As part of the 2010 Utah Priorities Project, Utah Foundation, KSL Television and Radio, Deseret News, and the Hinckley Institute sponsored a ground-breaking survey of Utah voters and delegates to the major party conventions. The survey shows distinct differences between party delegates and voters, with delegates usually taking more zealous positions than their party’s voters. The strongest distinctions are, as expected, between the two major parties. The survey also provides insight on Republican delegates’ opinions in the U.S. Senate race. … Read more »

In this special election year, Utahns are less confident that the state is heading in the right direction than they were two years ago. Their concerns about some issues, like energy and transportation, have eased since 2008. However, other issues are now of greater concern, including the economy, government spending, the ethics of elected officials, and states’ rights versus the federal government. … Read more »

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.

Read this Research Brief

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 »

How much energy do Utahns consume? How has it changed over time? Where does Utah’s energy come from? What can Utahns can expect for energy prices and supplies in the future? The Utah Priorities Survey ranked energy, including gas prices, as the number one issue of concern for Utahns this year. This report provides data and graphs to illustrate Utah’s current energy situation and trends, and makes these findings: … Read more »

Throughout this election year, Utah Foundation will work to provide information, analysis, and public dialogue on the issues that matter most to you as you consider the future of Utah. The project began with a survey conducted by Dan Jones and Associates to understand which issues are of greatest concern to voters. The results of this survey are now available here by clicking the links below.

The survey found that the top 10 issues for Utah this year are: … Read more »

Wolves once claimed territory throughout much of the lower 48 states. Under the Endangered Species Act, the reintroduction of wolves to the Intermountain West has occurred, and in the last 10 years their numbers have grown substantially after being hunted nearly to extinction. As packs begin to disperse seeking new territory, states are confronted with balancing wildlife populations with the rights and interests of landowners. … Read more »

A Deseret Morning News article from August 8, 2004 stated that, based on flow data of the Colorado River, the current drought is considered the worst in 500 years. This statistic is alarming, but while the Colorado River is an important part of Utah’s overall landscape, residents in the most populous parts of the state utilize very little of the river’s water. The flow rates of the Colorado have a greater impact downstream in Nevada and California. … Read more »

Every five years, the U.S. Geological Survey releases data on water usage by state. The data detail the amount of water used for agriculture, municipal and industrial uses (M&I- public or private water utility providers), mining, private industrial wells and thermoelectric generation. The data also provide a look at the sources of water within the state, either surface sources, such as lakes, reservoirs and rivers or ground sources — wells and springs. … Read more »

The rapid population growth that occurred in Utah during the 1990s is still expected to continue for the next thirty years. The challenges presented by the significant growth underlie many of the other top issues facing this state. Education, jobs, water supply, health care, crime, higher education, environment, and transportation are all greatly impacted by population growth. This brief will seek to explain how growth patterns will impact some of the top issues identified by the 2004 Utah Priorities poll. … Read more »