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Poll: Who do you trust?
By Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio
September 20, 2002

Poll Results | Poll Methodology | Story



Results:

QUESTION: For each of the following groups, please tell me whether or not you believe they generally act in an ethical manner.

Option Yes No Don't Know
People as a whole 81% 13% 6%
Elected officials 54% 39% 7%
Business leaders 51% 40% 9%
Non-elected government officials 64% 19% 17%


QUESTION: Within the past year, has your opinion regarding the ethics of business leaders gotten better, gotten worse, or is it about the same?

Option State Men Women
Better 2% 3% 1%
Worse 54% 50% 58%
Same 43% 46% 40%
Not sure 1% 1% 1%


QUESTION: Have the corporate scandals of the past year made you morelikely to invest in the stock market, less likely to invest, or has it had no effect on your investment strategy?

Option State Men Women
More likely 2% 3% 1%
Less likely 46% 42% 50%
No effect 50% 53% 47%
Not sure 2% 2% 2%


QUESTION: Do you support or oppose increased government regulation of business?

Option State Men Women
Support 43% 36% 50%
Oppose 44% 53% 35%
Undecided 13% 11% 15%
Not sure 2% 2% 2%



POLL METHODOLOGY

The Mason-Dixon Minnesota Poll was conducted September 12-14, 2002 by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. of Washington, D.C. A total of 625 registered Minnesota voters were interviewed statewide by telephone. All stated they regularly vote in state elections.

Those interviewed were selected by the random variation of the last four digits of telephone numbers. A cross-section of exchanges were utilized in order to ensure an accurate reflection of the state. Quotas were assigned to reflect voter turn-out county.

The margin for error, according to standards customarily used by statisticians, is no more than plus or minus 4 percentage points. This means that there is a 95 percent probability that the "true" figure would fall within that range if the entire population were sampled. The margin for error is higher for any subgroup, such as a regional or gender grouping.



Sample Figures:

Men 311 (50%)
Women 314 (50%)

Region Interviews
Minneapolis/St. Paul 347 interviews
Rochester/Southeast 70 interviews
Southwest Minnesota 67 interviews
Northwest Minnesota 69 interviews
Duluth/Northeast 72 interviews


PLEASE NOTE: This report is the property of Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research, Inc. It is not for duplication and/or redistribution. Copies of this report are available only through subscription. Subscribers are prohibited from providing this document to any third party. Any party in an unauthorized possession, engaging in unauthorized use. or involved in the unauthorized duplication or transmission of this document is subject to all applicable criminal and civil penalties.

Poll ©2002, Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved