trends in civil society and engagement

Version 1 | Public © Ipsos MORI

Version 1 | Public

Paste co-brand logo

here

Trends in Civil Society and Engagement Bobby Duffy Director Ipsos Social Research Institute, Visiting Senior Fellow, King’s College London

April 2013


What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?

One key issue...

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

The economy Cameron becomes

PM Brown becomes

PM


Thinking about the economic downturn, which of these statements comes closest to your view?

We’re shaken...

Base: 1,009 online British adults aged 16-75, 9-11 November 2012 Source: Ipsos MORI/RSA

31%

56%

13%

Even though the recession has been tough, Britain will

be stronger when it gets through it

The recession has been so tough that

Britain will be weaker because of it for years to come

Don't know


We are in a group of European countries feeling hardest hit by the last five years

Base: 17,678 online interviews with adults aged 16/18-64 in 23 countries, September 4-18 2012 Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor

R² = 0.49

-80%

-60%

-40%

-20%

0%

20%

40%

-40% -30% -20% -10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Net disagree country will never be the same again

Net last five years good for country

Japan

Hungary

Turkey Russia

Belgium South Africa

Argentina

Germany

US France

GB

Mexico Poland

Sweden

Spain Italy

South Korea

Indonesia Australia

Saudi Arabia

Canada India

Brazil

Net last five years bad for country

Net agree country will never be the same again


On balance, based on your personal experience, do you think the following public services have got better or worse over the past 12 months or have they stayed the same?

But cuts haven’t really hit perceptions of services....

6

3

5

4

1

3

3

18

12

13

13

9

10

9

49

64

56

47

59

52

41

17

14

16

20

19

22

18

3

5

8

11

6

9

19

7

2

2

5

6

4

10

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Primary education

Refuse collection

NHS GP

NHS Hospitals

Secondary education

Public transport

The police

Much better A little better Stayed the same A little worse Much worse Don't know/can't say

Base: Online British adults aged 16-75 who are users of each service (n in brackets), 9-11 November 2012 Source: Ipsos MORI/RSA


What proportion of the government’s planned cuts to public spending do you think have been carried out so far?

Little awareness of progress with cuts...

* * 1

2 6

10 9

13 10

8 3

1 38

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

100%

90-99%

80-89%

70-79%

60-69%

50-59%

40-49%

30-39%

20-29%

10-19%

1-9%

0%

Don't know

Base: 1,009 online British adults aged 16-75, 9-11 November 2012 Source: Ipsos MORI/RSA

Mean: 40%


23

43

42

45

35

12

When they reach your age, do you think your children will have a higher or lower quality of life than you, or about the same?

A new reality – where we expect our children to have a lower quality of life than us

Base: 1,006 British adults aged 18+, 19th-21st November 2011 Source: Ipsos MORI

% Higher % Lower

November 2011

April 2003


Trust and role of government


Trust in institutions (How much do you trust...)

Some measures of trust are not that different – or on the up...

Base: Core sample in England, (2001: 9,430, 2003: 8,920, 2005: 9,195, 2007-08: 8,804, 2008-09: 8,768, 2009-10: 8,712, 2010-11: 10,307)

Source: Ipsos MORI/DCLG, Citizenship Survey, 2012 from Community Life Survey

36 38 37 35 34 29

36 34

52 54 57 60 61 62 64 65

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2001 2003 2005 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2012

Per

cen

t

Parliament Local Council


...would you tell me if you generally trust them to tell the truth, or not?

Trust in civil servants vs politicians – why have views diverged so much?

Base: c.1,000-2,000

0

10

20

30

40

50

60 Civil Servants Government Ministers Politicians Generally

Source: Ipsos MORI most years face-to-face in-home, *2012 ICM telephone ** 2013 IM telephone

Charities higher – 6.6/10 compared with 4.8 councils


How much do you trust a British government of any party to place the needs of this country above the interests of their own political party?

But more specific trust question shows serious decline

Source: British Social Attitudes, 1986-2009

0

10

20

30

40

%

% “almost never”


Version 1 | Public

Paste co-brand logo

here

Significant generational differences


Our generational balance is changing fundamentally – four roughly equal-sized and very different generations...

Source: Eurostat

Proportion of UK adult (18+) population from each generational grouping

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

83 84 85 86 87 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

% Pre war generation

% Generation Y

% Generation X

% Baby boomers


Do you think of yourself as a supporter of any one political party?

Attachment to political parties is declining – maybe not by as much as expect...?

Base: All data points represent >200 responses Source: British Social Attitudes

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

83 84 85 86 87 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10


Do you think of yourself as a supporter of any one political party?

...driven by solid generational pattern

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

83 84 85 86 87 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

Pre war Baby boomers Generation x Generation y

% ‘y

es’

Each sample point represents >100 respondents BSA. Population data from Eurostat


Do you feel closer to a particular party than all other parties?

International comparisons are very interesting – Sweden has very different pattern...

Source: European Social Survey

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

Pre War Baby Boomer Generation X Generation Y Overall

% Ja


Do you feel closer to a particular party than all other parties?

