April 7, 2003—A recent poll conducted by Harris Interactive showed a national sample of 2,271 adults a list of fifteen industries and asked them which ones should be more regulated, and which should be less regulated. They were also asked which ones are generally honest and trustworthy.
Regulation:
Four industries were mentioned by more than fifty percent of those surveyed as needing more regulation, and the top three are all in the health care industry: Managed care (60 percent), health insurance (59 percent), and pharmaceuticals (57 percent). The only other industry to be mentioned by more than fifty percent was the oil industry (52 percent).
A majority (57 percent) does not believe that any of the fifteen industries should be regulated less than they are now, and few people mentioned any one industry. The industries mentioned most often as requiring less regulation are computer software companies (18 percent), computer hardware companies (17 percent), and supermarkets (17 percent).
Trustworthiness:
While no industries were mentioned by majorities as being generally honest and trustworthy, results varied widely among the different industries. At the top end, relatively large numbers trust supermarkets (40 percent), banks (35 percent), and hospitals (34 percent). Very few people believe that tobacco companies (3 percent), managed care companies (4 percent), and oil companies (4 percent) are generally honest and trustworthy.
These questions were suggested to Harris Interactive by Dr. Robert Blendon of Harvard, an academic authority on public opinion and health care. In reviewing these findings, Dr. Blendon commented, “Prior research suggests that Congress and state legislatures pay a lot of attention to high levels of public concern about the behavior of specific industries. When the nation’s focus on the Iraq war and terrorism becomes less riveting, we are likely to see legislatures respond to these poll findings with more oversight and regulatory proposals aimed at the health plan and pharmaceutical industries.”
