The Morning Call /
Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion
THE 2011 STATE OF the COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC
OPINION SURVEY
KEY FINDINGS REPORT
March, 2011
1
KEY FINDINGS:
1. Residents of the Commonwealth continue to give positive ratings to Pennsylvania as a
place to live and raise a family.
2. About one in four people believe that the direction of the state is getting better.
3. Despite an increasing number of people giving a “not so good” (46%) or a “poor” (20%)
rating for the Pennsylvania economy, a small percentage (27%) are concerned about
becoming unemployed in the next year.
4. Pennsylvanians continue to give a positive rating of the environmental quality in the
state. Concerns around air quality and the loss of open spaces are declining.
5. Positive perceptions of health care in the Commonwealth reached their highest level in
this survey.
6. Pennsylvanians are conveying an increasingly negative view of housing quality in the
state.
7. More than half of Pennsylvanians would be willing to pay higher driver’s license and
registration fees if the money went toward fixing the state’s transportation system.
8. The majority of Pennsylvanians support the selling of state-owned liquor stores to reduce
the state’s budget shortfalls.
METHODOLOGY: The following key findings report summarizes data collected in a
telephone survey of residents of the state of Pennsylvania between January 25, 2011 and
February 23, 2011. Individual households throughout Pennsylvania were selected randomly for
inclusion in the study. The sample of phone numbers used in the survey was generated by
Genesys Sampling Systems of Ft. Washington, PA. Interviewing was conducted by the staff of
the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, with --- surveys completed. This number of
completions results in a margin of error of +/- 4.5% at the 95% confidence interval. However the
margin of errors for sub groups (i.e. women, income groups, age categories) is larger due to
smaller sample size. Percentages throughout the survey have been rounded upward at the .5
mark, thus many totals in the results will not equal 100%. The survey questionnaire was
designed by Christopher Borick, Ph.D of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in
consultation with staff members of the Morning Call. The analysis was written by Katherine
Sharga, Assistant Director of the MCIPO, and Dr. Chris Borick
ANALYSIS:
2
OVERALL PERCEPTIONS OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN PENNSYLVANIA
Residents of the Commonwealth continue give Pennsylvania positive ratings (91%) as a place to
live. This is a slight increase from the survey’s first iteration in 2003, in which 87% of residents
gave the state a positive rating. In this same time period, the percentage of those giving a
negative rating decreased by 5 points.
Table One:
“Rating of Pennsylvania as a Place to Live”
Year
Excellent
Good
Not So Good
Poor
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
27%
29%
28%
29%
26%
32%
31%
30%
32%
60%
59%
61%
60%
63%
58%
58%
61%
59%
8%
8%
6%
7%
9%
8%
7%
7%
5%
4%
3%
3%
4%
3%
2%
2%
2%
2%
Not Sure /
Refused
2%
2%
2%
0%
<1%
<1%
3%
1%
2%
Pennsylvanians have an increasingly optimistic outlook about their future, as 28% of
residents claim that life in the Commonwealth is getting better. This is the highest number since
2008. Despite their overall satisfaction with living in Pennsylvania, 43% of residents still believe
that the situation is getting worse- a decrease of 10% from last year’s study. One in four people
argue that life in Pennsylvania has remained the same.
Table Two:
“Is Life in Pennsylvania Getting Better or Worse”
Year
Getting Better
Getting Worse
Staying the Same
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
32%
30%
30%
32%
22%
33%
23%
22%
28%
40%
42%
43%
43%
38%
46%
52%
53%
43%
20%
18%
18%
20%
34%
15%
20%
19%
24%
3
Not Sure /
Refused
8%
9%
9%
5%
6%
5%
6%
6%
4%
PERCEPTIONS OF FAMILY LIFE IN PENNSYLVANIA
An overwhelming majority of individuals rate Pennsylvania as a positive place to raise a family
with 89% of residents giving Pennsylvania an “excellent” (33%) or a “good” (56%) ranking.
These results have been consistent over the past 8 years with an average of 90% percent granting
high marks to the Keystone state.
