| 
Survey Shows Students Taking Government
Classes Favor Governor Recall
September 29, 2003
• CSUF Students Support
Recall
• Would Vote For Schwarzenegger As Replacement For Gray Davis
Some 74% of students in Fall 2003 classes of “Introduction
to American Government” at Cal State Fullerton would vote
“yes” to recall Governor Gray Davis, according to a
survey undertaken in the first two weeks of classes.
“The statistic is based
upon the 908 students who offered an opinion, among 1,115 surveyed,”
commented Keith Boyum, director of the CSUF Center for Public Policy.
Some 190 of the students responded positively to the questionnaire
option that read, “I do not plan to vote.”
Students were asked the same question that was asked
of a representative sample of residents of Orange County, in a survey
taken between Aug. 26 and Sept. 10, 2003, sponsored by the Center
for Public Policy and the Orange County Business Council. The question
was as follows:
If the special election to
recall Governor Davis were held today, would you vote “yes”
to remove Davis as governor or “no” to keep Davis as
governor?
Because the same question was asked during the same
approximate time period of both the sample of Orange County residents
and of students in the CSUF classes, comparisons may be appropriately
made.
On the question of whether to recall governor Davis,
the comparisons are:
| CSUF Introduction to American Government
Students |
74% Yes, do recall |
| Sample of Orange County Residents |
72% Yes, do recall |
“As may be obvious, these
proportions are virtually identical,” commented Boyum.
Both surveys went on to ask respondents about their
support for replacements, should Davis be recalled. The question
asked was this:
If Governor Davis is recalled
and removed from office, which of the follow-ing would you vote
for as his replacement, if the election were held today?
a. Lieutenant governor Cruz Bustamante, a
Democrat
b. Green Party leader and former candidate for governor Peter
Camejo
c. Columnist Arianna Huffington, an Independent
d. State Senator Thomas McClintock, a Republican
e. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican
f. Businessman and former candidate for governor Bill Simon,
a Republican
g. Businessman and former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth,
a Republican running as an Independent |
As will be noted, the choices included Bill Simon,
who dropped out as the surveys were about to begin, and also included
Peter Ueberroth, who quit the race as both surveys were about to
conclude.
Results are displayed for each group in Table One.
Table
1
Choice for Governor if Davis is Recalled |
| |
Sample
Survey of Orange County Residents |
Survey
of Introduction to American Government Students at Cal State
Fullerton |
| Schwarzenegger |
44% |
41% |
| Bustamante |
21% |
29% |
| McClintock |
15% |
11% |
| Ueberroth |
13% |
6% |
| Simon |
3% |
4% |
| Camejo |
2% |
5% |
| Huffington |
1% |
5% |
| Another Candidate |
2% |
[not asked] |
| Totals: |
101% |
101% |
| *rounding
errors |
The survey of Orange County residents was undertaken
by the Center for Public Policy (CSUF) / Orange County Business
Council partnership between Aug. 26 and Sept. 10, 2003. A full report
of the survey may be found either on the OCBC web site (see: http://www.ocbc.org/resourcesf.htm)
or by contacting Keith Boyum, Center for Public Policy Director.
For Further Information:
Dr. Alan Saltzstein, Chair, Division
of Political Science & Criminal Justice
657-278-3522
asaltztein@fullerton.edu
Dr. Keith Boyum, Director, Center
for Public Policy
657-278-4831 / 657-278-3602
kboyum@fullerton.edu
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