Utah Priorities Project 2010

The 2010 Utah Priorities Fall Survey: Voters’ Preferences for Candidates and Policy Solutions

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

The purpose of this Utah Priorities Survey is to delve deeper on five critical policy issues to better understand voters’ preferences surrounding the most often discussed solutions. Voters were surveyed about K-12 education, economy and jobs, immigration, government spending, and states’ rights. The survey also asked voters about whom they plan to vote for in the upcoming election.

Moving up the Economic Ladder: An Analysis of Economic Mobility in Utah

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The opportunity for upward mobility as the result of individual effort is viewed as one of the defining characteristics of the U.S. economy. However, data show Utah has been experiencing growing inequality since the 1980s. While inflation-adjusted income actually fell for the bottom four fifths of families in the first half of this decade, it increased by more than $6,000 for families in the top fifth.

Spending Your Tax Dollars: An Update on State Spending Trends and the Impact of the Economic Recession

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

The April 2010 Utah Priorities Survey conducted by Utah Foundation indicated government spending ranked number two of the top ten issues and concerns among Utah voters. While government spending has been a concern for Utahns in past surveys, it is likely that the recent economic recession contributed to the topic’s continuing relevance and Utahns’ continuing concern for how governments utilize tax money.

Has America’s Consumer Spending Bubble Popped?

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

Since the 1980s, Americans have saved progressively less of their incomes. A few years ago, consumer saving was at its lowest level since the Great Depression. This long downward trend in savings occurred during a time of economic prosperity and was coupled with increasing consumer spending; some say America was experiencing a “bubble” of high consumer spending, building up weakness in the American economy. During the recent recession, personal saving increased and spending slowed. Has … Continued

The 2010 Utah Priorities Survey of Party Delegates and Voters

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

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 … Continued

The 2010 Utah Priorities Survey: The Top Issues and Concerns of Utah Voters for the 2010 Election

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

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.