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Социальные инициативы Президента: за и против

Social initiatives of the President: Pros and Cons

Date posted: 14.05.2012 Print Full version

 According to the research conducted by the Sociological group "Rating", the vast majority of Ukrainian citizens support social initiatives of the President and may improve their attitude to the President in case of their successful implementation. However, people believe in their successful implementation much less, with the majority who considers social initiatives to be populism, while the state has no money to spare on them.

 
58% of surveyed citizens are well informed about social initiatives of the President, announced in early March, 23% - know about them in general, 10% - have heard something, but very little and 9% - do not know anything at all.
 
Elderly people with relatively higher levels of education are better informed about social initiatives of the President, more in Donbas, in the Centre and in the East. Interestingly, supporters of Freedom and the Communist Party are better informed about social initiatives of the President than supporters of the Party of Regions. Citizens who are undecided as to their choice and those who do not intend to participate in elections have the lowest interest in the topic.
 
Support for certain social initiatives of the President
 
The absolute majority (from 84 to 94%) of respondents support social initiatives of the President.
 
Thus, 94% of respondents support the promotion by the state of creation of new jobs for young people and people of pre-retirement age, incl. 74% - fully support and 20% who rather support it.
 
Stabilization of prices for essential medicines for elderly people is supported by 93% of respondents, incl. 69% who fully support the initiative and 24% who rather support it.
 
Doubling the lump sum on Victory Day for disabled veterans is supported by 93% of respondents, incl. 66% who fully support the initiative and 27% who rather support it.
 
Raising pensions for nearly 9 millions of pensioners by at least 100 UAH is supported by 92% of respondents, incl. 64% who fully support the initiative and 28% who rather support it.
 
Compensations for depreciated deposits with the former USSR’s Savings Bank in the amount of 1000 UAH for more than 5 million people who have not received them in 2008-2009, are supported by 89% of respondents, incl. 62% who fully support the initiative and 27% who rather support it.
 
Introduction of a tax on wealth, including taxation of apartments over 200 square meters, houses over 400 square meters, cars with an engine capacity over 3.4 cubic meters, etc., is supported by 89% of respondents, incl. 65% who fully support the initiative and 24% who rather support it.
 
Introduction of mortgage loans at 2-3% for specific categories of citizens is supported by 84% of respondents, incl. 58% who fully support the initiative and 26% who rather support it.
 
The belief in the implementation of social initiatives of the President is 2-3 times lower than the level of people’s support for them.
 
Thus, respondents more eagerly believe in the implementation of such initiatives as doubling the lump sum on Victory Day for disabled veterans (52% - believe, 36% - do not believe) and raising pensions by at least 100 UAH (47% - believe, 42% - do not believe), as well as compensations for depreciated deposits with the former USSR’s Savings Bank in the amount of 1000 UAH (41% - believe, 47% - do not believe).
 
People less eagerly believe in the implementation of such initiatives as stabilizing prices for medicines (32% - believe, 56% - do not believe), creating new jobs (27% - believe, 59% - do not believe), introduction of cheap mortgages (27% - believe, 55% - do not believe) and introduction of a tax on wealth (28% - believe, 60% - do not believe).
 
Least of all the implementation of social initiatives of the President is believed in the West and in Donbas. In the South, in the Center and in the North people believe in the implementation of initiatives a lot more.
 
Only supporters of the Party of Regions rather believe in the implementation of social initiatives (from 55 to 80%) than not. Also, supporters of the CPU believe in the implementation of social initiatives (from 30% to 65% depending on the initiative). Among supporters of opposition parties supporters of UDAR, Freedom and the Front for Change believe in the implementation of initiatives relatively more.
 
Attitude towards social initiatives
 
35% of respondents believe that the state has necessary resources to implement social initiatives of the President, 47% - think that there are no resources on initiatives. Other 18% - could not answer this question.
 
It is believed that the state has necessary resources, in the first place, by supporters of the Party of Regions, and (somewhat less) – of the CPU, Batkivshchyna and UDAR.
 
Interestingly, respondents who believe that the state has necessary funds for social initiatives believe in their successful implementation two times more.
 
75% of respondents believe that social initiatives of the President Viktor Yanukovych are rather pre-election populism, and only 14% - rather care for people. Relatively more people, who believe that social initiatives are a manifestation of care for people, live in the South of the country.
 
A half of supporters of the Party of Regions consider initiatives to show care for people, while a third of them - pre-election populism. Supporters of other political forces in the vast majority believe the initiatives are pre-election populism, even supporters of the CPU, who liked them best of all.
 
Interestingly, respondents who believe that social initiatives of the President rather show care for people, believe in their successful implementation three times more.
 
90% of respondents, who believe that the state does not have necessary funds to implement social initiatives, believe them to be pre-election populism.
 
Although most respondents believe social initiatives of the President to be pre-election populism, many of them are ready to improve their attitude to V. Yanukovych in case of their successful implementation.
 
Thus, 19% of respondents indicated that their attitude to President V. Yanukovych would clearly improve in case of implementation of social initiatives, other 23% - would rather improve. 46% - believe that their attitude will not change; only 3% - will become worse. Other 9% could not answer the question.
 
Thus, over 40% of respondents can improve their attitude to Head of State in case of observance of his social promises – it is almost twice as much as today's level of confidence in V. Yanukovych.
 
Residents of the South, the East and the Center of the country are the most willing to improve their attitude to V. Yanukovych. Elderly people and young people more than others. In cities more than in villages. Women more than men.
 
The absolute majority of supporters of the Party of Regions, at least a half of supporters of the CPU, about 40% of "undecided" and people who are not going to participate in elections are prepared to improve their attitude to the President, in the case of implementation of social initiatives.
 
The most unshaken are supporters of Freedom and Civil Position, although about a quarter of them can improve their attitude to V. Yanukovych in case of implementation of social initiatives.
 
Significantly, among those who consider social initiatives of the President pre-election populism, almost a third is willing to improve the attitude to V. Yanukovych in case of their implementation. Also, almost 90% of respondents who believe the initiatives to show care for people are ready to improve their attitude to V. Yanukovych.
 
 
The target audience of the research: the population of Ukraine aged from 18 and older. Optional quantity: 2000 respondents. The methods of investigation: personal formalized interview according to the questionnaire (face to face). Measure of inaccuracy for the values close to 50% is less than 2.2%, for the values close to 30% – less than 2%, for the values close to 10% – less than 1.3. The period of completion: 15-26 of March 2012
 
The oblast’ distribution:
 
West: Volyns’ka, Transcarpathia, Ivano–Frankivs’ka, L’vivs’ka, Rivnens’ka, Ternopil’s’ka, Chernivets’ka.
Centre: Vinnyts’ka, Kirovograds’ka, Poltavs’ka, Khmel’nyts’ka, Cherkas’ka.
North: Kyiv, Kyivs’ka, Zhytomyrs’ka, Sums’ka, Chernihivs’ka.
South: AR Crimea, Odes’ka, Khersons’ka, Mykolaivs’ka, Sevastopol
East: Dnipropetrovs’ka, Zaporiz’ka, Kharkivs’ka.
Donbass: Donets’ka, Luhans’ka

Other research: