Education

This post concludes our blog series on concerns that many Utah voters expressed in our survey that didn’t make the cut for our top ten list. The debate on the division of powers between states and the federal government is in many ways the essence of American politics since the proposal of the U.S. Constitution. The disagreement between the Hamilton Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans carries on today in a number of issues important to Utahns. While … Continued

One national issue unique to the West is that of public lands. Utah, in many ways, has been at the forefront of that issue. Nearly half of all the land in the western United States is owned by the federal government. In Utah it is just under two-thirds. In fact, Utah is second only to Nevada in the share of land owned by the federal government (although Idaho and Alaska are close). Utah is one … Continued

There is certainly a lot of discussion in the state about energy. For example, Utah is seeing historic installation rates of residential rooftop solar arrays, and the Utah Legislature is considering whether to end state solar tax credits early. Additionally, Rocky Mountain Power has a new solar array coming on line from which consumers can purchase blocks of renewable energy. However, the energy topic in the Utah Priorities Survey goes beyond electricity generation to include … Continued

This post continues our blog series on concerns that many Utah voters expressed in our survey that didn’t make the cut for our top ten list. Utah is a unique place. Some of what makes it unique – being very Republican, being young, and having strict liquor laws – stem from one fact: around 60% of Utahns identify as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).1 There are no comparable … Continued

U.S. Census poverty data for 2015 were released this week. Utah Foundation has particular interest in poverty since it was part of the 2016 Utah Priorities Project. Homelessness and poverty was the 9th most important issue to voters in 2016. These issues are closely linked in that poverty is cited as one of the major reasons of homelessness, particularly when it is experienced in conjunction with unaffordable housing situations, losing a job, or experiencing a … Continued

This post continues our blog series on concerns that many Utah voters expressed in our survey that didn’t make the cut for our top ten list. Higher education ranked 17th on 2016’s Utah Priorities Project. That ranking came from the main survey question which asked about respondents’ level of concern about “higher education – that is colleges and universities.” About one in five respondents were “very concerned,” which is a “5” on the 1- to 5-point scale. … Continued

This post continues our blog series on concerns that many Utah voters expressed in our survey that didn’t make the cut for our top ten list. This topic has appeared as a concern four of the past five election cycles.1 In every cycle, it ranked either last or second to last. This year it ranked 20th out of 21 concerns. In truth, equal protection for LGBTQ people is a complex issue in Utah. While Salt Lake City boasts … Continued