Gilani’s Gallopedia© Gallopedia From Gilani Research Foundation April 2021, Issue # 684* Compiled on a weekly basis since January 2007
Gilani’s Gallopedia is a weekly Digest of Opinions in a globalized world
This issue scores 12 out of 100 on Gilani-Gallopedia's Globality Index, showing coverage of world population, and 29 out of 100 on the world income (prosperity) Index. Click for Details
Contact Details: Natasha Amir Research Executive, Gallup Pakistan Email: natasha@galluppakistan.com This WEEKLY REPORT consists of 21 national & multi country surveys 7 polling organizations have been represented. Asia: Pakistan (Perception on Performance/Wellbeing), South Korea (IT & Telecom) – 02 national poll Africa: Uganda (Employment Issues and Poverty) – 01 national poll Euro Americas: UK(Education, Health, Consumer Confidence, Perception on Performance), France(Education, Lifestyle), Germany(Crime, Elections), Italy (Education), USA (Religion, Religion, Ethnicity and Gender issues, US image, Science and Technology), Australia(Science and Technology, Entertainment, Perception on Performance) – 17 national polls	Multi-Country Studies: PEW – 4 Countries (Perception on Performance) Topic of the Week: Many In U.S., Western Europe Say Their Political System Needs Major Reform Gilani-Gallopedia Globality Index
ASIA AND MENA Regions
684-01 4 In 10 Pakistanis Are Hopeful That Their Household’s Financial Situation Will Improve In The Next 6 Months (Click for Details) (Pakistan) 41% Pakistanis are hopeful that their household’s financial situation will improve in the next 6 months. A nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across the four provinces was asked the following question, “What do you expect your household’s financial situation to be in next 6 months?” In response to this question, 6% said ‘Will be a lot better’, 35% said ‘Will be better’, 24% said ‘No change’, 12% said ‘Will be worse’ and 7% said ‘Will be a lot worse’. 16% did not know/did not respond. (Gallup Pakistan) March 30, 2021 3.1 Economy » Perceptions on Performance/ Well-Being (Top)
684-02 56% Of Households Had Fixed-Line Telephones, But Only 24% Of People'use' Fixed-Line Telephones (Click for Details) (South Korea) The actual usage rate of landline phones is significantly lower than the retention rate. This is because you cannot receive landline calls unless you are staying at home, and depending on the characteristics of family members, there are people who mainly answer landlines and those who receive less. In the September 2016 survey, 56% of households had fixed-line telephones, but only 24% of people'(frequently + occasionally) use' fixed-line telephones. As of 2021, the rate of landline phone use is estimated to be lower. (Gallup Korea) 2021/04/01 3.12 Economy » IT & Telecom (Top)
AFRICA Regions
AFRICA
684-03 Ugandans Grow More Discontent With Economic And Living Conditions, Afrobarometer Study Shows (Click for Details) (Uganda) Poor and older citizens, rural residents, and those living in the Northern and Eastern regions were more affected than their counterparts. More than half of citizens said the pandemic caused a household member to lose a job, a business, or a primary source of income. Overall, a majority of Ugandans gave their government poor marks on improving the living standards of the poor and job creation, and most saw its economic policies as harmful rather than beneficial. (Afrobarometer) 30 Mar 2021 3.3 Economy » Employment Issues and Poverty (Top)
EURO-AMERICA Regions
EUROPE
684-04 Nine In Ten Teachers (91%) Say They Would Be Opposed To Extending The Typical School Day For The Current School Year (Click for Details) (UK) YouGov’s latest Teacher Track survey shows that the overwhelming majority of teaching staff across Great Britain are opposed to such measures. Nine in ten teachers (91%) say they would be opposed to extending the typical school day for the current school year to help students make up for lost teaching time during the pandemic, including three quarters (76%) who strongly oppose the idea. Only 8% are favour of extending the school day. (YouGov UK) March 30, 2021 4.10 Society » Education (Top)
684-05 52% Agree That They Will Lead To An Unequal Society By Restricting What People Who Haven’t Received The Vaccine Can Do (Click for Details) (UK) A new Ipsos MORI UK KnowledgePanel poll has found the public support using ‘vaccine passports’ across a range of circumstances. There is particularly strong support for their use for people who are travelling abroad (78%), for visiting relatives in hospitals (74%) or care homes (78%). Seven in ten say they should be needed to go to the theatre or an indoor concert (68%), while six in ten support needing one to go to the pub or eat out in a restaurant (62%), or to go to the gym (63%). (Ipsos MORI) 31 March 2021 4.11 Society » Health (Top)
684-06 Life After Brexit – Britons Predict More Expensive Food Prices And Falling Eu Migration (Click for Details) (UK) Britons do not have a positive outlook when it comes to Brexit’s effect on food prices, 6 in 10 (61%) say Britain’s exit of the EU will make food prices more expensive. A quarter believe it will make little difference to the price of food, while only 5% think they will become cheaper. Only 13% of Britons expect more migrants to come to the UK from EU countries because of Brexit, half believe the number of people moving here will decrease. Around a quarter (27%) believe Brexit will make little difference. (Ipsos MORI) 1 April 2021 3.2 Economy » Consumer Confidence (Top)
