Poll results: How do students feel about their government?
Last week, The Stork conducted an official poll addressed at students of every year and degree with the aim of obtaining some input regarding their involvement and opinion of the government and its functions. The results are compiled, presented and discussed on this article.
Before anything, it is important to mention that the 127 total replies of the survey do not provide a significant sample to establish any trends or draw any conclusions regarding the whole student body. Nevertheless, the present analysis intends to explore the perceptions of those that answered the poll, with the aim of providing a guideline for the voting behavior of IE students.
From the total poll turnover, the Segovia campus was the most represented (68.5%) in number of replies, while there was virtually an equal share of students from the first three years of studies, with second year-students slightly exceeding their peers.
This figure seems to be consistent with the active involvement with university sophomores demonstrate, particularly in Segovia campus, with many of them running clubs or forming part of the committees.
Question 1
Question 3
Regarding specific degrees, most data was collected from the BBA and BBA/BIR program, but participation was registered by virtually every degree, rendering the sample very much representative.
Question 2:
The next two questions of the poll presented a very important and interesting contradiction, with more than 70% of students assuring that they care about the student government (having voted five or above on the scale), but 54% of them claiming to be unaware of their policies, with the mode of this question being a mere two over ten.
These numbers quite objectively transmit that, assuming students have provided honest answers, the current government is not being efficient enough in communicating and informing of their activity to everyone that is interested in it.
More importantly, it shows that the reported low level of student engagement does not derive from an intrinsic lack of interest in the government and its policies.
Question 4
Question 5
The following question of the poll presents another important division, which is reflected in the exact same percentage of replies in the “yes” and “no” options in question six. This once again appears to show that there is miscommunication concerning the ongoing campaign, and that the candidates may not be using the most appropriate media channels to reach the students.
Question 6
The next two questions of the poll convey what may be interpreted as an under-delivery by the government, that seems to have ultimately resulted in ambivalence and indifference among the students regarding the ongoing administration and the upcoming elections.
This is illustrated by the large frequency of the neutral option in questions 7 and 8 (below), being predominant in the former. Moreover, it is also relevant to mention that the questions almost perfectly cancel out each other in both questions (strongly agree and strongly disagree). This emphasizes the shortcoming of the current government in fostering strong emotions and bonds in and with the student body, whether positive or negative.
Furthermore, contrasting the two aforementioned questions, it is also interesting to discuss the fact that “moderately agree” reports more frequency in question 8 than in questions 7, meaning that there are more people who believe - even if not very firmly, as it has been the pattern in this poll - that the government is more helpful than those than those who claim it represents them well.
This difference, perhaps hints some level of dissatisfaction regarding the ability of the student government to reflect and address the students' concerns. This, once, again might be due to the lack of input that results from a presumed communicational weakness.
Question 7
Question 8
The neutral option returns to the top in question 9, therefore highlighting the large presence of doubt from the unawareness of concrete and tangible evidence of the current student government's work, which might as well be plenty, but remains unknown to most of the student body.
Question 9
Question 10
The important frequency of the “unsure” and “blank” options in the last question further reinforces this doubt, neutrality, disengagement and arbitrary attitude that clouds the current government and the upcoming elections. The two of them combined in fact surpass the percentage of votes Team 1 holds to date, leading the elections in this sample with a comfortable margin. However, despite Team 1's lead, Team 2 clearly needs to work on its persuasion of students, who are unsure about their choice and basing on the sample, hold the key to their victory.
If students do not feel identified with the people that are meant to mediate their conflicts and advocate for their needs, have little indicators of their efficiency, barely feel their presence as a student authority, and even ignore their concrete roles of their government, it is only but reasonable that they will not take an active approach in deciding their representatives.
*The poll represents only a sample of student population. The Stork intends to continue measuring student attitudes not only within the government sphere, but in other areas as well. Stay tuned with us to find out more!
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