Table Three
“Rating of Pennsylvania as a Place to Raise a Family”
Year
Excellent
Good
Not So Good
Poor
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
29%
32%
30%
31%
34%
33%
32%
33%
61%
55%
58%
56%
56%
58%
62%
56%
5%
9%
5%
10%
5%
5%
5%
6%
2%
1%
3%
2%
2%
2%
1%
3%
Not Sure /
Refused
3%
3%
3%
1%
2%
3%
2%
3%
PERCEPTIONS OF THE ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT IN PENNSYLVANIA
Corresponding to national trends regarding the economy, Pennsylvania residents have
pessimistic views of their state’s economy. Two out of three residents gave Pennsylvania a
negative rating with only 32% of residents claiming that Pennsylvania’s economy is “good.”
Table Four:
“Rating of Pennsylvania Economy”
Year
Excellent
Good
Not So Good
Poor
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
1%
3%
2%
4%
2%
2%
1%
3%
1%
35%
43%
47%
39%
55%
43%
26%
30%
32%
44%
35%
35%
41%
35%
37%
47%
43%
46%
18%
18%
13%
15%
6%
15%
24%
23%
20%
4
Not Sure /
Refused
1%
1%
2%
1%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
Unemployment is a key indicator of a given region’s economic stability. Pennsylvania’s
unemployment rate increased by 2 percentage points from 2009 (7%) to 2010 (9%), but has
started to decrease in early 2011. In December 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was 8.5%, compared to a rating of 9.4% for the
entire United States. In our 2011 study, 27% of residents expressed that they were concerned
about becoming unemployed in the next year. On the other hand, 15% were not too concerned
about their employment situation and 38% were “not at all concerned” about becoming
unemployed. It is interesting to note that people were less concerned with losing their jobs in
2010 when the unemployment rate was at its highest.
Table Four:
Changes in Unemployment Rates and Levels of Concern about Becoming Unemployed
among Pennsylvania Residents
Year
% of PA Residents Not at
all Concerned About
Becoming Unemployed
36%
41%
44%
44%
48%
47%
29%
52%
38%
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Pennsylvania
Unemployment Rate*
5.7%
5.5%
5.1%
4.5%
4.3%
5.0%
7.0%
9.0%
8.5%
* The 2003-2010 unemployment rates are the annual averages as measured by the Department of Labor (DOL). The 2011 unemployment rate is
the DOL estimate for December 2010.
Another sign of the overall health of the Pennsylvania economy is the perception
individuals have regarding their level of income. This year, 73% of residents were either “very”
(25%) or “somewhat satisfied” (48%) with their family income. The percentage of people who
are unsatisfied with their income level is at its lowest since 2008, where 19% claimed to be
dissatisfied.
Table Five
“Individual Satisfaction with Income Level among Pennsylvania Residents”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
Very
Satisfied
36%
32%
32%
39%
Somewhat
Satisfied
43%
45%
49%
37%
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
11%
10%
11%
13%
5
Very
Dissatisfied
6%
7%
4%
8%
Not Sure
4%
6%
4%
3%
2008
2009
2010
2011
32%
25%
29%
25%
42%
47%
43%
48%
11%
12%
15%
11%
8%
10%
10%
9%
6%
7%
2%
3%
Despite the current recession and negative perceptions of Pennsylvania’s economy, the
percentage of individuals who claim that they are very satisfied with their current job has slightly
increased from 2010 (26%) to 2011 (33%). The percentage of people who are dissatisfied with
their current job (8%) has not changed over the past year. It is notable, however, that the number
of individuals who were unsure or not working totaled 33% in 2011, a 13% decrease from 2010.
Table Seven
“Satisfaction with Current Job”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
Very
Satisfied
35%
37%
40%
33%
38%
31%
26%
33%
Somewhat
Satisfied
30%
28%
31%
33%
22%
20%
20%
25%
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
7%
5%
5%
9%
5%
4%
4%
3%
Very
Dissatisfied
5%
6%
4%
2%
5%
3%
4%
5%
Not Sure /
Not Working
24%
25%
24%
23%
29%
41%
46%
33%
PERCEPTIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN PENNSYLVANIA
While the majority (76%) of Pennsylvania residents rate the quality of the environment in
a positive fashion, 21% of those surveyed still rated the state’s environment as either “not so
good” (17%) or “poor” (4%).
