Zone 3- Euro-Americas Summary, Week # 117

Dated 25 April- 1 May, 2010

Zone 3- EURO-AMERICAS

EAST EUROPE

No Party Able to Compete with United Russia

Russia’s governing party remains remarkably popular, according to a poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. 52 per cent of respondents would vote for United Russia (YR) in the next legislative ballot.

April 27, 2010

WEST EUROPE

Tories Lead Lib-Dems, Labour Third in Britain

The Conservative party is once again ahead of its rivals in Britain, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion published in The Economist. 33 per cent of respondents would support the Tories in next week’s General Election.

April 30, 2010

Just a Third of Britons Back Mission in Afghanistan

Public support for the military deployment in Afghanistan has fallen this month in Britain, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 32 per cent of respondents back the operation involving UK soldiers, down six points since February.

April 25, 2010

Millions of UK Consumers Punish Businesses Who Don’t Treat Workers Fairly

Within the committed Fairtrade consumer sector, more than two thirds say they will always or often punish companies for not being socially responsible and nearly a third of mainstream consumers are likely to reward companies for being socially responsible.

May 1 2010

British Sense of Fair Play Helps Workers in the Developing World

Britons overwhelmingly expect fair pay and fair treatment for workers in developing countries, and the vast majority, 86%, feel a personal responsibility to ensure workers are fairly compensated. Within the committed consumer sector, almost nine in ten people believe they can make a difference through their own shopping choices.

May 1 2010

President Sarkozy Keeps Dropping in France

The popularity of Nicolas Sarkozy continues to erode in France, according to a poll by CSA published in Le Parisien. 34 per cent of respondents have confidence in their president to face the country’s problems, down two points since March.

April 27, 2010

NORTH AMERICA

How Americans Interact with Government Online

As government agencies at all levels bring their services online, Americans are turning in large numbers to government websites to access information and services. Fully 82% of internet users (representing 61% of all American adults) looked for information or completed a transaction on a government website in the 12 months preceding this survey. Americans get information about public policies online, download official forms, and renew their license and card online.

April 27, 2010

More Americans Favor Than Oppose Arizona Immigration Law

More than three-quarters of Americans have heard about the state of Arizona's new immigration law, and of these, 51% say they favor it and 39% oppose it.

April 29, 2010

"Enthusiastic" Voters Prefer GOP by 20 Points in 2010 Vote

Although U.S. registered voters are closely divided in their 2010 congressional election preferences, those who say they are "very enthusiastic about voting" this year show a strong preference for the Republican Party.

April 27, 2010

Hispanics and Arizona's New Immigration Law

Arizona last week passed a law authorizing local police to check the immigration status of anyone they reasonably suspect of being in the United States illegally.1 The law has generated sharp debate between advocates who say it is needed to combat illegal immigration and opponents who say it is an infringement on civil liberties and an invitation to racial/ethnic profiling of Hispanics by the police. Opinion polls show that Hispanics are most critical of anti-immigration laws.

April 29, 2010

Pessimistic Public Doubts Effectiveness of Stimulus, TARP

The public remains doggedly downbeat about the condition of the national economy, even as many experts and economists see signs of recovery. As has been the case for most of the past two years, about nine-in-ten (88%) rate national economic conditions as only fair or poor, and over the past year there has been no decline in the percentage saying the economy will stay the same (36%) or get worse (19%) a year from now.

April 28, 2010

Obama Approval Drops to 46% in United States

Public support for Barack Obama fell slightly last month in the United States, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 46 per cent of respondents approve of their president’s performance, down two points since March.

May 01, 2010

Republicans Prioritize Immigration; Dems, Financial Reform

When asked which of three current legislative initiatives in Congress should be the priority, Americans who identify as Democrats favor a focus on financial reform, while independents and Republicans choose immigration. All three political groups give a new energy bill low priority.

April 30, 2010

Few Americans Satisfied with Economic Standing

Adults in the United States hold gloomy views on the country’s finances, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 83 per cent of respondents rate the economic conditions in the U.S. as "poor" or "very poor."

April 30, 2010

Americans Support Arizona Immigration Bill

Many adults in the United States would like several regulations included in the Arizona immigration bill to be implemented in their own state, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 76 per cent of respondents support making it a crime to transport someone who is an illegal immigrant.

April 29, 2010

Americans Split on Next Supreme Court Justice

Adults in the United States do not agree on a specific set of principles for the country’s next Supreme Court justice, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 32 per cent of respondents would prefer a person with a conservative ideology, while 30 per cent would choose someone with a liberal ideology.

April 28, 2010

Volcano-Related Disruptions Affected 14% of Americans

The volcano that erupted in Iceland earlier this month affected 14% of U.S. adults in one way or another, including 1% who say their personal travel plans were disrupted, 3% who say other plans were affected, and 5% who said it disrupted their business.

April 30, 2010

More Canadians Satisfied with Domestic Economy

Many people in Canada believe the country’s financial standing has improved this year, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 58 per cent of respondents rate the economic conditions in Canada today as good or very good, up four points since March.

April 28, 2010

LATIN AMERICA

Rousseff Gains, Almost Ties Serra in Brazil

Brazil’s presidential election will require a run-off, according to a poll by Instituto Sensus. 32.7 per cent of respondents would vote for Jose Serra of the Brazilian Party of Social Democracy (PSDB) in the ballot, while 32.4 per cent would support Dilma Rousseff of the ruling Workers’ Party (PT).

April 24, 2010

MULTI-COUNTRY POLLS/ GLOBAL POLLS

Views on Global Warming Vary in Three Countries

People in three countries hold differing views on climate change, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 58 per cent of respondents in Canada believe global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities, but only 41 per cent of Americans and 38 per cent of Britons concur.

April 27, 2010

Educating Boys and Girls in the Muslim World

In all eight predominantly Muslim nations surveyed in 2009 a strong majority say it is equally important to educate girls and boys. This opinion is shared by more than eight-in-ten in Lebanon (96%), Indonesia (93%), Turkey (89%), Pakistan (87%) and the Palestinian territories (85%).

Young, Less Educated Yearn to Migrate to the U.S.

Fifteen countries attract about 500 million of the roughly 700 million adults worldwide who say they would like to relocate permanently to another country if they could. Gallup finds the U.S. is clearly the No. 1 desired destination among these potential migrants, with more than 165 million saying they would like to move there, and neighboring Canada is a distant second with 45 million.

April 30, 2010

---------------
The complete detailed weekly reports of the project can be found on theGilani Research Foundation website.