Business News

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Business News ] [ Economic Outlook ] [ Investing ] [ Brands, Companies, Industries ] [ International Trade ]


Business Issues in the News	See also: Economic policy \| Unions, workplace issues

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Jan. 15-18, 2018. N=1,005 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Do you think each of the following is a good thing for the country or a bad thing for the country? ... Reduced federal regulations on businesses."

		A good thing	A bad thing	Mixed (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/15-18/18	44	42	4	1	10

CBS News/New York Times Poll. May 28-31, 2015. N=1,022 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think large corporations have too much influence, too little influence, or about the right amount of influence on American life and politics today?"

		Too much	Too little	Right amount	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	5/28-31/15	74	3	20	3

"Do you favor or oppose limiting the amount of money earned by top executives at large corporations?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	5/28-31/15	50	45	5

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Jan. 12-15, 2015. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Overall, do you think large business corporations pay their fair share in taxes, pay too little, or pay too much?"

		Their fair share	Too little	Too much	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/12-15/15	19	65	9	7

CNN/ORC Poll. May 29-June 1, 2014. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Looking back, do you think the federal government should have provided financial help in 2009 to U.S. automakers who were in financial trouble, or should these companies have been allowed to succeed or fail on their own?"

		Government should have helped	Government should not have helped	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/29 - 6/1/14	38	61	2

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Sept. 5-8, 2013. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Over the past three to five years how much were you personally affected by the crises on Wall Street and in the mortgage and housing markets: a great deal, some, only a little, or not at all?"

		A great deal	Some	Only a little	Not at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/5-8/13	24	28	23	24	1

Gallup Poll. Sept. 6-9, 2012. N=1,017 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"In general, do you think there is too much, too little or about the right amount of government regulation of business and industry?"

		Too much	Too little	Right amount	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/6-9/12	47	26	24	3
	9/8-11/11	50	24	23	3
	9/13-16/10	49	27	21	3
	8/31 - 9/2/09	45	24	27	3
	9/8-11/08	38	27	31	3
	9/14-16/07	38	26	33	4
	9/7-10/06	36	28	30	6
	9/12-15/05	34	23	40	3
	9/13-15/04	37	24	34	5

Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation Poll. July 25-Aug. 5, 2012. N=3,130 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.

"Which comes closer to the way you feel? Government regulation of big businesses and corporations is necessary to protect the public. OR, Government regulation of big businesses and corporations does more harm than good." Options rotated

		Necessary to protect the public	Does more harm than good	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	49	44	3	5
	Democrats	65	29	1	4
	Independents	48	45	3	4
	Republicans	30	64	3	3

CBS News/New York Times Poll. July 11-16, 2012. N=1,089 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think the federal government regulates business too much these days, does it regulate business too little, or does it impose the right amount of regulation on business?"

		Too much	Too little	Right amount	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/11-16/12	49	22	19	3	7
	2/11-14/11	45	27	17	4	7
	2/2-4/09	28	40	18	4	10
	9/27-30/08	28	43	16	3	10
	9/21-24/08	21	45	18	5	12
	7/8-9/02	30	37	24	2	7
	2/24-26/02	35	26	25	2	12
	1/19-23/86	41	22	22	2	13

"How much confidence do you have in banks and financial institutions: a lot, some, not much, or none at all?"

		A lot	Some	Not much	None at all
		%	%	%	%
	7/11-16/12	9	43	31	17

"How common do you think corruption is in banks and financial institutions? Is it widespread or is it limited to a few institutions?"

		Widespread	Limited	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/11-16/12	49	47	4

Quinnipiac University Poll. April 11-17, 2012. N=2,577 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 1.9.

"Do you think the government bailout of the American auto industry was a success or a failure?"

		Success	Failure	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	50	38	13
	Republicans	37	50	13
	Democrats	68	18	14
	Independents	44	46	10

"Do you think the government should have acted to help the American auto industry or not?"

		Should have	Should not have	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	53	41	6
	Republicans	34	59	7
	Democrats	78	17	5
	Independents	49	46	5

Bloomberg National Poll conducted by Selzer & Company. March 8-11, 2012. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Do you think private equity practices, which include investing money to take over companies with a plan to sell them later, are mostly good or mostly bad for the economy?"

		Mostly good	Mostly bad	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/8-11/12	27	52	21

United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Feb. 23-26, 2012. Nationwide.

