In the online survey of a representative sample of 2,003 British adults, 52 per cent of respondents believe the Coalition Government—featuring members of the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats—has performed worse than they expected.

In addition, 55 per cent of Britons think the Coalition has accomplished little as Government, while three-in-ten (29%) say it is too early to judge its accomplishments.

Practically half of respondents (49%) would like to hold an early General Election, while one third (32%) believe the Coalition Government should stay in place until May 2015.

A large majority of Britons (60%) believe this coalition is a one-time thing, and expect the next government to be formed by a party with a majority in Parliament.

Respondents in the North and Scotland are particularly critical of the Coalition Government, with a least three-in-five respondents saying it has accomplished little and has performed worse than they expected.

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Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From May 10 to May 12, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,003 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,012 American adults, 49 per cent of respondents approve of the way Barack Obama is handling his duties (+1 since March), while 46 per cent (-2) disapprove.

This month, Obama has his best marks in the Northeast (57%, +2) and his lowest numbers in the South (43%).

The level of strong approval for Obama increased by three points since March (19%), while the level of strong disapproval dropped by the same margin (30%).

Over the past two months, the approval rating for the U.S. Congress increased by two points to 17 per cent. Still, three-in-five Americans (75%, -2) remain unhappy with the performance of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Only two per cent of Americans strongly approve of their federal lawmakers, while 44 per cent strongly disapprove. This month, the worst rating for Congress is once again in the Midwest (13%) while the best is in the Northeast (23%).

Analysis

For the first time since July 2011, Barack Obama has a larger group of Americans approving of his performance than disapproving of it. The survey, conducted after the president made his pronouncement about same-sex marriage, also shows Obama connecting better with Democrats, whose level of strong approval increased by six points since March. On the other hand, more than half of Independents (54%) remain skeptical.

The rating for Congress has remained below the 20 per cent mark for almost one full year, with Democrats, Republicans and Independents continuing to voice displeasure with its actions.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From May 16 to May 17, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,012 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

The online survey of representative national samples shows that almost half of Canadians (46%) believe that the United States is the country that has benefited the most from NAFTA. In the United States, 37 per cent of respondents believe that the big winner with the commerce deal is Mexico.

When asked about the agreement, 46 per cent of Canadians and 40 per cent of Americans say they would like their respective countries to do whatever is necessary to renegotiate the terms of NAFTA. About one-in-six respondents in the two countries (16% in Canada, 15% in the U.S.) believe the current terms of NAFTA are adequate, while a smaller proportion (8% in Canada, 13% in the U.S.) would like for their respective countries to leave the trade deal.

Canadians who voted for the Liberal Party (52%) in the last federal election are more likely to call for a renegotiation of NAFTA than those who supported the New Democratic Party (NDP) (47%) and the Conservative Party (44%). In the United States, Independents (44%) are more likely to suggest a revision of terms than Republicans (41%) and Democrats (36%).

At least half of Canadians believe that NAFTA has benefitted the national economy (54%), manufacturers (52%) and employers (50%), and a smaller proportion (46%) think the trade deal has been good for tourists. However, only one third of Canadians (34%) think NAFTA has been beneficial for Canadian workers. Albertans are more likely to express more positive views about the effect of NAFTA than respondents in other provinces.

In the United States, respondents are not as certain about NAFTA’s benefits. At least two-in-five believe the deal has been good for manufacturers (47%), employers (45%) and tourists (40%), but only one third (34%) think NAFTA has benefited the American economy, and just one-in-four (25%) say it has been good for workers. Respondents in the South hold more positive views on the trade deal.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From May 7 to May 8, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,008 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists, and 1,012 randomly selected American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1% for both countries. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada and the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 2,003 British adults, 40 per cent of respondents say they will “definitely” or “probably” root for Chelsea during the final.

A majority of respondents who consider themselves football fans (64%) and those who watch football but do not follow the sport all the time (68%) will root for Chelsea, along with 43 per cent of respondents in London.

Among Britons who currently have a favourite English Premier League (EPL) other than Chelsea, the fluctuation is more dramatic.

While a majority of respondents who profess to be fans of Manchester City (66%) and Manchester United (58%) say they will root for Chelsea against Bayern Munich, less than half of people who are fans of Liverpool (47%), Arsenal (46%) and Tottenham Hotspur (43%) will join them.

Download Full Tables

Download Full Methodology Statement

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From May 10 to May 12, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,003 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 2,003 British adults, 50 per cent of respondents oppose the plan to introduce a single tier system and rise the pension age to 67 between 2026 and 2028. Only 34 per cent of Britons support the idea.

More than half of respondents (52%) believe the strikes against the proposed pension reforms from public sector workers are justified.

One-in-five Britons (21%) saw all or part of the Queen’s speech last week, and 43 per cent were exposed to post-speech media coverage. Among these respondents, just over a third (37%) believe the bills outlined in the document will be positive for Britain, while 44 per cent think they will be negative.

