Open government ‘is very important,' survey shows

1. Do you think local government is very open, somewhat open, somewhat secretive or very secretive?

•Very open: 16%

•Somewhat open: 40%

•Somewhat secretive: 26%

•Very secretive: 14%

•Don't know/other: 4%

2. How about state government?

•Very open: 10%

•Somewhat open: 40%

•Somewhat secretive: 30%

•Very secretive: 14%

3. How about the federal government?

•Very open: 4%

•Somewhat open: 16%

•Somewhat secretive: 30%

•Very secretive: 44%

•Don't know/other: 6%

4. How likely do you think it is that the federal government has opened mail or monitored telephone conversations of people in the U.S. without first getting permission from a federal judge? Is it very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely or very unlikely that the federal government has done these things without permission from a judge?

•Very likely: 48%

•Somewhat likely: 29%

•Somewhat unlikely: 7%

•Very unlikely: 9%

•Don't know/other: 7%

5. How likely do you think it is that the federal government has opened your mail or monitored some of your telephone conversations?

•Very likely: 11%

•Somewhat likely: 15%

•Somewhat unlikely: 17%

•Very unlikely: 47%

•Don't know/other: 10%

6. How likely is it that the federal government has opened mail or monitored telephone conversations involving members of the news media?

•Very likely: 38%

•Somewhat likely: 26%

•Somewhat unlikely: 9%

•Very unlikely: 12%

•Don't know/other: 15%

7. When you are voting for president, is a candidate's position on open government very important, somewhat important, somewhat unimportant or very unimportant to you?

•Very important: 60%

•Somewhat important: 27%

•Somewhat unimportant: 6%

•Very unimportant: 4%

•Don't know/other: 3%

8. How about when voting for a member of Congress?

•Very important: 60%

•Somewhat important: 28%

•Somewhat unimportant: 4%

•Very unimportant: 2%

•Don't know/other: 6%

9. How about when voting for a candidate for state office?

•Very important: 64%

•Somewhat important: 28%

•Somewhat unimportant: 4%

•Very unimportant: 3%

•Don't know/other: 1%

10. How about when voting for city council or school board?

•Very important: 69%

•Somewhat important: 22%

•Somewhat unimportant: 3%

•Very unimportant: 3%

•Don't know/other: 3%