"Looking back, do you think the federal government should have provided financial help to U.S. automakers who were in financial trouble, or should these companies have been allowed to succeed or fail on their own?" N=1,005 adults, margin of error ą 3.8

		Should have helped	Should not have helped	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	2/23-26/12	36	55	9

"If you knew that a candidate for U.S. Congress in your district had supported the auto bailout, would that make you more likely or less likely to vote for them, or would it not make much difference either way?" N=791 registered voters, margin of error ą 4.3

		More likely to vote for	Less likely to vote for	Not much difference	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	2/23-26/12	12	25	60	4

Pew Research Center. Feb. 8-12, 2012. N=1,501 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Please tell me if you think each of the following is having a POSITIVE or NEGATIVE effect on the way things are going in this country today. Is/Are [see below] having a positive or negative effect on the way things are going in this country today?" Each item asked of approx. half the sample.

		Positive	Negative	Neither/No influence/ Mixed (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"Small businesses"
	2/8-12/12	75	18	3	5
	3/11-21/10	71	19	3	7

	"Technology companies"
	2/8-12/12	70	18	5	7
	3/11-21/10	68	18	4	10

	"The auto industry"
	2/8-12/12	55	29	7	8

	"Labor unions"
	2/8-12/12	37	45	5	14
	3/11-21/10	32	49	4	14

	"Large corporations"
	2/8-12/12	28	57	7	7
	3/11-21/10	25	64	4	8

	"The federal government"
	2/8-12/12	22	66	6	6
	3/11-21/10	25	65	4	5

	"Banks and other financial institutions"
	2/8-12/12	22	68	5	6
	3/11-21/10	22	69	4	6

"As you may recall, during the financial market problems of 2008, the government made major loans to banks and financial institutions to try to keep the markets secure. Do you think this was the right thing or the wrong thing for the government to do?"

		Right thing	Wrong thing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/8-12/12	39	52	8

"From what you've read and heard, how much of the money the government provided to banks and financial institutions has been paid back: all of the money, most of it, only some of it, or none of it?"

		All of it	Most of it	Only some of it	None of it	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/8-12/12	2	13	56	16	13

"The government also gave loans to General Motors and Chrysler during this period. Do you think this was mostly good or mostly bad for the economy?"

		Mostly good	Mostly bad	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/8-12/12	56	38	6

United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Dec. 1-4, 2011. N=1,008 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.7.

"This week, Congress will vote on legislation that would make it more difficult for federal agencies, like the Environmental Protection Agency and Securities and Exchange Commission, to issue new regulations. This legislation calls for more cost-benefit analysis about the impact of new regulations and additional study of their impact on small businesses. In general, which of the following concerns you MORE about this issue -- that regulatory officials appointed by President Obama will go too far in imposing unnecessary regulations on business and hurt the economy, OR that Congress will go too far in reducing the authority of regulatory agencies and weaken oversight of business on issues like environmental protection and financial fraud?" Options rotated

		Obama appointees will hurt the economy	Congress will weaken oversight	Neither is a concern (vol.)	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%
	12/1-4/11	45	41	2	12

CNN/ORC Poll. Oct. 14-16, 2011. N=1,007 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Overall, how much do you trust Wall Street bankers and brokers to do what is best for the economy: a great deal, somewhat, a little, or not at all?"

		A great deal	Somewhat	A little	Not at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/14-16/11	3	20	22	54	1

"Please tell me whether you think each of the following descriptions apply or do not apply to Wall Street bankers and brokers. . . ."

		Applies	Does not apply	Unsure
		%	%	%
	"Intelligent"
	10/14-16/11	82	17	1

	"Greedy"
	10/14-16/11	80	19	1

	"Overpaid"
	10/14-16/11	77	21	2

	"Dishonest"
	10/14-16/11	65	32	3

	"Community minded"
	10/14-16/11	24	74	1

United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Oct. 13-16, 2011. N=1,007 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.7.

"Senate Republicans have blocked confirmation of President Obama's nominee to run a new office to provide more consumer protection of investments, loans and credit cards. Some people feel Senate Republicans are justified in blocking confirmation because this new office makes it more difficult for banks to lend and should be reformed or eliminated. Others say Obama's nominee should be confirmed and the new office is necessary to protect consumers and prevent another financial crisis. What is your opinion? Do you think the Senate should confirm or should NOT confirm Obama's nominee?"

		Should confirm	Should not confirm	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/13-16/11	46	39	15

Gallup Poll. Jan. 7-9, 2011. N=1,018 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Next, I'm going to read some aspects of life in America today. For each one, please say whether you are very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied. How about the size and influence of major corporations?"

		Very satisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/7-9/11	5	24	31	36	4
	1/10-14/01	7	41	31	17	4

"Now here are some questions concerning where you stand on some of the issues we just talked about. Would you like to see major corporations have more influence in this nation, less influence, or keep their influence as it is now?"

		More	Less	Same as now	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/7-9/11	12	62	24	2
	1/10-14/01	10	52	36	2

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Oct. 20-21, 2010. N=848 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.2.

"Now thinking about the federal government's actions in response to issues facing the U.S. today. Please tell me if you think each of the following was good for the country or bad for the country in general. First/Next, what about the government bailout of the financial and banking industries?"

