Attitudes to Government and Government Services

Attitudes to Government and Government Services
Year published: 2011

Abstract

Key points summary
Attitudes to Government and Government services
Satisfaction with democracy in Australia remains high by international standards, though it is lower in 2010 and 2011 than in the earlier part of the decade.
The lower levels of satisfaction with democracy in 2010 and 2011 are related to concerns about the quality of government.
Half of the population believe that the federal government has enough power. Residents in Western Australia are most opposed to the federal government having more power, those in NSW more favourable.
More people believe that unemployment and taxes have increased over the past few years, but they also see their own standard of living as having improved.


Delivering Government services
A large majority of the population report that they or their partner had received at least one government benefit in the previous five years, the most common being the private health insurance rebate.
Four out of every 10 respondents would like to deal with a government department in person. One quarter would prefer to use electronic communication and the least preferred method is mail.
The most popular means of improving public services is through the provision of a better trained workforce; least popular is information about local service providers.

 

Financing Government services
There is strong support for more government expenditure on areas of social support, such as education and aged pensions, and much less support for more spending on reducing carbon pollution and on the military.
There is strong support for less tax on small businesses, people with low incomes and those contributing to retirement funds, and for more tax on banks, mining companies, and companies producing carbon pollution.
The public is generally supportive of reforms to the tax and welfare systems, particularly in respect of a mining tax and an increase in the tax free threshold for income tax.


Key trends: most important problems and political mood
The economy and employment represent the main concerns of the survey respondents, and the proportion mentioning them has increased slightly since mid-year.
The proportion mentioning ‘better government’ as the main problem facing Australia has doubled since the previous poll and is now the second ranked issue for the public.
Satisfaction with the direction in which the country is headed has declined, although those who are satisfied still greatly outnumber those who are dissatisfied

Updated:  12 May 2015/Responsible Officer:  Head of School/Page Contact:  CASS Marketing & Communications