684-07 35% Of Britons Have A Favourable View Of The Labour Leader (Click for Details) (UK) As of 1 April, Starmer’s net favourability score stands at -11, his second worst showing to date, although this does represent an improvement from the nadir of -18 in early March. Currently 35% of Britons have a favourable view of the Labour leader, compared to 46% who have a positive view. One in five (19%) still don’t hold an opinion of Starmer. Among Labour voters, Starmer maintains a positive favourability score, at +26. Nevertheless, this too represents a decline from his heyday in 2020, with Starmer peaking at +59 among his own party’s voters in June. (YouGov UK) April 03, 2021 3.1 Economy » Perceptions on Performance (Top)
684-08 86% Of French People Read At Least One Book In 2020, 6 Points Less Compared To 2019 (Click for Details) (France) The French are still very numerous to read (more than 80% of the French have read at least one book during the year), even if 2020 is marked by a drop in reading , certainly linked to the constraints imposed by the health crisis. For young people, the idea that books provide an escape is also very important (23%). A desire for easier reading , but also for online discussions and recommendations. The French are very attached to their bookstores . 80% of buyers say they bought books there in 2020. (Ipsos France) March 30, 2021 4.11 Society » Education (Top)
684-09 Nearly Half Of French Adults Say That Their Beauty Routine Has Not Changed (49%) (Click for Details) (France) In comparison with last year (before the health crisis), 28% of French people say that their beauty routine has changed. There is a significant difference between men and women with respective scores of 20% and 36%. At the same time, nearly half of French adults say that their beauty routine has not changed (49%). 54% of French people say they have spent less than 30 minutes a day on their beauty routine since the start of the pandemic, a stable figure compared to last year (56%). (YouGov France) April 2, 2021 4.11 Society » Lifestyle (Top)
684-10 Almost Every Third German Has Experienced Bullying In The Workplace (Click for Details) (Germany) Almost one in four Germans (23 percent) stated that they had offers of help for victims of bullying in their company or their employer. These include personal contact points (13 percent), telephone consultation hours (4 percent) or self-help groups (2 percent). 34 percent say that there are no such offers at their job. 27 percent of all respondents would like to see more offers of help in their companies. This is what more women say than men (31 percent vs. 23 percent for men). (YouGov Germany) March 31, 2021 4.12 Society » Crime (Top)
684-11 27 Percent Of The German Citizens Entitled To Vote State That They Will Vote For The CDU (Click for Details) (Germany) Only 13 percent said this about Armin Laschet and Robert Habeck, but about 26 percent about Annalena Baerbock. Söder also scores best when it comes to the aspect of “drive”: 59 percent of those in the know describe him as energetic, 30 percent of those who know about Baerbock, 25 percent about Laschet and 22 percent about Habeck. While Annalena Baerbock does better than her party colleague Robert Habeck in the two mentioned qualities (leadership & drive), both are considered equally likeable (49 percent each among connoisseurs). (YouGov Germany) April 1, 2021 1.1 Domestic Politics » Elections (Top)
684-12 3 Out Of 10 Italian Parents (28%) Consider That Distance Learning, As It Is Now Practiced, Is Bad (20%) Or Very Bad (8%) (Click for Details) (Italy) In the three levels of education, the concerns are the same; Reduction in sociability (Elementary School 66%, Middle School 75%, High School 65%), Worsening of the emotional state (Elementary 58%, Middle School 65% and Higher 50%) and the risk of losing communication with teachers (Elementary School 56 %, Middle School 60% and High School 52%). (YouGov Italy) March 31, 2021 4.10 Society » Education (Top)
NORTH AMERICA
684-13 Church Membership In The US Has Fallen Below The Majority For The First Time In Nearly A Century (Click for Details) (USA) The proportion of Americans who consider themselves members of a church, synagogue or mosque has dropped below 50 percent, according to a poll from Gallup released Monday. It is the first time that has happened since Gallup first asked the question in 1937, when church membership was 73 percent. The polling firm also found that the number of people who said religion was very important to them has fallen to 48 percent, a new low point in the polling since 2000. (The Washington Post) March 30, 2021 4.1 Society » Religion (Top)
684-14 Most Democrats And Republicans Know Biden Is Catholic, But They Differ Sharply About How Religious He Is (Click for Details) (USA) Overall, roughly six-in-ten U.S. adults – including 63% of Democrats and independents who lean toward the Democratic Party, along with a slightly smaller majority of Republicans and Republican leaners (55%) – say Joe Biden is Catholic. Nearly nine-in-ten Democrats say that Biden is at least “somewhat” religious, including 45% who say they think he is a “very” religious person. By contrast, almost two-thirds of people who identify with or lean toward the GOP (63%) say that Biden is “not too” or “not at all” religious. (PEW) MARCH 30, 2021 4.1 Society » Religion (Top)