		Good	Bad	Mixed opinion (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	26	63	8	3
	Republicans	13	79	6	2
	Democrats	39	48	9	4
	Independents	26	64	7	3

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Aug. 27-30, 2010. N=1,021 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Now, thinking back on some of the major pieces of legislation Congress has passed in the last two years, would you say you approve or disapprove of [see below]?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Increased government regulation of banks and major financial institutions"
	8/27-30/10	61	37	3

	"Government aid to U.S. automakers that were in danger of going bankrupt"
	8/27-30/10	43	56	2

	"Government aid to banks and major financial institutions that were in danger of failing"
	8/27-30/10	37	61	2

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. July 16-21, 2010. Adults nationwide.

"As you may know, Congress has passed legislation that would increase federal regulation over banks, Wall Street investors, and other financial institutions. Based on what you have read or heard about this, do you favor or oppose this legislation?" N=501 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/16-21/10	58	39	3

"Generally speaking, do you approve or disapprove of government regulation of business? ... Do you feel strongly about that, or not so strongly?" N=508 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5

		Approve strongly	Approve not so strongly	Disapprove not so strongly	Disapprove strongly	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/16-21/10	30	25	9	36	1

Bloomberg Poll conducted by Selzer & Co. July 9-12, 2010. N=1,004 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Do you think the Troubled Asset Relief Program, known as TARP, was necessary to prevent the financial industry from failing and drastically hurting the U.S. economy, or was it an unneeded bailout?"

		Necessary	Unneeded	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/9-12/10	28	58	14

"In general, what is your view on the need for government regulation? Do you think there is a need for more regulation, less regulation, or about the same as we have now?"

		More	Less	About the same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/10	35	33	30	2

"Congress is on the verge of passing a bill that creates new regulations for financial institutions. Is it your sense this legislation does more to protect the financial industry or more to protect consumers?"

		Financial industry	Consumers	Both equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/10	47	38	1	14

"Is it your sense the new rules passed by Congress will require big Wall Street banks to make major changes in the way they do business, minor changes, or will it really amount to very little if any change?"

		Major	Minor	Very little if any	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/10	21	22	47	10

"How confident are you that the new financial regulations will prevent or seriously soften the impact of another crisis: very confident, fairly confident, just somewhat confident, or not confident?"

		Very confident	Fairly confident	Somewhat confident	Not confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/10	5	13	35	44	3

"How confident are you that the new financial regulations will make your savings and financial assets more secure: very confident, fairly confident, just somewhat confident, or not confident?"

		Very confident	Fairly confident	Somewhat confident	Not confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/10	4	15	38	40	3

"If the economy remains weak and a big financial company teeters on collapse later this year, which of the following do you think would be the best move for the federal government? To let the company fail -- the private sector should deal with the consequences of its actions. To force the company to work its way through its problems, including bankruptcy, through the courts. To do whatever is necessary to keep the company and its jobs intact, and avoid significant impact on the economy, even if it means taxpayers have to foot the bill."

		Let it fail	Bankruptcy, courts	Keep it intact	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/10	32	50	16	2

"I'm going to mention some issues that have been in the news recently. For each, please tell me if you have become more supportive in the past few months, less supportive, or if your opinion on the issue has not changed. . . ."

		More	Less	Unchanged	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"Tougher regulations on Wall Street firms"
	7/9-12/10	45	15	38	2

	"The stimulus bill passed in 2009 designed to create new jobs"
	7/9-12/10	35	31	33	1

	"Federal money loaned to automotive companies to help them stay in business"
	7/9-12/10	17	48	35	-

Pew Research/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll, sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management. June 17-20, 2010. N=1,009 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"And, thinking about the loans the federal government provided to troubled banks and financial institutions, which statement comes closer to your view? The loans HELPED prevent a more severe economic crisis. OR, The loans did NOT help prevent a more severe economic crisis."

		Helped	Did not help	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/17-20/10	38	54	8
	4/21-26/10	42	49	8

USA Today/Gallup Poll. June 11-13, 2010. N=1,014 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Would you favor or oppose Congress passing new legislation this year that would do the following? How about expand government regulation of major financial institutions?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/11-13/10	55	41	4

Pew Research/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll, sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management. June 3-6, 2010. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"As you may know Congress is working on major legislation dealing with the regulation of banks and financial institutions. From what you have read and heard, do you generally favor or oppose the financial reform legislation being discussed in Congress?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/3-6/10	39	33	28

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. May 21-23, 2010. N=1,023 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"As you may know, Congress is considering legislation that would increase federal regulation over banks, Wall Street investors, and other financial institutions. Based on what you have read or heard about this, do you favor or oppose this legislation?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/21-23/10	60	38	2
	Democrats	72	26	2
	Independents	59	40	1
	Republicans	43	54	3

	3/19-21/10	53	43	4
	Democrats	68	27	5
	Independents	51	46	3
	Republicans	35	62	3

CBS News Poll. May 20-24, 2010. N=1,054 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think the financial institutions on Wall Street have too much influence, too little influence, or the right amount of influence on the Obama Administration?"

