The Spring 2015 State of the State Survey in Michigan revealed a significant increase in consumer confidence, with residents expressing the most favorable financial outlook since 1999. However, trust in government remains low, particularly at the state and federal levels, while trust in local government is stronger. Jobs and the economy continue to be viewed as the most pressing issues, though concerns about road repair have emerged as a significant priority.

1. State of the State Survey
Spring 2015
Charles L. Ballard
Professor, Department of Economics
Director, State of the State Survey
Institute for Public Policy and Social Research
ballard@msu.edu
517.353.2961

2. State of the State Survey
Spring 2015
Confidence in the Economy is Up Strongly,
But Trust in Government Barely Budges

3. About SOSS Wave 70
966 Interviews Completed
March 26, 2015 – June 22, 2015
Margin of Error: + 3.15%

4. Consumer confidence
indicators improved
substantially.
The latest measures are
only a few points below
their all-time highs from the
late 1990s.

5. Assessments of the
current financial
situation improved
considerably.

6. 12.5
47.4
29.2
6.8
4.1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Excellent Good Just Fair Not So Good Poor
Percent Michigan Residents' Assessments of Their Current Financial Situation,
Spring 2015

7. 60.9
60.2 61.4
64.1 63.9 62.9
62.2
54.0
56.4
54.9
49.3
50.8
43.4
44.0
47.3 47.3
52.1
52.8
53.8
51.3
50.5
59.9
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
Percent
Percent of Michigan Residents Who Rate Their Current Financial
Situation As "Excellent" or "Good", 1995-2015

8. When asked whether they are
better off than one year ago,
Michigan residents gave the
most favorable responses
since 1999.

9. 56.5
22.2 21.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Better Off About the Same Worse Off
Percent
Michigan Residents' Beliefs About Whether They Are Better Off Than One
Year Ago, Spring 2015

10. 52.6
50.2
53.2 55.8
61.6
48.4
40.2
35.4
31.7
27.4
19.8
14.4
23.0
26.2
36.3
40.1
35.5
38.7
56.5
18.5
17.7
18.1
14.3
15.2
24.2
31.8
44.5
44.6
59.6
62.6
50.6
45.1
35.6
34.6
31.9
31.8
30.2
21.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Percent
Year
Michigan Residents' Beliefs About Whether They Are
Better Off or Worse Off Than One Year Ago, 1995‐2015
Better Off
Worse Off

11. Michigan residents’ assessment of
whether they will be better off
one year from now also are the
best since 1999.
Those who think they will be better
off outnumber those who think
they will be worse off by almost
5 to 1.

12. 69.2
16.3
14.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Better Off About the Same Worse Off
Percent
Michigan Residents' Beliefs About Whether They Will Be Better Off One Year
From Now, Spring 2015

13. 57.2
58.6
65.9
66.6
70.5
60.0
66.2
59.8 60.1
50.5
51.4
45.1
46.4
48.6
54.0
48.4
56.9
54.2
58.8
56.1
55.9
69.2
13.1 12.3 11.9 9.5 10.7
19.9
14.7
19.1
20.1
26.1
29.2
35.5 34.7 33.1
28.5
30.4
23.2
25.8
19.9
23.9
21.9
14.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percent Michigan Residents' Beliefs About Whether They Will Be
Better Off One Year From Now, 1995‐2015
Better Off
Worse Off

14. Despite all of the optimism
about the economy,
Governor Snyder’s approval
ratings decreased slightly.

15. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Excellent Good Fair Poor
5.0
30.6
42.4
22.1
Percent
Michigan Residents' Ratings of Governor Snyder's Performance,
Spring 2015

16. 44.5
31.5
19.3
33.0
36.8
35.5
34.0
29.2
35.6
39.2
37.1 37.9
35.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Percent
Percentage of Michigan Residents Rating Governor Snyder's
Performance as "Excellent" or "Good,“ 2011‐2015

17. 55.0
50.6
46.7
52.5
49.5
43.7 43.6
57.2
48.7
35.3
34.4
25.3
23.0
31.0
20.7
31.8
35.1
32.9
39.2
37.1
37.9
35.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Percent
Year
Percentage of Michigan Residents Rating Performance of Governors as
"Excellent" or "Good," 1995‐2015
Engler
Granholm
Snyder

18. President Obama’s
ratings improved.

19. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Excellent Good Fair Poor
12.1
28.2
26.7
33.1
Percent Michigan Residents' Ratings of President Obama's Performance,
Spring 2015

