Ohio Dominican University Releasess Opinion Poll Results

May 5 , 2006

COLUMBUS, OH – More than three-quarters of Central Ohioans believe that individuals have a moral obligation to help others in need after a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina, according to Ohio Dominican University’s first public opinion poll.

The poll measured opinions and observations related to religious, moral and ethical issues within the community as well as opinions on selected topical issues which are of current interest to the community. Entitled the “Ohio Dominican Opinion Poll (ODOP),” this measure of public attitudes and values will be conducted four times each year.

The initial poll, conducted between November 2005 and January 2006, surveyed 400 people in the Central Ohio area, with a 4 percent margin of error in the results. 

“We have a responsibility to serve as a ‘voice’ in the community,” said Dr. Jack Calareso, president of Ohio Dominican. “The results of the quarterly ODOP will help us to serve as the voice of the people of central Ohio in regards to a number of important social and ethical issues of the day.”

Dr. Timothy Walker, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science and Director of the ODOP, said that the polling results indicate the survey group had clearly identifiable opinions on most questions addressing aid to natural disaster victims.

As the criticism for President Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina has been routinely discussed in the media, the ODOP addressed leadership issues during a disaster. Seventy percent of Central Ohioans responded that government officials should be held personally responsible for the demonstrated competence of people they appoint.

The education level of those polled was a critical factor in the responses. Only 57 percent of non-high school graduates agreed with this statement compared with 71 percent of those who have a high school diploma. Women, on the other hand, were more segmented on this issue according to household income. Of those polled, only 61 percent of women with an annual household income of over $50,000 agreed compared with 74 percent of women with a lower annual household income.

As for the moral and ethical values of the United States, 61 percent of respondents feel the standards are lower than they were in 2000.  However, participants with an annual household income of over $75,000 were twice as likely to disagree. Similarly, 62 percent of Central Ohioans believe the standards of the leaders of the country have declined over the last five years.

The polls also touched on matters of religion, ethics and values. Two-thirds of Central Ohioans say they are more interested in religious matters than they were five years ago. Nearly three-quarters of our participants believe in a Supreme Being and 72 percent of those polled use the Bible as their source of standards for right and wrong.

Dr. Walker, an expert in survey design and statistical analysis, is executing the polls and is currently analyzing the results from the second poll, which will gauge Central Ohioans’ opinions on matters of privacy.

The goal is to measure the views of the public on some of the same issues with each survey as well as to survey opinions on unique topics with each administration of the ODOP.

According to Dr. Walker, “This approach will allow the University to track the consistency and/or changes in views over time as well as provide timely information on the changing issues that emerge in the community.  We see this is a great service to the people of Ohio and part of the responsibility of Ohio Dominican University.”