Old National Bank Ball State University HOOSIER SURVEY 2017
Major Findings The Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University is pleased to partner this year with Old National Bank in presenting the tenth annual Hoosier Survey. The Old National Bank/Ball State University Hoosier Survey is designed to provide Indiana citizens and policymakers with a measure of public opinion on current issues facing our state in the coming year. The results of this nonpartisan survey are delivered to every member of the Indiana General Assembly and top state government administration officials before the start of the calendar year so that lawmakers can gauge public views about issues they are likely to face in the upcoming legislative session. It is our hope that they survey will inform citizens and policymakers and help to stimulate a public discussion about important issues facing the state. Major findings in this year s survey include: Community Quality: Overall, 34% of Hoosiers rate their local community as an excellent place to live, an improvement over the ratings of 2012, when only 29% of Hoosiers gave their local community an excellent rating. In suburban areas, 41% of Hoosiers rate their communities as excellent, compared to only 25% in urban areas and 29% in rural areas. Community Priorities: For the first time, we asked Hoosiers to rate priorities for their local communities. Improving public safety and reducing crime, improving local public schools, and improving local streets and roads are Hoosiers three top priorities. Quality of Public Services: Hoosiers gave the quality of road maintenance the highest rating since the first Hoosier Survey in 2008. Overall, 38% of Hoosiers say that road maintenance has improved, compared to only 18% that indicated it has worsened. As has been the case for several years, more Hoosiers report that the quality of their local schools has worsened () than report it has improved (18%). Public parks and recreation services and police and fire services continue to receive high marks with many more Hoosiers reporting improvement in service quality than decline. Approval Ratings: Governor Eric Holcomb has a high net approval rating with 52% of Hoosiers approving and only 13% disapproving of his job performance. The survey results indicate that many Hoosiers are still getting to know Gov. Holcomb; approximately 35% of Hoosiers express that they don t know whether they approve or disapprove of his job performance. The Indiana General Assembly s job approval rating is at 48%, about midway between the highest and lowest points measured in past years Hoosier Surveys. At 22%, disapproval is at the lowest point measured since 2008. Jobs and the Economy: Satisfaction with the state s job attraction efforts are at a ten-year high, with 69% of Hoosiers expressing satisfaction. Satisfaction is lower, however, among Hoosiers in households with less than $30,000 annual income at 54% and higher among households with income greater than $75,000 at 83%. Most Hoosiers think the state should continue or expand its use of economic development incentives for attracting business to the state, with 39% favoring expansion and 40% favoring current use. Only 10% say the state should reduce its use of these incentives.
Globalization: In this year s survey, we asked Hoosiers to tell us whether they think that free trade agreements between the US and other countries have helped or hurt their family s financial situation. Overall, respondents are nearly evenly divided between those who think the agreements have helped their financial situation (35%) and those who think they have hurt their situation (33%). College graduates, people from households with annual income greater than $75,000, and people age 18-34 are more likely to say free trade had helped their financial situation than hurt it. Immigration: We asked Hoosiers to tell us whether they think that legal immigration should be kept at its present level, increased or decreased. A bare majority, 50%, think that legal immigration should be kept at its present level. The remaining Hoosiers who express an opinion are evenly divided between increasing and decreasing immigration levels with in favor of each position. Gas Tax Increase: A solid majority of Hoosiers approve the 10-cent gas tax increase and associated increase in vehicle registration fees. Overall, 57% of Hoosiers approve, compared to only 38% who disapprove. This high level of approval holds across all party affiliations, geographic, and demographic categories. Elections: A substantial majority of Hoosiers (60%) reported that they are very confident that their vote in the 2016 presidential election had been properly recorded and accurately counted. Another reported they are somewhat confident. Republicans were more likely to report they are very confident (77%) than Democrats (44%). We also asked Hoosiers which issue they believe to be a bigger problem in US elections, voter fraud or denying eligible voters the right to vote. A majority of Hoosiers (53%) reported that they believe voter fraud to be the bigger problem; only 31% believe denying the vote to eligible voters to be the bigger problem. This area is another with a large partisan influence on opinion. Republicans are much more likely to report voter fraud as the bigger problem, Democrats are more likely to report denying eligible voters the right to vote. Legislative Redistricting: Opinion is fairly evenly split on this issue with 44% favoring the current process in which redistricting is overseen by the state legislature and Governor and 47% preferring the process to be handled by an independent nonpartisan body. Again, there is a large partisan influence on opinion. Republicans prefer the current process by a margin of 60% to 33%. Democrats prefer to switch to an independent nonpartisan process by a margin of 60% to 32%. Hate Crime Laws: A solid majority of Hoosiers (65%) favor passage of hate crime laws for the state of Indiana. Only 29% oppose passage. While Democrats are more supportive, with 79% favoring passage, a majority of Republicans (54%) also support enacting hate crime laws. Alcohol Regulations: Hoosiers continue to support both expanded sales locations for cold beer and Sunday sales of alcohol. A substantial majority of Hoosiers (61%) support the sale of cold beer in supermarkets and convenience stores. A similar majority (58%) support Sunday sales. Federal Tax System: We asked Hoosiers how much, if at all, they are bothered by five aspects of the federal tax system: the amount they pay in taxes, the complexity of the tax system, the feeling that some poor people don t pay their fair share, that some wealthy people don t pay their fair share, and that some corporations don t pay their fair share. The three greatest concerns are the share paid by some corporations (56% were bothered a lot ), the share paid by some wealthy people (54%), and the complexity of the tax system (43%).
