RESULTS OF THE EYES ON THE BIG ISSUES POLL ON IPOLLGH PLATFORM
15TH OCTOBER 2018
iPOLL ID: 19121
We are happy to share with you the results of our poll conducted to gauge the views of Ghanaians on a number of issues that have dominated public discourse recently. Public opinion itself is a necessary feature of a democracy and it is helpful for policy makers, journalists and analysts to have an accurate picture of how widely – and deeply felt – various opinions are held in the country.
With iPollgh, we now have the capability to determine, with the accuracy and efficiency never before available in the country, the weight and reach of views and opinions that we may or may not be familiar with through interactions in traditional and social media.
PURPOSE OF THE POLL
The breadth of questions in the poll was fairly broad. In the fast paced media environment, various issues seize the attention of voters. But this has been especially so in the last few weeks. The government has begun the implementation of its Free Senior High School policy, leading to some concerns about sustainability and the effect on quality, among others. It has announced plans to build a national cathedral, drawing both commendation and condemnation. It has also ramped up its trade relations with China, along with various eye catching deals, leading to some discomfort in both local and international circles. Our aim was to get a broad picture of the national mood by testing the views of the public on these and various other subjects that have come up for (sometimes heated) discussion.
METHODOLOGY DEPLOYED
The iPollgh mobile and web application is available to download on Android and iOS. It can also be accessed via web. Once a user registered, we take some basic biodata that enables us to establish a profile of the user for sampling purposes. These biodata include age, gender, education, profession and area of residence. Once a poll is loaded, it is pushed out to users who can then take the poll. Results are collected in real time but analysis is conducted after the stipulated period for the poll elapses.
For this poll, we collected the views of 1072 respondents who completed the questionnaire. Respondents came from across the entire country. However, being the first to be conducted since the iPollgh platform was deployed, the sample size is unsurprisingly biased towards respondents who indicated Greater Accra as region of residence. The margin of error is +/- 1.3 at 95% confidence level.
The poll was available to take between 29th September and 7th October 2018 when it was closed, after which analysis was carried out using Microsoft excel. Being a trial since its deployment, the current poll questions and analysis were less rigorous, applying descriptive analysis to determine relationships between the demographics and the questions asked in order to gain insight. It is hoped that future polls will be underpinned by statistical sophistry to drive deeper, micro level insight.
Below are graphic representations of the demographic spread of respondents by age, gender, education and region of residence.
RESULTS OF THE POLL
- We asked: Which one of these areas must government focus on to make Ghana a better country?
A majority of the respondents, in all demographics, thought that the economy was the area that deserved the government’s greatest and most immediate attention, perhaps reflecting uncertainty about general economic prospects, despite improvements in the indicators. Education and infrastructure were the next highest, with sanitation being the major concern for some 5.70% of our respondents. While security and health were of low priority generally, women respondents rated it higher as areas of concern than their male counterparts, suggesting that those issues have special resonance with female voters.
The following is a representation of the results. Also included are the demographic breakdowns of the respondents.
- We asked: Do you support the government’s policy of Free Senior High School Education?
Not surprisingly, there was overwhelming support for the government’s flagship policy of fee-free senior high school education across all demographics. We found support for it to be strongest among the most educated. Men were more likely to be in favour than women.
The following is a representation of the results. Also included are the demographic breakdowns of the respondents.
- We asked: Do you support double track SHS system?
Majority of respondents were against the government’s double track approach. Men were more likely to oppose double track, however, as were those with tertiary education or higher. Generally, we also found great opposition amongst the 18-31 age demographics. The regional distribution of the findings indicate something interesting. Whereas there was majority rejection of double track system, Brong Ahafo respondents were, however, in favour of double track system whereas respondents from Western and Eastern regions were split.
The following is a representation of the results. Also included are the demographic breakdowns of the respondents.
- We asked: Do you support the government’s plans to engage in a barter deal with China?
A clear majority of respondents were against the idea of government using our natural resources in a barter arrangement with China, reflecting increasing concerns about the motivations behind China’s Africa policy and Ghana’s own debt vulnerabilities.
Men were more likely to support than women and opposition was most pronounced among respondents between the ages of 18 and 24.
The following is a representation of the results. Also included are the demographic
breakdowns of the respondents.
- We asked: Are you in support of the government’s plans to build a national cathedral?
There was strong opposition to the construction of a national cathedral across all demographics, an apparent departure from the President’s assertion that a Christian majority in the country was an indication of support for the idea. Opposition was strongest among the young and highly educated, which suggests a broader demographic shift in how religion is perceived and experienced.
The following is a representation of the results. Also included are the demographic breakdowns of the respondents.
DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1q5HizYSl3ClSWnEyVmwyT7TIoiE7fbWs
About iPoll
iPoll is a polling and research application that deploys modern mobile technology to collect and analyse views and opinions. The application is available on iOS and Android and can also be accessed via web. Polls taken are completely impartial and subjected to rigorous analysis by a team of expert and in accordance with international best practice.
Contact:
S Kwame Appiah
054 466 3569
Eugene Allotey
0500077612
No comments found