Distrust of state government continues to rise in five-state region, public supports broad political reform agenda to make government more effective
CHICAGO, June 19 /PRNewswire/ — Midwesterners are calling for political reform amid a growing distrust of state government. Furthermore, they are looking for political candidates who understand that fixing how government works will be necessary in order to make progress on the economy, education and taxes.
These findings are outlined in a new survey on public attitudes towards political reform in five key Midwestern states, nearly all of which will be battlegrounds in the upcoming presidential election. The poll was commissioned by the Midwest Democracy Network (MDN), a coalition of political reform organizations in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The survey shows that Midwesterners’ trust in state government has declined during the past two years. Sixty-nine percent say they trust government to do what is right “only some of the time” or “almost never.” This represents a seven-point increase from the same question asked in a similar poll conducted in 2006. However, the poll also shows that the public hasn’t lost hope. Instead, there is widespread support for a range of political reforms designed to make government more honest and accountable.
Residents also sent an important signal to candidates at every level of government. More than 60 percent say they are more inclined to support candidates who recognize that support for political reform is key to making progress on “bread and butter” issues. This finding appears to support the views of the major parties’ presidential candidates who have made reform a central issue in their respective campaigns.
Respondents strongly support a number of specific reforms on open government, campaign finance, judicial independence and redistricting. Large majorities — about 80 percent — believe that a comprehensive platform of reforms would make a difference in helping state government work better.
The poll was conducted by Belden Russonello & Stewart, an independent research firm located in Washington, DC. A random telephone survey of 2,004 adults in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin was conducted between April 21 and May 4, 2008. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points. The survey was funded by The Joyce Foundation of Chicago.
“This new survey tells us three important points about Midwesterners’ attitudes. First, Midwesterners distrust their state governments. Second, despite their distrust they are hopeful for change and support a range of reforms, and third the voters are beginning to understand the connection between state government reform and solving problems like improving education, creating jobs, and having a fairer tax policy,” said Kate Stewart, partner at Belden Russonello & Stewart.
Other key findings of the poll included:
— Midwesterners rate the concern of the “influence of money in state politics” (37 percent “extremely concerned”) on a par with health care (40 percent), public education (36 percent) and state taxes (34 percent).
— Honesty is the most important value Midwesterners want in their state government, followed by accountability and responsiveness.
— Majorities of those surveyed believe it is “worth getting money out of politics” and reject the idea that corruption will always be present in state government.
— Three quarters of residents express high interest in an organization that focuses on getting their state government to work better.
The MDN believes that the results of the survey should serve as a call to action on a set of comprehensive political reforms in the five states.
“As we enter the heart of the election season, it is critical to understand that citizens in this region are looking for a government that works for them. They are not asking for reform for reform’s sake. They are desperate for solutions on jobs, education and health care, little of which will be realized in a dysfunctional political system,” according to Cindi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform and MDN spokesperson. “To fix the problems people care about most, we need to root out the conditions that are preventing real progress.”
Earlier this year, the MDN released “Democratic Renewal: A Call to Action from America’s Heartland,” a book which outlined a comprehensive political reform agenda for the region.
The groups affiliated with the MDN have long led the fight to end the “politics as-usual” cultures within their states. Their efforts have produced important legal improvements in campaign finance disclosure, government ethics, lobbying regulation, and voter protection. In Illinois, the General Assembly recently passed legislation to curtail the state’s notorious pay-to-play practices. In Wisconsin, the ineffective state Elections and Ethics Boards were replaced last year with a new, more powerful and nonpartisan Government Accountability Board. These accomplishments were major victories for the reform community.
In addition, the groups’ data-collection and in-depth investigative work has greatly improved the enforcement of campaign finance and ethic laws. In some instances their findings have led to civil penalties and even criminal indictments and convictions of high-ranking public officials. Many of the reform proposals endorsed by voters in the BRS poll have already been introduced in the legislatures of their respective states and await action.
Established in late 2006, the MDN consists of more than 30 state-based reform advocacy organizations and national research and policy institutions. An overview of the network’s projects and highlights can be found at http://www.midwestdemocracynetwork.org/.
Detailed regional and state analyses of the BRS political reform poll can also be found at http://www.midwestdemocracynetwork.org/.
Individual State Contacts:
Following are media contacts in the individual states for follow-up.Illinois Minnesota
Cindi Canary Dan McGrath
Illinois Campaign for Political Reform Take Action Minnesota
Phone: 773.301.7163 Phone: 651.261.2816Michigan Ohio
Rich Robinson Catherine Turcer
Michigan Campaign Finance Network Ohio Citizen Action
Phone: 517.482.7198 Phone: 614.579.5509Wisconsin
Mike McCabe
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
Phone: 608.255.4260
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
Source: Midwest Democracy Network
CONTACT: Cindi Canary, +1-312-335-1767, cell, +1-773-301-7163, or Jeff
Valenzuela, +1-312-573-5495, cell, +1-708-305-6418, both for Midwest Democracy
Network
Web site: http://www.midwestdemocracynetwork.org/
