Nikkei Shimbun February 2008 Opinion Poll
Dates Conducted
February 15 – 17, 2008
Methodology
Nationwide poll. See below for age and gender breakdown.
Key Issues
- Support for the Fukuda Cabinet
- Fukuda administration’s economic/fiscal policy
- Extension of the provisional gas tax
- Passage of the 2008 budget
Background
A new session of the Diet opened on January 18, 2008, a week after the ruling coalition forced a MSDF refueling activities bill through the Lower House in an extraordinary session two times extended.
The opposition Democratic Party of Japan has dubbed the current ordinary session the “Gasoline Diet” in reference to the expiration in March of the provisional extra gas tax, instituted in 1974. The ruling party submitted a bill to extend the temporary higher rates for gasoline and other road-related taxes in January, which would sustain the provisional rate hike for another 10 years. The gas and road taxes are an important revenue source for the government, particularly for road projects in rural areas; yet there is increasing concern that consumers will be negatively impacted by the jump in fuel and gasoline prices.
After a food poisoning scare in January where frozen gyoza (dumplings) imported from China were found to be tainted with a potentially lethal pesticide, the Japanese government has been pressured to bring the facts to light, amid already strained ties with China.
Disclaimer
The Mansfield Foundation is responsible for the translation of this Nikkei Telephone poll, subject to the Mansfield Foundation Terms of Use.
Survey
All numbers are percentages.
Q1. Do you support or not support the Fukuda cabinet? (N=919)
| Support | 40 |
| Do not support | 48 |
| No answer/do not know | 12 |
Q1SQ1. For those who answered “support”: What are the reasons for your support? Please choose as many as apply from the following seven answers. (N=363)
| Because it is an LDP cabinet | 30 |
| Good policies | 5 |
| Good sense of international affairs | 8 |
| Leadership | 5 |
| Stability | 25 |
| Trustworthy character of members | 43 |
| Politically clean | 13 |
| Others | 6 |
| No answer/do not know | 4 |
Q1SQ2. For those who answered “do not support,” what are the reasons for not supporting? Please choose as many as apply from the following seven answers. (N=444)
| Because it is an LDP cabinet | 24 |
| Bad policies | 31 |
| Bad sense of international affairs | 13 |
| Lack of leadership | 57 |
| Instability | 25 |
| Members not trustworthy | 16 |
| Politically not clean | 3 |
| Others | 5 |
| No answer/do not know | 2 |
Q2. Which political party do you currently support? Please choose only one. (N=919)
| Liberal Democratic Party | 33 |
| Democratic Party ofJapan | 22 |
| Komeito | 3 |
| 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 | 35 |
| No answer/do not know | 4 |
Q2SQ. For those who answered “do not support any party” or “no answer/do not know,” if you are to name one, which political party do you favor? (N=358)
| Liberal Democratic Party | 15 |
| Democratic Party ofJapan | 24 |
| Komeito | 2 |
| JapanCommunist Party | 3 |
| Social Democratic Party | 2 |
| The People’s New Party | 0 |
| The New Party ofJapan | 0 |
| Other political party | 0 |
| Do not favor any party | 41 |
| No answer/do not know | 13 |
[Support + Preferable Parties (N=919)]
| Liberal Democratic Party | 39 |
| Democratic Party ofJapan | 31 |
| Komeito | 4 |
| JapanCommunist Party | 3 |
| Social Democratic Party | 1 |
| The People’s New Party | 1 |
| The New Party ofJapan | 0 |
| Other political party | 0 |
| Do not support or favor any party | 16 |
| No answer/do not know | 5 |
Q3. Do you approve or not of the performance of the Fukuda cabinet? (N=919)
| Approve | 31 |
| Do not approve | 54 |
| Cannot say either | 6 |
| No answer/do not know | 9 |
Q3SQ1. For those who answered “approve,” what is the biggest reason for your approval? Please choose one from the following answers. (N=283)
| Stance on local revitalization | 6 |
| Efforts for fiscal reform | 8 |
