ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new Financial Times / Harris Poll finds that very few people in the United States and the five larger European countries have confidence in the abilities of their governments or their central banks to deal with their economic difficulties. Only five percent (in Spain) or less of adults are “very confident” in their governments. Only five percent (in France) or less are “very confident” in their central banks’ abilities to set interest rates to manage the current crisis.

However, only relatively small proportions of the public, from five percent in Germany to 22 percent in Italy, report that the recent credit crisis in the world’s financial markets has had a major impact on their lives. And less than 50 percent (from 49% in France to 20% in the United States) expect that their own financial position will get worse over the next year.

These are some of the results of a Financial Times/Harris Poll conducted online by Harris Interactive® among a total of 6,434 adults aged 16 to 64 within France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain and the United States, and adults aged 18 to 64 in Italy between March 27 and April 8, 2008.

Some of the other results of this poll are:

  • When shown a list of economic problems facing their countries, pluralities in five of them believe that the rising price of food and energy is the most serious problem (46% in US, Spain, 42% in France, 40% in Britain and 37% in Germany). In Italy more people see lack of consumer purchasing powers (32%) and excessive taxes (25%) as the two most serious problems;
  • In five of the six countries there is no consensus, when people are asked which institutions should intervene to help banks that have been hit by the financial crisis. However, in Spain a 57 percent majority believe that both the central bank (i.e. the European Central Bank) and the Spanish government should intervene;
  • It is also worth noting that between 27 percent (in Germany) and 10 percent (in Spain) do not think that either their governments or central banks should intervene to help banks that are in trouble;
  • Majorities of adults in France, Italy and Spain, and a 49 percent plurality in Germany believe that the European Union needs a common policy to deal with failing financial institutions. However in Britain, only 21 percent feel this way while half (50%) say it should be left to the individual member states;
  • A 55 percent majority in Spain and pluralities in France, Italy and Germany believe their economies will perform better inside the Euro zone than they would outside it. In Britain a 46 percent plurality believes that the British economy will perform better outside the Euro zone, but 25 percent disagree and 30 percent are not sure;
  • Modest majorities in Italy (55%), Spain (54%) and France (52%) believe their membership of the EU is helping their economies, as does a 43 percent plurality in Germany. In Euro-skeptic Britain only 21 percent think EU membership is helping the British economy.

Methodology

This FT/Harris Poll was conducted online by Harris Interactive among a total of 6,434 adults (aged 16-64) within France (1,114), Germany (1,028), Great Britain (1,122), Spain (1,012) and the United States (1,053) and adults (aged 18-64) in Italy (1,105) between 27 March and 8 April 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. 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. A full methodology and data tables for the U.S. and Europe are available.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls and of the British Polling Council.

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About Harris Interactive

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