Page 13 - Flathead Beacon // 11.9.16

NEWS
What’s on Montanans’ Minds?
MSU Billings releases 30th poll of state residents on local, state, and national issues
“Community banking means neighbors helping
neighbors.” - Becca M.
BY MOLLY PRIDDY OF THE BEACON
For the last three decades, Montana State University Billings has been tak- ing Montana residents’ temperatures on various social and political issues. With the election over and those opinions
MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION
registered, here is the rest of what MSU Billings’ researchers found when they polled Montanans.
Between Oct. 3 and Oct. 10, research- ers called 590 adults – 70 percent on cell phones, the remaining 30 percent on land- lines – for the results of this 30th MSU
SIZE OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Billings Poll. It was a random sampling. Since the poll was taken in October, many of the questions are about candi- dates whose campaigns have now ended. But other questions about social issues present a snapshot of Montanans and the
ever-evolving populations of this state.
DAKOTA ACCESS OIL PIPELINE
17% DK/NA
7% DK/NA
37% SUPPORT
11% INDIFFERENT
44% OPPOSE
9% DK/NA
67% TOO LARGE
1% TOO SMALL
23% ABOUT RIGHT
56% 27%
A plurality of men (42 percent polled) supports the policy, while a plurality of women (49 percent) opposes it.
GUN LAWS IN MONTANA
In 2015, 74.9 percent said too large; 19.7 percent said about the right size; 2.3 percent said too small.
FEDERAL EMPHASIS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY
Seventy percent of men polled agreed with the pipeline, while only 45 percent of women approved.
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
7% 17%5% 15%8%
26% SHOULD BE DOING LESS
26% IS DOING RIGHT AMOUNT
DK/NA
13% TOO STRICT
NOT STRICT ENOUGH
64% ABOUT RIGHT
DK/NA
63% NEEDS MORE EMPHASIS
NEEDS LESS EMPHASIS
17% EMPHASIS IS OK
DK/NA
39% SHOULD BE DOING MORE
In 2015, 65.4 percent of respondents said gun laws were about right, 12.8 per- cent said they were too strict, and 17.2 percent said they were not strict enough.
IMPACT OF AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN MONTANA
Sixty-nine percent of the respondents who believe the federal government should put more emphasis on renewable energy were in the age range of 18-35.
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
A large majority of Democrats – 81 percent – think the government isn’t doing enough, compared to 14 percent of Republicans. Forty-three percent of Republicans think the government should do less about climate change.
FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE
You
7% 12% 4% 13% 3% 1%
DK/NA
22% POSITIVE
51% BIG PROBLEM
32% SMALL PROBLEM
8% ELIMINATED
Women (68 percent of them) and liberals (86 percent of them) tended to think the wage should be increased, compared to 42 percent of Republicans and 55 percent of men.
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WITHOUT CRIMINAL RECORDS
These numbers remain largely unchanged from 2015, when 59.5 percent of respondents said that the ACA had a negative impact and 23.4 percent thought it was positive.
TOP 3 MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEMS FACING USA
59% OTHER
15% GOVERNMENT
In 2015, 23.4 percent of respondents believed terrorism was the most important issue, though the researchers note a terrorist attack occurred in Paris just before the survey was conducted.
A higher percentage of Democrats – 79 percent – think racial discrimination is a big problem than Republicans, of which 38 percent believe it is a big problem.
POLITICAL REFUGEES IN THE USA
www.Th
NEITHER
58% NEGATIVE
DK/NA NOT A PROBLEM
DK/NA LOWERED
13% TERRORISM
18% DK/NA
12% TOO FEW
49% TOO MANY
21% ABOUT RIGHT
10% DK/NA
42% SHOULD STAY IN THE COUNTRY
48% SHOULD NOT STAY IN THE COUNTRY
13% ECONOMY
In 2015, 11.6 percent of respondents thought that the U.S. was taking in too few refugees, 24.2 percent thought the refugee intake was the right amount, and 47.2 percent thought the refugee intake was too many.
Researchers note the younger, liberal- leaning respondents with secondary education tended to think the undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay.
www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
NOVEMBER 9, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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APPROVE
DISAPPROVE
62% INCREASED
25% SAME