Washington Post-Pew Research Center Poll

This poll was conducted for The Washington Post and the Pew Research Center by telephone February 23 to 26, 2012, among a random national sample of 1,005 adults, including users of both conventional and cellular phones. The results from the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) of Princeton, NJ.

*= less than 0.5 percent

1. Who do you think is most to blame for rising gasoline prices? [OPEN END]

                                                          Pew       Pew
                                              2/26/12*  5/14/06   9/11/05
The president/Obama/The administration          18        25        28

Oil companies/Big oil/Domestic oil producers    14        31        36

Iran/Middle East unrest/Threat of war           11        --        --     

The government (general)/Washington/
      Politicians/Politics                       5         4         3

Speculators/Futures traders/Wall Street          4         1         1

Congress                                         4         3         4

Consumers/The public/SUVs/Gas guzzlers/
      Inefficient autos and trucks               4         5         8

China/India/Rising global demand                 3         2         2

George W. Bush/Bush Administration               2        --        --

The economy                                      2        --        --

OPEC/Middle East countries/Saudi Arabia/
      Foreign oil producers                      1        10        18

Nobody to blame                                  1        --        --

Greed/Profit                                     1         1         1

World economy/The world                          1        --        --     

Democrats                                        1        --        --

Republicans                                      1        --        --

Not using U.S. resources/Not enough drilling 
       in U.S./Environmental restrictions        1         1         1

Everybody/Everything                             1        --        --

Other                                            6           

Don’t know/Refused                              24        14       10

*Current figures add to more than 100% because of multiple responses. Trends add to less than 100% because answers that were given in previous surveys but were not mentioned by at least 1% of the respondents in the current poll are not shown.

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