Business News (3)

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Business Issues in the News (p. 3)

Polls listed chronologically. Data are from nationwide surveys of Americans 18 & older.

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 30, 2008. N=1,021 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"As you may know, the House of Representatives on Monday voted against a proposed 700-billion dollar bill to deal with the current financial crisis. What do you think Congress should do now: pass a bill similar to the one that was defeated, start over and come up with a new plan, or not pass any bill addressing this matter?" Options rotated
						.
		Pass a Similar Bill	Come Up With A New Plan	Not Pass Any Bill	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/30/08	20	57	14	10
						.
"Next, please say whether you strongly approve, approve, disapprove or strongly disapprove of the way each of the following handled their role in the efforts to pass that bill. . . ."
						.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	"Senator Barack Obama"
	9/30/08	51	32	17
						.
	"Members of Congress who voted against the bill"
	9/30/08	47	37	16
						.
	"Senator John McCain"
	9/30/08	42	41	16
						.
	"The Democratic leaders in Congress"
	9/30/08	40	43	16
						.
	"The Republican leaders in Congress"
	9/30/08	38	45	18
						.
	"President George W. Bush"
	9/30/08	31	57	12
						.
"What do you think will happen to the U.S. economy if Congress DOES NOT pass legislation to address the financial events of the last two weeks? It will go into an economic depression. It will go into a severe and prolonged recession. It will have major problems, but will not go into a severe and prolonged recession. OR, It will have no major problems." Options rotated
						.
		Depression	Prolonged Recession	Major Problems	No Major Problems	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/30/08	22	34	31	5	8

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Sept. 29, 2008. N=424 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 5.
						.
"In terms of its potential impact on the broader economy, do you think the country's current financial situation is a crisis, a serious problem but not a crisis, a problem but not a serious one, or not much of a problem at all?"
						.
		Crisis	Serious Problem	Problem, But Not Serious	Not a Problem	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/29/08	52	43	4	-	1
						.
"The government has proposed using up to 700 billion dollars to shore up failing financial institutions on Wall Street. Some people say it's a bailout that those companies don't deserve. Other people say it's necessary to protect the broader economy. On balance, do you support or oppose this plan?" If support or oppose" "Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?" Options rotated
						.
		Strongly Support	Somewhat Support	Somewhat Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/29/08	17	28	20	27	8
						.
"How confident are you that the federal government's efforts will prevent the country's current financial situation from getting worse: very confident, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?"
						.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not So Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/29/08	6	45	32	15	2
						.
"Who do you think deserves the most blame for the current financial situation?" Open-ended
						.
				%
	President Bush			25
	Wall Street financial institutions/banks			18
	Federal government/government in Washington			8
	Congress			8
	All/everyone/many different parties			7
	Democrats			5
	Republicans			5
	People/homeowners who borrowed too much			5
	Greed			4
	Bill Clinton/Clinton administration			2
	Other			7
	Unsure			6
						.
"As you may know, Congress today rejected the government's plan, and the stock market lost nearly 800 points. How concerned are you that today's vote in Congress could lead to a more severe economic decline in this country: very concerned, somewhat concerned, not so concerned or not concerned at all?"
						.
		Very Concerned	Somewhat Concerned	Not So Concerned	Not at All Concerned	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/29/08	51	37	8	4	1
						.
"Who do you think is mainly responsible for the rejection of the plan in Congress: the Democrats in Congress or the Republicans in Congress?" Options rotated
						.
		Republicans	Democrats	Both Equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/29/08	44	21	17	5	13
						.
"Do you think the plan rejected by Congress today did too much, too little, or about the right amount to [see below]?"
						.
		Too Much	Too Little	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	"Help major financial institutions that got into trouble"
	9/29/08	34	28	27	11
						.
	"Help the U.S. economy"
	9/29/08	12	49	27	12
						.
	"Help ordinary Americans"
	9/29/08	5	61	22	12