Healthcare: When Hoosiers were asked about their views with regard to the Affordable Care Act, we found that more than 60% wish to see the law repealed, but split on whether it should be done immediately (37%) or after a replacement plan has been proposed (26%). Another 27% say that the law should not be repealed and that Congress should move on to other priorities. In addition to providing results for the state as a whole, some findings also are broken down by the three major regions of the state: Northern, Central, and Southern. The maps below illustrate the counties in each region. For further information about the Bowen Center for Public Affairs and the Old National Bank/Ball State University Hoosier Survey, contact: Dr. Charles Taylor, Managing Director, 765-285-8794. cdtaylor@bsu.edu.
Local Communities When asked to rate the quality of their local community as a place to live, 34% of Hoosiers rated their community as Excellent; another 44% give their community a Good rating. These results show an improvement over the ratings of 2012, when we last asked this question. In 2012, only 29% of Hoosiers gave their community an Excellent rating, with another 47% rating their community as Good. When we examine the 2017 results we find that Hoosiers living in suburban communities tend to rate their local communities more highly than urban or rural respondents. In suburban areas, 41% of Hoosiers rated their community as Excellent, with another 44% rating their community as Good. Only 25% of urban respondents and 29% of rural respondents rated their communities as Excellent. How would you rate your local community as a place to live? 44% 49% 44% 41% 34% 25% 41% 29% All Urban Suburban Rural Excellent Good Community Priorities For the first time, we asked Hoosiers to rate several priorities for their local community. We asked them to prioritize improving local schools, parks and trails, streets and roads, public art facilities, and public safety. We also asked them about the priority for reducing taxes and the number of abandoned properties. The two top priorities for local communities are improving public safety and reducing crime, which is a Top Priority of 58% of Hoosiers, and improving public schools, which is a Top Priority of 57%. The third highest priority, improving local streets and roads, is rated a top priority by 44% of Hoosiers. The other issues: reducing local taxes, reducing abandoned properties, improving parks, and improving public arts, are all rated a top priority by one third of Hoosiers or less.
