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* "95% confidence level" means that if we were to repeat a certain survey 100 times, using the same questions each time but with different random samples, we would expect 95 times getting a figure within the error margins specified.
** Collapsed from a 5-point scale.
Results of survey conducted in mid-September revealed that 22% of the respondents were satisfied with the overall performance of the Legco members, and 29% were dissatisfied. As for the performance of the HKPF, 78% were satisfied while 5% were dissatisfied. Besides, 57% were satisfied with the performance of the PLA stationed in Hong Kong, whereas only 2% were dissatisfied.
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Commentary
Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of Public Opinion Programme, observed, "Compared to three months ago, the findings of all three survey items have not changed much. However, when compared to six months ago, people's satisfaction with Legco members in general has dropped for 6 percentage points, to the lowest since last July. We need to stress, however, that the overall performance of Legco members includes those returned by geographical as well as functional constituencies, so it is not a direct measurement of individual Legco members' performance. As for the two disciplinary forces covered in this survey, people's satisfaction with the Hong Kong Police Force remains high, but has dipped a bit after reaching record high last time. People's satisfaction with the PLA's Hong Kong Garrison, on the other hand, remains unchanged over the last two surveys, with almost zero dissatisfaction."
News about POP
POP's normal practice is to release the results of our regular surveys every Tuesday afternoon via our POP Site, except during public holidays, each time with a forecast of the items to be released in the next 7 days. According to schedule, our next release of regular survey findings will be October 9, 2006, Monday, between 1pm to 2pm, when people's expectation for CE Donald Tsang's second policy address will be released. Then on October 10, 2006, Tuesday, between 1pm to 2pm, we will release the latest popularity figures of CE Donald Tsang and Principal Officials under the accountability system.
Our general practice is to answer all questions on the research design of the surveys published in the POP Site as soon as we receive them, but we will not further comment on the findings. We welcome questions for follow-up purpose, please email them to us at . We will keep such an arrangement under constant review, suggestions most welcome. Please note that everything carried in the POP Site does not represent the stand of the University of Hong Kong. Dr Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of POP, is responsible for everything posted herewith, except for column articles which represent the stand of their authors.
Starting from January 2006, we have included in our regular press releases a small educational section for the purpose of general civic education, so that we can share our experience with the general public. The subject of our education section today is "About HKUPOP".
About HKUPOP
People's satisfaction with the performance of Legislative Council members survey
After the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, POP concurrently measures people's appraisal of the performance of "policy secretaries", "Executive Councillors" and "Legislative Councillors" in general, as indicators of people's recognition of different power organs in the government. Subsequently, the accountability system for principal officials emerged, and the Executive Council was differentiated into different kinds of members. The research design of HKUPOP followed these changes by introducing popularity rating of individual government officials and Executive Councillors, while our long time survey of top 10 Legco members continued. Our surveys on people's satisfaction with the performance of Legco members in general, however, have been kept up to this date. The performance of Legco members in general indicates people's impression of all 60 councillors, including members returned by geographical and functional constituencies. The development of our survey on "people's satisfaction with the performance of Legislative Council members" is as follows:
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One year after the handover of Hong Kong, in July 1998, the First Legislative Council of the HKSAR was formed. HKUPOP then began our regular surveys on people's satisfaction with the performance of Legislative Council members in general. When the Second Legislative Council was formed two years later, we simply changed the name of the survey from "First Legco" to "Second Legco", without changing the research design. In October 2004, the "Third Legco" subsequently replaced the "Second Legco". From the beginning to its end, the "First Legco" surveys were conducted once every month. For the "Second Legco" surveys, the frequency was changed to once every two months until July 2003. Thereafter, the "Third Legco" surveys are conducted once every three months to cope with the changing social conditions.
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The question wordings used in the questionnaire are "Are you satisfied with the overall performance of the members of HKSAR Legislative Council?". Interviewers then probed respondents' degree of satisfaction and respondents could choose a single response ranged from "very satisfied", "quite satisfied", "half-half", "not quite satisfied" to "very dissatisfied".
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Regarding sample size, from the beginning to April 2000, the sample size of "First Legco" surveys was set at slightly over 500. From May 2000 onwards, including subsequent "First Legco" surveys, "Second Legco" and "Third Legco" surveys, the sample size was increased to at least 1,000.
Our HKU POP Site was established in June 2000, findings from our surveys on "people's satisfaction with the performance of Legislative Council members in general" were released online since November 2000. In view of limited space, we will explain people's satisfaction with the performance of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong garrison (PLA) and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) surveys at another date.
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