Pew Research Center survey. Sept. 27-29, 2008. N=1,505 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
						.
"Which candidate do you think could best address the current problems involving investment banks and companies with ties to the housing market: Barack Obama or John McCain?" Options rotated. N=1,258 registered voters.
						.
		Obama	McCain	Neither (vol.)	Both/ Either (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/08	46	33	7	3	11
						.
"How much thought have you given to the debate in Washington over how to respond to recent problems in the financial markets . . . ?"
						.
		A Lot	A Little	None at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/08	54	33	10	3
						.
"As you may know, the government is potentially investing billions to try to keep financial institutions and markets secure. Do you think this is the right thing or the wrong thing for the government to be doing?" N=760 (Form 1)
						.
		Right Thing	Wrong Thing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/27-29/08	44	39	17
						.
"As you may know, the government is potentially committing billions to try to keep financial institutions and markets secure. Do you think this is the right thing or the wrong thing for the government to be doing?" N=745 (Form 2)
						.
		Right Thing	Wrong Thing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/27-29/08	45	38	17
						.
"What is your opinion of how Congress is responding to the recent problems in the financial markets, do you think they are taking too much time debating the issue, being too hasty, or are they giving it the right amount of consideration?" Options rotated
						.
		Too Much Time	Too Hasty	Right Amount	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/27-29/08	32	22	37	9
						.
"As I read some statements about the current financial situation, please tell me how concerned, if at all, you are about each. Are very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned, or not at all concerned that [see below]?"
						.
		Very Concerned	Somewhat Concerned	Not Too Concerned	Not at All Concerned	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
						.
	"The government is becoming too involved in financial markets"
	9/27-29/08	44	33	12	7	4
						.
	"Those who are responsible for causing the crisis will be let off the hook"
	9/27-29/08	72	17	5	3	3
						.
	"The government's actions wont fix the things that caused this problem in the first place"
	9/27-29/08	63	27	5	2	3
						.
	"The government's actions wont do enough to help homeowners in danger of losing their homes"
	9/27-29/08	54	27	9	6	4

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 26-27, 2008. N=1,011 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"In considering the financial difficulties of Wall Street institutions, do you feel that it is a bad situation, but the worst is behind us, or do you think the problem may get worse in the future?"
					.
		Worst Behind Us	May Get Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/26-27/08	23	73	4
					.
"Next, please say whether you approve or disapprove of the way each of the following has responded to the problems on Wall Street. . . ."
					.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	"Senator Barack Obama"
	9/26-27/08	46	43	11
					.
	"The Democratic leaders in Congress"
	9/26-27/08	39	50	11
					.
	"Senator John McCain"
	9/26-27/08	37	53	10
					.
	"The Republican leaders in Congress"
	9/26-27/08	31	58	11
					.
	"Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson"
	9/26-27/08	28	51	21
					.
	"President George W. Bush"
	9/26-27/08	28	68	5
					.
"Just your best guess, do you think your federal income taxes will or will not be increased as part of a government solution to deal with the problems on Wall Street?"
					.
		Will Be Increased	Will Not Be Increased	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/26-27/08	72	23	6

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 24, 2008. N=1,019 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"How closely are you following the news about the financial problems on Wall Street and the Bush administration's proposals to address the problems: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all?"
						.
		Very Closely	Somewhat Closely	Not Too Closely	Not at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/24/08	43	37	13	7	1
						.
"Which of the following would you say best describes the current situation: the biggest financial crisis in your lifetime, a crisis but not the worst in your lifetime, a major problem but not a crisis, or not a major problem?"
						.
		Biggest Crisis In Lifetime	A Crisis, Not Worst	Major Problem, Not a Crisis	Not a Major Problem	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/24/08	40	24	22	10	4
						.
"As you may know, the Bush administration has proposed a plan that would allow the Treasury Department to buy and re-sell up to $700 billion of distressed assets from financial companies. What would you like to see Congress do: pass a plan similar to what the Bush administration has proposed, take action but pass something different from what the Bush administration has proposed, or not take any action on this matter?" Options rotated
						.
		Similar to Bush Proposal	Different From Bush Proposal	Not Take Any Action	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/24/08	22	56	11	11
						.
"How important is it to you that any government plan to deal with the financial problems set limits on compensation for executives at corporations that participate in the plan? Is that very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not important at all?" Options rotated
						.
		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Too Important	Not Important At All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/24/08	63	18	9	7	3
						.
"How important is it to you that any government plan to deal with the financial problems include provisions to help homeowners who cannot pay their mortgages? Is that very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not important at all?" Options rotated
						.
		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Too Important	Not Important At All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/24/08	49	31	10	9	2
						.
"Suppose Congress takes no action on this issue. Over the next few years, do you think the U.S. economy would get better, not be affected much, or get worse?"
						.
		Get Better	Not Be Affected Much	Get Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/24/08	12	8	74	6