684-15 Stem Jobs See Uneven Progress In Increasing Gender, Racial And Ethnic Diversity (Click for Details) (USA) Black workers comprise 11% of all employed adults, compared with 9% of those in STEM occupations. Their share is lower in some STEM job clusters, including just 5% in engineering and architecture jobs. There has been no change in the share of Black workers in STEM jobs since 2016. STEM workers are about twice as likely as other workers to have earned a bachelor’s degree or more education (67% vs. 34%) and roughly three-quarters of these workers hold a degree in a STEM field. (PEW) APRIL 1, 2021 4.3 Society » Ethnicity and Gender Issues (Top)
684-16 American Public Opinion And Gun Violence (Click for Details) (USA) An AP/NORC poll in December showed that 5% of Americans mentioned gun issues as one of the issues they wanted government to be working on in 2021, well below mentions of such issues as COVID-19, healthcare reform, the economy, jobs, the environment, education, racial inequities and immigration. Dissatisfaction with the nation's gun laws was at 56% this year, close to the average for the 21 issues tested in the January 2021 poll but substantially below dissatisfaction with issues such as the nation's efforts to deal with poverty and homelessness and the state of race relations. (Gallup US) APRIL 2, 2021 2.6 Foreign Affairs & Security » US image (Top)
684-17 7% Of Americans Don’t Use The Internet (Click for Details) (USA) Today, 25% of adults ages 65 and older report never going online, compared with much smaller shares of adults under the age of 65. The share of offline adults ages 50 to 64 has dropped 8 percentage points since 2019, from 12% to 4%. The shares of offline Black and Hispanic adults have also fallen significantly during that period, from 15% to 9% among those who are Black and from 14% to 5% among those who are Hispanic. (PEW) APRIL 2, 2021 3.11 Economy » Science & Technology (Top)
AUSTRALIA
684-18 15.3 Million Australians (72.4%) Are Now Aware Of Buy-Now-Pay-Later Services Such As Afterpay, Zip, Latitude Pay, Humm And Openpay (Click for Details) (Australia) Main rival Zip is also making a significant impression on the Australian marketplace with nearly half of Australians (48.6%) now aware of Zip – an increase of 30.5% points since September 2018. In February 2021 over a fifth of Australians, 20.3%, were aware of Latitude Pay, and over one-in-ten were aware of either Humm (11.5%) or Openpay (11.3%). These new digital payment findings are from Roy Morgan Single Source, Australia’s leading consumer survey, derived from in-depth interviews with around 50,000 Australians annually. (Roy Morgan) March 29 2021 3.11 Economy » Science & Technology (Top)
684-19 Over 2.6 Million Australians Watch AFLW On Tv (Click for Details) (Australia) On the eve of 2021 AFLW Finals the latest data from Roy Morgan shows over 2.6 million Australians aged 14+ (12.4%) watched AFLW matches on TV in the year to December 2020. This represented a small increase of 4,000 (+0.2%) on a year earlier but was down on the record high viewership reached during 2020. Viewership of AFLW has held relatively steady over the last few years since the competition first began in February 2017 and closely tracks the number of Australians who have attended at least one AFL match in the last 12 months. (Roy Morgan) March 29 2021 4.16 Society » Entertainment (Top)
684-20 Allianz Tops Customer Satisfaction Ratings For Holders Of Risk And Life Insurance Policies (Click for Details) (Australia) Allianz topped the list with a satisfaction rating of 87.3%, averaged over the 12 months to February 2021. This is rise of 2.6% since December 2020. It was followed by Medibank on 81.9% (down 0.5% on two months earlier), the Zurich Group (OnePath, Macquarie Life and Zurich brands) on 77.6% (down 1.5%), Westpac on 74.5% (down 0.5%) was closely followed by MLC Life on 74.4% (up 2.9%), then AIA Group (AIA Australia and CommInsure) on 71.3% (up 1.9%) and TAL Group (Asteron, Insuranceline, Suncorp and TAL) on 67.2% (down 1.3%). AMP was a distant last on 54.4%. (Roy Morgan) March 30 2021 3.1 Economy » Perceptions on Performance (Top)
MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES
684-21 Many In U.S., Western Europe Say Their Political System Needs Major Reform (Click for Details) Across all four countries surveyed, people who think the economy is in good shape are significantly more content with the functioning of their political system than those who think the economy is in poor shape. In France, for example, those who think the economy is in good shape are more than twice as likely to be satisfied with democracy (70% vs. 33%). While more than half of Americans say they generally trust the government to do what is right, fewer than half (45%) are satisfied with the way democracy is working in their country. (PEW) MARCH 31, 2021 3.1 Economy » Perceptions on Performance (Top)
TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Many In U.S., Western Europe Say Their Political System Needs Major Reform uThis page is devoted to opinions of countries whose polling activity is generally not known very widely or where a recent topical issue requires special attention.
