Energy Issues: How the Public Understands and Acts
Chicago, June 7, 2012 — The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research announces publication and availability of a major survey of the attitudes of Americans about key energy issues in the United States.
“This survey, and The Associated Press reports based on its findings, represent an important contribution to public understanding of one of the most pressing issues of the day,” said Dan Gaylin, executive vice president of the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago. “The partnership between The Associated Press and NORC provides insight that will deepen public understanding of energy issues and expand the capacity of policy makers to address them.”
Funding for the survey and its analysis was provided through a grant to the AP-NORC Center by the Joyce Foundation.
About the Study
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted a nationally representative household survey with more than 1000 adults to measure the general public’s opinions about key energy issues in the United States. Additionally, the survey assessed how the public understands, learns about, and acts upon energy issues. The results provide a clear picture of where the public feels major responsibility lies for the cause of energy problems, and the extent to which government should be involved in solutions. The survey reveals a surprising lack of public understanding of the nation’s most prominent energy savings programs.
Associated Press Stories
The AP’s multiformat coverage of the study will begin Thursday, June 7 with a report on the priority Americans put on energy conservation.
- Research Highlights, Survey Results, and The Associated Press Stories are available at www.apnorc.org.
“From the price of gas at the pump to action by the federal government on energy policy, energy is an issue that touches the lives of every American every day.”
Methodology
The AP-NORC survey was conducted from March 29 through April 25, 2012. AP and NORC staff collaborated on all aspects of the study, with input from NORC’s Security, Energy, and Environment department, AP’s subject matter experts, and the Joyce Foundation staff.
Telephone interviews were conducted with 1,008 adults age 18 or older, with 752 respondents on landlines and 256 on cellular telephones. The final response rate was 19 percent, with an overall margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.
About the AP
The Associated Press (“AP”) is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. On any given day, more than half the world’s population sees news from the AP. Founded in 1846, the AP today is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering. The AP considers itself to be the backbone of the world’s information system, serving thousands of daily newspaper, radio.
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.
Contact: For more information, please contact Eric Young at NORC at young-eric@norc.org or (703) 217-6814 (cell).