CBS News/New York Time Poll. Sept. 21-24, 2008. N=936 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
						.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the federal government's plan to provide money to financial institutions to help them get out of their financial crisis?"
						.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	42	46	12
						.
"Congress is working on a plan that some people in the government say is necessary in order to keep the nation's economy from worsening further. The plan would include providing $700 billion of government funds to financial service companies who have lost money on extensive bad investments and are in danger of going bankrupt. Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea, or don't you know enough about it to say?" Sept. 22-24, 2008; N=561
						.
		Good Idea	Bad Idea	Don't Know Enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	16	38	42	4
						.
"Do you think the federal government should provide financial help to home owners who are having trouble repaying their mortgages because their rates went up or shouldn't the federal government do this?" Sept. 22-24, 2008; N=561
						.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	58	34	8
						.
"What do you think is mainly responsible for the problems in the investment banking industry: bad management by those who run investment banks, or a lack of close supervision by the government?"
						.
		Bad Management	Lack of Supervision	Both (vol.)	Something Else (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/21-24/08	46	27	17	3	7

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Sept. 19-22, 2008. N=1,082 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the steps the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department have taken to try to deal with the current situation involving the stock market and major financial institutions?"
					.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-22/08	44	42	14

Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll. Sept. 19-22, 2008. N=1,428 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"As you may know, some big investment banks and mortgage companies, such as Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and American Insurance Group -- known as AIG -- have collapsed or gone into bankruptcy and many Americans face financial crisis. Who or what do you think is primarily responsible for this financial crisis: the Bush Administration, or Wall Street financial institutions, or Congress, or is there another group or thing that you think is primarily responsible?"
.
		Wall Street Institutions	Bush Administration	Congress	Other	All (vol.)	No One (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%	%
	9/19-22/08	32	26	11	7	12	12
						.
"Some people are saying that lack of regulation is partly responsible for the current financial and housing crisis. Do you agree or disagree with that?"
.
		Agree	Disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-22/08	62	24	14
						.
"Do you think the government should use taxpayers' dollars to rescue ailing private financial firms whose collapse could have adverse effects on the economy and market, or is it not the government's responsibility to bail out private companies with taxpayers' dollars?"
.
		Use Taxpayers' Dollars	Not Government's Responsibility	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-22/08	31	55	14
						.
"Do you think the government should use taxpayers' dollars to provide loans to help ailing automakers, such as General Motors, or not?"
.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-22/08	25	64	11

Pew Research Center survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation. Sept. 19-22, 2008. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
						.
"Based on what you have read and heard, do you think that the government is doing an excellent, good, only fair or poor job handling the financial problems on Wall Street?"
						.
		Excellent	Good	Only Fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/19-22/08	2	17	44	33	4
						.
"As you may know, the government is potentially investing billions to try and keep financial institutions and markets secure. Do you think this is the right thing or the wrong thing for the government to be doing?"
						.
		Right Thing	Wrong Thing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-22/08	57	30	13

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Sept. 19-21, 2008. N=1,020 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
						.
"Do you think that the nation's economy is or is not fundamentally sound?"
						.
		Is Sound	Is Not Sound	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-21/08	32	66	1
						.
"Would you say the problems currently facing financial institutions and the stock market make you feel scared, or do you feel concerned but not scared, or are you not concerned by those events?" N=518, MoE ą 4.5 (Form B)
						.
		Scared	Concerned, Not Scared	Not Concerned	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-21/08	22	66	11	1
						.
"Overall, do you think the federal government should step in and try to address these problems, or should the federal government stay out and let the financial markets and the economy try to recover on their own?"
						.
		Step In	Stay Out	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-21/08	62	37	1
						.
"As you may know, the federal government has already provided millions of dollars in assistance to several large financial institutions that were likely to collapse without the government's action. Do you favor or oppose that action?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-21/08	55	44	2
						.
"In addition, Congress and the Bush administration are talking about taking additional steps to address the country's financial problems. Just your best guess -- if Congress and the Bush administration agree on some new programs, do you think those programs would treat U.S. taxpayers fairly or unfairly?"
						.
		Fairly	Unfairly	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-21/08	34	65	1
						.
"And do you think those new programs would help the U.S. economy, or not?"
						.
		Help	Not Help	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-21/08	55	42	3

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 17, 2008. N=1,056 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Do you think the federal government should or should not significantly increase its regulation of Wall Street?"
						.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/17/08	59	31	10
						.
"As you may know, the Federal Reserve will loan up to $85 billion to the giant insurance company American International Group, also known as AIG, which will put the federal government in control of the company. How closely have you been following the news about this: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely or not at all?"
						.
		Very Closely	Somewhat Closely	Not Too Closely	Not at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/17/08	30	37	18	15	1
						.
"Do you favor or oppose the Federal Reserve's decision to make the loan to AIG?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/17/08	40	42	18

Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll. June 7-10, 2007. N=1,183 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"In general, do you think most CEO's of large American companies are compensated too much, too little, or just about the right amount?"
						.
		Too Much	Too Little	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/7-10/07	81	1	14	4
						.
"Do you think CEO's of American companies are always ethical, mostly ethical, not too ethical, or not ethical at all in their business practices?"
						.
		Always Ethical	Mostly Ethical	Not Too Ethical	Not Ethical At All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/7-10/07	0	33	44	18	6

Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll. Sept. 16-19, 2006. N=1,517 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"As you may know, Wal-Mart is a nationwide chain store that offers discounted household items, clothing, and food items. It is also the largest employer in the country. Critics of the company say Wal-Mart hurts the U.S. economy by paying employees too little in wages and not providing enough health care and other benefits. Supporters of the company say Wal-Mart helps the U.S. economy by saving consumers money because they keep prices very low, and by giving them more affordable choices. On balance, do you think Wal-Mart is good or bad for the U.S. economy, or don't you think Wal-Mart affects the economy one way or the other, or haven't you heard enough about it to say?" Options rotated
						.
		Good	Bad	No Effect	Haven't Heard	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/16-19/06	38	31	12	15	4

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). July 21-24, 2006. N=1,010 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
						.
"Recently there has been talk of foreign automakers Nissan and Renault buying a twenty-percent stake in General Motors. What is your general reaction to this idea? Would you favor it, oppose it, or would it not make a difference to you either way?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	No Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/21-24/06	21	24	50	5

Los Angeles Times Poll. March 27-30, 2004. N=1,616 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"How much of the time do you think you can trust the executives in charge of major companies in this country to do what is right -- just about always, most of the time, only some of the time, or hardly ever?"
						.
		Always	Most of The Time	Only Some Of the Time	Hardly Ever	Don't Know
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/04	1	22	52	23	2
						.
"Which of the following statements comes closer to your view? Cases of wrongdoing among chief executives of major corporations represent a problem of a few corrupt individuals in a system that is mostly honest and above board. OR, Cases of wrongdoing among chief executives of major corporations is a widespread problem in which many business executives are taking advantage of a system that is failing." Statements rotated
						.
		Few Individuals	Widespread	Don't Know
		%	%	%
	3/04	40	50	10
						.
"Over the past few years there have been scandals in major corporations such as Enron and WorldCom, and in the mutual funds industry. As a result of these problems, many corporations have been putting more safeguards in place to prevent it from happening again. Generally speaking, have these corporate scandals changed the way you feel about how major corporations are run in this country today, or have your feelings not changed one way or the other?" If have changed: "Have your feelings changed for the better so that you are now more trusting of the way major corporations are run, or have your feelings changed for the worse so that you are now less trusting of how major corporations are run?"
						.
		More Trusting	Less Trusting	No Change	Don't Know
		%	%	%	%
	3/04	8	43	46	3
						.
"Have corporate scandals in this country made you more willing or less willing to invest in the stock market, or have corporate scandals not played a role in your investing in the stock market one way or the other?"
						.
		More Willing	Less Willing	Not Played A Role	Don't Invest In Market (vol.)	Don't Know
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/04	6	37	31	23	3

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. July 26-28, 2002. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (total sample).
						.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling the issue of corporate corruption?"
		Approve	Disapprove	No Opinion
		%	%	%
	7/26-28/02	41	44	15

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling the issue of corporate corruption?"
		Approve	Disapprove	No Opinion
		%	%	%
	7/26-28/02	42	40	18

"Do you think the Democrats in Congress [rotate:] are more interested in protecting the interests of ordinary Americans OR are they more interested in protecting the interests of large corporations?" Form A (N=496 adults, MoE ą 5)
		Ordinary Americans	Large Corporations	No Opinion
		%	%	%
	7/26-28/02	50	36	14
	6/28-30/02	55	36	9

"Do you think the Republicans in Congress [rotate:] are more interested in protecting the interests of ordinary Americans OR are they more interested in protecting the interests of large corporations?" Form A (N=496 adults, MoE ą 5)
		Ordinary Americans	Large Corporations	No Opinion
		%	%	%
	7/26-28/02	25	65	10
	6/28-30/02	30	62	8
							.
"Do you think George W. Bush [rotate:] is more interested in protecting the interests of ordinary Americans, OR is he more interested in protecting the interests of large corporations?" Form B (N=508, MoE ą 5)
		Ordinary Americans	Large Corporations	No Opinion
		%	%	%
	7/26-28/02	41	48	11
	7/5-8/02	47	46	7
	6/28-30/02	53	41	6

"Do you think George W. Bush is or is not doing enough to deal with the problem of corporate corruption?"
		Is	Is Not	Doing Too Much (vol.)	No Opinion
		%	%	%	%
	7/26-28/02	42	51	1	6

