[EAI Civic Politics Panel 1st Round] Survey Questionnaire on Trust and Influence of Powerful Institutions

While the state has traditionally been the primary agent of governance, private institutions such as corporations, labor unions, and civic organizations have recently expanded their scope of participation and influence across all nations. This transformed mode of governance, where various institutions within society possess autonomy and jointly participate in national affairs, is referred to as "governance." EAI and the JoongAng Ilbo sought to empirically measure governance in Korean society, focusing on the "trustworthiness" and "influence" of representative institutions in each sector.

The survey results suggest that the unilateral or coercive governance characteristic of the economic development era is no longer feasible. Instead, the state's role has become crucial as a manager and coordinator. Most importantly, restoring trust in state institutions, including the Blue House, has emerged as an urgent task. Notably, large corporations, once targets of anti-business sentiment, ranked at the top in both trustworthiness and influence. Attention is drawn to whether society is transitioning towards a market-centric model where corporations are respected.

Survey Methodology

Survey Respondents: Men and women aged 18 and above

Survey Region: Nationwide

Valid Sample Size: 1,619 individuals

Survey Method: Telephone survey

Margin of Error: ±4.2% to 4.3% points (95% confidence level)

Survey Dates: May 11-13, 2005

Sponsor: JoongAng Ilbo

Planning and Analysis: EAI

EAI Civic Politics Panel

Chair: Kang Won-taek (Soongsil University)

Members

Kim Byung-kook (Former Director, EAI; Korea University)

Kim Min-jeon (Kyung Hee University)

Kim Jang-soo (Korea University)

Kim Tae-hyun (Chung-Ang University)

Lee Nae-young (Korea University)

Lee Jae-yeol (Seoul National University)

Lee Hyun-woo (Kyung Hee Cyber University)

Jeong Won-chil (Senior Researcher, EAI)

Jeong Han-wool (Senior Researcher, EAI)

JoongAng Ilbo

Shin Chang-woon (Survey Journalism Reporter)