| Efforts for economic revitalization | 10 |
| Efforts for pension issues | 23 |
| Efforts to ensure food safety | 6 |
| Handling of issues related to revenues earmarked for road construction | 10 |
| Handling of antiterrorism measures issue | 4 |
| Handling of North Korean issue | 3 |
| Handling of “politics and money” issues | 12 |
| Others | 4 |
| No answer/do not know | 15 |
Q3SQ2. For those who answered “do not approve,” what is the biggest reason for your lack of approval? Please choose one from the following answers. (N=495)
| Stance on local revitalization | 5 |
| Efforts for fiscal reform | 11 |
| Efforts for economic revitalization | 20 |
| Efforts for pension issues | 14 |
| Efforts to secure food safety | 4 |
| Handling of issues related to revenues earmarked for road construction | 20 |
| Handling of antiterrorism measures issue | 1 |
| Handling of North Korean issue | 3 |
| Handling of “politics and money” issues | 16 |
| Others | 2 |
| No answer/do not know | 4 |
Q4. Which of the following economic policies do you think the Fukuda administration should place highest priority on addressing? (N=919)
| Social security system reform | 24 |
| Finance reform, including raising of the consumption tax | 23 |
| Easing of regulations | 8 |
| Local revitalization policies | 31 |
| Others | 1 |
| No answer/do not know | 13 |
Q5. Pesticide was found in frozen gyoza (dumplings) imported from China . Was the government’s response adequate? (N=919)
| Adequate | 20 |
| Inadequate | 67 |
| Others | 1 |
| No answer/do not know | 12 |
Q6. The provisional extra gas tax (levied in addition to the normal gas tax) will expire in March. What do you think should be done with it? (N=919)
| Keep the extra rate and carry out road maintenance | 9 |
| Keep the extra rate and use revenues for things other than road maintenance | 26 |
| Scrap the extra rate and lower the price of gasoline | 50 |
| Others | 2 |
| No answer/do not know | 13 |
Q7. In the event that the Upper House votes down next year’s budget proposal, the ruling party is prepared to hold a second vote in the Lower House to pass the bill. What is your opinion on this? (N=919)
| Approve | 35 |
| Do not approve | 46 |
| No answer/do not know | 19 |
Q8. In the future, should the Democratic Party of Japan take an adversarial stance or a cooperative stance toward the government/ruling party? (N=919)
| DPJ should take an adversarial stance | 39 |
| DPJ should take a cooperative stance | 42 |
| No answer/do not know | 19 |
Q9. In the future, what kind of administration is desirable to you? (N=919)
| An LDP single-party government | 6 |
| A coalition government based on the LDP and the Komeito | 13 |
| A DPJ-based government (non-LDP) | 25 |
| A coalition government that includes LDP and DPJ | 39 |
| Others | 2 |
| No answer/do not know | 14 |
Q10. When do you think the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the general elections should be carried out? (N=919)
| The House of Representatives should be dissolved as soon as possible | 15 |
| The House of Representatives should be dissolved after the budget is approved in spring this year | 19 |
| The House of Representatives should be dissolved after the Hokkaido G8 Toyoko Summit in July | 20 |
| It is not necessary to dissolve it in a hurry | 32 |
| Others | 0 |
| No answer/do not know | 13 |
Polling Information
F1. Gender (Determined by the polltaker) (N=919)
| Male | 46 |
| Female | 54 |
| Unknown | 0 |
F2. How old are you? (N=919)
| In my 20s | 6 |
| In my 30s | 16 |
| In my 40s | 16 |
| In my 50s | 19 |
| In my 60s | 19 |
| 70 years old or older | 22 |
| Refused to answer | 1 |
Average age: 54.5
F3. What is your occupation? (N=919)
| Agriculture, forestry and fisheries | 4 |
| Employee (company or government employee, teacher, etc.) | 41 |
| Self-owned business, self-employed (including a homemaker) | 13 |
| Full-time housewife(without job only) | 19 |
| Student | 1 |
| Unemployed | 22 |
| Refused to answer | 1 |