Feeling of Gloom and Doom Widespread in Europe and the U.S.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – February 8, 2008 – Across the globe there is a general sense of pessimism about the way things are. A new Harris Interactive/France 24/International Herald Tribune survey finds that majorities of the public in Italy (80%), France (67%) and the United States (52%), as well as a plurality in Great Britain (41%) believe their respective countries are doing poorly. Spaniards and Germans are more divided. In Spain, 38 percent say things are going badly while three in ten (30%) say they are going well. In Germany just over one-third (36%) say things are going badly while 28 percent say they are going well.

These are some of the results of a Harris Interactive/France 24/International Herald Tribune survey conducted online by Harris Interactive® among a total of 6,676 adults aged 16 to 64 within France; Germany, Great Britain, Spain, the United States, and adults aged 18 to 64 in Italy, between January 10 and 21, 2008.

Not only are things not going well in these six countries, there is also a perception that they are not moving in the right direction. Majorities in Italy (65%), the U.S. (59%), France (56%), and Great Britain (54%) and just under half of adults in Germany (49%) and Spain (48%) believe their country is moving more in the wrong direction. Spain and Germany are the most optimistic with 39 percent and 30 percent of adults, respectively, believing things are moving in the right direction.

One reason there is so much negativity overall may be because such negativity exists on so many different issues in each country. The one overwhelmingly negative issue is the retirement system in each country where strong majorities in all six say things are going badly (from 58% to 73%). Majorities in Italy (75%), France (70%), the U.S. (63%) and Spain (52%) as well as a plurality in Great Britain (45%) believe their country is doing poorly on the economy. Germany is the only country where more people believe things are going well on this issue than think things are going poorly (36% versus 27%). Hand in hand with the economy is the issue of affordability, or purchasing power. At least a plurality of adults in all six countries say this issue is going badly in their country, with four out of five French (84%) and Italian (80%) adults saying so.

On some other issues, majorities four of the six countries believe things are going badly on the justice system, with adults in the U.S. and Germany more conflicted on this issue. When it comes to employment, again, four out of six countries have majorities who say things are not going well in their country on this. This time Great Britain joins the U.S in being more conflicted, but a plurality of Americans think employment is not going well. Looking at education in each country, at least a plurality in all six countries, with a strong majority in Italy (64%), believe this issue is going badly. Attitudes toward health care are also perceived as not going well. Spain is the only country where a majority does not believe health care is going badly.

Looking at the political system in each country, a plurality in all six, including four out of five in Italy (83%), say that is going badly. When it comes to both law and order and the public transportation system in each country, majorities in just two – Great Britain and Italy – say both issues are going poorly. The only issue where things seem to be going well is national defense. Just under half of French adults (48%) say it is going well in their country and pluralities in Germany (46%), Italy (43%) and Great Britain (41%) say it is going neither well nor badly in their countries. Spain and the U.S. are a little more evenly split on this issue. In Spain, just over one-third (35%) say national defense is going badly, one-third (33%) say it is going well and 32 percent say it is going neither well nor badly. In the U.S., three in ten (31%) of Americans say it is going neither well nor badly, one-third (32%) say national defense is going badly and 37 percent say it is going well.

Overall, the governments of these six countries have their work cut out for them in trying to shake this sense of gloom and doom from their citizens. Most of the countries, however, do have some bright spots where things are not going too poorly. Italy, however, is the one main exception. On ten of the 11 issues, majorities of Italians, and usually very large majorities, say things are going badly in their country. Their only bright spot is national defense. As the Italy prepares for another government, its 62^nd since World War II, after April elections, Italians are probably hoping for something to change this negativism.

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today?"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Note: * indicates less than 0.5%

"Do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is moving more in the right direction or wrong direction?"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today with regard to the issues listed below? - Justice"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Note: * indicates less than 0.5%

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today with regard to the issues listed below? - Employment"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Note: * indicates less than 0.5%

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today with regard to the issues listed below? – the Economy"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Note: * indicates less than 0.5%

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today with regard to the issues listed below? - Education"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Note: * indicates less than 0.5%

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today with regard to the issues listed below? – Health care"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today with regard to the issues listed below? – affordability (purchasing power)"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Note: * indicates less than 0.5%

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today with regard to the issues listed below? – the Political System"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today with regard to the issues listed below? – Public Transportation"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today with regard to the issues listed below? – The Retirement System"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Note: * indicates less than 0.5%

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today with regard to the issues listed below? – Law and Order"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Note: * indicates less than 0.5%

"How do you think [the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S.] is doing today with regard to the issues listed below? – National Defense"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

This Harris Interactive/France 24/International Herald Tribune study was conducted online by Harris Interactive among a total of 6,676 adults (aged 16-64) within France (1,128), Germany (1,135), Great Britain (1,137), Spain (1,114) and the United States (1,015) and adults (aged 18-64) in Italy (1,147) between 10 and 21 January 2008. Figures for age, sex, education, region and Internet usage were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult populations of the respective countries. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

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Tracey McNerney
Harris Interactive
585-214-7756