poll, subject to the Mansfield Foundation Terms of Use.
Survey
Q1. The following question concerns the recently-formed Fukuda cabinet. Do you support the Fukuda cabinet, or not?
| Support | 44%(45) |
| Do not support | 36%(34) |
SQ1. Why? (Please select one of the following.) (The results in the left column are those 53% who answered “support,” and the results in the right column are the 27% who answered “do not support.”)
| Fukuda is the Prime Minister | 25%[13] | 10%[3] |
| The cabinet is primarily composed of LDP members | 20%[11] | 49%[13] |
| Policies of the cabinet | 22%[12] | 27%[7] |
| Just because | 30%[16] | 8%[2] |
Q2. Which political party do you currently support?
| Liberal Democratic Party | 33%(32) |
| Democratic Party of Japan | 25%(24) |
| Komeito | 4%(1) |
| Japan Communist Party | 3%(2) |
| Social Democratic Party | 1%(1) |
| The People’s New Party | 0%(0) |
| The New Party of Japan | 0%(0) |
| Other | 0%(0) |
| Do not support any party | 30%(35) |
| No answer/do not know | 4%(5) |
Q3. Do you think that Mr. Fukuda is a politician who is close to the people’s sensibilities, or not?
| Close to the people’s sensibilities | 38% |
| Not close to the people’s sensibilities | 41% |
Q4. Do you think that Mr. Fukuda has the ability to follow through, or not?
| Has the ability to follow through | 46% |
| Lacks the ability to follow through | 32% |
Q5. Do you think that Mr. Fukuda seems to have balance, or not?
| Seems to have balance | 58% |
| Does not seem to have balance | 22% |
Q6. Many of the cabinet ministers from the preceding Abe cabinet are included in the new cabinet. Do you think that this is a good thing, or not?
| Good | 55% |
| Not good | 27% |
Q7. Considering the background to the formation of the Fukuda cabinet, do you think that the Liberal Democratic Party has returned to the LDP of old, or not?
| Returned to the LDP of old | 56% |
| Has not returned to the LDP of old | 29% |
Q8. Do you think that the Liberal Democratic Party under Prime Minister Fukuda will improve, worsen or remain unchanged?
| Improve | 22% |
| Worsen | 6% |
| Remain unchanged | 65% |
Q9. The following questions concern three of the Fukuda cabinet’s policy issues: pensions, economic disparities and foreign policy. First, do you expect measures to deal with pensions, or not?
| Expect | 67% |
| Do not expect | 26% |
Q10. Next, do you expect measures to deal with income disparities, or not?
| Expect | 49% |
| Do not expect | 41% |
Q11. Finally, do you expect measures on foreign-policy issues, or not?
| Expect | 55% |
| Do not expect | 34% |