Hoosiers rating each issue as a Top Priority or Important Public safety/reducing crime 58% 30% Improving public schools 57% 29% Improving local streets and roads 44% 44% Reducing local taxes 33% 42% Reducing abandoned properties 25% 39% Improving local parks and trails 18% 50% Improving public arts 9% 43% Top priority Important Urban respondents place an even higher priority on public safety and local streets than do suburban or rural Hoosiers. Nearly 70% of urban Hoosiers rated public safety as a top priority, compared to only 55% and 52% of those in suburban and rural communities. When assigning priorities to local streets and roads, 57% of urban Hoosiers rated this area as a top priority, compared to only 41% and 36% of those in suburban and rural areas. Public Safety priority by community type Urban 69% 25% Rural 55% 31% Suburban 52% 34% Top priority Important Street and road priority by community type Urban 57% 34% Rural 41% 42% Suburban 36% 51% Top priority Important
Quality of Public Services Nearly every year since the first Hoosier Survey conducted in 2008, we have asked Hoosiers to consider their experience with four key local government services: road maintenance, public schools, parks and recreation, and fire and police protection and tell us whether these services have gotten better, worse, or stayed about the same. During most years, a majority or at least a large plurality of Hoosiers report that service quality stayed about the same over the past year. In the discussion below, we examine changes in the percentage of Hoosiers who report changes in service quality for better or worse. Road Maintenance Hoosier perceptions of the quality of road maintenance generally declined from 2008 through 2011, with a decrease in the percentage reporting improvement and an increase in the percentage reporting that service had gotten worse. Still, more Hoosiers reported improvements in service quality than the opposite. From 2011 through 2014 the gap between those reporting road maintenance had gotten better and those reporting it had gotten worse averaged 5 percentage points. In 2016, this gap widened to 8 percentage points as the proportion of Hoosiers reporting that road maintenance had improved increased to 30%. In this year s survey, 38% report that road maintenance has improved; only 18% report that it has gotten worse. This gap of 20 percentage points represents the best performance measured in this area over the past ten years. Has road maintenance in your local community gotten better, worse, or stayed about the same? 38% 32% 28% 32% 27% 26% 26% 26% 30% 20% 21% 22% 18% 22% 18% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Better Worse Public Schools In 2008, the percentage of Hoosiers reporting improvements in their public schools exceeded the percentage reporting declines by 10 percentage points, 26% vs. 16%. In 2009, the improvement gap narrowed to 6 percentage points. Beginning in 2010, and in every succeeding year that we have asked this question, more Hoosiers have reported that their local schools got worse than reported that they improved. In 2017, the gap stands at 5 percentage points, with reporting worsening school quality compared to only 18% who report improvement.
Has the quality of public schools in your local community gotten better, worse, or stayed about the same? 26% 16% 19% 13% 24% 24% 17% 19% 20% 19% 14% 17% 19% 18% 18% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Better Worse Public Parks and Recreation Over the past ten years, Hoosiers have consistently been more likely to say that their local parks and recreation services have gotten better than to say they have gotten worse. In 2017, the gap is the largest to date, with 33% reporting local parks have improved and only 8% reporting they have gotten worse. Have public parks and recreation in your local community gotten better, worse, or stayed about the same? 30% 26% 27% 30% 26% 25% 28% 33% 19% 8% 9% 9% 8% 8% 8% 11% 8% 5% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Better Worse
Fire and Police Protection Similar to parks and recreation, Hoosiers have consistently been more likely to say that their local fire and police protection services have gotten better than to say they have gotten worse. In 2017, the gap is the largest since 2008, with 27% reporting these services have improved in their community and only 6% reporting they have gotten worse. Have public parks and recreation in your local community gotten better, worse, or stayed about the same? 28% 20% 21% 20% 21% 20% 27% 7% 8% 9% 7% 8% 8% 8% 7% 6% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Better Worse