Many In U.S., Western Europe Say Their Political System Needs Major Reform As they continue to struggle with a public health crisis and ongoing economic challenges, many people in the United States and Western Europe are also frustrated with politics. A four-nation Pew Research Center survey conducted in November and December of 2020 finds that roughly two-thirds of adults in France and the U.S., as well as about half in the United Kingdom, believe their political system needs major changes or needs to be completely reformed. Calls for significant reform are less common in Germany, where about four-in-ten express this view. In each of the European countries surveyed, supporters of the party or parties that are currently in government tend to be among the most satisfied with democracy. While En Marche supporters are the most approving of the way democracy is working in France, their opinions have shifted little since a 2018 survey, which was the first Pew Research Center poll in France following their party’s electoral victory. Rather, much of the 14-point increase in democratic satisfaction between 2019 and 2020 in France has come from supporters of other parties. For example, 60% of the supporters of the Socialist Party now report satisfaction with democracy, up from 50% in 2019. The growth among Republicans is even larger, going from 40% in 2019 to 68% in 2020. Satisfaction is even up among those who hold favorable views of the right-wing populist party National Rally (49% in 2020, up from 30% in 2019) and the left-leaning populist party La France Insoumise (54% in 2020, up from 40% in 2019). The increase in democratic satisfaction is evident among supporters of most large German political parties in the country. For example, supporters of SPD (up 17 points), the Greens/Alliance 90 (16 points) and CDU (11 points) as well as those with a favorable view of Die Linke (16 points) all are more satisfied with democracy now than in 2019. But those with a favorable view of the right-wing AfD have not changed over the past year and continue to have relatively low democratic satisfaction (51%). In the UK, supporters of the Conservative Party (79%) are more satisfied with democracy than Labour Party (50%) supporters. But this comes as partisans in both camps are more satisfied than they were in 2019, with increases of 35 and 17 points, respectively. Those who identify as Leavers and Remainers are equally satisfied with how democracy is working in their country. Leavers and Remainers both saw Brexit as a failure of democracy in focus groups Focus groups conducted in August 2019 in the UK were dominated by discussions of Brexit. At the time, around three years had passed since voters had approved a referendum to leave the European Union. Boris Johnson had just taken over as prime minster from Theresa May, and invocation of Article 50 – the start of formal withdrawal – had been delayed until at least October, meaning the UK was still in the EU and still consumed by debates about Brexit. Both Leavers and Remainers saw the aftermath of the referendum as a gross failure of democracy. Although Brexit was not an explicit topic for guiding focus group discussion, it came up in several groups as something that made people feel ashamed to be British. For Leavers, complaints centered around frustrations that, despite their vote to leave, the country had made no forward progress on the issue, thus “highlight[ing] clearly how little our opinion matters.” Leavers bemoaned calls for a second referendum that were percolating at the time, arguing that overturning the will of the people, which they thought had been fully expressed in the 2016 vote, would be a miscarriage of democracy. For Remainers, frustrations often hinged on the process. People felt that misinformation was rampant in advance of the 2016 vote, and many who voted to leave may not have done so had they understood the implications of their vote. Others highlighted how it would have made more sense to negotiate a deal and put that to the people in a referendum, rather than voting first on whether to leave when there was no clear plan on how to execute it. Remainers also noted that Brexit has “diverted all other issues,” “distracting” the government away from “running the country,” which one participant even blamed for an increase in crime. Despite wanting wildly different outcomes with regard to Brexit, what united Leavers and Remainers were a few core complaints and their general dissatisfaction with their politicians and the political process. Both Leavers and Remainers lamented how much time Brexit was taking and suggested just “getting on with it.” People highlighted how it was difficult to plan for the future with such a major decision in limbo. Some emphasized how the whole thing made Britain look weak, the politicians seem ineffective, and the country was becoming a global “laughing stock.” There are few age or gender differences across these countries when it comes to satisfaction with democracy. But those who have completed at least a university degree tend to be more satisfied with democracy than those who have completed only some university schooling or less. Across all four countries surveyed, people who think the economy is in good shape are significantly more content with the functioning of their political system than those who think the economy is in poor shape. In France, for example, those who think the economy is in good shape are more than twice as likely to be satisfied with democracy (70% vs. 33%). Similarly, those who think they have opportunities to improve their own standard of living are also more satisfied with democracy. Those who think elected officials care what ordinary people think are also more likely to be satisfied with democracy. In France, Germany and the UK, people who think their country has done well handling COVID-19 are also around twice as likely to be satisfied with democracy as those who think their country has handled the pandemic poorly. But, in the U.S., those who think the country has done well and those who think it has done poorly when dealing with the global health crisis are equally satisfied with democracy. Outside of Germany, many see need for major changes to their political systems France and Germany, though not in the U.S. or UK. Democratic satisfaction lower in U.S. than European countries surveyed Satisfaction with democracy varies widely across the four countries surveyed. In the U.S., only 45% of people say they are satisfied with the way democracy is working (the survey in the U.S. took place Nov. 10 to Dec. 7, 2020, which was before the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by a mob of President Trump’s supporters). In contrast, in each of the three European countries surveyed, a majority holds this view: 55% in France, 60% in the UK and 80% in Germany. And, in Germany, around four-in-ten are very satisfied (39%). No more than one-in-five in the other three countries surveyed reach this level of satisfaction. Across all three European countries surveyed, satisfaction with democracy has increased substantially: up 14 points in France, 15 points in Germany and 29 points