		Too much	Too little	Right amount	No influence (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/20-24/10	59	5	12	3	21

"When it comes to government regulation of banks and financial institutions, which comes closer to your opinion? The government should increase regulations on these institutions now to help prevent more financial crises from happening again in the future. OR, The government should not increase regulations on these institutions now, because that will discourage private investors and slow down economic growth."

		Should increase regulations	Should not increase regulations	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/20-24/10	53	37	10
	2/5-10/10	56	36	8

"Looking back, do you think the federal government should have provided financial help to U.S. homeowners who were having trouble repaying their mortgages or should the government not have done this?"

		Government should have helped	Government should not have helped	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/20-24/10	56	36	8

"Looking back, do you think the federal government should have provided financial help to U.S. automakers who were in financial trouble, or should these companies have been allowed to succeed or fail on their own?"

		Government should have helped	Government should not have helped	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/20-24/10	33	61	6

"Looking back, do you think the federal government should have provided financial help to U.S. banks and financial institutions who were in financial trouble, or should these companies have been allowed to succeed or fail on their own?"

		Government should have helped	Government should not have helped	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/20-24/10	27	67	6

Pew Research/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll, sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management. May 13-16, 2010. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Over the coming months, how important is it for Congress to act on each of the following? Is passing legislation to more strictly regulate financial institutions and markets very important, somewhat important, not too important or not at all important?"

		Very important	Somewhat important	Not too important	Not at all important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/13-16/10	54	28	7	6	5

"Thinking about financial regulation, what worries you more: that the government will go too far in regulating financial institutions and markets, making it harder for the economy to grow, OR, that the government will not go far enough in regulating financial institutions and markets, leaving the country at risk of another financial crisis?" Options rotated

		Will go too far	Will not go far enough	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/13-16/10	46	44	11

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). May 6-10, 2010. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"When it comes to the problems in the financial markets, do you think that [see below] is more concerned about the interests of average Americans or more concerned about the interests of large corporations?"

		Average Americans	Large corporations	Both equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	"President Obama"
	5/6-10/10	51	36	2	11

	"Republicans in Congress"
	5/6-10/10	20	71	2	7
	7/19-21/02	28	55	8	9

	"Democrats in Congress"
	5/6-10/10	35	53	2	10
	7/19-21/02	47	29	10	14

"Which of these statements comes closer to your point of view? Statement A: The stock market is a fair and open way to invest one's money, and there are rules that make it fair and equal for all. Statement B: Because of corporate corruption and broker practices, the stock market is no longer a fair and open way to invest one's money."

		Fair and open	No longer fair and open	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/6-10/10	35	58	7
	7/19-21/02	40	49	11

"Thinking about efforts in Congress to regulate financial markets and institutions, which would concern you more? Statement A: Not doing enough to protect consumers and rein in the excesses of Wall Street and their risky investment activities. Statement B: Going too far and limiting investment opportunities for investors and curbing the country's ability to compete in financial markets."

		Not doing enough	Going too far	Neither (vol.)	A little of both (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/6-10/10	55	38	1	1	5

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. May 4-5, 2010. N=900 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"I'm going to read you the names of several individuals and groups. Please tell me whether you have a generally favorable or unfavorable opinion of each one. If you've never heard of someone please just say so. Goldman Sachs."

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Can't say	Never heard of
		%	%	%	%
	5/4-5/10	7	55	15	23

"Which political party -- the Democrats or the Republicans -- do you think would do a better job on each of the following issues? Oversight of financial institutions."

		Democrats	Republicans	Equal (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/4-5/10	47	34	6	13

"Based on what you know, do you favor or oppose the federal government imposing new stricter controls and regulations on Wall Street and the financial services industry?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	69	20	11
	Democrats	82	10	9
	Republicans	55	33	11
	Independents	65	20	14

"Do you believe new laws regulating the financial industry will be effective and change things on Wall Street, or do financial executives have ways to get around regulations so it wouldn't make any difference?"

		Will be effective	Wouldn't make any difference	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/4-5/10	25	66	9

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. April 22-25, 2010. N=1,001 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling regulation of the financial industry?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/22-25/10	48	48	4

"Who do you trust to do a better job handling regulation of the financial industry: Obama or the Republicans in Congress?" Options rotated

		Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/22-25/10	52	35	1	11	2

"Do you support or oppose stricter federal regulations on the way banks and other financial institutions conduct their business?" Half sample (Form A)

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/22-25/10	65	31	4
	2/4-8/10	62	34	3
	2/19-22/09	76	22	2

"Do you support or oppose stricter federal regulations on the way Wall Street firms conduct their business?" Half sample (Form B)

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/22-25/10	63	29	8

"Please tell me whether you support or oppose each of these items. . . ."