State Official Approval At 52%, Gov. Eric Holcomb s approval rating is very similar to the approval ratings of Governors Daniels and Pence in past Hoosier Surveys. Only 13% of Hoosiers expressed disapproval of the governor. The survey results indicate that many Hoosiers are still getting to know Gov. Holcomb, who had a relatively low public profile prior to his selection as Lieutenant Governor and subsequent gubernatorial campaign. Approximately 35% of Hoosiers expressed that they didn t know whether they approved or disapproved of his job performance. Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the job is doing as Governor of Indiana? Mitch Daniels 54% 50% 52% 55% Mike Pence 62% 47% Eric Holcomb 52% 25% 30% 28% 27% 24% 35% 13% 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Approve Disapprove As might be expected, Gov. Holcomb enjoys greater approval among Republicans than among Democrats. He also enjoys strong approval from Hoosier age 55 and older. His weakest approval is among Hoosiers age 18-34 and those from households with less than $30,000 annual income. Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the job Eric Holcomb is doing as Governor of Indiana? Party Affiliation All 52% 13% Dem Ind 50% 45% 18% 15% Rep 64% 6% Household Income < $30k 39% 12% 30-75k 56% 10% 75k+ 51% 17% Age 18-34 39% 11% 35-54 50% 14% 55+ 61% 12% Approve Disapprove
Legislative Approval The Indiana General Assembly s job approval rating is at 48%, about midway between the highest and lowest points measured in past years Hoosier Surveys. At 22%, disapproval is at the lowest point measured since 2008. Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the job the Indiana General Assembly is doing? 59% 50% 48% 40% 53% 57% 45% 48% 25% 27% 30% 36% 34% 28% 33% 22% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Approve Disapprove As expected, Republicans were more likely to express approval; Democrats more likely to express disapproval. Suburban respondents express a greater level of approval than those in urban areas. Those in Central Indiana express lower levels of approval than those in Northern or Southern Indiana. Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the job the Indiana General Assembly is doing? Total 48% 22% Party Affiliation Dem 43% 34% Ind 44% 24% Rep 61% 12% Community Type Rural 48% 16% Suburban 55% Urban 38% 24% Region Northern 54% 17% Central 42% 29% Southern 52% 17% Approve Disapprove
Jobs and Economy As we have nearly every year since 2008, we asked Hoosiers about their satisfaction with the record of state government in attracting good jobs into the state. The results of this year s survey indicate that in 2017 Hoosiers are more satisfied with the state s job attraction efforts than at any time in the past ten years, with 17% indicating they are very satisfied and another 52% indicating they are somewhat satisfied. How satisfied are you with the record of state government in attracting new jobs into the state... 53% 48% 53% 51% 60% 55% 64% 58% 69% 14% 9% 8% 7% 13% 8% 12% 9% 17% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Very+Somewhat Very There are, however, clear differences in satisfaction level depending on household income. Only 7% of Hoosiers from households with less than $30,000 in annual income indicate they are very satisfied and only 47% are somewhat satisfied. In households with more than $75,000 in annual income satisfaction levels are much higher, with 27% very satisfied and 56% somewhat satisfied. How satisfied are you with the record of state government in attracting new jobs into the state... 56% 52% 54% 47% 27% 17% 16% 7% All < $30k $30-$75k > $75k Very Satisfied Somewhat satisfied
Economic Development Incentives Like many other states, Indiana sometimes awards tax credits, training grants, and other incentives to companies in return for a commitment to open for expand facilities in the state. For example, earlier this year, technology company InfoSys was awarded up to $31 million in conditional incentives for opening a tech center in Indianapolis, which is projected to employ up to 2,000 in a few years. We asked Hoosiers whether they thought the state should expand its use of these incentives, reduce its use or continue its current use. This year s survey results indicate that most Hoosiers think the state should continue or expand its use of these incentives, with 39% favoring expansion and 40% favoring the current use. Only 10% of Hoosiers say the state should reduce its use of these incentives. Views about these incentives vary according to political party affiliation. Nearly half of Republicans favor expansion; less than one third of Democrats do so. The state of Indiana sometimes awards tax credits and training grants to companies in return for the companies' commitment to open or expand facilities in the state. What are your thoughts? Should the state All 39% 40% 10% Dem 32% 34% 21% Ind 38% 48% 7% Rep 48% 36% 8% Expand Continue Reduce Gas Taxes During the 2016 legislative session, the General Assembly passed a road funding measure that increased the state gas tax by 10 cents per gallon and increased vehicle registration fees. This measure is projected to provide an additional 1.2 billion dollars per year for state and local road construction and maintenance. We found that Hoosiers approve this tax increase by a large margin, with 57% approving and only 38% disapproving. There are no partisan differences in approval levels, with nearly identical percentages of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents expressing approval of the tax increase. We also examined the effect of demographic and geographic characteristics, such as education, income, age, community type, and region. We found that in every category at least a majority of Hoosiers approved the tax increase. Support is strongest among Hoosiers age 18 to 34, those in urban areas, and in Southern Indiana. Support is weakest among Hoosiers age 55 or older and Northern Indiana.