In Britain, 44 per cent of respondents believe the tradition of the Queen’s speech should remain as it is, while eight per cent would like the document to be read by the Prime Minister. One-in-five respondents (20%) consider the speech irrelevant, and 16 per cent would abandon the Queen’s speech altogether.

Download Full Tables

Download Full Methodology Statement

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From May 10 to May 12, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,003 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

The online survey of a representative provincial sample of 802 British Columbian adults also shows that the NDP would remain ahead of a prospective “Free Enterprise Coalition” encompassing the BC Liberals and the BC Conservatives, but with more than a third of British Columbians opting for a “wait-and-see” approach in the event the two centre-right parties actually merge.

Political Scene

Across British Columbia, 50 per cent of decided voters and leaners (+7 since late March) will cast a ballot for the NDP candidate in their constituency in the next provincial election. The BC Liberals remain at 23 per cent, while the BC Conservatives have dropped four points (19%). The BC Greens are fourth with six per cent, and have failed to reach double digits for the third time this year.

The NDP is the dominant political party in all four regions of the province, keeping particularly high numbers in the North (61%), Vancouver Island (52%) and Metro Vancouver (49%). In the Interior, the New Democrats are first with 48 per cent, while the BC Conservatives are second with 26 per cent. Support for BC Liberals in the Interior has fallen to 18 per cent.

The NDP holds a 17-point lead over the BC Liberals among male voters (45% to 28%), and female voters in the province are choosing the NDP over the BC Liberals by a 3-to-1 margin (55% to 17%). The BC Conservatives are attracting one-in-four voters over the age of 55 (26%), and the New Democrats are now the preferred choice for three-in-five voters aged 18-to-34 (59%).

The seven-point gain is the biggest for the NDP since the election of Adrian Dix as leader. The NDP maintains an impressive retention rate of 88 per cent, and is now attracting one-in-five respondents (20%) who voted for the BC Liberals in the 2009 provincial election.

The BC Liberals are only holding on to roughly half of their voters in the last provincial ballot (48%). Along with the 20 per cent of 2009 BC Liberal voters who are now saying they would vote for the Dix-led NDP, the governing party is losing 30 per cent of its past electors to the BC Conservatives.

“Free Enterprise Coalition”

The survey gauged the possibility of a union of BC Liberals and BC Conservatives, in scenarios where a “Free Enterprise Coalition” is led by three different people. The proposed merged party attracts 20 per cent of respondents under current BC Liberals leader and Premier Christy Clark, 17 per cent under BC Conservative leader John Cummins, and 21 per cent under Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Kevin Falcon.

In all three scenarios, the NDP would garner the backing of about a third of British Columbians, but it is important to note that the level of undecided voters grows dramatically, from 16 per cent in the traditional ballot question, to at least 34 per cent in the questions related to the “Free Enterprise Coalition”. This discrepancy shows that, while the idea of a merger does not immediately materialize in a high level of support for the centre-right option, a significant portion of the electorate remains uncommitted.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From May 7 to May 9, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 802 randomly selected British Columbia adults who are Angus Reid Forum panellists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.5%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of British Columbia. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 769 American decided voters, 49 per cent of respondents say they will vote for the prospective nominee for the Republican Party in the election. Support for Romney increased by five points since April, and reached the previous high the GOP contender posted in the first month of 2012.

Conversely, 46 per cent of decided voters would cast a ballot for Obama in the presidential election. The Democratic incumbent has lost four points since April.

Romney holds a ten-point advantage over Obama among male voters (52% to 42%), while the incumbent president keeps a slight edge among female voters (49% to 46%).

Practically three-in-five respondents over the age of 55 (57%) say they will vote for Romney. While Obama is still the preferred choice for voters aged 18-to-34 and 35-to-54, the Democratic incumbent has lost four and five points in each group respectively since April.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From May 7 to May 8, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 769 randomly selected American decided voters who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.5%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 2,604 British adults, only 13 per cent of respondents say they followed the recent trial of Liam Stacey “very closely” or “moderately closely”—a proportion that reaches 20 per cent among Britons aged 18-to-34.

Stacey—a Swansea University student—was sentenced to nearly two months in jail for posting offensive comments on Twitter. Stacey was found to have incited racial hatred on the online social networking and microblogging service moments after Bolton Wanderers footballer Fabrice Muamba collapsed during a match.

Almost half of respondents (45%) think the punishment is about right, while one-in-four (23%) deem it too harsh. In addition, 14 per cent believe the sentence for Stacey was too lenient—including one-in-five respondents over the age of 55 (20%).

Respondents endorse two components of Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003, which are related to the improper use of public electronic communications network. Almost nine-in-ten Britons (87%) believe a person is guilty of an offence if he/she sends by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character. A similarly high proportion of respondents (85%) believe a person is guilty of an offence if, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another, he/she sends by means of a public electronic communications network, a message that he/she knows to be false.

Two-in-five respondents (40%) are content with existing regulations in the UK to deal with racially or religiously aggravated offences. However, one-in-four Britons (26%) think these regulations do not go far enough, and 18 per cent believe they are excessive.

