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Enron Scandal Has Yet to Taint Bush Administration

Enron Scandal Has Yet to Taint Bush Administration

Close to half of Americans think company officials did something illegal

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Details of the Enron Corporation bankruptcy controversy are still unfolding, and whether it plays out as a business scandal or a political scandal remains to be seen. Thus far, however, Americans are much more critical of the actions of Enron executives than they are of the Bush administration. More than four in 10 Americans currently believe Enron executives engaged in illegal activity. The charge of criminal behavior at Enron is even higher among Americans who say they are closely following the news about the controversy. By contrast, few Americans tag the Bush team with criminal wrongdoing.

Further evidence that the Enron controversy is not tainting the Bush administration comes from President Bush's job approval rating -- holding in the mid-80s. Overall, 83% of all Americans approve of the job George W. Bush is doing as president, down only slightly from 84% a week ago and 86% in December. Bush's approval rating among those closely following the Enron story is only slightly lower than it is among those not following the story -- 79% vs. 87%.

To date, the American public has paid relatively scant attention to the Enron controversy as a news story -- at least prior to yesterday's news that the New York Stock Exchange was removing Enron stock from the trading floor. Only 18% of Americans told Gallup in a Jan. 11-14 CNN/USA Today/Gallup survey that they are following the news about Enron very closely, 37% were following it somewhat closely, while 44% admitted they are not following it closely at all.

How Closely Have You Been Following the News Concerning the Enron Energy Corporation?
Jan 11-14, 2002

The same Gallup poll asked Americans for their impression of wrongdoing by both Enron executives and the Bush administration. Forty-two percent of all Americans say that Enron executives have engaged in illegal activity, and another 29% say they have been unethical, while only 6% believe they've done nothing wrong.

The Bush administration is not completely free from criticism. Only 28% of Americans tell Gallup they believe the administration did nothing seriously wrong in this matter. However, only 10% believe they did anything illegal, while 36% believe they have done something unethical.

In reference to the parties potentially at fault -- Enron executives and the Bush administration -- a quarter of all Americans say they do not know enough about the matter to have an opinion about the scandal.

Key Players: Did Something Illegal or Unethical?
Jan 11-14, 2002

It appears that the more one knows about the case, the worse Enron looks. More than six in 10 of those following the news of Enron either very or somewhat closely say they believe Enron executives engaged in illegal activity. Only 19% of those following the story less closely feel this way.

Wrongdoing by Enron Executives?
Jan 11-14, 2002

This pattern does not pertain to views of the Bush administration's role in Enron. Although those paying close attention to the news story are far more likely to have an opinion about the Bush team's involvement, only 15% believe it is guilty of illegal activity.

Wrongdoing by Bush Administration?
Jan 11-14, 2002

Democrats More Likely to Believe Bush Officials Broke Laws in Enron Dealings

There are signs of some partisanship beneath the surface of the new data, however, as Democrats nationwide are much less likely than Republicans to believe the Bush administration is free from wrongdoing. Only 18% of Democrats believe that Bush officials did nothing wrong in the Enron matter, compared to 41% of Republicans who feel this way. Democrats are somewhat more likely than Republicans to say that Bush officials did something illegal, as well as to refrain from expressing an opinion on the matter.

Wrongdoing Among Bush Administration Officials by Party ID

 

 

Republicans

Independents

Democrats

       
 

%

%

%

Did something illegal

2

11

18

Were unethical but not illegal

35

34

37

Did nothing wrong

41

25

18

OTHER (vol.)

1

*

0

No opinion

21

30

27

There do not seem to be partisan differences in attitudes about wrongdoing by Enron officials. Republicans and Democrats, as well as independents, share similar attitudes about the likelihood of criminal or unethical behavior within the company.

Wrongdoing Among Enron Executives by Party ID

 

 

Republicans

Independents

Democrats

       
 

%

%

%

Did something illegal

40

42

45

Were unethical but not illegal

32

27

26

Did nothing wrong

6

7

6

OTHER (vol.)

1

1

1

No opinion

21

23

22

Survey Methods

These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,008 adults, 18 years and older, conducted Jan. 11-14, 2002. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

How closely have you been following the news concerning the Enron energy corporation -- very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all?

 

 

Very
closely

Somewhat closely

Not too closely


Not at all

No
opinion

           

(NA) 2002 Jan 11-14

18%

37

26

18

1



Which of the following statements best describes your view of the actions of executives of the Enron energy corporation -- [ROTATED: they did something illegal, they did something unethical but nothing illegal, or they did not do anything seriously wrong]?

 

 


Something
illegal

Something unethical but
not illegal

Did not do anything seriously wrong


No
opinion

         

(NA) 2002 Jan 11-14

42%

29

6

23



Which of the following statements best describes your view of members of the Bush administration's involvement with the Enron corporation -- [ROTATED: they did something illegal, they did something unethical but nothing illegal, or they did not do anything seriously wrong]?

 

 


Something
illegal

Something unethical but
not illegal

Did not do anything seriously wrong


No
opinion

         

(NA) 2002 Jan 11-14

10%

36

28

26



* -- Less than 0.5%

(vol.) – Volunteered response


Gallup https://news.gallup.com/poll/5191/Enron-Scandal-Has-Yet-Taint-Bush-Administration.aspx
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