The Indiana General Assembly recently passed a road funding measure that increased the state gas tax by 10 cents per gallon and increased vehicle registration fees...do you approve or disapprove of this measure? All 57% 38% Party Affiliation Dem 59% 37% Ind 59% 37% Rep 58% 36% Education HS or less 56% 36% Some coll 56% 41% Grad 61% 35% Household income < $30k 61% 32% $30-$75k 56% 39% $75k+ 61% 34% Age 18-34 65% 28% 35-84 57% 40% 55+ 51% 43% Community Type Rural 54% 37% Suburban 56% 41% Urban 61% 33% Region Northern 53% 43% Central 58% 38% Southern 63% 27% Approve Disapprove
Globalization and Immigration In this year s survey, we asked Hoosiers to tell us whether they think that free trade agreements between the US and other countries had helped or hurt their family s financial situation. Overall, respondents were nearly evenly divided between those who think the agreements have definitely/probably helped their financial situation (35%) and those who think they have definitely/probably hurt their situation (33%). A similar proportion (32%) aren t sure whether the agreements have helped or hurt or think they have neither helped nor hurt. Democrats are more likely to say free trade agreements have helped rather than hurt by a margin of 46% to 27%. Republicans, on the other hand, are more likely to say they have hurt rather than helped by a margin of 39% to 28%. College graduates, people from households with annual income greater than $75,000, and people age 18-34 are also more likely to say free trade has helped their financial situation than hurt it. Hoosier opinion is more evenly divided than the opinions of Americans as a whole. In an April 2017 survey by the Pew Research Center, 44% of Americans said that free trade agreements had helped, while 38% said they had hurt their family s financial situation. Nationwide demographic differences were similar to those of Indiana, with Democrats, college graduates, young people, and high income respondents more likely to say that free trade agreements were helpful. Thinking about your family's financial situation Do you think free trade agreements between the U.S. and other countries have definitely helped, probably helped, probably hurt, or definitely hurt your family's financial situation? All 28% 7% 13% 20% Political Affiliation Rep 26% 2% 16% Ind 32% 6% 9% Dem 32% 14% 13% 14% Education HS or less 9% 15% 25% Some college 29% 3% 14% College grad 37% 7% 8% 10% Household < $30k 24% 6% 10% 26% $30-$75 28% 8% 18% 21% $75k+ 36% 5% 9% 16% Age 18-34 38% 11% 8% 16% 35-54 32% 5% 16% 19% 55+ 19% 4% 15% 25% Probably helped Definitely helped Definitely hurt Probably hurt
Immigration We also asked Hoosiers to tell us whether they think that legal immigration should be kept at its present level, increased or decreased. A bare majority, 50%, think that legal immigration should be kept at its present level. The remaining Hoosiers who express an opinion are evenly divided between increasing and decreasing immigration levels with in favor of each position. Examining opinion across demographic groups we find that Democrats, college graduates, and people age 18-34 express the greatest support for increasing legal immigration. People without any college education, in households with less than $30,000 income, in rural communities, and age 55 and older express the greatest support for decreasing legal immigration. Thinking about LEGAL immigration in the United States OVERALL, Do you think LEGAL immigration into the United States should be kept at its present level, increased, or decreased? All 50% Party Affiliation Rep 15% 54% 28% Ind 21% 52% Education Dem 33% 49% 16% HS or less 19% 41% 33% Some coll 20% 61% 17% College grad 32% 51% 12% Household Income < $30k 22% 39% 31% $30-$75k 16% 52% 29% $75k+ 20% 55% 22% Age 18-34 36% 50% 12% 35-54 19% 56% 22% 55+ 17% 44% 31% Community Type Rural 20% 36% 39% Suburban 25% 54% 16% Urban 21% 53% 22% Increased Kept at present level Decreased
Elections and Redistricting In this year s Hoosier Survey, we asked people if they happened to vote in the 2016 presidential election. If they reported they did vote, we then asked them how confident they were that their vote had been properly recorded and accurately counted. A substantial majority of Hoosiers (60%) report that they are very confident that their vote had been properly recorded and accurately counted. Another reported they are somewhat confident. These results reflect similar confidence levels as when we last asked the question in 2010. That year 56% reported they were very confident and 28% reported they were somewhat confident. Looking at this year s results by party affiliation, we find that Republicans are much more confident about the proper counting and recording of their votes than Democrats. Among Republicans, 77% are very confident of their vote and another 17% are somewhat confident. For Democrats, the comparable figures are 44% very confident and 28% somewhat confident. How confident are you that your vote in the last election was properly recorded and accurately counted? 17% 22% 26% 28% 60% 77% 54% 44% All Rep Ind Dem Very confident Somewhat confident We also asked Hoosiers which issue they believe is a bigger problem in elections in the United States, voter fraud or denying eligible voters the right to vote. A majority of Hoosiers (53%) report that they believe voter fraud to be the bigger problem; only 31% believe denying the vote to eligible voters to be the bigger problem. Republicans are much more likely to report voter fraud as the bigger problem (69%) than denying eligible voters (15%). Among Democrats, 40% report voter fraud to be the bigger problem; 50% believe denying eligible voters is a bigger problem.
