2010 State of Orange County Survey Questions

Below is the complete survey and responses in its entirety. Several of the questions have comparison data from the
University of California, Irvine 2000 Orange County Annual Survey.

redarrowright Consumer Confidence
redarrowright Real Estate
redarrowright Orange County in 2020
redarrowright Public Schools
redarrowright Energy and the Environment
redarrowright Political Profiles

 

Survey Questions and Responses

Q1. First, do you approve or disapprove of the way that Barack Obama is handling his job as President?

2010
Approve 40%
Disapprove 48
Don't Know 12

 

Q2. Do you think the United States is headed in the right direction or the wrong direction?

2010
Right Direction 34%
Wrong Direction 55
Don't Know 11

 

Q3. Would you say the state of California is generally headed in the right direction or the wrong direction?

2010
Right Direction 10%
Wrong Direction 83
Don't Know 6

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CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

Q4. Would you say that you (and your family) are financially better off or worse off than you were a year ago?

2000 | 2010
Better Off 53% | 19%
Worse Off 13 | 54
Same 34 | 27

 

Q5. Now, looking ahead, do you think that a year from now that you and your family will be better off, worse off, or just about the same as now?

2000 | 2010
Better Off 51% | 26%
Worse Off 5 | 23
Same 37 | 45
Don't Know 7 | 7

 

Q6. Turning to business conditions in the country as a whole, do you think that during the next 12 months we will have good times financially or bad times?

2000 | 2010
Good Times 70% | 37%
Bad Times 14 | 53
Don't Know 16 | 10

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Q7. Looking ahead, in the country as a whole, will we have continued good times during the next 5 years, or will we have periods of widespread unemployment and depression?

2000 | 2010
Good Times 60% | 35%
Unemployment & Depression 21 | 53
Don't Know 19 | 12

 

Q8. About the big things that people buy for their homes, such as furniture, a refrigerator, a stove, television and things like that— generally speaking, do you think now is a good or a bad time for people to buy major household items?

2000 | 2010
Good Time 70% | 47%
Bad Time 10 | 41
Neither 20 | 4
Don't Know - | 8

 

Q9. In general, how would you rate the economy in Orange County today? Would you say the economy in Orange County is...

2000 | 2010
Excellent 28% | 1%
Good 51 | 13
Fair 17 | 60
Poor 2 | 23
Don't Know 2 | 2

 

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REAL ESTATE

Q10. In general, do you think that buying a home in Orange County today is an excellent, good, only fair or a poor investment?

2000 | 2010
Excellent 19% | 11%
Good 49 | 45
Fair 20 | 26
Poor 9 | 15
Don't Know 3 | 3

 

Q11. How do you feel about the availability of housing that you can afford in your region? Are you...

2000 | 2010
Very Satisfied 17% | 13%
Somewhat Satisfied 49 | 51
Not Satisfied 34 | 36

 

Q12. Thinking about the quality of life in Orange County, how do you think things are going?

2000 | 2010
Very Well 38% | 8%
Somewhat Well 53 | 56
Somewhat Badly 7 | 30
Very Badly 2 | 5

 

Q13. What do you think is the most important problem in Orange County today?

RANK Topic 2000 | Topic 2010
1 Crime, Gangs 24% | Jobs, Economy 49%
2 Schools, Education 17 | Schools, Education 12
3 El Toro Airport 15 | Immigration 8
4 Traffic and Transportation 11 | Taxes, Budget and Spending 5
5 Housing Cost and Availability 6 | Traffic and Transportation 5
6 Growth, Population and Development 5 | Local Government 5
7 Other 5 | Other 3
8 Environment, Pollution 4 | Housing Cost & Availability 3
9 Jobs, Economy 4 | Growth, Population, Development 3
10 Immigration 2 | Political Corruption 3
11 Drugs, Drug Abuse 2 | Crime, Gangs 2
12 Morality, Values 2 | Morality, Values 2
13 Health Care 1 | Poverty, Poor, Welfare 0
14 Poverty, Poor, Welfare 1 | Environment, Pollution 0
15 Local Government 1 |

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ORANGE COUNTY IN 2020

Looking ahead to the year 2020, which is more likely to happen in Orange County…

Q14. (A) Race and ethnic relations will improve, or (B) race and ethnic relations will get worse.

2000 | 2010
Improve 61% | 58%
Get Worse 25 | 27
Neither 8 | 8
Don't Know 6 | 8

 

Q15. (A) The crime rate will increase or (B) the crime rate will decrease?

2000 | 2010
Increase 49% | 47%
Decrease 40 | 36
Neither 7 | 8
Don't Know 4 | 8

 

Q16. (A) The public education system will improve, or (B) the public education system will get worse?

2000 | 2010
Improve 58% | 38%
Get Worse 33 | 55
Neither 5 | 4
Don't Know 4 | 3

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Q17. (A) The gap between rich and poor will grow, (B) the gap between rich and poor will get smaller?

