Nikkei Shimbun October 2008 Telephone Opinion Poll
Dates Conducted
October 24 – 26, 2008
Methodology
Nationwide poll. See below for age and gender breakdown.
Key Issues
- Support for the Aso Cabinet
- Economy
- General elections for the House of Representatives
Disclaimer
The Mansfield Foundation is responsible for the translation of this Nikkei Shimbun poll, subject to the Mansfield Foundation Terms of Use.
Survey
*All numbers are percentages
*Number in parentheses are the number of respondents
Q1. Do you support or not support the Aso Cabinet? (N=947)
| Support | 38 |
| Do not support | 36 |
| No answer/Do not know | 26 |
SQ1. For those who answered “no answer” and “do not know,” which out of the following most closely resembles your feelings? (N=243)
| Support | 38 |
| Do not support | 26 |
| No answer/Do not know | 36 |
[Support ratio total (N=947)]
| Support | 48 |
| Do not support | 43 |
| No answer/Do not know | 9 |
SQ2. For those who answered “support,” what are the reasons for your support? Please choose as many as applies from the following seven answers. (N=451)
| Because it is an LDP cabinet | 33 |
| Good policies | 13 |
| Good sense of international affairs | 22 |
| Leadership | 29 |
| Stability | 10 |
| Trustworthy character of members | 23 |
| Politically clean | 8 |
| Other | 4 |
| No answer/Do not know | 6 |
SQ3. 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=408)
| Because it is an LDP cabinet | 40 |
| Bad policies | 33 |
| Bad sense of international affairs | 6 |
| Lack of leadership | 19 |
| Instability | 26 |
| Members not trustworthy | 29 |
| Politically not clean | 8 |
| Other | 5 |
| No answer/Do not know | 4 |
Q2. Which political party do you currently support? Please choose only one. (N=947)
| Liberal Democratic Party | 34 |
| Democratic Party of Japan | 22 |
| Komeito | 3 |
| Japan Communist Party | 3 |
| Social Democratic Party | 1 |
| The People’s New Party | 0 |
| Kaikaku Club (Reform Club) | 0 |
| The New Party of Japan | 0 |
| Other political party | 0 |
| Do not favor any political party | 29 |
| No answer/Do not know | 8 |
SQ1. 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=344)
| Liberal Democratic Party | 20 |
| Democratic Party of Japan | 23 |
| Komeito | 1 |
| Japan Communist Party | 4 |
| Social Democratic Party | 2 |
| The People’s New Party | 0 |
| Kaikaku Club (Reform Club) | 0 |
| The New Party of Japan | 0 |
| Other political party | 0 |
| Do not favor any political party | 32 |
| No answer/Do not know | 18 |
[Support + Preferable Parties (N=947)]
| Liberal Democratic Party | 41 |
| Democratic Party of Japan | 31 |
| Komeito | 3 |
| Japan Communist Party | 5 |
| Social Democratic Party | 2 |
| The People’s New Party | 0 |
| The Reform Club | 0 |
| The New Party of Japan | 0 |
| Other political party | 0 |
| Do not favor any political party | 11 |
| No answer/Do not know | 6 |
Q3. Do you approve or not of the performance of the Aso Cabinet? (N=947)
| Approve | 34 |
| Do not approve | 39 |
| Cannot say either | 14 |
| No answer/Do not know | 13 |
SQ1. For those who answered “approve,” what is the biggest reason for your approval? Please choose one from the following answers: (N=319)
| Handling of economy | 38 |
| Handling of financial crisis | 11 |
| Handling of pension/medical care issues | 16 |
| Handling of foreign policy/national security issues | 8 |
| Handling of “politics and money” issues | 7 |
| Handling of food safety issues | 8 |
| Other | 3 |
| No answer/Do not know | 9 |
SQ2. 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=367)
| Handling of economic measures | 20 |
| Handling of financial crisis | 10 |
| Handling of pension/medical care issues | 32 |
| Handling of foreign policy/national security issues | 5 |
| Handling of “politics and money” issues | 19 |
| Handling of food safety issues | 6 |
| Other | 4 |
| No answer/Do not know | 4 |
Q4. Which issue do you think Prime Minister Aso should prioritize: economic measures or the dissolution of the House of Representatives/general election? (N=947)
| Should prioritize economic measures | 63 |
| Should prioritize the dissolution of the House of Representatives/general election | 29 |
| No answer/Do not know | 8 |
Q5. The government and ruling parties are planning to enact a one-time, fixed-amount tax reduction on income taxes etc. Do you approve or not of this measure?
| Approve | 54 |
| Do not approve | 32 |
| No answer/Do not know | 14 |
Q6. When do you think the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the next general election should be held? (N=947)
| It should be dissolved as soon as possible | 30 |
| It should be dissolved at the beginning of next year’s regular session of the Diet | 10 |
| It should be dissolved next spring, once the budget is complete | 14 |
| There is no need to speed up the dissolution of the House of Representatives | 36 |
| Other | 1 |
| No answer/Do not know | 9 |
Q7. Which policy areas do you think should receive the most emphasis in the next House of Representatives election? (N=947)
| Pensions and healthcare | 49 |
| Economic measures | 55 |
| Fiscal reconstruction | 30 |
| Foreign policy and national security | 13 |
| Politics and money | 19 |
| Food safety | 27 |
| Education reform | 22 |
| Decentralization | 10 |
| Other | 1 |
| No answer/Do not know | 8 |
Q8. During the next election for the House of Representatives, which party will you vote for in your proportional-representation district? (N=947)
| Liberal Democratic Party | 36 |
| Democratic Party of Japan | 31 |
| Komeito | 4 |
| Japan Communist Party | 4 |
| Social Democratic Party | 2 |
| The People’s New Party | 1 |
| The Reform Club | 0 |
| The New Party of Japan | 0 |
| Other | 1 |
| Undecided | 12 |
| Will abstain | 1 |
| No answer/Do not know | 8 |
Q9. Who do you think is suitable to serve as the next prime minister after the next House of Representatives election? (N=947)
| Taro Aso | 36 |
| Ichiro Ozawa | 16 |
| Neither | 42 |
| No answer/Do not know | 6 |
Q10. What is the most desirable form for the next administration? (N=947)
| Administration centered on the LDP | 17 |
| Administration centered on the DPJ | 20 |
| LDP-DPJ coalition | 47 |
| Other | 3 |
| No answer/Do not know | 13 |
Q11. Uncertainty over the economy is growing. How are you careful these days when it comes to spending your money?
| Only purchase necessary items | 66 |
| Purchase items that are cheaper than before | 28 |
| Refrain from renewing household appliances or cars | 21 |
| Refrain from leisure activities and hobbies | 15 |
| Actions not affected | 13 |
| No answer/Do not know | 7 |
Polling Information
F1. Gender (Determined by the polltaker) (N=947)
| Male | 46 |
| Female | 54 |
| Unknown | 0 |
F2. How old are you? (N=947)
| In my 20s | 6 |
| In my 30s | 16 |
| In my 40s | 18 |
| In my 50s | 20 |
| In my 60s | 21 |
| 70 years old or older | 15 |
| Refused to answer | 4 |
Average Age 53.2
F3. What is your occupation? (N=947)
| Agriculture, forestry and fisheries | 4 |
| Employee (company or governmental employee, teacher, etc.) | 45 |
| Self-owned business, self-employed (including a homemaker) | 14 |
| Full-time housewife (without job only) | 19 |
| Student | 2 |
| Unemployed | 14 |
| Refused to answer | 4 |