...compared with UK

Source: European Social Survey

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

Pre War Baby Boomer Generation X Generation Y Overall

% Yes


“the government should spend more money on welfare benefits for the poor, even if it leads to higher taxes”

Declining support for more welfare spending...


55%

28% 22%

39%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1987 1989 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Agree total

Disagree total


“the government should spend more money on welfare benefits for the poor, even if it leads to higher taxes”

Generations are very different...


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1987 1989 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Pre war (before 1945) Baby boomers (1945-1965) Generation x (1966-1979) Generation y (1980-2000)


“Benefits for unemployed people are too low and cause hardship” - % agree

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

83 84 85 86 87 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

Pre war (born before 1945) Baby Boomers (born 1945-65) Generation X (born 1966-1979) Generation Y (born 1980-) Overall:

Source: BSA/NatCen. All data points represent>200 responses


All data points represent > 200 responses

Source: British Social Attitudes

How satisfied or dissatisfied would you say you are with the way in which the National Health Service runs nowadays?

Pre-1945 generation have a consistently different, more positive view of the NHS

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

83 84 86 87 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

Pre War (born before 1945) Baby Boomers (born 1945-1965) Generation X (born 1966-1979) Generation Y (born 1980 onwards)

Total % Satisfied




“How much do you agree or disagree that … the creation of the welfare state is one of Britain's proudest achievements.”

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Pre war (before 1945) Baby boomers (1945-65) Generation x (1966-1979) Generation y (1980-2000)

% % Agree/Strongly agree

Younger generations pretty detached from welfare state overall

@BobbyIpsosMORI www.ipsos-mori-generations.com

https://twitter.com/BobbyIpsosMORI

http://www.ipsos-mori.com/generations.com




A “hump” in giving...

Mind the Gap, CAF Sept 2012




Seen in generational pattern...

Mind the Gap, CAF Sept 2012


Three quick observations... 1. Big differences between groups


England c.8,700 adults aged 16+ (Citizenship Study 2009/10)

R² = 0.94

R² = 0.95

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Most deprived Least deprived IMD Deciles (England)

Formal volunteering in last 12 months

% of respondents

Informal volunteering in last 12 months

England

Iron-clad relationship between voluntary activity and deprivation...


2. Involvement ≠ happiness


There are lots of unhappy involved people…

Source: Place Survey 2008/9

15% 85%

Involved in decision-making bodies on local issues

9% 6%

CAN influence decisions

CANNOT influence decisions

NOT a happy group… - half the level of satisfaction with council, half as likely to feel informed, half as likely to think views sought…

Yes No


3. Civil society organisations have strengths and weaknesses


Some charities and some private companies receive funding from government to provide certain public services, such as healthcare services, care for the elderly, services for disabled people etc. Other public services are provided directly by public authorities such as the NHS or local councils. Of these three types of service provider, which one do you think would be BEST at…

Charities and not for profits are more top-of-mind for more emotive service attributes…

Base: 1,001 British adults, 20-26 November 2009 Source: Ipsos MORI

53

37

11

16

18

30

17

17

Providing a caring and compassionate service

Understanding what service users need

% Charities / NFP orgs % Private companies % Public authorities % Don't know



…attitudes to best provider for quality of service are more mixed…


29

21

27

29

25

30

20

19

Providing the best quality of service for the money

Providing a professional and reliable service




…and public sector seen as most able to decide priorities


25 16 39 20 Deciding exactly what type of service should be provided


Uniformity as shorthand for fairness?


Two nightmare scenarios...

Presenter

Presentation Notes

People worry about putting too much in the hands of individuals – it’s just not what a civilised society should do Each man for himself Where’s the council duty of care gone?


Taking everything into account, overall, how do the statutory bodies in your local area influence your organisation’s success?

70% of charitable organisations do not perceive any influence from local statutory bodies ....

Base: 48,939 charities and social enterprises in 149 Upper Tier English Local Authorities, Sep – Dec 2008 www.nationalscse.com Survey conducted as NSTSO autumn 2008 – next wave autumn 2010 as NSCSE Source: Ipsos MORI / OCS NSCSE

1%

15%

51%

9% 5%

19%

Very positive

influence

Positive influence

Neither positive

nor negative influence

Negative influence

Very negative influence

Don’t know / No

answer

http://www.nationalscse.com/


Conclusions

• Shaken security, huge concern for future • But not led to greater collective feeling or action • Slow aggregate decline masks bigger shifts between generations • Context grew up in hugely important – generational patterns often

significant • Huge variation in capacity by deprivation/disadvantage • Involvement often doesn’t lead to happiness/fulfilment • Civil society organisations have high trust/compassion, but

statutory should still decide • Links between seem very limited, but is that an issue?


Version 1 | Public

Paste co-brand logo

here

Thank you Bobby Duffy Director Ipsos Social Research Institute, Visiting Senior Fellow, King’s College London

November 2012

trends in civil society and engagement

News & Politics

ipsos mori ipsos mori

dvisor ipsos mori version

eurostat ipsos mori

ipsos global

ipsos moridclg

public spending

public transport

british adults