Download Full Tables

Download Full Methodology Statement

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From April 9 to April 11, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,604 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 1.9%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

The online survey of representative national samples in the three countries also found that Prince William and Kate Middleton have surpassed Queen Elizabeth II to become the most liked members of the Royal Family.

Future of the Monarchy

In Australia and Canada, about a third of respondents (36% and 33% respectively) say they would prefer for their countries to remain a monarchy.

However, the sentiment of Canadians to have an elected head of state reaches 37 per cent, while the proportion of Australians who want to see their country become a republic is decidedly lower, at 28 per cent. Australians are more likely to say that the debate over the future of the monarchy makes no difference to them (30%) than Canadians (20%).

In Britain, respondents prefer the monarchy to an elected head of state by a 4-to-1 margin (54% to 13%), with one-in-four (26%) voicing indifference on this matter.

The Royal Family

Prince William has become the most popular member of the Royal Family, with 83 per cent of Australians, 82 per cent of Britons and 77 per cent of Canadians saying they have a favourable opinion of him. His wife Kate Middleton is now second on the list with equally impressive ratings (79% in Australia, 77% in Britain and 73% in Canada).

Queen Elizabeth II is viewed favourably by seven-in-ten respondents in the three countries, and the ranking is similar for Prince Harry. Prince Philip is regarded in a positive light by half of Britons and Canadians, and 45 per cent of Australians.

The lowest rated members of the Royal Family are Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The heir to the throne gets a positive review from 45 per cent of Britons, 34 per cent of Canadians and 33 per cent of Australians. Camilla is viewed favourably by only three-in-ten Britons (31%), and her rating drops to 21 per cent in Canada and 16 per cent in Australia.

Succession

The popularity of Prince William is also evident in a question related to succession. Practically half of respondents in the three countries (52% of Australians, 51% of Britons and 47% of Canadians) say they would like Prince William to become King after Queen Elizabeth II.

Conversely, only 31 per cent of Britons, 17 per cent of Canadians and 13 per cent of Australians would prefer to see King Charles ascend the throne.

Country Breakdowns

In Australia, women (41%) and people over the age of 55 (45%) are more likely to voice support for the continuation of the monarchy, while men prefer the notion of becoming a republic (36%). The highest level of indifference to the debate is observed with Australians aged 35-to-54 (35%).

In Britain, the youngest demographic is more likely to voice indifference on this matter (33%), while majorities of middle-aged (52%) and older (68%) Britons want the UK to remain a monarchy. There is no discernible gender gap.

In Canada, the notion of an elected head of state is more popular with men (45%) than women (29%), and attracts at least a third of respondents across all three demographics. However, for older Canadians, indifference on the issue is supplanted by support for the continuation of the monarchy.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Full Methodology Details:

The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/-2.5% for Australia, and +/-2.2% for Great Britain and Canada. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of each country.

The online survey of a representative sample of 1,012 American adults also shows that Al Gore is regarded as the best recent Vice President, while Dick Cheney is considered the worst.

Romney’s Running Mate

Respondents in the United States were provided with the names of 15 politicians who have been mentioned as possible Vice Presidential nominees in a Republican ticket headlined by Mitt Romney.

Rick Santorum tops the list, with 46 per cent of Americans thinking he would be a “very good” or “good” Vice President, followed by Ron Paul with 42 per cent, Jeb Bush with 34 per cent, and Chris Christie with 33 per cent. Newt Gingrich, Marco Rubio and Sarah Palin are regarded as positive choices by three-in-ten Americans (30%).

The analysis of Republicans is decidedly different, with 70 per cent endorsing a Vice Presidential nod for Santorum, and 66 per cent feeling Jeb Bush would be a good running mate for Romney. Support is slightly lower for Gingrich (52%), Palin (50%), Christie and Paul (49% each), and Rubio (47%).

Among Independents, Santorum and Paul are tied with 42 per cent, but no other prospective GOP Vice Presidential nominee manages to get to 30 per cent.

Vice Presidents Past and Present

Respondents were asked about the last seven men to serve as Vice President. One-in-four Americans (25%) believe Al Gore has been the best Vice President since 1974, followed by George H. W. Bush with 20 per cent. Two Republicans top the list of the worst recent Vice Presidents: Dick Cheney (25%) and Dan Quayle (17%), followed by current U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (16%).

Across the United States, 44 per cent of respondents approve of the way Biden is handling his duties, while 39 per cent disagree. Independents are evenly split when assessing the current Vice President (Approve 40%, Disapprove 39%). Two thirds of Democrats approve of Biden, while two thirds of Republicans voice dissatisfaction.

Analysis

The notion of seeking a Vice Presidential nominee from the pool of defeated presidential contenders appears to be alive and well, with many Republicans focusing on Rick Santorum as the best person to accompany Romney in the GOP ticket. As far as the two key Floridians is concerned, Jeb Bush is currently a more popular choice with the Republican base than Marco Rubio.

Independents hold Ron Paul in great esteem, and Chris Christie ranks highly among Americans and GOP supporters, distancing himself from other figures such as Tim Pawlenty and Bobby Jindal.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From April 25 to April 26, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,012 randomly selected American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.