The “Australian Survey of Social Attitudes”:http://assda224-100.anu.edu.au/nesstarlight/index.jsp has published a database of frequency tables for answers to their 2003 attitude survey on a variety of topics. The survey shows Australians to be (along with other tendencies) xenophobic about investment, apprehensive about foreign competiton for jobs and more than a little protectionist. But they are equally avid import consumers. I’m tempted to say: ‘no news there…’. WTO is influential, according to the survey. But not in a positive way, it seems. The rest of this post contains some pictures of the frequency tabulations (for which I did not find a copyright at the ASSDA site). I am endebted to “Andrew Norton”:http://www.badanalysis.com/catallaxy/archives/000165.html’s story on attitudes to same-sex parenting for the link to this intriguing resource.
The [effect on your daily life of the] World Trade Organisation (WTO) |
Value | Categories | N | |
| Great effect | 235 | |
| Some effect | 955 | |
| No effect | 599 | |
| Can’t choose | 204 | |
| Not asked | 2183 | |
| Skip | 0 | |
| Missing | 94 | |
Large international companies are doing more and more damage to local businesses in Australia |
Value | Categories | N | |
| Strongly agree | 700 | |
| Agree | 917 | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 351 | |
| Disagree | 118 | |
| Strongly disagree | 10 | |
| Can’t choose | 66 | |
| Not asked | 2087 | |
| Missing | 21 | |
Opening up Australia’s economy to foreign competition has a bad effect on job security in this country |
Value | Categories | N | |
| Strongly agree | 524 | |
| Agree | 1530 | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 980 | |
| Disagree | 808 | |
| Strongly disagree | 109 | |
| Can’t choose | 234 | |
| Not asked | 0 | |
| Skip | 0 | |
| Missing | 85 | |
Australia should limit the import of foreign products in order to protect its national economy |
Value | Categories | N | |
| Strongly agree | 525 | |
| Agree | 862 | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 407 | |
| Disagree | 267 | |
| Strongly disagree | 37 | |
| Can’t choose | 44 | |
| Not asked | 2087 | |
| Missing | 41 | |
Free trade leads to better products becoming available in Australia | Value | Categories | N | | | Strongly agree | 147 | | | Agree | 896 | | | Neither agree nor disagree | 607 | | | Disagree | 322 | | | Strongly disagree | 65 | | | Can’t choose | 111 | | | Not asked | 2087 | | | Missing | 35 | | |