in the UK between 2019 and 2020. In contrast, in the U.S., the percentage of people who say they are satisfied with democracy has remained relatively consistent in recent years. But, in the U.S., who is satisfied has changed substantially over the past year. Between 2017 and 2019, Republicans were more than twice as satisfied with democracy as were Democrats. In 2019, for example, 57% of Republicans and 26% of Democrats said they were satisfied. But, in 2020, after Biden’s election, this relationship inverted, and today, 50% of Democrats are satisfied with democracy while only 39% of Republicans say the same. Across the four countries surveyed, few say they live in a political system that does not need to be changed at all: 6% in France, 7% in the U.S., 11% in Germany and 12% in the UK. But what degree of change they seek – minor, major or complete reformation – varies. In both France and the U.S., a majority say dramatic change is needed, with a plurality in each country saying the system requires major changes (47% in each country). In the UK, fewer seek substantial changes (14% complete reform, 33% major changes), and the largest share of people report the system needs minor changes (38%). Only in Germany do substantially fewer than half seek serious changes. In the U.S., Democrats and independents who lean toward the party tend to be slightly more supportive of major systemic overhaul than Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party – 70% vs. 58%, respectively. This is consistent with results of other recent surveys showing that Democrats are more supportive of reforms like moving away from the electoral college or doing everything possible to make it easier for every citizen to vote. Democrats are also less likely than Republicans to describe America as a country where people are free to peacefully protest or where the rights and freedoms of all people are respected. Supporters of the party currently in power in France – En Marche – are slightly less likely to support major systemic overhauls (51%) than are supporters of the two major traditional political parties: the Republicans (59%) and the Socialist Party (70%). But those with favorable views of the populist right-wing National Rally and left-wing La France Insoumise are no more likely to call for major changes or complete reform to the French political system than are those with unfavorable views of those parties. In the UK, support for at least major changes is higher among Labour Party supporters (57%) than among Conservative Party supporters (29%). Those who identify as Remainers are also more supportive of significant changes to the political system than those who identify as Leavers. Similarly, those who have an unfavorable view of the right-wing Brexit Party (Reform UK) tend to be more likely to want systemic reforms than those who have a favorable view of the party (56% vs. 30%, respectively). In Germany, where the overall desire for change is relatively low, there are few differences along partisan lines. Across all four countries surveyed, those who think most politicians in their country are corrupt are more likely to favor systemic reforms. For example, in the UK, 60% of those who say “most politicians are corrupt” describes their country well think the system needs significant changes, compared with 39% who say it does not describe the country well. Those who are less satisfied with the way democracy is working and less trusting of the government are more likely to call for significant changes. On the other hand, those who think elected officials care what ordinary people think are less likely to think large-scale reforms are required. Views of how well COVID-19 has been handled also play a role: People who think their government has done a poor job dealing with the pandemic are also more likely to call for major reforms. In Germany, for example, 70% of those who think the government has done a poor job think the system needs complete or major reforms, compared with just 29% of those who think the government has dealt with the pandemic well. Those who believe their country is doing poorly economically are also more likely to call for substantial reforms to the political system. The same is true of those who say they lack opportunities to improve their standard of living. But opinions don’t differ across age groups in any of these countries, with younger and older people equally likely to support calls for reform. Of course, there are important differences across these countries’ political systems. But the four nations also share some important democratic principles, and all have recently experienced political upheaval in different ways, as rising populist leaders and movements and emerging new forces across the ideological spectrum have challenged traditional parties and leaders. Some of the frustrations people feel about their political systems are tied to their opinions about political elites. In the U.S., concerns about political corruption are especially widespread, with two-in-three Americans agreeing that the phrase “most politicians are corrupt” describes their country well. Nearly half say the same in France and the UK. Young people, in particular, generally tend to see politicians as corrupt. And those who say most politicians are corrupt are much more likely to think their political systems need serious reform. A belief that politicians are out of touch is also common. In France, the U.S. and the UK, roughly half or more say elected officials do not care what ordinary people think. Still, in both France and Germany, the share of the public who believe elected officials do care has increased since 2018. Since 2017, the French and German publics have also become more trusting of government. In France, just 20% said they trusted the government to do what is right for the country in 2017, compared with 55% in the new survey. Trust is especially high among supporters of President Emmanuel Macron’s En Marche party, but it has risen across the partisan spectrum. Similarly, trust is up among supporters of parties on the right, left and center in Germany.    