"From what you have heard or read about Bush's activities at Harken Energy Corporation, which of the following statements best describes your view of his actions in this matter: he did something illegal, he did something unethical but nothing illegal, or he did not do anything seriously wrong?" Form A (N=496 adults, MoE ą 5)
		Illegal	Unethical	Nothing Seriously Wrong	No Opinion
		%	%	%	%
	7/26-28/02	7	32	33	28
	7/9-11/02	10	29	31	30

"From what you have heard or read about Dick Cheney's activities at the Halliburton Company, which of the following statements best describes your view of his actions in this matter: [rotate] he did something illegal, he did something unethical but nothing illegal, or he did not do anything seriously wrong?" Form B (N=508 adults, MoE ą 5)
		Illegal	Unethical	Nothing Seriously Wrong	No Opinion
		%	%	%	%
	7/26-28/02	13	31	23	33

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Robert Teeter (R). July 19-21, 2002. N=1,014 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1 (total sample).
						.
"As far as people in charge of running major companies are concerned, would you say that you have a great deal of confidence, only some confidence, or hardly any confidence at all in them?"
						.
			%
	A great deal of confidence		5
	Only some confidence		59
	Hardly any at all		34
	Not sure		2
						.
"Which is your view of government regulations: most are necessary and protect consumers or the environment, or most are unnecessary and harm the economy?" Half sample (Form B)
						.
			7/02	1/95
			%	%
	Most are necessary		52	40
	Most are unnecessary		30	47
	Some of both (vol.)		13	6
	Not sure		5	7
						.
"When it comes to dealing with the problems of the financial markets and major corporations, which do you think is the greatest danger: that regulators will go too far and impose restrictions on business that will hinder the economy, OR that they will not go far enough toward raising the standards of accountability and restoring confidence in the markets and U.S. corporations?" Half sample (Form B)
			%
	Will go too far		36
	Will not go far enough		59
	Not sure		5
						.
"Which of the following comes closest to your point of view: what happened at Enron and WorldCom is representative of problems at most American companies, at many American companies, at just some American companies, or at very few American companies?" Half sample (Form A)
						.
		Most	Many	Just Some	Very Few	Not Sure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/02	10	21	48	18	3
	6/02	9	24	42	15	10
	4/02	9	18	41	28	4
						.
"Do you think that the current cases of wrongdoing among chief executives of major businesses represent a problem of a few corrupt individuals in a system that is mostly honest and above board, OR a widespread problem in which many business executives are taking advantage of a system that is failing?"
						.
			%
	A few corrupt individuals		33
	A widespread problem		61
	Depends (vol.)		4
	Not sure		2

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. July 18-19, 2002. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush has responded to the recent business scandals, including Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, and others?"
		Approve	Disap- prove	Don't Know
		%	%	%
	ALL	46	39	15
	Republicans	69	17	14
	Democrats	30	58	12
	Independents	44	40	16
						.
	7/11-12/02	51	32	17
						.
"From what you've seen or heard about President Bush's corporate reform proposals to deal with the problems of accounting fraud and other wrongdoing by business executives, do you think his proposals are tougher than they need to be, not tough enough, or about right?"
			7/18-19	7/11-12
			%	%
	Tougher than necessary		2	3
	Not tough enough		50	47
	About right		36	34
	Don't know		12	16
						.
"How much of the blame, if any, do you think each of the following deserves for recent corporate scandals like Enron, WorldCom and Tyco? What about [see below]? Does this deserve a lot of the blame, some, only a little, or none of the blame for the recent corporate scandals?"
			A Lot	Some	Only a Little	None	Don't Know
			%	%	%	%	%
	Corporate executives		69	18	5	2	6
						.
	Corporate boards of directors
			59	25	7	3	6
						.
	Accounting firms		49	29	8	6	8
						.
	A decline in moral and ethical standards in society
			39	27	15	11	8
						.
	Government agencies that regulate U.S. business and finance
			35	38	12	7	8
						.
	Wall Street investment and brokerage firms
			33	33	13	10	11
						.
	Former President Clinton and his Administration
			25	29	19	20	7
						.
	The U.S. Congress		20	38	20	15	7
						.
	President Bush and his Administration
			18	29	21	25	7
						.
"We're interested in who you trust more to handle some different issues and problems, President Bush or Democrats in Congress. Who do you trust more to handle accounting fraud and other corporate wrongdoing: President Bush or Democrats in Congress?"
			%
	President Bush		36
	Democrats in Congress		42
	Same (vol.)		4
	Neither (vol.)		10
	Don't know		8
						.
"As you may know, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are both former business executives who still have close ties to business leaders. Which ONE of the following statements comes closer to your own views on how their past business experience and connections affects their handling of the recent corporate scandals? [Rotate:] It makes them better able to deal with the scandals and develop policies to reduce corporate wrongdoing. It makes them less likely to propose and support the kinds of policies needed to deal with the scandals and reduce corporate wrongdoing."
				7/18-19	7/11-12
				%	%
	Better able to deal with scandals			50	51
	Less likely to support needed policies			42	38
	Don't know			8	11
						.
"From what you've seen or heard about George W. Bush's purchase and sale of company stock when he was an executive at Harken Energy Corporation in Midland, Texas, do you think Bush took advantage of the system for personal financial gain, or not?"
			%
	Did take advantage		49
	Did not		32
	Don't know		19
						.
"Do you think Bush is knowingly covering up information about his stock transactions that could be damaging to his reputation, or not?"
			%
	Is covering up		42
	Is not		42
	Don't know		16
						.
"Now I'd like you to think about the accounting practices of Halliburton Corporation, where Vice President Dick Cheney once served as chief executive. From what you've seen or heard, do you think Halliburton executives took advantage of the system for personal financial gain, or not?"
			%
	Did take advantage		50
	Did not		21
	Don't know		29
						.
"Do you think Cheney is knowingly covering up information about what happened at Halliburton Corporation that could be damaging to his reputation, or not?"
			%
	Is covering up		47
	Is not		30
	Don't know		23

