In Utah Foundation’s 2008 Utah Priorities Survey, Utah voters rated the environment as their eighth-highest issue of concern. The environmental issues of most concern were Utah’s air quality and the health effects of pollution. Other concerns were environmental effects of pollution and the storage and transport of hazardous waste. This research brief discusses each of these four areas of concern and provides a brief overview of the state’s position on climate change.

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Dealing with Utah’s Growth ranked tenth on Utah Foundation’s 2008 Utah Priorities Project Survey. Four growth-related issues in the survey showed high levels of concern. The top issues were traffic congestion, crowding in public schools, water supply concerns, and changes in crime rates. This research brief provides information on how Utah’s population growth has and will affect these four and other issues. … Read more »

Utah voters ranked healthcare as the fourth most important issue of concern on Utah Foundation’s 2008 Utah Priorities Project survey. The high ranking of healthcare reflects Utah voters’ concerns with the current health system. This research report reviews some of the major problems underlying the current system, summarizes Utah’s initial steps for reform, and identifies the issues that need to be resolved for real systemic reform to take place at the state level.

Based on common themes from health system stakeholder interviews, six issues that need to be addressed for real systemic reform include: 1) navigating the federal system; 2) re-aligning stakeholder incentives; 3) improving on the market system; 4) defining affordability; 5) dealing with tradeoffs among cost, quality, and access; and 6) improving the reform process. … Read more »

Utah is the second-driest state in the nation and home to over 2.6 million people. When Utah experiences drought conditions, water becomes a high-priority issue for Utah voters. Utah’s water supply and quality ranked as the seventh most important concern in the 2008 Utah Priorities Survey. To help voters and candidates understand the issue better, this brief provides information on drought conditions, precipitation, water storage, water usage, and water quality in Utah. … Read more »

Immigration in Utah, as well as in the United States, has always been an issue that has evoked intense emotion and debate. Recent increases in the number of immigrants coming to the U.S. have caused the issue to become a top concern for Utahns. … Read more »

Teacher quality was rated by voters as a top concern about education in the 2008 Utah Priorities Survey. This brief explains why teacher quality improvement is such an important issue, how it can be measured, some strategies attempted around the nation for improving teacher quality, and a review of research showing which tactics are most likely or unlikely to work. … Read more »

Did you know Utah is the sixth-lowest state in the nation for violent crime rates? Or that we have more property crime than the national average? Did you also know that the popular allegation that Utah is the nation’s leader in white-collar crime is a myth? Read this research brief to learn more about crime in Utah, including crime rates in the five best and worst cities by category. … Read more »

Rising gas prices, heavy road congestion, and the desire for more efficient transportation options have made transportation an increasingly important issue for Utah voters. Transportation ranked 9th in the 2008 Utah Priorities Survey; in 2004 it was the 11th ranked issue. Among the top concerns in this area were commute and travel times, the quality of Utah’s roads, the development of public transit options, and expanding the capacity of freeways and highways. This research brief provides an overview of Utah’s current transportation situation and examines each of these issues and more. … Read more »

The state of the housing market in Utah has been and continues to be a topic of concern for Utah residents. Housing issues, such as “bubbles” home value depreciation, and housing affordability affect nearly everyone, whether or not they are current homeowners. This research brief reviews the current status of Utah’s housing situation, including trends in homeownership, prices, sales, affordability, and some of the impacts the housing market has on the economy. … Read more »

Since 1991, Utah state government spending has generally grown slower than Utah’s economy, except for brief “bumps” during economic booms. Through most of this period, health spending and transportation capital spending grew faster than the economy, while all other categories, including public education (the largest state spending area) declined in terms of spending per $1,000 of personal income. The most recent two fiscal years, however, brought large increases in state spending, mostly focused in public education and transportation capital projects. … Read more »