Trust in government has also increased slightly in the UK, although while it has risen among supporters of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party, is has actually declined among those who identify with the opposition Labour Party. How Pew Research Center measures public trust in government, globally and domestically For several years, Pew Research Center has been committed to researching issues of trust, facts and democracy. And for decades, the Center has studied Americans’ attitudes about federal, state and local government in the United States. In this survey, the Center compares the attitudes of the publics in four nations – the U.S., France, the UK and Germany – toward democracy and their countries’ political systems. The survey also includes a measure of trust in the four countries’ national governments: How much do respondents trust the government “to do what is right for their country?” This is different from the question that has been asked for more than six decades by Pew Research Center and other survey organizations in the U.S.: “How much of the time do you think you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right? In the United States, the measures yield very different results: Last August, just 20% of the public said they trusted the government in Washington to do what is right “always” or “most of the time.” Americans’ trust in the federal government has been mired at that low level for longer than a decade. In the four-nation survey, which was conducted in the U.S. in November – after Joe Biden had been declared the winner of the presidential election, but when large shares of Donald Trump’s supporters expressed skepticism about the result and the voting process – 54% of Americans said they trust the government a lot or somewhat to do what is right for the country. This is little changed from 51% who said this in 2017. The four-nation survey provides a valuable comparative examination of views of government, the political system and the state of democracy. In the coming months, the Center will update its long-standing measures of Americans’ trust in their government, as well as attitudes on the scope and size of government. In the U.S., the overall level of trust in the government has remained largely unchanged since 2017, but who trusts the government shifted substantially. In 2017, only months after Donald Trump was elected president, Republicans and those who lean toward the Republican Party were more likely to trust the government than Democrats and those who lean Democratic. In the current survey, fielded in November and December 2020 – after major media outlets had called the election for now-President Joe Biden – Democrats express higher levels of trust. The state of U.S. politics during this survey period In France, Germany and the UK, trust in government tends to be higher among those who think their country has done a good job of handling the coronavirus pandemic. This is particularly true in France, where 80% of those who say the country is handling the outbreak well trust the government, compared with only 27% of those who say the country is doing a poor job.   Trust is also linked to views about the economy. People who think the national economy is currently in good shape express higher levels of trust in government, as do those who believe they have a good chance to improve their own standard of living. While more than half of Americans say they generally trust the government to do what is right, fewer than half (45%) are satisfied with the way democracy is working in their country. (The survey took place before the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by a mob of Trump’s supporters.) In contrast, majorities in France (55%) and the UK (60%), as well as eight-in-ten Germans, say they are satisfied with how democracy is functioning. These four publics are divided over how much impact ordinary people can have on government: 54% of Germans, 53% of Americans, 50% of Britons and 47% of the French say the statement “ordinary people can do a lot to influence the government” describes their country well. In all four countries, there is considerable interest in political reforms that would potentially allow ordinary citizens to have more power over policymaking. Citizen assemblies, or forums where citizens chosen at random debate issues of national importance and make recommendations about what should be done, are overwhelmingly popular. Around three-quarters or more in each country say it is very or somewhat important for the national government to create citizen assemblies. About four-in-ten say it’s very important. Such processes are in use nationally in France and the UK to debate climate change policy, and they have become increasingly common in nations around the world in recent years. Citizen assemblies are popular across the ideological spectrum but are especially so among people who place themselves on the political left.^1 Those who think their political system needs significant reform are also particularly likely to say it is important to create citizen assemblies. There are also high levels of support for allowing citizens to vote directly to decide what becomes law for some key issues. About seven-in-ten in the U.S., Germany and France say it is important, in line with previous findings about support for direct democracy. In the UK, where crucial issues such as Scottish independence and Brexit were decided by referendum, support is somewhat lower – 63% say it is important for the government to use referendums to decide some key issues, and just 27% rate this as very important. These are among the findings of a new Pew Research Center survey conducted from Nov. 10 to Dec. 23, 2020, among 4,069 adults in the France, Germany, the UK and the U.S. This report also includes findings from 26 focus groups conducted in 2019 in the U.S. and UK. How the focus groups were conducted Across the four countries surveyed, more trust the government than not Half of adults or more trust the national government to do what is right in each of the four countries surveyed. But, whereas only a slim majority trust the government in the United States (54%), France (55%) and the United Kingdom (55%), 80% in Germany express this view. And, in Germany, 47% say they trust the national government a lot – more than twice as many as say the same in any of the other surveyed countries and more than three times as many as in the U.S., where only 13% have a lot of faith in the government. In the U.S., trust in the government has remained largely unchanged since the question was last posed in 2017. But who trusts the government shifted notably over this period. In 2017, when Donald Trump was the newly inaugurated president, Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party were more likely to trust the government than Democrats and leaners toward that party (66% vs. 42%, respectively). In the most recent survey, fielded in November 2020 after the election was called for now President Joe Biden, Democrats trust the government at higher rates than Republicans, 59% vs. 49%. Trust in the government has increased in each of the three European countries surveyed since 2017, the largest change being in France (55% today, up from 20%). The 2017 French survey was fielded in the month prior to the first round of the national elections – a particularly contentious election in which nontraditional parties, including the now-governing En Marche, were vying for leadership.^2 Trust has grown most precipitously among En Marche supporters: Today, 92% trust the government, compared with 37% who said the same before the 2017 election that brought Emmanuel Macron to power. Supporters of the Republicans (LR) and the Socialist Party (PS) – two parties that had long governed in France prior to 2017 – also have more trust in the government now. And, while only around half of those with a favorable view of the right-wing populist National Rally trust the government (53%), trust among this group has gone up 44 percentage points since 2017. In Germany, trust in the government is up 11 percentage points since 2017, and the share who trust the government a lot has nearly doubled during this same period. But, while supporters of the ruling CDU are among the most trusting of the government (92%), trust has increased comparably since 2017 among most of the major parties. And, while those who have a favorable view of Alternative for Germany (AfD) tend to be much less trusting than those who have an unfavorable view of the party (52% vs. 85%), even this group is more trusting of the government now than in 2017, when only 33% trusted the government.