Document Type
Report
Publication Date
2011
Abstract
SURVEY OVERVIEW The Leo T McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good launched its inaugural Bay Area Regional Survey in June 2011. The Center interviewed nearly 1,200 respondents over the age of 18 in eight Bay Area counties to get the current pulse of San Francisco and the Bay Area on a range of important issues.
In this first McCarthy Center survey, a baseline of opinions is established so that regional changes in perception can be measured over time. Included are such topics as concern over the economy, pension reform, and other public policy issues, and overall assessments of trust and confidence in the government.
The survey was conducted June 1‐7 2011. Respondents were randomly selected from across the Bay Area, representing a full cross‐section of age, ethnicity, and socio‐economic standing. Surveys were taken of adult residents in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Sonoma Counties. In addition to the base sample, the report includes an oversample of San Francisco County. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish (11 percent of the sample) and residents were contacted by landline or cellphone (10 percent of the sample).
This report presents the responses of the 1,177 persons surveyed. The margin of error for the population estimates is ±2.8%. Margins for subgroups are larger; significantly so in some cases. This report contains findings on the following topics: • Public perceptions of most important issues to Bay Area communities, assessments of whether things are heading in the right direction, and sentiments about the direction of the economy; • Individual preferences for options for reviving the economy including public investments in education, and tax and regulatory policy; • Trust in governmental institutions, including separated evaluations of national, state, and local governments and confidence in an array of social and political organizations. • Levels of concern about governmental budgets and preferences for typical components of pension reform proposals designed to reduce public obligations; and • Evaluations of the net consequences of immigration; whether immigrants are a benefit or a burden to California.
Recommended Citation
University of San Francisco, Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, "Bay Area Survey: Public Attitudes about the Economy, Government and Public Policy (June 2011)" (2011). McCarthy Center Faculty and Staff Scholarship. 6.
https://repository.usfca.edu/mccarthy_fac/6
