The results are supposed to reflect the British public's opinion on politics, but sometimes they reveal a little more — of perhaps what's lacking.
Haynes Publishing is better known for printing car and motorbike workshop manuals so owners can fix it themselves. But now the publishers have turned their hands to how to run a country and asked 2000 people their opinions on the matter.
The publisher's survey revealed a worrying lack of understanding how the country is run, with forty percent admitting to only understanding the basics of politics and 16 percent saying they had no idea at all.
One in fourteen eligible to vote think that GDP is text-speak for 'going down the pub'. And nine percent of voters think that GDP — Gross Domestic Product — is actually a food additive like MSG — Monosodium Glutamate. And 12 percent thought it meant the same as GPS — Global Positioning System.
The survey also revealed that 31 percent of voters don't know the difference between the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Jeremy Yates-Round of Haynes Manuals said:
"With a general election just around the corner it is more important than ever that we understand what it really means to be in the driving seat of the nation."
Unsurprisingly, the publishers are launching a new book called 'How to Run the Country Manual'. According to Yates-Round, "this research shows that large numbers of the voting public don't have a good understanding of how the country is run and that at present many won't be making an informed decision in May".
The book aims to break down politics, the economy and other aspects of Britain into simple terms.
Dr Kevin Albertson, co-author of the book and reader in economics at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, says:
"It is surprising to see quite how disengaged much of the population is with politics and this certainly seems to stem from a lack of knowledge or interest in many of the key topics that affect our lives."
#FridayFact MMU's Chris Fox & Kevin Albertson tell us how to run the country http://t.co/R1yqLZcbm7 #GeneralElection pic.twitter.com/Vl1WnOLiuq
— Knowledge Exchange (@KE_MMU) March 13, 2015
The research also found that one in three people (31 percent) who took part in the survey don't have a good understanding of the role of the Prime Minister; who has his own manual.