*ABC News/Washington* Post Poll**. July 11-15, 2002. N=1,512 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.5. Field work by TNS Intersearch.
						.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling the issue of financial fraud and accounting irregularities by large business corporations?"
		Approve	Disap- prove	No Opinion
		%	%	%
	7/02	49	43	7
						.
"Overall, how much trust do you have in the honesty of executives of large business corporations: a great deal, a good amount, just some or very little?"
		Great Deal	Good Amount	Just Some	Very Little	None (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/02	2	9	35	48	5
						.
"Do you think there should be new laws regulating the way companies account for their financial condition, or better enforcement of existing laws, or is the current situation OK?"
				7/02	6/02	1/02
				%	%	%
	Should be new laws			37	29	30
	Better enforcement			48	53	56
	Current situation OK			9	9	8
	New laws and better enforcement (vol.)			5	4	3
	No opinion			2	5	3
						.
"Who do you trust more to handle the issue of financial fraud and accounting irregularities by large business corporations: Bush or the Democrats in Congress?"
		%
	Bush	42
	Democrats	44
	Both (vol.)	3
	Neither (vol.)	7
	No opinion	4
						.
"Do you think the steps Bush has proposed to reduce corporate financial wrongdoing in this country are too tough, not tough enough, or about right?"
		%
	Too tough	1
	Not tough enough	54
	About right	38
	No opinion	7
						.
"Which political party, the Democrats or the Republicans, do you trust to do a better job handling the issue of financial fraud and accounting irregularities by large business corporations?"
		%
	Democrats	47
	Republicans	37
	Both (vol.)	6
	Neither (vol.)	4
	No opinion	6
						.
"Do you think Bush cares more about protecting the interests of ordinary working people or cares more about protecting the interests of large business corporations?"
		Working People	Large Corpora- tions	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	No Opinion
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/02	37	50	8	1	4
	4/01	28	60	5	1	5
	3/01	31	61	3	1	4
						.
"Do you think the Democrats in Congress care more about protecting the interests of ordinary working people or care more about protecting the interests of large business corporations? ... Do you think the Republicans in Congress care more about protecting the interests of ordinary working people or care more about protecting the interests of large business corporations?"
		Working People	Large Corpora- tions	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	No Opinion
		%	%	%	%	%
	The Democrats	49	37	4	5	6
	The Republicans	27	60	5	1	6

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. July 11-12, 2002. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
				.
"In general, who do you think has the better approach to dealing with accounting fraud and other wrongdoing by business executives: [rotate] President Bush or Democratic Party leaders in Congress?"
.
		%
	President Bush	38
	Democrats in Congress	31
	Both equally/Same (vol.)	8
	Neither (vol.)	8
	Don't know	15
				.
"As you may know, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are both former business executives who still have close ties to business leaders. Which ONE of the following statements comes closer to your own views on how their past business experience and connections affects their handling of the recent corporate scandals? [Rotate:] It makes them better able to deal with the scandals and develop policies to reduce corporate wrongdoing. It makes them less likely to propose and support the kinds of policies needed to deal with the scandals and reduce corporate wrongdoing."
.
			%
	Better able to deal with scandals		51
	Less likely to support needed policies		38
	Don't know		11
				.
"From what you've seen, heard, or read, do you think [see below] behaved responsibly when he served as a corporate executive and board member, or not?"
.
		George W. Bush	Dick Cheney
		%	%
	Behaved responsibly	50	35
	Did not	23	27
	Don't know	27	38