2000 | 2010
Grow 64% | 64%
Get Smaller 23 | 26
Neither/No Change 8 | 5
Don't Know 5 | 5

 

Q18. (A) Job opportunities and economic conditions will improve, or (B) job opportunities and economic conditions will get worse?

2000 | 2010
Improve 61% | 60%
Get Worse 26 | 32
Neither/No Change 7 | 3
Don't Know 6 | 5

 

Q19. Overall, do you think that in 2020 Orange County will be a better place to live than it is now, a worse place to live than it is now, or will there be no change?

2000 | 2010
Better Place 31% | 34%
Worse Place 32 | 22
No Change 31 | 44
Don't Know 6 | -

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PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Q20. On another topic, how would you rate your local public schools? Would you say your local public schools are...

2000 | 2010
Excellent 13% | 18%
Good 41 | 34
Fair 28 | 27
Poor 10 | 11
Don't Know 8 | 10

 

Q21. Do you think the current level of state funding for your local public schools is more than enough, just enough, or not enough?

2000 | 2010
More than Enough 10% | 14%
Just Enough 24 | 19
Not Enough 58 | 61
Don't Know 8 | 6

 

Q22. Suppose the local schools said they needed much more money. At this time, would you vote to raise local taxes for this purpose, or would you vote against raising local taxes for this purpose?

2000 | 2010
Vote to Raise Taxes 47% | 36%
Vote Against Raising Taxes 46 | 59
Don't Know 7 | 4

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ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Q23. Now, I'm going to change topics...How important is it for the United States to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels like gasoline and oil? Would you say that it is...

2010
Very Important 58%
Somewhat Important 29
Neither 3
Somewhat Unimportant 4
Not Important 5

 

Here are some reasons that have been given for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels like gasoline, oil, coal and natural gas.  For each, tell me whether you think it is very important, important, somewhat unimportant or not very important.

Q24. Our dependence on fossil fuels hurts the environment by increasing pollution and contributing to climate change.

2010
Very Important 47%
Somewhat Important 32
Somewhat Unimportant 9
Not Important 12

 

Q25. Our dependence on fossil fuels undermines our national security by making us dependent on foreign oil sources.

2010
Very Important 58%
Somewhat Important 31
Somewhat Unimportant 6
Not Important 6

 

Q26. Our dependence on fossil fuels hurts the economy by forcing us to borrow money from nations such as China.

2010
Very Important 61%
Somewhat Important 25
Somewhat Unimportant 6
Not Important 8

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Q27. Our dependence on fossil fuels contributes to terrorism by putting money into the hands of people who hate us.

2010
Very Important 58%
Somewhat Important 23
Somewhat Unimportant 10
Not Important 9

Next, officials in the state and federal governments are discussing ways to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Please tell me if you favor or oppose the following plans to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Q28. How about requiring an increase in the use of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources by utilities?

2010
Favor 82%
Oppose 18

 

Q29. How about requiring an increase in energy efficiency for residential and commercial buildings and appliances?

2010
Favor 71%
Oppose 29

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Q30. How about continuing to offer federal and state incentives for homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes?

2010
Favor 85%
Oppose 16

 

Q31. How about requiring industrial plants, oil refineries, and commercial facilities to reduce their emissions that pollute the environment?

2010
Favor 79%
Oppose 21

 

Q32. How about encouraging local governments to change land use and transportation planning to so that people could drive less?

2010
Favor 82%
Oppose 19

 

Q33. How about encouraging the construction of more nuclear power plants?

2010
Favor 58%
Oppose 42

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Q34. Overall, do you think the state of California is doing more than enough, just enough, or not enough to protect the environment?

2010
More than Enough 20%
Just Enough 37
Not Enough 43

 

Q35. From what you know about global climate change or global warming, which of the following four statements comes closest to your views?

2010
Global climate change has been established as a serious problem and immediate action is necessary. 23%
There is enough evidence that climate change is taking place and some action should be taken. 32
We don't know enough about global climate change, and more research is necessary before we take any actions. 28
Concern about global climate change is unwarranted. 18

 

Q36. Would you seriously consider purchasing a hybrid vehicle next time you buy a car?

2010
Yes 59%
No 38
I Already Own a Hybrid 3

 

Q37. Would you seriously consider purchasing a fully electric car that can travel at least 100 miles without having to be recharged?

2010
Yes 51%
No 46
Other 3

 

Q38. How likely is it that the "green job" market, including jobs in areas like solar power, energy conservation, renewable materials and electric vehicles, will grow to employ thousands of workers here in Orange County?

2010
Very Likely 20%
Somewhat Likely 48
Not Very Likely 33

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Q39. How important is it for local government to actively promote green jobs and a green economy in Orange County?  Would you say it is:

2010
Very Important 47%
Somewhat Important 32
Somewhat Unimportant 11
Not Important at All 11

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POLITICAL PROFILES

Please tell me if the first statement or the second statement comes closer to your views—even if neither is exactly right

Q40. (A) The government goes too far in restricting the rights of citizens to own guns (B) the government does not do enough to regulate access to guns.