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Having the federal government regulate the complex financial instruments known as derivatives"
	4/22-25/10	43	41	17

	"Requiring large banks and other financial companies to put money into a fund that would cover the cost of taking over and breaking up any large financial company that fails and threatens the broader economy"
	4/22-25/10	53	42	5

	"Increasing federal oversight of the way banks and other financial companies make consumer loans, such as mortgages and auto loans, and issue credit cards"
	4/22-25/10	59	38	2

Gallup Poll. April 17-18, 2010. N=1,024 adults nationwide, interviewed via Gallup Daily tracking. Margin of error ą 4.

"Do you favor or oppose Congress passing a law that would give the federal government new powers to regulate large banks and major financial institutions?" N=484, MoE ą 5

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/17-18/10	46	43	12

"Do you favor or oppose Congress passing a law that would give the federal government new powers to regulate Wall Street banks and Wall Street financial institutions?" N=540, MoE ą 5

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/17-18/10	50	36	15

"Whose views on handling this type of financial regulation do you trust more: the Democrats in Congress, or the Republicans in Congress?" Options rotated

		Democrats in Congress	Republicans in Congress	Neither (vol.)	Both equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/17-18/10	42	34	17	1	7

CBS News/New York Times Poll. April 5-12, 2010. N=1,580 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think providing government money to banks and other financial institutions was necessary to get the economy out of recession, or would the economy probably have improved without doing that?"

		Necessary	Probably improved without that	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/5-12/10	39	51	10

Bloomberg Poll conducted by Selzer & Co. March 19-22, 2010. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Thinking about the next couple of years, how likely do you think it is that there will be another financial crisis similar to the one that caused a near meltdown of the banking industry in the U.S. in 2008: very likely, fairly likely, just somewhat likely, or not likely?"

		Very likely	Fairly likely	Just somewhat likely	Not likely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/19-22/10	23	19	35	22	1

"When President Obama took office, he said he was determined to address the roots of the financial crisis so that another meltdown would not happen. Do you believe the government has taken enough action to fix what was wrong in the financial industry, has taken too little action, or do you think the government has gone too far and taken action that will be harmful down the road?"

		Enough action	Too little action	Gone too far	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/19-22/10	18	37	42	3

"What about the Wall Street banks themselves? Do you think banks have taken enough action to change what they do to avoid a future meltdown, have taken too little action, or do you think they've gone too far and made changes that will be harmful down the road?"

		Enough action	Too little action	Gone too far	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/19-22/10	12	58	23	7

"For each of the following major U.S. institutions, please tell me if your impression is very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable. If you don't know enough to give your feelings, just say so. . . ."

		Very favorable	Mostly favorable	Mostly unfavorable	Very unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Small business"
	3/19-22/10	33	46	6	3	12
	12/3-7/09	53	39	1	2	5

	"Banks"
	3/19-22/10	5	30	36	17	12

	"Insurance companies"
	3/19-22/10	4	24	35	25	12
	12/3-7/09	6	30	34	21	9

	"Wall Street"
	3/19-22/10	2	22	34	23	19

	"Corporate executives"
	3/19-22/10	2	18	34	31	15
	12/3-7/09	5	24	38	19	14

"Which of the following two statements best reflects your attitudes toward big financial companies and the role they play in this country? They have a vital function that enables the economy to grow. They enrich themselves at the expense of ordinary people and have a negative impact on the economy." Options rotated

		Vital function	Negative impact	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/19-22/10	40	56	4
	12/3-7/09	39	54	7

"Do you think individuals in Wall Street banks whose actions helped cause the financial crisis should be punished by the federal government by limiting their compensation or banning them from working in the industry, or do you think the banks are best able to address individual issues and government should not be dictating what happens at this level?"

		Punished by federal government	Government shouldn't be dictating	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/19-22/10	56	40	4

"Congress is considering a proposal to increase oversight of consumer credit, including mortgages and credit cards. To best serve consumers, do you think this should be a new, separate agency, with complete independence and its own authority to make rules for consumer credit, or would it be better to enhance the existing system to make sure bank regulators do more to protect consumers?"

		New, separate agency	Enhance existing system	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/19-22/10	24	69	7

"[Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as president?] ... Do you approve or disapprove of the job he is doing with addressing problems in the financial industry on Wall Street?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/19-22/10	36	55	9
	12/3-7/09	38	50	12

"Here are some topical issues for which I'd like to get your opinion. For each statement I read, please tell me if this is something with which you strongly agree, mostly agree, mostly disagree, or strongly disagree. . . ."