CBS News Poll. July 8-9, 2002. N=685 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4 (total sample).
					.
		ALL	Republicans	Democrats	Independents
		%	%	%	%

"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	30	36	25	28
	Too little	37	21	44	42
	Right amount	24	32	23	19
	Depends (vol.)	2	1	1	2
	Don't know	7	10	7	9
					.
"How much confidence do you have in big business: a great deal, quite a lot, some, or very little?" Half sample (Form A)

	A great deal	6	10	8	3
	Quite a bit	10	14	6	11
	Some	47	56	43	44
	Very little	35	20	40	42
	Don't know	2	0	3	0
					.
"Do you think big business has too much influence, too little influence, or the right amount of influence on the Bush Administration?"

	Too much	58	39	74	58
	Too little	8	5	6	11
	Right amount	22	42	11	18
	No influence (vol.)	3	2	2	4
	Don't know	9	12	7	9
					.
"Do you think most American corporate executives are honest, or not?"

	Honest	27	38	25	23
	Not honest	67	54	73	70
	Don't know	6	8	2	7
					.
"There's been a lot of news recently about individuals and corporations committing white collar crimes to make a dishonest profit for themselves and their companies. How often do you think this happens in American business: very often, occasionally, or hardly ever?"

	Very often	57	42	64	62
	Occasionally	39	53	34	35
	Hardly ever	2	3	2	1
	Don't know	2	2	0	2
					.
"Do you trust George W. Bush to do the right thing when it comes to regulating business to prevent these kinds of abuses from taking place in business, or not?"

	Trust Bush	59	86	40	57
	Don't trust Bush	34	12	51	34
	Don't know	7	2	9	9

*CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll*. July 5-8, 2002. N=1,013 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.	.
"Which comes closer to your view? We should require tougher standards for large corporations. OR, New standards for large corporations are not needed, we just need to get rid of business executives who break the law."
					.	.
		%	.	.	.	.
	Require tougher standards	50	.	.	.	.
	Get rid of lawbreakers	48	.	.	.	.
	No opinion	2	.	.	.	.

*CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll*. June 28-30, 2002. N=1,019 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (total sample).
						.
"Do you think the Republicans in Congress or the Democrats in Congress would do a better job of dealing with each of the following issues and problems? How about making sure large corporations act responsibly?"
		Republicans	Democrats	No Difference (vol.)	No Opinion
		%	%	%	%
	6/02	37	47	10	6
						.
"Which comes closer to your view about the laws that regulate corporations in the United States? The current laws are not sufficient and new laws are needed. OR, The current laws are sufficient but need to be enforced more strictly."
			%
	New laws are needed		27
	Current laws are sufficient		69
	No opinion		4
						.
"As you may know, several large corporations such as Enron and WorldCom have admitted to misconduct regarding their companies' finances. Which of these statements do you think best describes this situation for the country as a whole: [rotate] it is a crisis, it is a major problem for the country but is not a crisis, it is a minor problem for the country, or it is not a problem for the country at all?"
			%
	Crisis		20
	Major problem		57
	Minor problem		17
	Not a problem		3
	No opinion		3

*ABC News/Washington Post* Poll**. June 26-30, 2002. N=1,024 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"How much confidence do you, yourself have in large business corporations: a great deal, quite a lot, some, or very little?"
		Great Deal/ Quite a Lot	Some/ Very Little	No Opinion
		%	%	%
	6/02	23	75	2
	11/91	25	73	2
					.
"There have been several cases lately of accounting irregularities at major companies, including Enron, WorldCom and others. Do you think these are a sign of broader problems with the way many companies report their financial condition, or do you think they're pretty much isolated incidents?"
			%
	Sign of broader problems		74
	Pretty much isolated incidents		22
	No opinion		4
					.
"Which political party, the Democrats or the Republicans, do you trust to do a better job making sure that large business corporations properly account for their financial condition?" Half sample (Form A)
		%
	Democrats	37
	Republicans	34
	Both (vol.)	3
	Neither (vol.)	18
	No opinion	8
					.
"Overall, who do you trust to do a better job making sure that large business corporations properly account for their financial situation: George W. Bush or the Democrats in Congress?" Half sample (Form B)
		%
	Bush	36
	Democrats	42
	Both (vol.)	3
	Neither (vol.)	14
	No opinion	6
					.
"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 business and corporations does more harm than good."
			%
	Necessary to protect the public		63
	Does more harm than good		30
	Neither (vol.)		4
	No opinion		3

