What is the Utah Priorities Project?

The Utah Priorities Project is an effort to focus political dialogue in this election year on the most important issues facing our state. Through partnerships with KSL TV and Radio, the Deseret News, and the Hinckley Institute of Politics, this project will feature live and online discussions, forums, candidate debates, as well as in-depth, nonpartisan Utah Foundation research on the top issues as determined by our Utah Priorities Survey conducted by Dan Jones and Associates. This website will serve as a library of information on the top issues and will facilitate dialogue about these issues.

Candidate Priorities

What are the candidates' priorities for action once they are elected? How will they make decisions in office? Who do they look to for advice? Find answers to these questions and more through our partner, KSL News, which has candidate questionnaires available on its website. Also see the overall KSL Decision 2010 website for more information, including latest election-related news stories..

School Testing Results: How Utah Compares to States With Similar Demographics

Based on comparisons to national averages in school test scores, it is commonly stated that Utah’s education system performs well, despite having low funding. However, Utah is much different than the average state, with low poverty, many college-educated parents, and a small minority population. Those factors should lead to higher-than-average test scores.

Using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to compare 4th and 8th grade math, reading, and science scores from 1992 through 2009, the report finds that Utah is underperforming compared to states with similar demographics. Among these peers, Utah most often ranks last in these tests. In addition to persistently low peer-state rankings over the past two decades, Utah’s national ranking on these exams has fallen significantly.
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The 2010 Utah Priorities Fall Survey: Voters’ Preferences for Candidates and Policy Solutions

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.

In response to questions about K-12 education, the most popular solution was that resources be applied to ensure every student is reading at grade-level by the end of third grade. Other solutions that received high scores were reducing class size and applying resources to help 8th-graders successfully complete math and science courses.
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Moving up the Economic Ladder: An Analysis of Economic Mobility in Utah

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.

Looking at these numbers alone, it is easy to conclude that Utah is becoming an increasingly bifurcated economy with the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer. However, it is important to acknowledge that these numbers do not tell a complete story. Although the distribution of income among individuals may be unequal in any given year, this does not necessarily mean it is unequal over their lifetimes. An individual who is in the lowest-income bracket in one particular year may be in a much higher income bracket five years later due to changes in skill level, education, or work situation.
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Spending Your Tax Dollars: An Update on State Spending Trends and the Impact of the Economic Recession

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.
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Has America's Consumer Spending Bubble Popped?

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 it been enough to pop the bubble?
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The 2010 Utah Priorities Survey of Party Delegates and Voters

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

During this election season, Utah Foundation is working to focus political dialogue on the issues that matter most to Utah voters. This project begins with a survey of voters to rank the major issues and set the agenda for Utah Foundation’s research and activities this year.
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