[EAI Public Opinion Briefing No. 44-3] Government Policy Lacks Consistency, 68.9%

Dissatisfaction with Erratic Government Policies High, Even Among President Lee's Supporters

[Tracking 1] Stagnant Approval Ratings, Will They Surpass 40%?

[Tracking 2] Variables Affecting Approval Ratings

[Tracking 3] Policy Consistency Issue is Serious, 68.9%



Government Policy Direction is Incorrect, 57.1%; Government Policy Lacks Consistency, 68.9%



The Lee Myung-bak administration, which prides itself on its policy drive, is facing public distrust regarding its policy momentum. In the April survey, 57.1% of respondents answered that the government's policy direction was not correct, indicating strong public criticism of the policy direction itself. However, a staggering 68.9% responded that government policies lack consistency, revealing significant distrust in policy coherence.



[Figure 1] Evaluation of Government Policy Direction

[Figure 2] Assessment of Government Policy Consistency

This is an awkward result for President Lee Myung-bak and the Grand National Party, who have emphasized pragmatism and performance. In fact, regarding the revision of real estate taxes and capital gains tax plans, and automotive tax support measures, and in the security domain, the government has made impactful policy decisions, such as joining the PSI (Proliferation Security Initiative) immediately after North Korea's missile launch. However, these decisions have often been reversed internally or by ruling party lawmakers as they approached the final drafting or implementation stages. The dissatisfaction with the consistency of government policies is significant even among the supporters of the Grand National Party, the current government's largest support base, suggesting considerable accumulated discontent.



Indeed, it is true that there are significant differences in the evaluation of government policy consistency depending on support for President Lee Myung-bak. Among respondents who do not support President Lee Myung-bak's administration, only 15.9% assessed policy consistency as high, while a striking 82.9% gave a negative evaluation of the current government's policy consistency. However, even among President Lee's supporters, 52.9% indicated high policy consistency, with only 42.8% responding negatively to the consistency of government policies. While there is a clear difference in perception compared to respondents outside of President Lee's support base, it is noteworthy that even among President Lee's supporters, four out of ten voice criticism regarding the current government's policy consistency.



[Figure 3] Evaluation of Lee Myung-bak Administration's Policy Consistency by National Approval Rating (%)