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These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,184 adults surveyed online
There are many things people are cutting back on because of high gas prices. Almost three in ten of those cutting back (28%) have cut back on dining out while one-quarter have cut back on groceries (24%). One in five say they have cut back on entertainment (18%), while others have reduced driving or are staying home more (11%) and cut back on clothing purchases (10%). Some other things people have cut back on include personal grooming such as hair cuts or manicures (6%), auto repairs and upkeep (5%) and movies (5%) while 5% say they have cut back on everything to pay for the increased price of gasoline.
Who can stop rising gas prices?
In looking at who to blame for the rising cost of gasoline, three things seem to stand out as having the most influence on price. Just under one-quarter of Americans (24%) say U.S. oil and natural gas industry profits have had the greatest influence on rising gasoline prices while 22% believe it is the world crude oil prices and 21% believe it’s due to instability in oil producing areas.
So, who can best stop rising gas prices? One-third of Americans (34%) say the oil and gas industry while three in ten (28%) believe the federal government can best stop rising gasoline prices. One in five (19%) believe consumers can stop rising gas prices while 4% say state and local governments, 3% say the automotive industry and 12% are not sure.
Looking specifically at the automotive industry, half of U.S. adults (53%) say American automotive companies are not moving as quickly as they should to build cars that consume less gasoline, while 22% believe that are and 23% say they are not at all sure. This is a large change from 2006 when three-quarters of U.S. adults (74%) said American car companies weren’t moving fast enough and only 9% thought they were.
So What?
TABLE 1 CUTTING BACK ON PRODUCTS OR SERVICES “Have you cut back on any products or services in order to pay the increased price of gasoline?” Base: Owns a vehicle |
||||||||
Total 2006 |
Total 2011 |
Income |
||||||
$34,999 or less |
$35,000 – $49,999 |
$50,000 – $74,999 |
$75,000 – $99,999 |
$100,000 or more |
||||
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
||
Yes |
44 |
51 |
65 |
55 |
46 |
56 |
38 |
|
No |
56 |
49 |
35 |
45 |
54 |
44 |
62 |
|
Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding. |
||||||||
TABLE 2 PRODUCTS OR SERVICES CUT BACK “What products or services have you cut back on?” Base: Cut back on products or services |
||
Total |
||
% |
||
Dining Out |
28 |
|
Groceries |
24 |
|
Entertainment |
18 |
|
Reduce driving/stay home more |
11 |
|
Clothing |
10 |
|
Personal grooming (haircuts, manicures) |
6 |
|
Everything |
5 |
|
Auto repairs/upkeep |
5 |
|
Movies |
5 |
|
Weekend trips/travel |
3 |
|
Shopping |
3 |
|
Reduce extras, leisure or luxury items |
3 |
|
Fast food/junk food |
3 |
|
Gasoline |
2 |
|
Vacations |
1 |
|
Utilities |
1 |
|
Note: Open-ended question, multiple responses allowed. |
||
TABLE 3 CAR COMPANIES AND NEW AUTOS “Do you think that American automobile companies are moving as quickly as they should to build automobiles that consume less gasoline?” Base: All adults |
||||||||
Total 1979 |
Total 2006 |
Total 2011 |
Echo Boomers (18-34) |
Gen X (35-46) |
Baby Boomers (47-65) |
Matures (66+) |
||
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
||
Yes, they are moving as quickly as they should |
35 |
9 |
22 |
26 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
|
No, they’re not moving as quickly as they should |
60 |
74 |
53 |
50 |
51 |
56 |
57 |
|
Not Sure |
5 |
17 |
23 |
22 |
28 |
22 |
20 |
|
Decline to answer |
– |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
* |
* |
|
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding. A * signifies less than 0.5% and a – indicates no response. |
||||||||
In 1979, the question was asked by phone and the question text was “Do you think the American automobile companies are moving as quickly as they can to build automobiles that consume less gasoline or not?” and the response choices were “Moving as quickly as they can” and “Not moving as quickly as they can.”
TABLE 4 INFLUENCES ON RISING GAS PRICES “Which one of the following has had the greatest influence on rising gasoline prices?” Base: All adults |
|||||||
Total 2006 |
Total 2011 |
Region |
|||||
East |
Midwest |
South |
West |
||||
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
||
U.S. oil and natural gas industry profits |
39 |
24 |
19 |
21 |
25 |
31 |
|
World crude oil prices |
27 |
22 |
21 |
25 |
23 |
21 |
|
Instability in oil producing areas |
7 |
21 |
22 |
20 |
22 |
18 |
|
Federal and state taxes |
6 |
7 |
9 |
6 |
7 |
5 |
|
Last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, sometimes called the Deepwater Horizon Blast |
NA |
4 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
|
Upcoming changes in fuel requirements (such as the addition of ethanol into gasoline) |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
|
Other refining costs |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
Others |
12 |
18 |
25 |
20 |
14 |
19 |
|
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding. NA signifies that the response option was not asked in that poll. |
|||||||
TABLE 5 WHO/WHAT CAN STOP RISING GAS PRICES “In your opinion, who can best stop rising gasoline prices?” Base: All adults |
|||||||
Total 2006 |
Total 2011 |
Generation |
|||||
Echo Boomers (18-34) |
Gen X (35-46) |
Baby Boomers (47-65) |
Matures (66+) |
||||
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
||
Oil and gas industry |
34 |
34 |
36 |
32 |
31 |
39 |
|
The federal government |
29 |
28 |
25 |
33 |
30 |
24 |
|
Consumers |
22 |
19 |
16 |
15 |
23 |
22 |
|
State and local governments |
3 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
|
Automotive industry |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
|
Not sure |
9 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
11 |
|
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding. |
|||||||
TABLE 6 GAS PRICES BY LABOR DAY “Thinking ahead to the end of summer, how do you think gas prices on Labor Day in September will compare with prices now?” Base: All adults |
|||
Total 2006 |
Total 2011 |
||
% |
% |
||
Higher (NET) |
75 |
62 |
|
Much Higher |
31 |
25 |
|
Somewhat Higher |
45 |
37 |
|
About the same |
17 |
22 |
|
Lower (NET) |
7 |
17 |
|
Somewhat Lower |
6 |
15 |
|
Much lower |
1 |
1 |
|
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding. |
|||
Methodology
This Harris Poll was conducted online within
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore,
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the
The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of
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