Opinion Polls

~ CHAPTER 9 ~ OPINION POLLS ~

Edition 4, November 2009

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Section [9-A] ~ Opinion Polls on Globalization Issues ~

According to a poll in the spring of 2007 by New York Times and CBS News, 68% of Americans favor putting restrictions on free trade to protect domestic industries. This is the highest share since they began asking the question in the 1980s, and 12 percentage points more than in 2000 (08P1). (In Section (9-C) ~ Polls ~ of gci-analysis5.doc (10/22/08))

Only 14% of Americans surveyed in 2007 by the Pew Global Attitudes Project said increasing trade was "very good" for the US. That is less than 50% of the share in Canada, Germany or Sweden. Even among the French, 22% said more trade was very good (08P1). There are reasons for the difference in poll results. European governments provide a stronger safety net to catch workers undercut by foreign competition. Also they redistribute the gains from trade more equitably than in the US (08P1). Also, in the US, public spending on social programs, from unemployment insurance to health care amount to about 17% of the overall economy. This is about half the level in Germany and less than almost every other rich nation (08P1). (In Section (9-C) ~ Polls ~ of gci-analysis5.doc (10/22/08))

Wall Street Journal / NBC News poll of October, 1992 those with an opinion on NAFTA opposed it by 2-1 (Almost 40% had no opinion.) (Wall Street Journal (12/23/92)).

Wall Street Journal/ NBC News Poll of 12/02/99: In general, do you think that free trade agreements between the US and foreign countries have helped the US, hurt the US, or haven't made much difference (NMD)? {w35}

Income Level	Hurt	NMD	Helped
Under $20,000	54%	26%	17%
All adults	32	24	35
Over $50,000	25	24	41

In a poll of likely Republican voters, 32% said that foreign trade is good for the US economy, while 59% said that foreign trade is bad for the US Economy - reflecting a substantial shift from 8 years ago and a steady erosion in Republican support for free trade. In a December 1999 WSJ/ NBC poll, 37% of Republicans said trade deals have helped the US and 31% said they had hurt, while 26% said they made no difference (07H2). (This ref. is in Section (9-C) of gci-analysis5.doc as (07H3))

In a March 2007 WSJ/ NBC poll before the recent scandal involving tainted imports, 54% of Democratic voters said free trade agreements have hurt the U.S., while 21% said they have helped (07H2). (This ref. is in Section (9-C) of gci-analysis5.doc as (07H3))

A telephone survey of 800 voters during June, 1996, accompanied by 6 focus groups, revealed that Americans of all ages, all incomes, all races, and both political parties are angry with the way large corporations have been treating their workers in recent years. Specifically, voters are angry over:

Massive layoffs at times when profits and CEO salaries have been climbing to extreme levels;
Firing full-time workers and filling their jobs with temps who get neither medical benefits nor pensions;
Firing older workers and replacing them with younger workers who are satisfied with lower wages.

Survey and focus groups conducted by EDK Associates and Peter D. Hart Research working under contract to the Preamble Center for Public Policy in Washington DC.

Wall Street Journal Poll, 7/31/97 61% of US citizens opposed giving President Clinton "fast-track" authority to negotiate free-trade agreements (vs.32% in favor).

Pew Research Center poll, 9/97 77% of Americans believe that protecting American jobs should be the nation's top foreign policy priority (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (10/10/97)).

Wall Street Journal / NBC Poll, 12/10/98

58% of Americans agreed that foreign trade has bee bad for the US economy because cheap imports have cost wages and jobs here.
32% said trade has been good because foreign demand for US goods has spawned economic growth and produced jobs for Americans.
The US trade deficit was about even with taxes, spending and jobs in the choice of the most important economic issue facing the country.
The only group giving majority support to the view of trade as a good thing consisted of those making more than $100,000/ year.
Americans, by 64% to 16%, think Asian countries are unfair traders.
Americans, by 47% to 33%, think the same of European nations.

All of the above has been copied to Section (9-C) of D:\global\gci-analysis5.doc

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