^3 In the UK, the share who trust the government a lot has risen 7 points since 2017 (to 21%), and overall trust has increased 6 points. For supporters of the Conservative Party – which was governing in 2017 but had a change of prime minister in 2019 – trust in the government has gone up from 76% to 84%. On the other hand, Labour Party supporters are less likely to trust the government now than they were in 2017 (34%, down from 42%). Trust is significantly higher among those who identify as Leavers (72%) than those who identify as Remainers (45%), as well as among those who have a favorable view of the right-wing populist Brexit Party, now called Reform UK (76%) compared with those who have an unfavorable view of the party (46%).^4 Across all four of the countries surveyed, trust in the government is higher among those who say the economy is in good shape and those who say they have adequate opportunities to improve their own standard of living. For example, in the UK, those who say their current economic situation is good are about two times as likely to say they trust the government as those who say it’s bad. In France, Germany and the UK, those who think their country is doing well handling COVID-19 are much more likely to trust the government than those who think their country is handling the pandemic poorly. The difference is largest in France, where 80% of those who think the country is doing well handling the outbreak trust the government, compared with only 27% of those who think the country is not doing a good job. Trust is higher among people who believe elected officials care what ordinary people think. Also, those with at least a university degree and those with higher incomes are more likely to trust the government in Outside of Germany, there are no significant differences across income groups on this question (in Germany, the less affluent are more likely to support changes). In Germany, the U.S. and France, those with secondary degrees or less schooling are also more likely to call for major political system reform than those with more education. Elected officials seen as out of touch in U.S., France and UK Nearly two-thirds of Germans (65%) say the statement “elected officials care what ordinary people think” describes their country well. However, fewer than half of those surveyed in France, the U.S. and the UK express this opinion. The share of Germans who say elected officials care what ordinary people think has risen precipitously since 2018, when only 44% held this view. In France, too, the share saying elected officials care has risen 9 points (from 32% to 41%). Indeed, all partisan groups in France studied registered an increase in the percentage who say this.  In the UK and U.S., however, the share who say elected officials care about ordinary people has remained largely unchanged since 2018, although it has risen in the UK among those who identify with Conservative Party and decreased among those who identify with the Labour Party. Today, Conservatives are more likely (61%) to say elected officials care than are Labour Party (41%) supporters. Those who have a favorable view of the Brexit Party (Reform UK) are also more likely than those who have an unfavorable view of the party to say elected officials care what ordinary people think (56% vs. 43%, respectively).  Partisan identity colors opinion about whether elected officials are seen as caring in each of the countries surveyed except for Germany. For example, in France, about two-thirds (67%) of those who identify with President Emmanuel Macron’s party En Marche say elected officials care, compared with fewer than half of supporters of the Socialist Party (43%) and the Republicans (39%). In the U.S., Democrats are more likely than their Republican counterparts to describe elected officials as caring. Only one-third of Republicans say elected officials care what ordinary people think, compared with about half (52%) of Democrats. This difference in opinion between partisans has flipped since 2018, when Donald Trump was president. At that time, 50% of Republicans said elected officials care, compared with only 36% of Democrats. There are few differences on this question by age, gender, income or education. However, French men (46%) are 10 percentage points more likely than women (36%) to say that elected officials care what ordinary people think. In Germany, those in the highest income group are more likely than those in the lowest income group to say elected officials care. While in the U.S., those with more education are more likely to agree that elected officials care than those with less education. Americans largely describe politicians as corrupt, fewer Europeans agree Two-thirds of Americans say the statement “most politicians are corrupt” describes their country well. However, in France and the UK, publics are more split on the matter, with slightly fewer than half saying most politicians are corrupt. Germans are much less likely to express this opinion. And in the U.S., while large majorities in both parties believe most politicians are corrupt, Republicans are more likely (78%) to say this than are Democrats (60%). Partisan differences are relatively muted in the UK, Germany and France, although French supporters of the Republicans (49%) are more likely than En Marche supporters (32%) to describe politicians as corrupt. In focus groups, Americans and Britons both gave examples of politicians being corrupt In focus groups conducted in both the U.S. and UK in the fall of 2019, when participants were asked about things that made them embarrassed to be American or British, national politicians often came up. This was especially true in the UK, as it came up in discussions with groups comprised of both Conservative and Labour supporters as well as those who had voted “leave” or “remain” in the EU referendum. Some Britons cited “expenses scandals” among members of Parliament (MPs) as reasons for why they were embarrassed about politicians. One 33-year-old woman in Edinburgh said that “all MPs are pocketing everyone else’s money.” In the U.S., discussion of corruption among politicians was related to the notion that politicians can be “bought” by corporations through the lobbying process. In Seattle, participants discussed how they were ashamed of corruption in America, with one participant saying that “it seems like politics are being bought and sold” due to “lobbyists and the special interest groups and all that kind of thing.” Attitudes about politicians being corrupt or not have not changed significantly in any of the four countries surveyed since the question was last asked in 2018. Younger people in the UK, France and U.S. are more likely to say most politicians are corrupt. The difference is largest in the UK, where 61% of people ages 18 to 29 say that politicians are corrupt, compared with only one-third of people 65 and older, a 28 percentage point difference. Respondents in the lowest income group in Germany, the UK and France are more likely to say politicians are corrupt than those in the highest income group in these countries. However, about two-thirds of Americans of all income groups express this view. Publics largely split on whether ordinary people can do a lot to influence the government When asked about how much impact ordinary citizens can have on politics, these four publics are somewhat divided. Germans and Americans lean slightly toward the view that “ordinary people can do a lot to influence the government,” while the British and French publics are more closely divided. In France, about one-quarter (24%) say that the statement describes their country “not well at all,” while one-in-five say the same in the U.S. and UK.  