| Rasmussen Reports: 48% Say Government Has Conflict of Interest When Regulating Automakers |
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14/04/2010 14:09 (767 Day 20:47 minutes ago) | |||||
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The FINANCIAL -- Forty-eight percent (48%) of Americans now believe that the government has a conflict-of-interest when it comes to regulating competing automakers.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that, despite the government’s ownership of General Motors, 25% say the government does not have a conflict-of-interest in regulating other automakers. Another 26% are not sure.
These findings have changed very little from early February when the government began cracking down on Toyota for safety problems.
The views of GM owners are about the same as other Americans in terms of whether or not a conflict exists.
However, Toyota owners are evenly divided as to whether or not senior government officials are criticizing Toyota to help GM. GM owners reject that suspicion by a 2-to-1 margin.
Overall, 25% of all adults say the government officials are criticizing Toyota to help GM, but 38% disagree. Thirty-seven percent (37%) more aren’t sure. These findings, too, are little changed from February.
Despite Toyota’s major safety recalls, owners of its cars are still more loyal than those who drive cars made by the bailed-out GM. Sixty-four percent (64%) of Americans who currently own a Toyota say they are at least somewhat likely to buy their next car from the troubled automaker, compared to 57% of GM drivers who say they are at least somewhat likely to buy their next car from GM.
Sixty-three percent (63%) of Republicans and 57% of adults not affiliated with either major party think the government as majority owner of GM has a conflict-of-interest when it regulates other car companies. Democrats are more ambivalent: 27% see a conflict-of-interest; 38% do not.
Republicans and unaffiliateds also are more likely to suspect that senior government officials are criticizing Toyota to help GM.
Investors are more likely to see a conflict-of-interest than non-investors and also are more likely to think government criticism of Toyota is aimed at helping GM.
In May of last year at the height of the auto bailout debate, 57% of Americans believed that if the government became majority owner of GM and Chrysler, it would pass laws and regulations giving the companies an unfair advantage over their business rivals.
Last June, just after the bailout arrangement giving the government majority ownership in GM was announced, 80% of voters wanted the government to sell its stake in GM and Chrysler as soon as possible. Support for ending the government ownership was so strong that 64% favored a proposal that would force the government to sell the auto companies within a year.
Looking back, most voters still think the auto bailouts were a bad idea. Both GM’s and Chrysler’s favorability ratings have suffered since they received government bailouts.
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