		Strongly agree	Mostly agree	Mostly disagree	Strongly disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

	"Government ought to do something about big executive bonuses"
	3/19-22/10	48	20	16	13	3

	"The government cares more about Wall Street than Main Street"
	3/19-22/10	33	32	21	7	7

"Critics of the Obama administration have used the word 'socialism' to talk about some proposed government programs. For each of the following government programs or policies, please tell me if you think it is definitely a form of socialism, sort of like socialism, or not socialism. . . ."

		Definitely socialism	Sort of like socialism	Not socialism	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"The government bailout of the auto industry last year"
	3/19-22/10	33	29	30	8

	"The government bailout of the banking industry last year"
	3/19-22/10	31	30	31	8

Pew Research Center. March 11-21, 2010. N=2,505 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.5.

"All in all, do you think it is a good idea or a bad idea for the government to more strictly regulate the way major financial companies do business?"

		Good idea	Bad idea	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/11-21/10	61	31	8
	Republicans	39	54	7
	Democrats	78	15	8
	Independents	63	30	7

	2/3-9/10	59	33	8
	9/30 - 10/4/09	54	38	8
	3/31 - 4/6/09	60	31	9

ABC News Poll. Feb. 26-March 2, 2010. N=1,005 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Overall, do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of banks and other financial institutions in this country?"

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	40	49	11

"Do you think banks and other financial institutions can or cannot be trusted to treat their customers fairly?"

		Can	Cannot	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	56	39	5

"Do you think banks and other financial institutions can or cannot be trusted to conduct their business responsibly?"

		Can	Cannot	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	56	38	6

"How much blame do you think banks and other financial institutions deserve for the country's economic situation? . . ."

		Great deal	Good amount	Only some	Hardly any	None (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	33	27	30	8	1

"Would you describe yourself as angry or not angry about the role banks and other financial institutions have played in the economic situation?"

		Angry	Not angry	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	55	44	1
	3/26-29/09	68	31	1

"Would you describe yourself as angry or not angry about large bonuses being paid to employees at companies that have accepted government loans?"

		Angry	Not angry	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	79	19	1
	3/26-29/09	81	18	1

"Do you think banks and other financial institutions have or have not done enough to make amends for their role in the financial crisis?"

		Have	Have not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	15	77	6

"As you may know, some banks and other financial institutions took government loans to avoid bankruptcy, and most now have repaid those loans with interest and are profitable again. Some people say it's unfair that the banks benefited from the bailout while many Americans still are struggling. Others say it's fair because returning the banks to profitability will help the broader economy in the long run. Which of these views comes closer to your own?"

		Fair	Unfair	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	48	47	5

"Do you think these banks and other financial institutions owe it to the country to try to help Americans who are struggling with the economy, or do you think it's not the responsibility of banks and financial institutions to do that?"

		Owe it to the country	Not their responsibility	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	69	26	5

"Do you think the banks should or should not simplify paperwork associated with credit cards and loans, even if it makes them less profitable?"

		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	83	13	4

"Do you think the banks should or should not cut interest rates for people with good credit records, even if it makes them less profitable?"

		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	84	12	4

"Do you think the banks should or should not halt home foreclosures until the economy improves, even if it makes them less profitable?"

		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/2/10	64	29	7

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Feb. 4-8, 2010. N=1,004 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"How confident are you that the federal government is putting measures into place that will make another financial crisis less likely in the future? Are you very confident of that, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?" Half sample

		Very confident	Somewhat confident	Not so confident	Not at all confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/4-8/10	4	43	28	24	-
	9/10-12/09	10	39	23	27	1

"How confident are you that financial institutions will change their business practices in a way that makes another financial crisis less likely in the future? Are you very confident of that, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?" Half sample

		Very confident	Somewhat confident	Not so confident	Not at all confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/4-8/10	3	36	35	24	1
	9/10-12/09	8	33	27	30	2

Gallup Poll. Jan. 26-27, 2010. Adults nationwide.

"Which of the following do you most agree with? The federal government should become more involved in regulating and controlling business. The federal government should become less involved in regulating and controlling business. OR, Things are about right the way they are." N=509, MoE ą 5

		More involved	Less involved	Things are about right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/26-27/10	24	50	23	4

"Which worries you more -- that there will be too much regulation of business by the government, or not enough regulation of business by the government?" N=463, MoE ą 6

		Too much	Not enough	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/26-27/10	57	37	6

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Jan. 22-24, 2010. N=1,009 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think Barack Obama has paid more attention to the problems faced by middle class Americans or the problems faced by banks and other financial institutions?"