Table Eight
“Ratings of the Environment”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
Excellent
9%
8%
8%
11%
10%
8%
11%
12%
Good
66%
62%
60%
58%
66%
67%
65%
64%
Not So Good
18%
18%
22%
22%
19%
18%
20%
17%
6
Poor
6%
7%
7%
7%
5%
4%
4%
4%
Not Sure
1%
2%
3%
<1%
<1%
2%
<1%
2%
Air quality is one indicator of the environmental quality in Pennsylvania. Over the past
year there has been a decline in the percentage of people who were concerned with the safety of
the air quality in their community. In 2010, 46% of those surveyed were “very” (18%) or
“somewhat” (28%) concerned with the safety of air quality. In 2011, only 40% showed concern
for air quality in their community, while the majority of Pennsylvanians were either “not too
concerned” (27%) or “not at all concerned” (30%).
Table Nine:
“Levels of Citizen Concern with Safety of Air Quality in their Community?”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Very
Concerned
16%
16%
26%
24%
20%
24%
23%
18%
16%
Somewhat
Concerned
27%
29%
29%
28%
34%
29%
27%
28%
24%
Not too
Concerned
30%
24%
22%
25%
28%
20%
24%
19%
27%
Not at all
Concerned
27%
30%
20%
22%
18%
27%
25%
30%
30%
Not Sure /
Refused
1%
1%
3%
2%
<1%
0%
1%
2%
3%
Another indicator of the overall environmental quality in the Commonwealth is the safety
of drinking water. The numbers have not changed much over the past few years. In 2011, 44%
of Pennsylvania residents were “very concerned” (21%) or “somewhat concerned “(23%) with
their water quality, while 54% showed little or no concern.
Table Ten:
“Levels of Citizen Concern with Safety of Drinking Water in their Community?”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Very
Concerned
19%
17%
24%
24%
18%
19%
23%
22%
21%
Somewhat
Concerned
25%
26%
28%
21%
34%
28%
22%
22%
23%
Not too
Concerned
29%
21%
21%
23%
28%
20%
25%
25%
22%
7
Not at all
Concerned
27%
34%
24%
29%
20%
32%
27%
31%
32%
Not Sure /
Refused
1%
1%
4%
2%
<1%
1%
2%
3%
3%
Pennsylvanians are also concerned with the extent to which the loss of open spaces, for
residential and commercial development, will affect the overall quality of the environment. This
year, 63% percent of residents were concerned in some manner about this issue, which is an 11%
decrease from our 2010 study. This year, another 32% of Commonwealth residents were not
concerned about the loss of open spaces statewide.
Table Eleven:
“Levels of Citizen Concern with the Loss of Open Spaces”
Year
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Very
Concerned
41%
43%
46%
39%
42%
31%
Somewhat
Concerned
28%
36%
29%
32%
32%
32%
Not too
Concerned
17%
16%
13%
15%
13%
19%
Not at all
Concerned
11%
5%
10%
11%
12%
13%
Not Sure /
Refused
2%
1%
1%
3%
3%
5%
PERCEPTIONS OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE COMMONWEALTH
Perceptions of public safety have changed slightly over the past year, with a decreasing number
of people showing concern. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime
Reports, Pennsylvania has seen a decrease in all areas of crime over the past several years. In
2011, 45% of those surveyed stated that they were concerned with becoming a crime victim, a
4% decrease from our 2010 survey. The majority of Pennsylvanians claim that they are either
“not too concerned” (28%) or “not at all concerned” (24%) about becoming the victim of a
crime.
Table Thirteen
“Citizen Concern with Becoming a Victim of a Crime”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Very
Concerned
19%
16%
17%
23%
20%
20%
20%
19%
17%
Somewhat
Concerned
27%
29%
37%
29%
45%
32%
32%
30%
28%
Not too
Concerned
33%
26%
26%
24%
24%
27%
26%
25%
28%
8
Not at all
Concerned
20%
27%
17%
22%
11%
20%
21%
26%
24%
Not Sure /
Refused
1%
2%
3%
2%
<1%
1%
2%
2%
3%
Pennsylvanians continue to positively rate their law enforcement with 84% giving them an
“excellent” (16%) or “good” (68%) rating. Only 12% of respondents gave their law enforcement
negative ratings, which is a slight decrease from the 2010 study.