Bloomberg News Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. June 11-16, 2002. N=1,201 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (total sample).
					.
"Have you heard or read about the recent bankruptcy of the Enron Corporation, a large energy company based in Houston, Texas?"
		%
	Yes	82
	No	18
					.
	Asked of those who have heard or read about the Enron bankruptcy: "Now, thinking about the time before Enron went into bankruptcy: Do you think Enron corporate executives told the whole truth to investors and employees, mostly told the truth but were hiding some things, or do you think company officials mostly lied to investors?"
					.
			6/02	3/02
			%	%
	Told the whole truth		1	1
	Were hiding some things		22	26
	Mostly lied		74	66
	Don't know		4	7
					.
	Asked of those who have heard or read about the Enron bankruptcy: "Do you think this is an isolated case or do you think most companies lie to or mislead investors?"
					.
			6/02	3/02
			%	%
	An isolated case		22	35
	Most companies lie/mislead		69	51
	Don't know		8	14

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. Feb. 8-10, 2002. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"How closely have you been following the news concerning the Enron energy corporation: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all?"
						.
		Very Closely	Somewhat Closely	Not Too Closely	Not at All	Not Sure
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/8-10/02	23	47	22	8	-
	1/11-14/02	18	37	26	18	1
						.
"Which of the following statements best describes your view of the actions of executives of the Enron energy corporation? They did something illegal. They did something unethical but nothing illegal. OR, They did not do anything seriously wrong."
						.
		Illegal	Unethical	Nothing Wrong	Not Sure
		%	%	%	%
	2/8-10/02	65	26	2	7
	1/11-14/02	42	29	6	23
						.
"Which of the following statements best describes your view of members of the Bush Administration's involvement with the Enron corporation? They did something illegal. They did something unethical but nothing illegal. OR, They did not do anything seriously wrong."
						.
		Illegal	Unethical	Nothing Wrong	Not Sure
		%	%	%	%
	2/8-10/02	15	43	28	14
	1/11-14/02	10	36	28	26
						.
"Do you think Congress should or should not investigate the contacts that members of the Bush Administration had with Enron executives?"
						.
		Should	Should Not	Not Sure
		%	%	%
	2/8-10/02	82	14	4
						.
"Thinking about the practices of the top executives at Enron, do you think similar practices also occur at most other large corporations, at some, at only a few, or at no other large corporations?" Form B (N=487, MoE ą 5)
						.
		%
	Most	25
	Some	50
	Only a few	19
	None	1
	All (vol.)	1
	No opinion	4

*ABC News/Washington* Post Poll**. Jan. 24-27, 2002. N=1,507 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.5. Field work by TNS Intersearch.
					.
"Do you think the Enron situation is a sign of broader problems with the way many companies report their financial condition, or do you think it's pretty much an isolated incident?"
		%
	A sign of broader problems	68
	An isolated incident	25
	No opinion	7
					.
"Overall, do you think the Bush Administration acted properly or improperly in its dealings with Enron?"
		%
	Properly	52
	Improperly	24
	No opinion	25
					.
"Do you think members of the Bush Administration should or should not have to disclose all meetings and correspondence they had with Enron officials? ... Do you think members of Congress who have received contributions from Enron should or should not have to disclose all meetings and correspondence they've had with Enron officials?"
		Should	Should Not	No Opinion
		%	%	%
	The Bush Administration	70	24	6
	Members of Congress	75	19	6
					.
"Do you think the Enron situation requires a full-scale federal investigation or not?"
		%
	Yes	75
	No	20
	No opinion	5

*CBS News/New York Times* Poll**. Jan. 21-24, 2002. N=1,034 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"How important an issue do you think the collapse of the Enron Corporation is to the nation: of great importance, of some importance, or of very little importance?"
		%
	Great importance	39
	Some importance	44
	Very little importance	8
	Don't know	9
			.
"When it comes to their dealings with Enron executives prior to Enron's bankruptcy, do you think members of the Bush Administration are telling the entire truth, are mostly telling the truth but hiding something, or are they mostly lying?"
		%
	Telling the entire truth	17
	Hiding something	58
	Mostly lying	9
	Don't know	16
			.
"Do you think the accounting and other practices that led to the collapse of Enron are an isolated instance limited to this one company, or do you think the practices are widespread in other large corporations?"
		%
	Isolated instance	11
	Widespread	70
	Varies (vol.)	3
	Don't know	16

Earlier polling on business issues

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