In each country surveyed, those who say that they personally have a good chance to improve their standard of living are more likely to say that ordinary people can influence the government. Only in the U.S. does partisanship play a role in shaping this belief: 58% of Democrats think that ordinary citizens can influence the government, compared with 46% of Republicans. Citizen assemblies popular, especially among those who want major change to the political system In all four countries, there is considerable support for the creation of citizen assemblies where citizens debate issues and make recommendations about national laws. Citizen assemblies have become increasingly common in nations around the world in recent years and have been used, for example, in Ireland to decide such contentious issues as abortion and gay marriage. Citizen assemblies have already been used nationally in France and the UK to debate environmental policy. The French Citizens’ Assembly on Climate, initially convened in October 2019 in response to the Yellow Vest Movement, concluded last year with the release of 149 proposals, though many remain to be implemented. The country with the largest share of respondents who say such reforms are very or somewhat important is the United States, though about three-quarters or more in each country say it is important to create citizen assemblies. A plurality of Americans say it is very important for the national government to create citizen assemblies; only 21% say it is not too or not at all important. There are significant ideological differences on the question of how important it is to create citizen assemblies. In France and the UK, those on the ideological left are significantly more likely than those on the right to say creating citizen assemblies is very important. Respondents who say their country’s political system needs major changes or needs to be completely reformed are also warmer toward citizen assemblies than those who say it only needs minor changes or no changes at all. For example, 46% of French respondents who say France needs systemic political change say it is very important for the government to create citizen assemblies, while about three-in-ten who say the political system needs minor changes or no changes say creating citizen assemblies is very important. In the UK, where citizen assemblies have been used to debate Scottish independence, Brexit and climate change policy, there are significant political differences on this question. For instance, 83% of Labour supporters think it is very or somewhat important for the government to create citizen assemblies, while 66% of Conservative supporters say the same. Those who identify as Remainers are also more likely than those who identify as Leavers to support citizen assemblies. Majorities say it’s important for voters to decide key issues In each of the four countries surveyed, majorities believe it is very or somewhat important for the national government to allow citizens to vote directly to decide what becomes law for some key issues rather than letting members of the legislature decide. A plurality (42%) of Americans say it is very important to decide some key issues by referendum. Views on this question are linked to perceptions of political corruption: 45% of Americans who think most government officials are corrupt say it is very important for the national government to allow citizens to vote directly on key issues, compared with 35% of those who think the phrase “most government officials are corrupt” does not describe the country well. There are similar divides in Germany and the UK. While the ghosts of referendums past may influence British opinions on this question today, there are no significant differences between those in the UK who identify as Remainers and those who identify as Leavers. However, there are differences based on age. Nearly four-in-ten Britons ages 18 to 29 – some of whom were too young to vote in the Scottish independence and Brexit referendums – hold the view that it is very important for the national government to allow citizens to vote directly to decide what becomes law. This is a higher share than among those ages 30 to 49 (23%), 50 to 64 (27%) or 65 and older (24%). In the U.S. and Germany, those with less education are especially likely to think it is very important for the national government to decide key issues by referendum. About one-quarter of Germans (24%) with a university education or higher hold that opinion, compared with 43% of those with a secondary education or less. A similar pattern appears in the U.S., with a 14 percentage point gap between those with a secondary education or less (48%) and those with a university degree or higher (34%). Those with lower incomes are also significantly more likely than those with higher incomes to say it is very important to have referendums. In the U.S., this income gap is 24 points, with about half of lower-income Americans and about three-in-ten higher-income Americans holding that view. There are also significant income gaps of 21 points and 11 points in Germany and France, respectively. In the three European countries, larger shares of those with favorable views of populist parties think it is very or somewhat important for their government to allow citizens to decide what becomes law for some key issues. This pattern transcends ideology, with more favorable views toward referendums among supporters of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Brexit Party (Reform UK) and the left-wing La France Insoumise. (PEW) MARCH 31, 2021 Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2021/03/31/many-in-us-western-europe-say-their-political-system-needs-major-reform/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=87a387a55f-Weekly_2021_04_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-87a387a55f-399609121 (Top)
GILANI-GALLOPEDIA GLOBALITY INDEX: u The purpose of this index is to treat the Global Coverage by each issue of Gallopedia in terms of Population, National Income and estimated Power measured by G20 Membership.
GILANI-GALLOPEDIA GLOBALITY INDEX (Top)
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