		Middle class Americans	Banks, financial institutions	Both equal/ Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/22-24/10	28	60	11	2

"How important is it to you that the President and Congress deal with each of the following issues in the next year? Will it be extremely important, very important, moderately important, or not that important? Regulation on big banks." N=508 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5

		Extremely important	Very important	Moderately important	Not that important
		%	%	%	%
	1/22-24/10	30	34	25	11

"Do you favor or oppose new government regulations that would limit the size and activities of the country's largest banks?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/22-24/10	62	35	4

CBS News Poll. Jan. 14-17, 2010. N=1,090 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"In his first year in office, do you think Barack Obama has done too much for the nation's banks and financial institutions, too little, or has he done the right amount for the nation's banks and financial institutions?"

		Too much	Too little	Right amount	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/14-17/10	49	9	34	8

"How closely have you been following news about bonuses that some financial companies on Wall Street will be paying their executives this year: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely or not at all?"

		Very closely	Somewhat closely	Not too closely	Not at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/14-17/10	27	34	19	17	3

"Many large banks and financial companies that received bailout money from the government have paid the money back. Which best describes your feelings about these companies now paying their employees bonuses? Are you angry, bothered but not angry, or are you not bothered by this?"

		Angry	Bothered	Not bothered	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/14-17/10	37	33	28	2

"Do you think banks and financial companies paying bonuses to some of their employees is a major economic problem, a minor economic problem, or is it not a problem?"

		Major problem	Minor problem	Not a problem	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/14-17/10	45	33	18	4

"Who do you think has benefited from the money spent by the government to bail out banks and financial institutions: mostly just a few big investors and people who work on Wall Street, or homeowners and people throughout the country as well?"

		Big investors/ Wall Street	Homeowners and others	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/14-17/10	72	19	1	8

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Jan. 12-15, 2010. N=1,083 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"How much blame do you think banks and other financial institutions, for taking unnecessary risks, deserve for the country's economic situation: a great deal, a good amount, only some or hardly any?"

		A great deal	A good amount	Only some	Hardly any	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/12-15/10	58	21	14	6	1
	3/26-29/09	56	24	15	4	1

"As you may know, several banks that received rescue loans from the government have now paid back those loans. Do you think the federal government should try to limit the size of the bonuses these banks can pay to their top employees, or do you think the government should stay out of it now that its loans have been repaid?"

		Limit	Stay out	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/12-15/10	50	49	1

"Would you support or oppose a special tax on bonuses over one million dollars?" Half sample

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/12-15/10	73	26	2

"Would you support or oppose higher taxes targeted at banks that do a lot of trading in the stock mark?" Half sample

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/12-15/10	48	44	8

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Dec. 16-20, 2009. N=1,160 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Do you think big financial institutions such as major banks and insurance companies do or do not have too much influence over decisions made by the Obama administration?"

		Do	Do not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/16-20/09	61	36	3
	4/23-26/09	58	37	5

"In general, do you think there is too much, too little, or about the right amount of government regulation of business and industry?" N=507 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5

		Too much	Too little	About right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/16-20/09	50	30	18	2
	12/19-21/08	39	39	20	2
	9/19-21/08	38	42	19	2

"In general, do you think there is too much, too little, or about the right amount of government regulation of the stock market and financial institutions?" N=504 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5

		Too much	Too little	About right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/16-20/09	29	45	23	3
	12/19-21/08	22	59	18	1
	9/19-21/08	26	50	21	3

Bloomberg Poll conducted by Selzer & Co. Dec. 3-7, 2009. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"A year from now, do you think the condition of U.S. banks will be in worse shape than today, in the same shape as today, improved but with some problems, or back to full health?"

		Worse shape	Same shape	Improved	Back to full health	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/3-7/09	15	23	54	6	2

"Banks that received government aid during the financial crisis are now preparing to pay bonuses to top performers because banks are now profitable again. Do you approve or disapprove of banks paying bonuses this year?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/3-7/09	23	75	2

"For each of the following major U.S. institutions, please tell me if your impression is very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable. If you don't know enough to give your feelings, just say so. . . ."

		Very favorable	Mostly favorable	Mostly unfavorable	Very unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Wall Street executives"
	12/3-7/09	3	15	37	29	16

"With the benefit of hindsight, do you think last year's government intervention to give money to big banks and investment firms was a good idea or bad idea?"

		A good idea	A bad idea	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/3-7/09	32	64	4

"Do you think President Obama is too pro-business, too anti-business, or has about the right balance?"

		Too pro- business	Too anti- business	About right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/3-7/09	13	26	52	9

"To avoid any more taxpayer bailouts, which of the following do you think is the better course: break up large banks, impose stricter regulation of large banks, or allow large banks to fail?" Options rotated

		Break up	Stricter regulation	Allow to fail	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/3-7/09	10	52	31	7

Time Poll conducted by Abt SRBI. Oct. 26-27, 2009. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"How closely are you following the news about the financial problems on Wall Street and the Obama administration's proposals to address these problems: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all?"

