Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
In 2012, voters listed poverty as the 9th most important priority in the election year. This policy brief examines poverty rates over time, recessionary effects on poverty, and the poverty rates of subgroups in Utah. It also shows the impact that certain governmental measures have on mitigating poverty. Lastly, it examines how poverty is measured and alternative measures.
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
In 2012, voters listed immigration as the 10th most important priority in the election year. This policy brief dealing with this issue explains why immigration grew at a rapid pace at the national and state levels in the 1990s, why it has decreased in recent years and what legal actions the state has taken to deal with this. It also discusses how immigration has changed Utah throughout the past two decades, and how it ill … Continued
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
In the 2012 Utah Priorities Survey, respondents listed partisan politics as one of their top concerns for the upcoming elections. This is significant not only because it was the first time this issue had been listed as a top-ten concern in this series of surveys, but also the first time it was seen as a concern at all. An additional area of concern that may be affected by partisan politics is Utah’s declining voter turnout … Continued
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
The “Great Recession” that occurred between 2007 and 2009 has had a profound impact on the economy of Utah and on the nation as a whole. It lasted 18 months and was not only well above the average length of a recession since the Great Depression, but was also the longest recession since that time. This recession was also arguably the worst recession since 1945, with job growth at the lowest rates since that time, … Continued
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
As part of the 2012 Utah Priorities Project, Utah Foundation and the Hinckley Institute of Politics have surveyed Utah voters and delegates to the major parties’ state conventions. This survey was conducted for the first time in 2010, showing distinct differences between party delegates and voters, with delegates usually taking more zealous positions than their parties’ voters. The 2012 survey also shows differences between voters and delegates, but those differences are not as pronounced as … Continued
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
Utah Foundation recently released The 2012 Utah Priorities Survey, which provides a summary of the findings of a statewide Dan Jones & Associates survey assessing which issues are most important this election year and how voters feel about Utah’s economy, society and politics. For the first time, Utah Foundation also requested that the gubernatorial candidates complete part of this survey. All of the Republican and Democratic candidates and two of three third-party candidates completed the … Continued
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
In this election year, Utahns are more confident that the state is heading in the right direction than they were two years ago. However, they are still not as confident as they were in the 2004 and 2008 elections. Their concerns about issues like jobs and the economy, public education, and healthcare remain strong. Some issues that were important in the 2010 election, such as ethics of elected officials, states’ rights vs. the federal government, … Continued