Which of the following do you believe is a bigger problem about US elections? All 53% 31% Party Affiliation Dem 40% 50% Ind 48% 33% Rep 69% 15% Voter fraud Denying eligible voters the right to vote We asked Hoosiers about their preference for drawing legislative district boundaries. Opinion is fairly evenly split on this issue with 44% favoring the current process in which redistricting is overseen by the state legislature and Governor; 47% prefer the process be handled by an independent nonpartisan body. These results represent a substantial shift in Hoosier opinion toward an independent nonpartisan redistricting process since we last asked this question in 2010. That year, a bare majority of 51% preferred the current process; 35% preferred the independent body. This issue is another in which Democrats and Republicans have starkly different preferences. Republicans prefer the current process by a margin of 60% to 33%. Democrats prefer to switch to an independent nonpartisan process by a margin of 60% to 32%. Would you prefer to see redistricting handled by an independent nonpartisan body or keep the current process in place? All 47% 44% Party Affiliation Dem 60% 32% Ind 52% 39% Rep 33% 60% Handled by an independent nonpartisan body Keep current process
Civil Rights Hate Crime Law A solid majority of Hoosiers (65%) favor passage of hate crime laws for the state of Indiana. Only 29% oppose passage. While Democrats are more supportive, with 79% favoring passage, a majority of Republicans (54%) also support enacting hate crime laws. Would you favor or oppose passing hate crime laws in the state of Indiana? Total 65% 29% Party Affiliation Dem 79% 16% Ind 67% 25% Rep 54% 43% Favor Oppose We also examined the effect of other demographic and geographic characteristics. While Hoosiers with a college degree, household income greater than $75,000, and those in suburban areas all expressed the greatest levels of support, no subgroup expressed less than majority support. Rural respondents expressed the lowest level of support at 58%. Same-Sex Wedding Services Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission is a case pending before the US Supreme Court that will be heard during the current term. At issue in the case is whether creative businesses, such as those who create custom wedding cakes, can refuse service due to First Amendment rights of free speech and free exercise of religion or must comply with public accommodation laws In this year s Hoosier Survey, we asked respondents whether they thought that a business providing wedding services should be allowed to refuse those services to same-sex couples for religious reasons or should be required to provide those services to same-sex customers as it would to all other customers. A bare majority, 51%, said that businesses should be required to provide these services to same-sex couples, while 43% said that the businesses should be allowed to refuse service for religious reasons. These results are essentially identical to the results of the 2015 Hoosier Survey..
Republicans were much more likely to say that businesses should be allowed to refuse services, than either Democrats or Independents. Younger respondents were more likely to say that they should be required to provide services than older respondents. If a business provides wedding services, such as food catering or flower arrangements, should that business... Total 51% 43% Party Affiliation Dem 66% 26% Ind 65% 33% Rep 24% 68% Age 18-34 58% 36% 35-54 51% 43% 55+ 47% 46% Required to provide Allowed to refuse
Alcohol Regulations We originally asked Hoosiers about the sale of cold beer in supermarkets and convenience stores in the 2014 survey and again this year. In each year s survey, we find that 61% of Hoosiers support expanding the locations in which cold beer is sold. Opposition to the policy change declined from 36% in 2014 to only 31% in 2017. Similarly, we find little change in Hoosier support for Sunday sales of alcohol. This year we find that 58% of Hoosiers support Sunday sales, essentially unchanged from the 59% support in the 2014 survey. As with cold beer, we find a slight decline in opposition from 39% in 2014 to 36% this year. Do you favor or oppose allowing supermarkets and convenience stores to sell cold beer? Do you favor or oppose allowing supermarkets and package liquor stores to sell alcohol on Sunday? 61% 61% 59% 58% 36% 31% 39% 36% 2014 2017 2014 2017 Support Opppose
Federal Issues There are at least two issues before Congress that potentially affect a large number of Hoosiers: federal tax reform and healthcare. We asked Hoosiers about their views on these two important issues. Federal Tax System We asked Hoosiers how much, if at all, they were bothered by five aspects of the federal tax system: the amount they pay in taxes, the complexity of the tax system, the feeling that some poor people don t pay their fair share, that some wealthy people don t pay their fair share, and that some corporations don t pay their fair share. The three greatest concerns are the share paid by some corporations, the share paid by some wealthy people, and the complexity of the tax system. A solid majority of Hoosiers are bothered a lot by the feeling that some corporations (56%) and that some wealthy people (54%) don t pay their fair share. When asked about the complexity of the tax system, 45% told us they are bothered a lot. Hoosiers are much less concerned about the amount they themselves pay or that some poor people aren t paying their fair share. Hoosiers bothered a lot/some about different features of the federal tax system The feeling that some corporations don t pay their fair share 56% 24% The feeling that some wealthy people don t pay their fair share 54% 25% The complexity of the tax system 45% 29% The amount you pay in taxes 30% 29% The feeling that some poor people don t pay their fair share 19% 21% A lot Some Hoosiers views on these issues are similar to those of the rest of the nation. In response to a survey by Pew Research in April 2017 in which Americans were asked the same set of questions, 62% of Americans were bothered a lot by the corporate share of taxes, 60% by wealthy peoples share of taxes, and 43% by the complexity of the tax system.
