Surveys are, by definition, generalizations. That's the point - they extrapolate information from a sample to be reflective of the broader population.
Typical research firms use a sample size of approximately 400, using the formula s = (z / e)2 where s is the sample, z is the confidence you are seeking and e is the acceptable error. If weighting is reliable, you can confidently extrapolate the data from such a small sample to within +/- 3%. Curiously, surveys don't get much more accurate by using larger and larger samples.
I think what is clear from the survey is the general notion that nationals in debt have some expectation that the government will step in and bail them out.
The article doesn't hint that the government is considering such a move, but it does seem to suggest that members of the national population are expecting it.
Other western countries have adopted similiar economic stimulus pacakges, but the differences are crucial:
1 - the goal of the package is to stimulate the broader economy
2 - the money is not means tested or targeted at people in debt, it is given in equal amounts to all eligible tax payers
One very disturbing similarity has been the willingness of western governments to bail out failing banks/insurers/car manufaturers etc, with the dubious reasoning that such institutions are 'too big to fail', causing considerable public outrage, and justifiably so.
Surveys are, by definition, generalizations. That's the point - they extrapolate information from a sample to be reflective of the broader population.
Typical research firms use a sample size of approximately 400, using the formula s = (z / e)2 where s is the sample, z is the confidence you are seeking and e is the acceptable error. If weighting is reliable, you can confidently extrapolate the data from such a small sample to within +/- 3%. Curiously, surveys don't get much more accurate by using larger and larger samples.
I think what is clear from the survey is the general notion that nationals in debt have some expectation that the government will step in and bail them out.
The article doesn't hint that the government is considering such a move, but it does seem to suggest that members of the national population are expecting it.
Other western countries have adopted similiar economic stimulus pacakges, but the differences are crucial:
1 - the goal of the package is to stimulate the broader economy
2 - the money is not means tested or targeted at people in debt, it is given in equal amounts to all eligible tax payers
One very disturbing similarity has been the willingness of western governments to bail out failing banks/insurers/car manufaturers etc, with the dubious reasoning that such institutions are 'too big to fail', causing considerable public outrage, and justifiably so.