Interview dates: September 16-19, 2010
Interviews: 1,161 adults; 993 registered voters
Margin of error: + 2.9% for all adults; + 3.1% for registered voters
1146 19th St., NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 463-7300
Face the Facts: Energy Agenda Now
NOTE: all results shown are percentages unless otherwise labeled.
These are some of the findings from an Ipsos poll conducted from September 16th-19th, 2010. For the survey, a nationally
representative, randomly selected sample of exactly 1,161 adults aged 18 and older across the United States was interviewed
by Ipsos via live telephone interviewing. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate within 2.9 percentage
points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population in the U.S. been polled. All sample
surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement
error. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population according
to U.S. Census figures. Respondents had the option to be interviewed in English or Spanish.
Please note that throughout this document, figures marked by an asterisk (*) indicate a percentage value of greater than zero
but less than one half of a per cent. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding.
THE NATIONAL AGENDA
1.
UNPROMPTED: n=578 for Sept 2010 (c. 1,000 for previous months)
In your opinion, what is the most important problem facing the U.S. today? (RECORD VERBATIM RESPONSE.)
(IF THE RESPONDENT CAN’T THINK OF ONLY ONE PROBLEM, PROBE:) If you had to choose, which would you say
is the most important problem facing the U.S. today? [OPEN-ENDED RESPONSE]
ECONOMY (NET)
Economy (unspecified)
Unemployment, lack of jobs
Other economy issues
FOREIGN AFFAIRS (NET)
War (Subnet)
- War with Iraq (any mentions about
Iraq)
- Wars, unrest throughout the world
Immigration
Terrorism, terrorist attacks
Other foreign affairs issues
DOMESTIC ISSUES (NET) (excl.
Econ)
Healthcare
Political Leaders
Energy
Morality
Education
Crime/Drugs
Environment
Other Domestic Issues
Government spending / deficit /
budget
OTHER
Nothing
(Not sure)
9/1619/2010
49
30
18
1
6
2
7/2225/2010
48
28
19
1
9
5
4/15/2010
47
25
21
1
11
5
1/711/2010
48
28
19
1
14
7
10/15/2009
46
33
12
1
10
5
2/59/2009
76
50
20
5
7
4
*
0
0
1
1
1
2
2
*
*
5
4
0
1
5
3
1
1
6
1
4
1
4
1
1
2
3
1
1
1
23
24
29
31
34
11
3
5
1
3
2
2
1
3
3
8
2
4
1
0
0
1
8
6
1
4
2
0
0
7
9
7
3
1
10
14
4
3
2
1
1
8
2
1
3
1
2
4
4
-
-
-
-
5
17
10
9
5
8
5
2
5
2
5
1
Ipsos Public Affairs
September 2010
Page 2
Face the Facts
PROMPTED: n=583
The Economy
Unemployment & Jobs
Foreign affairs (inc. war, immigration, terrorism)
Energy Issues
The Environment
DK/Not sure
2.
47
35
10
1
4
3
Now thinking about some of the biggest issues facing the US, I am going to read out two issues and I’d like you to tell me
which you think is the more important problem. How about [INSERT] and [INSERT]? Which is the more important
problem? RANDOMIZE ORDER OF READING OUT FROM LIST AND WITHIN EACH PAIRING
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
The Environment
The Environment
The Environment
The Environment
Energy
Energy
Energy
OR
OR
OR
OR
OR
OR
OR
19
23
18
46
18
25
21
Job creation
Healthcare
Education
Energy
Job creation
Healthcare
Education
80
76
81
51
81
74
78
(Not sure)
(Not sure)
(Not sure)
(Not sure)
(Not sure)
(Not sure)
(Not sure)
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
BELIEF IN GLOBAL WARMING ASKED FIRST: n=594
3.
You may have heard about the idea that the world's temperature may have been going up slowly over the past 100 years.
What is your personal opinion on this? Do you think this has probably been happening, or do you think it probably has not
been happening?
9/16-19/2010
December 2009
Has been happening
78
70
Hasn’t been happening
19
28
DK/Not sure
3
3
ASK IF BELIEVE HAS BEEN HAPPENING AT Q4 (BASE = 454)
4. Do you believe that the earth is getting warmer [ROTATE] mostly because of human activity such as burning fossil fuels,
OR, mostly because of natural patterns in the earth's environment?
Mostly because of human activity
Mostly because of natural patterns
DK/Not sure
5.
9/16-19/2010
58
38
4
December 2009
61
34
5
Thinking now about power bill, how much more, if anything, would you be willing to pay in your bill each month in order to
ensure that… [INSERT FROM BELOW AND ROTATE]?
Nothing
Up to $5 more a month
Up to $10 more a month
Up to $15 more a month
Up to $25 more a month
Up to $50 more a month
Up to $100 more a month
No limit
Don’t know
Mean $$
…the US was energy
independent, meaning that it
would not rely on oil or energy
resources from other countries
…investments
were made to
create lots of new
‘green’ jobs
31
16
10
5
9
10
10
3
6
40
17
9
4
9
9
3
2
7
… the energy powering your
home is environmentally
friendly and does not do
damage to the natural
environment
33
17
12
6
8
9
3
3
7
20.2
13.1
15.2
Ipsos Public Affairs
September 2010
Page 3
Face the Facts
BELIEF IN GLOBAL WARMING ASKED SECOND: n=567
6.
Thinking now about power bill, how much more, if anything, would you be willing to pay in your bill each month in order to
ensure that… [INSERT FROM BELOW AND ROTATE]?
Nothing
Up to $5 more a month
Up to $10 more a month
Up to $15 more a month
Up to $25 more a month
Up to $50 more a month
Up to $100 more a month
No limit
Don’t know
Mean $$
7.
…the US was energy
independent, meaning that it
would not rely on oil or energy
resources from other countries
…investments
were made to
create lots of new
‘green’ jobs
31
16
14
6
9
10
5
2
7
37
18
12
5
12
4
4
2
6
… the energy powering your
home is environmentally
friendly and does not do
damage to the natural
environment
38
17
11
5
14
6
4
1
3
15.1
12.7
12.0
You may have heard about the idea that the world's temperature may have been going up slowly over the past 100 years.
What is your personal opinion on this? Do you think this has probably been happening, or do you think it probably has not
been happening?
9/16-19/2010
December 2009
Has been happening
68
70
Hasn’t been happening
28
28
DK/Not sure
4
3
ASK IF BELIEVE HAS BEEN HAPPENING AT Q8 (BASE = 399)
8. Do you believe that the earth is getting warmer [ROTATE] mostly because of human activity such as burning fossil fuels,
OR, mostly because of natural patterns in the earth's environment?
Mostly because of human activity
Mostly because of natural patterns
DK/Not sure
9/16-19/2010
61
35
3
December 2009
61
34
5
PARTY AFFILIATION / IDEOLOGY
a.
Do you consider yourself a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent or none of these? (IF “DEMOCRAT” GO TO Qb.
IF “REPUBLICAN” GO TO Qc. IF “INDEP” or “NONE OF THESE” GO TO Qd. RESULTS SHOWN IN SUMMARY BELOW.)
b.
Do you lean strongly or only moderately toward the Democratic Party?
c.
Do you lean strongly or only moderately toward the Republican Party?
d.
Do your beliefs tend to lean more toward the Democrats or the Republicans?
Strongly Democrat
Moderately Democrat
Lean Democrat
Strongly Republican
Moderately Republican
Lean Republican
Independent (No lean)
19
9
18
14
10
16
14
Initial Democrats
Total Democrats
28
46
Initial Republicans
Total Republicans
24
40