The Washington Post-University of Maryland Poll Reveals Marylanders’ Views on Education, Hogan
While Gov. Larry Hogan has only been in office for a few weeks, a new iteration of The Washington Post-University of Maryland Poll is shedding light on what Marylanders think he and his administration should prioritize. Namely, Marylanders hope their legislators will make education a top priority when considering tax and expenditure issues.
In light of recent budget challenges, the poll focused on how this administration should be spending tax dollars, and what they should aim to save amid budget cuts.
- When asked to identify what area should be cut the least if cuts have to be made in the state budget, 32 percent of respondents said K-12 education; 12 percent chose environmental services; 12 percent chose public safety; 12 percent chose transportation; 11 percent chose higher education; 10 percent chose health care; 6 percent chose multiple or other responses; 3 percent stated they wanted no cuts; and 2 percent had no opinion.
“More than any other issue, Maryland residents cite education as the one main issue they want the legislature to tackle in this legislative session, above reducing taxes or dealing with the general economy,” said UMD Associate Professor of Government and Politics Stella Rouse. “In addition, most Marylanders—69 percent—are strongly opposed to a slowdown on increased spending in education even if it would help reduce the budget shortfall.”
Following President Obama’s recent remarks on community college accessibility and on college affordability, the poll shows that Marylanders are also focused on higher education.
“As an additional indicator of the value Maryland residents place on education, there was overwhelming support for a proposal to offer free community college tuition to those who qualify. Even after informing respondents that the state would have to pay 25 percent of the cost, 71 percent of respondents said they support this proposal,” said UMD Associate Professor of Government and Politics Michael Hanmer.
Also among the poll’s key findings:
- Most Marylanders have positive or neutral reactions to the governor’s incumbency, with 42 percent of interviewees saying they approve of Hogan’s job performance so far, 24 percent disapproving and 34 percent expressing no opinion.
- Fifty eight percent of respondents expressed confidence that Hogan will take the state in the right direction; 33 percent said they were not confident that he would do so; 9 percent expressed no opinion.
“The poll also allows us to explore what respondents think about the amount of attention the governor and legislature give to different regions in the state. While close to 50 percent think the governor and legislature generally pay more attention to the needs of the region from D.C. to Baltimore, only 23 percent think this will be the case for Governor Hogan, with almost 50 percent indicating they expect him to pay equal attention to all parts of the state,” Hanmer said.
Read a related story from The Washington Post
About the Poll
This second iteration of The Washington Post-University of Maryland poll was conducted by telephone Feb. 5-8, 2015, among a random sample of 1,003 adult residents of Maryland. Interviews were conducted by live interviewers on both conventional and cellular phones. The results from the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Sampling, data collection and tabulation were conducted by Abt-SRBI, Inc. of New York, NY.
The University of Maryland and The Washington Post first teamed up to present the poll in October, focusing on issues related to the Maryland gubernatorial race, and related issues including immigration, taxes, education, gay marriage and healthcare. The partnership combines the world-class reporting, polling and public engagement resources of The Post with rigorous academic analysis from the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ nationally-renowned Department of Government and Politics. The poll is designed to provide academics, students and members of the public with insight into both key races and the issues that matter to Maryland voters.
In addition to its impact as a public education tool, the poll also represents a unique research opportunity for UMD students. Professors Rouse and Hanmer also are assistant director and research director, respectively, for The Center for American Politics and Citizenship (CAPC), a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institution at the University of Maryland which addresses major issues of governance. They have worked with students affiliated with CAPC on the design of the poll questions and the analysis of its responses.
The poll is directed by Peyton M. Craighill, The Post’s polling manager, and Scott Clement, a polling survey research analyst for The Post.
Members of the Maryland legislature, staffers from The Post and UMD faculty will participate in a special event at the University of Maryland to further discuss the poll and related results.
When: 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 23
Where: McKeldin Library Special Events Room (6137), University of Maryland
Who: Jenna Johnson, reporter, The Washington Post
Delegate Tony McConkey, Republican, District 33, Anne Arundel County
John Wagner, reporter, The Washington Post
Delegate Alonzo T. Washington, Democrat, District 22, Prince George's County
Published on Tue, Feb 10, 2015 - 3:58PM