Public Opinion Results from the 2018 University of Hawaii Public Policy Center Survey
August 1, 2018
The tables on the following pages include results from the Hawaii Statewide public opinion policy survey conducted for the
University of Hawaii Public Policy Center in 2018 by Market Trends Pacific, Inc. A total of 400 interviews about a range of public
policy questions facing State of Hawaii residents was completed with randomly selected respondents in the four counties of Hawaii 1
with an expected overall expected overall sampling precision of within plus or minus 4.90 percentage points at the 95 percent
confidence level. Interviews were weighted to match the 2016 county, age, and gender distributions for the State of Hawaii.

                                                             
1

384 were competed by telephone using a statewide random sample of landline and wireless phone numbers and 16 were completed online with respondents
through a statewide random sample of Hawaii residential email addresses.
A Pearson Chi Square statistic was used to determine whether there was a significant relationship (confidence interval of ± 5% at the 95% confidence level)
between each survey question and Oahu/Neighbor Island residence. Statistically significant cross-tabulations are shaded in yellow in the tables in this report

1 

 County (unweighted)
Oahu
Hawaii
Maui
Kauai
Total

Base

Total
65%
16%
14%
6%
100%
400

QA Are you a full-time resident (6 months or more) of
Hawaii who is 18 years of age or older?
Total
Yes
100%
100%
Total
Base
400

2 

 Q1 Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the job this person or political institution is
currently doing?
Total
County
Oahu
Neighbor
Isles
Donald Trump, President of the
Approve
28%
28%
27%
United States
Somewhat Approve
17%
18%
15%
Somewhat disapprove
12%
14%
10%
Disapprove
38%
35%
45%
DK/NA
5%
6%
3%
David Ige, Governor of Hawai‘i
Approve
26%
26%
28%
Somewhat Approve
33%
32%
35%
Somewhat disapprove
15%
16%
12%
Disapprove
17%
17%
18%
DK/NA
9%
10%
7%
The mayor of your county
Approve
31%
26%
43%
Somewhat Approve
28%
28%
29%
Somewhat disapprove
11%
12%
10%
Disapprove
17%
19%
12%
DK/NA
12%
15%
6%
US Congress
Approve
22%
23%
20%
Somewhat Approve
28%
31%
21%
Somewhat disapprove
14%
11%
21%
Disapprove
26%
24%
33%
DK/NA
9%
11%
5%
The Supreme Court of the United
Approve
30%
30%
30%
States
Somewhat Approve
36%
36%
34%
Somewhat disapprove
14%
12%
19%
Disapprove
10%
11%
9%
DK/NA
10%
11%
8%
The Hawai‘i State Legislature
Approve
21%
18%
29%
Somewhat Approve
35%
37%
32%
Somewhat disapprove
17%
19%
13%
Disapprove
15%
16%
14%
DK/NA
11%
11%
12%
Your county council
Approve
31%
31%
32%
Somewhat Approve
30%
30%
30%
Somewhat disapprove
11%
10%
13%
Disapprove
12%
11%
15%
DK/NA
15%
17%
10%
100%
100%
100%
Total
Base
400
279
121

3 

 Q2 Overall, how often do you trust each of the following levels of government to do what
is in the public’s interest?
Total
County
Oahu
Neighbor
Isles
U.S. federal government
All of the time
5%
6%
3%
Most of the time
21%
24%
15%
Some of the time
59%
56%
65%
Never
14%
13%
16%
DK/NA
1%
1%
1%
Hawai‘i state government
All of the time
6%
6%
5%
Most of the time
24%
23%
26%
Some of the time
55%
57%
51%
Never
14%
13%
15%
DK/NA
1%
1%
2%
Your county government
All of the time
6%
5%
7%
Most of the time
24%
23%
27%
Some of the time
56%
57%
53%
Never
11%
11%
9%
DK/NA
4%
4%
5%
100%
100%
100%
Total
Base
400
279
121

Q3 How well do you feel State government efficiently spends our tax
dollars?
Total
County
Oahu
Neighbor
Isles
Very well
4%
4%
4%
Somewhat well
36%
34%
42%
Somewhat not well
28%
28%
28%
Not well at all
29%
31%
25%
DK/NA
3%
3%
2%
100%
100%
100%
Total
Base
400
279
121

4 

 Q4 Which of the following do you think is the most important problem
facing the United States today?
Total
County
Oahu
Neighbor
Isles
Economy
24%
25%
22%
Healthcare
21%
17%
28%
National Security/Defense
10%
9%
13%
Immigration
20%
18%
23%
Crime
9%
9%
10%
Environment
8%
6%
15%
Education
15%
14%
17%
Energy
5%
4%
8%
Inequality
5%
5%
7%
Taxes
8%
6%
12%
Race relations
6%
6%
6%
Housing
8%
9%
7%
Transportation
1%
1%
0%
Agriculture
2%
2%
3%
None of the above
2%
2%
1%
Some other issue
9%
8%
9%
DK/No answer
1%
1%
2%
100%
100%
100%
Total
Base
400
279
121
Percents add to more than 100 due to multiple mentions

5 

 Q5 Which of the following do you think is the most important problem
facing the State of Hawai‘i today?
Total
County
Oahu
Neighbor
Isles
Economy
24%
22%
27%
Healthcare
10%
8%
13%
National Security/Defense
3%
3%
2%
Immigration
4%
4%
5%
Crime
5%
5%
5%
Environment
6%
5%
9%
Education
16%
16%
17%
Energy
3%
3%
4%
Inequality
3%
4%
1%
Taxes
11%
11%
11%
Race relations
1%
2%
1%
Housing
27%
28%
25%
Transportation
5%
6%
4%
Agriculture
4%
3%
5%
None of the above
2%
2%
1%
Some other issue
9%
10%
8%
DK/No answer
2%
2%
1%
100%
100%
100%
Total
Base
400
279
121
Percents add to more than 100 due to multiple mentions

6 

 Q6 Overall, how would you rate the economic condition of the country and of
our state today?
Total
County
Oahu
Neighbor
Isles
The United States
Excellent
9%
9%
9%
Good
29%
27%
35%
Only fair
44%
44%
44%
Poor
15%
17%
10%
DK/NA
2%
3%
2%
Hawai‘i
Excellent
5%
4%
8%
Good
25%
24%
27%
Only fair
44%
41%
48%
Poor
25%
29%
14%
DK/NA
2%
2%
3%
100%
100%
100%
Total
Base
400
279
121

Q7 How concerned are you personally about climate change?
Total
County
Oahu
Neighbor
Isles
Very concerned
41%
39%
46%
Somewhat concerned
36%
37%
32%
Not concerned at all
23%
24%
20%
DK/No answer
1%
0%
1%
100%
100%
100%
Total
Base
400
279
121

7