		Very closely	Somewhat closely	Not too closely	Not at all
		%	%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	33	45	16	5

"How good a job would you say the following are doing in taking steps to avoid another financial crisis in the future like the one we've had in the past year? [See below.] Would you say that they're doing an excellent job, a good job, only fair, or poor job?"

		Excellent	Good	Only fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"President Obama"
	10/26-27/09	11	31	29	26	3

	"Democrats in Congress"
	10/26-27/09	3	19	42	31	5

	"Republicans in Congress"
	10/26-27/09	1	12	46	36	5

	"Major banks and other Wall Street financial institutions"
	10/26-27/09	1	6	38	50	5

	"Federal government regulators"
	10/26-27/09	1	13	43	35	8

	"The Federal Reserve Board"
	10/26-27/09	2	18	42	23	15

	"The American people"
	10/26-27/09	3	28	47	15	7

"As you may know, the federal government invested billions of dollars to rescue the major financial institutions. Looking back, do you think this was the right thing or the wrong thing for the government to do?"

		Right thing	Wrong thing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	37	55	7

"Do you think that Wall Street has had too much influence over the government's economic recovery policies, about the right amount of influence, or too little influence?"

		Too much	About right	Too little	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	58	21	13	8

"Now that many banks and financial institutions are recovering with the government's help, how much has this recovery helped people like yourself: a great deal, some, not much, or not at all?"

		A great deal	Some	Not much	Not at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	3	19	31	45	1

"Do you think that government policies since the financial crisis have favored Wall Street financial institutions over the needs of people like yourself, or did the government just do what was necessary to avoid a bigger crisis?"

		Favored Wall Street	Did what was necessary	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	32	60	2	6

"Do you think that the government has done enough to help people like yourself during this economic downturn, too much, or does the government need to do more to help people like yourself?"

		Has done enough	Has done too much	Needs to do more	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	22	10	62	6

"As a result of the recent financial crisis, do you think that the large Wall Street financial institutions learned from their mistakes and will change the way they do business, or, do you think things will return to business as usual now that Wall Street has started to recover?"

		Change	Business as usual	Depends/ Mixed (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	18	75	3	4

"How concerned are you that the United States could suffer another financial crisis in the next few years as a result of Wall Street firms taking too much risk: very concerned, somewhat concerned, not very concerned, or not at all concerned?"

		Very concerned	Somewhat concerned	Not very concerned	Not at all concerned	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	44	41	9	5	1

"Do you think there should be more government regulation of Wall Street than we've had in the past, less regulation, or about the same amount of regulation as now?"

		More	Less	Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	59	13	23	5

"Do you think that executives at the large Wall Street financial institutions today are paid fairly for the work they do, paid somewhat higher than they should be paid, or is their pay completely out of line with what they do?"

		Fairly	Somewhat higher	Completely out of line	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	10	22	63	5

"Last week the government ordered pay cuts and changes in the way bonuses are paid to top executives at the seven financial companies that received the most government assistance. Do you favor or oppose the federal government putting limits on salaries and other compensation paid to these executives? ... Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?"

		Favor strongly	Favor somewhat	Oppose somewhat	Oppose strongly	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	53	18	11	14	4

"Some people say that if the government limits pay and bonuses at these Wall Street firms, it will hurt their ability to retain and attract the most talented employees that these companies need to recover and pay back the billions of dollars they owe to the federal government. Others disagree and say that the government needs to change the way Wall Street operates. All in all, should the government force pay cuts and other changes in compensation for the top executives of these institutions or not?"

		Should force pay cuts	Should not	Depends/ Other (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	67	26	3	4

"Several banks rescued by the government which have now paid back the government's rescue loans are paying record bonuses to employees. Should the government allow these banks to pay these record bonuses, or should the government strictly limit pay and bonuses at all banks which the government rescued, regardless of whether or not they've paid back the government?"

		Allow record bonuses	Strictly limit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	31	62	7

"Should the government reduce these executive bonuses by putting special higher taxes on them, or not?"

		Put higher taxes on them	Not put higher taxes on them	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	49	45	7

"The government paid billions of dollars to rescue financial companies that the government believed were too big to fail -- that is, if they failed, the entire financial system might collapse. Should the government have the power to break up banks and financial companies that it believes are too big to fail, or should the government not interfere with privately owned businesses?"

		Should have the power	Should not interfere	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	36	57	8

"If the government had allowed these banks to fail, do you think you personally would have suffered from these bank failures, or not?"

		Would have suffered	Would not have suffered	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/26-27/09	54	40	7

Business issues continued

HOME | TABLE OF CONTENTS | SEARCH THE SITECopyright Š 2018 POLLING REPORT, INC., and polling/sponsoring organizations