Utah Priorities Project 2024

Immigration: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Staff

Utah voters consider immigration of medium importance, but the 2024 Utah Priorities Project showed large differences among demographic groups. Almost 9% of Utahns were born in a foreign country. About 42% of those individuals are naturalized citizens, and around 40% are estimated to be unauthorized immigrants. Utah policy toward immigrants has fluctuated over time, but recent programs seem welcoming. This may be due in part to the fact that Utah immigrants play an outsized role … Continued

Taxes and Government Spending: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Staff

Taxes and government spending was an important issue to voters in the 2024 Utah Priorities Project survey. Preferences varied by gender, income, and political affiliation. For instance, women prefer to fund education and health care with hypothetical windfall funds. In another question, conservatives and liberals have drastically different views regarding the effectiveness of government.

Air Quality: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Staff

Air quality was ranked as important in the 2024 Utah Priorities Survey. Those most concerned about air quality were higher-income voters, voters with graduate degrees, and liberal voters. A 2023 statewide poll identified that close to 60% of respondents support strengthening environmental regulations in the U.S., and over 75% indicated that protecting the environment should be more important than economic growth. However, many Utah Priorities Project survey respondents expressed an unwillingness to improve air quality … Continued

Kindergarten Through 12-Grade Education: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Staff

Following the pandemic, K-12 education became a top-three concern in the Utah Priorities Project. At the time, concern was partially driven by the economic needs of working parents, health risks, and educational challenges. In the 2024 Project, K-12 education has dropped to seventh place. When considering the quality of Utah’s schools, 44% of voters agree that “public schools offer all kids access to an education that will allow them to succeed,” while 42% disagree. When … Continued

Having Enough Water: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Staff

Having enough water was important to voters in the 2024 Utah Priorities Project. Survey respondents across various demographic groups felt very similarly about this issue. Most of the open-ended comments focused on ensuring that Utah has enough water, particularly in light of the state’s rapid population growth. Three current issues regarding water are the efforts to encourage less residential outdoor water use, legislation that incentivizes agricultural efficiency, and updates to the Colorado River interim guidelines. … Continued

Partisan Politics: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Staff

Partisan politics ranked as an issue of high importance in the 2024 Utah Priorities Project. Utah voters generally agree that partisan politics is a big concern. This is perhaps in response to Utah voters of both political extremes tending to show strong feelings against the opposite group. Half of the Project’s survey respondents think the policies of the Republican party threaten the nation’s well-being and half of voters believe the Democratic party threatens it. One … Continued

Government Overreach: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: John Salevurakis

Government overreach is a new priority in 2024 for the Utah Priorities Project. Overreach can be defined as governmental interference in ways perceived as counterproductive or in matters outside governments’ defined limits at either local, state, or national levels. Government overreach may also be linked to a fundamental distrust of government and disagreement regarding what it should protect. Three in five voters consider government to be wasteful and inefficient. On top of that, nearly three … Continued

Earning Enough to Pay for Non-Housing Needs: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: John Salevurakis

This is the third research brief of the 2024 Utah Priorities Project. The Project found that “earning enough to pay for non-housing needs” is of high concern for Utahns. This is particularly the case for Utahns with lower incomes, conservatives, Republicans, unaffiliated voters, and those who are more religious or spiritual. This brief includes survey response regarding where non-housing price increases most affected family budgets. Of nine possible choices, 70% of voters reported that grocery … Continued

Politicians Not Listening to Voters: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: John Salevurakis

“Politicians not listening to voters” is a top concern for Utahns in the 2024 Utah Priorities Project. Even if politicians “listen” to all voters, the voters might not feel heard if those elected officials vote in ways that do not represent an individual’s views. As a result, people might believe that politicians are not listening – even if they really are. This brief focuses on three Utah Priorities Project survey questions, including: Over 70% of … Continued

Bridging Gaps: The Issues that Unite (and Divide) Utah Voters

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Utah Foundation’s second major report of the Utah Priorities Project finds that Utahns are polarized – but unite on numerous issues that matter most. These include: The Importance of K-12 education. Wise water stewardship. Curbing government overreach. Access to affordable housing.   Other key findings include: Utahns often disagree on the importance of abortion and women’s issues, transgender rights and access, and appropriate stewardship of the Great Salt Lake. Utah has a layered partisan … Continued