2000 | 2010
Gov't Goes Too Far 31% | 40%
Gov't Does Not Do Enough 63 | 54
Don't Know 6 | 6

 

Q41. (A ) The government should pass more laws that restrict the availability of abortion (B) the government should not interfere with a woman’s access to abortion.

2000 | 2010
Restrict Availability 29% | 28%
Should Not Interfere w/ Access 65 | 69
Don't Know 6 | 3

 

Q42. (A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy (B) stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.

2000 | 2010
Stricter Laws Cost Jobs 28% | 43%
Stricter Laws are Worth Cost 62 | 50
Don't Know 10 | 7

 

Q43. (A) Immigrants today are a benefit to California because of their hard work and job skills (B) immigrants today are a burden to California because they use public services.

2000 | 2010
Immigrants are a Benefit 58% | 40%
Immigrants are a Burden 31 | 50
Don't Know 11 | 10

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Q44. Do you think that gays and lesbians should or should not be able to serve openly in the military?

2000 | 2010
Should 62% | 74%
Should Not 28 | 21
Don't Know 10 | 6

 

Q45. Do you think that gays and lesbians should or should not be able to marry?

2010
Should 52%
Should Not 48

 

Q46. Do you think it should be legal for adults to possess up to one ounce of marijuana?

2010
Yes 44%
No 56

 

Q47. Next, some people are registered to vote and others are not. Are you absolutely certain that you are registered to vote in California?  

2010
Yes 92%
No 8

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Q48. Are you registered as a Democrat, a Republican, another party, or as an independent?

2010
Registered, Democrat 32%
Registered, Republican 46
Registered, Another Party 2
Registered, Independent 20
Registered, Don't Know/Refuse Party 1

 

Q49. Do you think of yourself as closer to the Republican Party or Democratic Party?

2010
Republican Party 46%
Democratic Party 32
Neither 21

 

Q50. Next, would you consider yourself to be politically:

2000 | 2010
Very Liberal 7% | 4%
Somewhat Liberal 19 | 20
Middle-of-the-Road 31 | 30
Somewhat Conservative 31 | 32
Very Conservative 12 | 15

 

Q51. Generally speaking, how much interest would you say you have in politics—a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or none?

2000 | 2010
Great Deal 18% | 28%
Fair Amount 47 | 50
Only a Little 27 | 18
None 8 | 5

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Q52. How often would you say you vote—always, nearly always, part of the time, seldom, or never? 

2000 | 2010
Always 49% | 63%
Nearly Always 16 | 21
Part of the Time 8 | 7
Seldom 2 | 4
Never 25 | 5

 

I am going to read a list of people running for governor. First, please tell me whether you've heard of them and if you have, whether you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable impression of them?

Q53 Meg Whitman, Republican, Businesswoman

2010
Yes, Heard of Candidate 84%
No, Have Not Heard of Candidate 16

2010
Very Favorable 16%
Somewhat Favorable 51
Somewhat Unfavorable 21
Very Unfavorable 12

 

Q54. Jerry Brown, Democrat, CA State Attorney General

2010
Yes, Heard of Candidate 85%
No, Have Not Heard of Candidate 15

2010
Very Favorable 8%
Somewhat Favorable 26
Somewhat Unfavorable 22
Very Unfavorable 43

 

Q55. Steve Poizner, Republican, CA State Insurance Commissioner

2010
Yes, Heard of Candidate 78%
No, Have Not Heard of Candidate 22

2010
Very Favorable 6%
Somewhat Favorable 37
Somewhat Unfavorable 38
Very Unfavorable 20

 

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Now, I'm going to read a list of people who are running for U.S. Senator. Please tell me whether you've heard of each one, and if you have, whether you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable impression of them?

Q56. Barbara Boxer, Democrat, U.S. Senator

2010
Yes, Heard of Candidate 92%
No, Have Not Heard of Candidate 8

2010
Very Favorable 15%
Somewhat Favorable 27
Somewhat Unfavorable 14
Very Unfavorable 45

 

Q57. Tom Campbell, Republican, Former Congressman

2010
Yes, Heard of Candidate 66%
No, Have Not Heard of Candidate 34

2010
Very Favorable 14%
Somewhat Favorable 56
Somewhat Unfavorable 23
Very Unfavorable 7

 

Q58. Carly Fiorina, Republican, Businesswoman

2010
Yes, Heard of Candidate 44%
No, Have Not Heard of Candidate 56

2010
Very Favorable 13%
Somewhat Favorable 50
Somewhat Unfavorable 22
Very Unfavorable 15

 

Q59. Chuck DeVore, Republican, CA State Assemblyman

2010
Yes, Heard of Candidate 48%
No, Have Not Heard of Candidate 52

2010
Very Favorable 14%
Somewhat Favorable 56
Somewhat Unfavorable 21
Very Unfavorable 10