Table Fourteen
“Ratings of Law Enforcement”
Year
Excellent
Good
Not So Good
Poor
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
11%
11%
14%
15%
14%
13%
16%
16%
72%
71%
66%
67%
70%
72%
68%
68%
10%
11%
10%
12%
10%
9%
8%
8%
6%
5%
5%
5%
5%
3%
5%
4%
Not Sure /
Refused
1%
2%
5%
<1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
PERCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL ISSUES AND SERVICES IN PENNSYLVANIA
Individuals were asked to evaluate a number of social issues and services in Pennsylvania. One
major service provided to citizens of Pennsylvania is the public school system. In 2011, 63% of
residents gave the public schools a positive rating, which is a 4 point decrease from last year’s
survey. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Pennsylvania has seen an
increase in students who are college-bound, as well as a decrease in high school drop-outs over
the past couple years. However, 29% of respondents gave the Pennsylvania public schools a
negative ranking indicating that there is still room for improvement.
Table Fifteen
“Ratings of Public Schools”
Year
Excellent
Good
Not So Good
Poor
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
12%
11%
11%
13%
14%
12%
14%
11%
53%
53%
53%
47%
54%
56%
53%
52%
18%
19%
19%
17%
18%
19%
21%
18%
9%
7%
10%
17%
8%
9%
8%
11%
9
Not Sure /
Refused
9%
10%
7%
5%
6%
6%
5%
9%
Pennsylvania residents continue to give the quality of health care services a high ranking in
2011. In the highest percentage recorded by this survey, 79% gave health care services in
Pennsylvania a positive rating. This is a 2% increase from the 2010 survey, and 9% increase
from the first version of this survey in 2003.
Table Sixteen
“Ratings of Health Care Services”
Year
Excellent
Good
Not So Good
Poor
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
14%
14%
16%
20%
16%
18%
19%
19%
56%
53%
54%
55%
55%
57%
58%
60%
18%
19%
17%
15%
18%
15%
14%
11%
10%
11%
9%
7%
9%
6%
8%
7%
Not Sure /
Refused
2%
3%
4%
3%
2%
4%
2%
3%
Residents of the Keystone state gave strong ratings to the quality of services provided by
their state and local government. This year, 64% of respondents claimed that government
services were either “excellent” (7%) or “good” (57%). 29% of the respondents gave
government services a negative rating which is a 4% decrease from 2010.
Table Seventeen
“Ratings of Government Services”
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
Excellent
Good
Not So Good
Poor
5%
6%
6%
6%
6%
4%
5%
7%
64%
55%
58%
52%
56%
59%
58%
57%
19%
19%
21%
28%
25%
21%
22%
20%
6%
10%
9%
9%
9%
8%
11%
9%
Not Sure /
Refused
6%
11%
7%
4%
4%
8%
5%
7%
The number of Pennsylvanians giving positive ratings to the quality of housing in the state
slightly decreased in 2011. 72% percent of respondents gave housing a positive rating, which is
a 6% decrease from the findings of the 2010 survey. Since last year, there was only a 2%
increase in the percentage of Pennsylvanians giving housing a negative rating.
10
Table Eighteen
“Rating of Housing”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
Excellent
8%
9%
8%
10%
7%
9%
9%
10%
Good
70%
68%
68%
67%
68%
65%
69%
62%
Not So Good
14%
15%
16%
13%
18%
15%
18%
19%
Poor
5%
6%
4%
8%
5%
7%
4%
5%
Not Sure
3%
3%
4%
1%
2%
5%
2%
2%
Pennsylvania is rich in racial diversity, thus the issue of race relations is an important indicator to
measure the overall quality of life in the state. Since 2010, there was a slight increase in the
percentage of people who gave the issue of race relations a positive ranking. This year, 72% rate
the quality of race relations as either “excellent,” (7%) or “good” (65%). 21% of Pennsylvania
residents gave race relations a negative ranking, which is the lowest percentage since 2005.
Table Nineteen
“Ratings of Race Relations”
Year
Excellent
Good
Not So Good
Poor
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
4%
6%
6%
5%
7%
5%
7%
7%
64%
61%
67%
55%
61%
64%
62%
65%
18%
18%
15%
23%
21%
20%
19%
18%
6%
5%
6%
11%
7%
6%
5%
3%
Not Sure /
Refused
1%
2%
7%
6%
5%
6%
8%
7%
PERCEPTIONS OF TRANSPORTATION IN PENNSYLVANIA
Transportation is another key indicator of the overall quality of life for citizens in the Keystone
state. The views on this topic have remained fairly steady over the past few years. In 2010, 57%
of respondents gave the quality of transportation in Pennsylvania a positive rating, compared
with 56% in 2011. 39% of respondents gave the quality of transportation a negative rating
suggesting that significant improvements need to be made in order to improve the quality of
Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transportation systems.
