Washington Post Poll
This Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone Sept. 30 - Oct. 3, 2010, among a random national sample of 1,002 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 3.5 percentage points. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) of Princeton, NJ.
*= less than 0.5 percent
1. Do you think the quality of employees in the federal government is generally higher, lower, or the same as the quality of employees who work in private business?
Higher Lower Same No opinion
10/3/10 15 36 44 5
2. Do you think that federal employees generally work harder, work less hard, or work equally as hard as employees with similar jobs in private business?
Work Less Equally No
Harder Hard Hard Opinion
10/3/10 7 49 39 4
3. Would you say federal government workers get better pay and benefits than people doing similar work outside the government, worse pay and benefits, or what?
Better Worse About the No
Pay/Benefits Pay/Benefits Same (Vol) Opinion
10/3/10 75 10 10 5
4/25/82 68 11 13 8
4. Is it your impression that most employees of the federal government are (underpaid) for the work they do, paid about the right amount, or (overpaid) for the work they do?
Right No
Underpaid Amount Overpaid Opinion
10/3/10 9 33 52 7
5. Regardless of what's happening now, do you think federal government agencies SHOULD offer pay and benefits that are (higher), (lower) or about the same as those provided in comparable private-sector jobs?
Higher Lower About the No
Pay/Benefits Pay/Benefits Same (Vol) Opinion
10/3/10 10 10 75 5
6. At any time in the past year have you had any contact with an employee of a federal government agency as they were doing their job, or not?
No
Yes No opin.
10/3/10 35 64 2
6a. (IF YES) Thinking about the last time that happened, from your perspective how well did the federal employee do his or her job - very well, somewhat well, not so well or not well at all?
----Very/Somewhat---- --Not So/Not At All--
Very Somewhat Not So Not Well No
NET Well Well NET Well At All Opin.
10/3/10 73 41 31 26 13 13 *
Q6/6a. Net Table #1 (based on total)
Yes, had contact with an employee of a federal agency 35
Did job very well 14
Did job somewhat well 11
Did job not so well 5
Did job not well at all 4
No opinion *
No, did not have contact with an employee of a federal agency 64
No opinion (Vol) 2
7. If you had a relative or close friend just getting out of school, would you like to see him or her pursue a career in government, or not?
Yes No No opinion
10/3/10 57 33 10
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