We also examined Hoosier concern about these top issues across partisan and demographic classifications. We found a substantial difference in concern about corporate taxes between Democrats (73% bothered a lot ) and Republicans (45% bothered a lot ). Across age, income, and education categories, however, a majority of Hoosiers at every level were bothered a lot by concern about corporations paying a fair share. Similarly, we found a substantial partisan difference with regard to taxes paid by the wealthy. Many more Democrats (73%) were bothered a lot, compared to only 38% of Republicans. Among age, income, and education categories, only Hoosiers age 18-34 had less than a majority (47%) bothered a lot by taxes paid by the wealthy. Hoosier concern about tax complexity was fairly even across subgroups. Only among college graduates were as many as 50% bothered a lot by complexity. The least concern was expressed by those of age 18-34, among whom only 35% were bothered a lot. Healthcare When we asked Hoosiers about their views with regard to the Affordable Care Act, we find that more than 60% wish to see the law repealed, but split on whether it should be done immediately (37%) or after a replacement plan has proposed (26%). Another 27% say that the law should not be repealed and that Congress should move on to other priorities. Which comes closest to your view of what Congress should do about the Affordable Care Act All 26% 37% 27% Dem 9% 30% 54% Ind 41% Rep 46% 39% 9% Repeal immediately Repeal When Replacement Plan Worked Out Don t Repeal and move on to other priorities The greatest support for immediate repeal comes from Republicans (46%) and the least from Democrats (9%). Examining views across demographic groups, the least support for immediate repeal was found among Hoosiers age 18-34 (18%) and those with annual household income under $30,000 (17%). Within nearly every demographic category a plurality of Hoosiers support repeal with a replacement plan.
Methodology The 2017 Old National Bank/Ball State University Hoosier Survey obtained telephone interviews with a representative sample of 600 adults living in Indiana. Telephone interviews were conducted by landline (360) and cell phone (240, including 156 with adults with no landline phone). The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI). Interviews were done in English by Issues and Answers from October 2-15, 2017. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is ±5.3 percentage points. Complete results and methodology are available at www.bowencenterforpublicaffairs.org.
Credits Data Analysis: Brad Gideon Sean Hildebrand Chad Kinsella Jeongyoon Lee Charles Taylor Graphic Design: Cole Callahan Office Operations: Susan Gerard
About Old National Bank Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ: ONB), the holding company of Old National Bank, is the largest financial services holding company headquartered in Indiana. With $15.0 billion in assets, it ranks among the top 100 banking companies in the U.S. and has been recognized as a World s Most Ethical Company by the Ethisphere Institute for six consecutive years. Since its founding in Evansville in 1834, Old National Bank has focused on community banking by building long-term, highly valued partnerships with clients. Today, Old National s footprint includes Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin. For more information and financial data, please visit Investor Relations at oldnational.com. About the Bowen Center for Public Affairs Founded in 2007, the Bowen Center for Public Affairs honors the legacy of Dr. Otis R. Bowen, the 44th governor of Indiana and secretary of Health and Human Services under President Ronald Reagan. The mission of the Bowen Center is to advance the ideals of civic literacy, community involvement and public service embodied by Dr. Bowen s career.