11
Table Twenty
“Rating of Transportation”
Year
Excellent
Good
Not So Good
Poor
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
6%
7%
4%
8%
8%
6%
9%
5%
55%
49%
46%
50%
47%
50%
48%
51%
24%
26%
28%
25%
29%
25%
28%
25%
10%
13%
15%
12%
13%
13%
11%
14%
Not Sure /
Refused
5%
5%
7%
4%
3%
6%
5%
6%
PERCEPTIONS OF RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN PENNSYLVANIA
Roughly 4 out of 5 Pennsylvania residents gave the quality of recreational opportunities a
positive rating. In 2011, 27% of respondents gave recreational opportunities an “excellent”
rating while 52% gave a “good” rating. 16% of those surveyed felt that there could be an
improvement in the number and quality of recreational opportunities. This is a 5% decrease
from 2010 when 21% rated recreational opportunities as “not so good” or “poor.”
Table Twenty-One
“Ratings of Recreational Opportunities”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
Excellent
24%
26%
25%
22%
28%
24%
27%
27%
Good
55%
53%
53%
59%
55%
52%
51%
52%
Not So Good
14%
11%
14%
13%
9%
15%
14%
11%
Poor
6%
6%
5%
4%
5%
7%
7%
5%
Not Sure
2%
3%
3%
2%
2%
4%
1%
3%
PERCEPTIONS OF PROPOSED LEGISLATION
There has been an increase in suggestions and proposed legislation to alleviate some of the
budget deficit in the state of Pennsylvania. Overall, most residents surveyed were open to
changes, with the exception of leasing the PA Turnpike to a private company. The most popular
options were an excise tax on Marcellus Shale, school choice, selling state-owned liquor stores,
and raising driver’s license and vehicle registration fees.
12
Table Twenty-Two
Several Options for Reducing Pennsylvania’s State Deficit
Suggestion/ Proposed Legislation
Support
Oppose
Privatizing PA Turnpike
29%
47%
No Opinion/
Not Sure
18%
School Choice
54%
30%
8%
Marcellus Shale Excise Tax
57%
26%
10%
Sell State-Owned Liquor Stores
58%
27%
8%
Raise License and Registration Fees
53%
31%
7%
CONCLUSION
Results of this study show that the recession has weighed heavily on residents’ quality of
life. 43% of the respondents in this study claimed that life in Pennsylvania is getting worse,
while another 24% said that it has stayed the same. When looking at Pennsylvania’s economy,
an overwhelming number (66%) of residents claimed that it was either “not so good” or “poor.”
Even so, the percentage of people who are unsatisfied with their income level (20%) is at its
lowest since 2008. Despite the current recession and negative perceptions of Pennsylvania’s
economy, the percentage of individuals who claim that they are very satisfied with their current
job has significantly increased from 2010 (26%) to 2011 (33%). It is also important to note that
the number of residents who were retired or unemployed totaled 33% in 2011, a 13% decrease
from 2010. This coincides with a decrease in the state’s unemployment rate over the past
several months. While we have seen an increase in positive perceptions of health care and
government services, there have been several indicators measuring the overall quality of life
that Pennsylvanians ranked lower this year than in past years of this study. One of these is the
perception of the quality of housing in the state. Another is the public school system.
Despite the fairly negative view of Pennsylvania’s economy, it seems that
Pennsylvanians are fairly optimistic. We must remember that the percentage of residents who
perceive Pennsylvania as a good place to live and raise a family has slightly increased overtime.
There are also a couple indicators that have reached their overall highest ratings since the study’s
inception in 2003 or have increased in ratings since 2010. While views on the environment have
remained steady, there has also been a decrease in the percentage of people who are concerned
with the quality of drinking water and the loss of open spaces.
In conclusion, while the economic situation has had grave impacts in the past on the
overall perception of the quality of life in Pennsylvania, residents continue to see the state in a
positive light with regards to many topics. Also, the majority of residents seem to be open to
changes that will reduce the state’s budget deficit, like an excise tax on Marcellus Shale, or the
sale of state-owned liquor stores. It is important to continue assessing these quality of life
indicators in the future so we know how Pennsylvanians are being affected.
13