Almost 70% of those interviewed (69.4% to be exact) said that corruption is on the rise in Brazil. Another 21.8% said corruption is what it has always been. For the sake of comparison, a poll in 1998 found 56% of those interviewed thought corruption was increasing and 32% thought it was unchanged.
After corruption came violence and crime (22.9% of those interviewed), drugs (21.2%), a lack of employment opportunities (8%) and the healthcare system (6.7%).
Interestingly, although violence and crime were high on the list of concerns, 40.6% of those interviewed said the place where they lived was not violent.
Asked about institutions they trusted, 69.8% said they trusted the Armed Forces always; 49.8% said they always trusted the media; 40,1% trusted the government; 37.8% trusted the judicial system; 37.5% trusted the police; 36% trusted people in public service; and 9.3% said they trusted the Congress.
The poll asked people how they were going to decide who to vote for in the presidential elections this year. Most, 55.5% said they made up their own minds; 14.2% said they took into consideration the opinions of family and friends; 13.8% said they would base their decision on what they saw on TV; 6.3% said free political advertising would influence them; 3.9% cited newspapers; 2.5% what they heard on the radio; and 2.2% the opinion of a religious leader.
Asked about their interest in this year’s elections, 42.1% said they were more or less interested in the elections; 31.3% said they had no interest in the elections; 25% said they were very interested. In 2002, the same questions got these percentages: 35.9%, 45.5% and 17.9%, respectively.
So, fewer people had a little interest; many more had no interest and now many more say they are interested. A mixed bag – showing that there is more interest in this year’s election than the election of 2002, which, of course, was the landmark victory of Lula.