20. 70.7
62.6
53.2
44.2
36.9
43.9
32.7
44.5 44.5
40.4
40.6 41.0
42.8
48.4
45.2
38.3 39.7
38.4
34.8
40.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percent
Percentage of Michigan Residents Rating President Obama's
Performance as "Excellent" or "Good," 2009‐2015

21. 35.4
44.3
49.5
56.0
53.0
55.1
40.8
66.9
47.4
42.3
32.4
27.5
20.5
17.3
57.7
36.9
43.1
41.5
44.0
39.7
38.4
34.8
40.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percent
Year
Percentage of Michigan Residents Rating U.S. Presidents’
Performance as "Excellent" or "Good," 1995‐2015
Clinton
Bush
Obama

22. Comparisons of Ratings for
President Obama and
Governor Snyder

23. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Excellent Good Fair Poor
12.1
28.2
26.7
33.1
5.0
30.6
42.4
22.1
Michigan Residents' Ratings of the Performances of
President Obama and Governor Snyder,
Fall 2015
Obama
Snyder

24. 70.7
62.6
53.2
44.2
36.9
43.9
32.7
44.5
44.5
40.4 40.6 41.0
42.8
48.4
45.2
38.3 39.7 38.4
34.8
40.2
31.5
19.3
33.0
36.8 35.5
34.0
29.2
35.6
39.237.1
37.9
35.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percent
Percentage of Michigan Residents Rating President Obama and
Governor Snyder as "Excellent" or "Good,“ 2009‐2015
Obama
Snyder

25. Trust in Local Government
remains much stronger than
trust in either state or
federal government.

26. 41.1 39.0
12.0
7.9
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Percent Michigan Residents' Opinions of How Often They Can Trust
Local Government, Spring 2015

27. 19.8
49.0
19.1
12.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Percent
Michigan Residents' Opinions of How Often They Can Trust
the State Government, Spring 2015

28. 15.9
38.6
27.6
17.9
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Percent
Michigan Residents' Opinions of How Often They Can Trust
the Federal Government, Spring 2015

29. Trust in Local Government
is slightly more favorable
than in the last few years.

30. 42.9
39.4
42.2
46.9
37.9
40.5
38.6
41.5
33.1
40.5
38.9
37.6
35.3
39.0 39.7
41.1
15.1
18.9
13.9
14.8
25.1
16.8
20.5
20.0
23.2
17.1
19.3 19.3
18.1
21.4
24.3
19.9
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Percent
Year
Michigan Residents' Opinions of How Often They Can
Trust Local Government, 1995-2015
Nearly All or
Most of the
Time
Seldom or
Almost Never

31. • Trust in State Government has
changed little in the last few
years.
• But trust in State Government
is substantially less than it was
in the 1990s and early 2000s.

32. 33.1
31.0
25.3
30.6
36.1 36.2
25.9
29.9
27.7
17.5
20.0
15.9 15.8
15.9
18.8
17.4
19.8
15.1
17.7
19.3
16.8
12.1
16.3
16.1 16.5
21.2
24.2
27.8
24.2
37.0
29.6
29.9 30.7 30.9
31.1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Percent
Year
Michigan Residents' Opinions of How Often They Can
Trust the State Government, 1995-2015
Nearly All or Most
of the Time
Seldom or Almost
Never

33. Trust in the Federal
Government peaked in 2002,
just after the September 11
attacks. It has decreased
substantially since then.

34. 16.0
14.5
15.7
24.7
36.8
27.2
19.9
21.5
16.3
24.6
13.2
20.9
11.8
14.8 15.1
15.9
33.4
31.0 30.8
18.6
16.1
20.9
27.9
32.9
38.4 37.4
26.9
37.2
29.9
42.5
41.4
48.6
45.5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Percent
Year
Michigan Residents' Opinions of How Often They Can
Trust the Federal Government, 1995-2015
Nearly All or Most
of the Time
Seldom or Almost
Never

35. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Local State Federal
41.1
19.8
15.9
19.9
31.2
45.5
Percent
Michigan Residents' Opinions of How Often They Can Trust
Different Levels of Government, Spring 2015
Nearly All or
Most of Time
Seldom or
Almost Never

36. Jobs and the economy are still the
most important issue for the
Governor and Legislature to
address. But the emphasis on the
economy is less than it has been in
more than a decade.
This year, for the first time, road
repair was the second most
important issue.

37. Most Important Problem Facing the Governor and Legislature,
Spring 2015
• Jobs / Economy 31.5%
• Road Repair / Bridge Repair 19.7
• Education Quality / Finances 15.4
• Taxes / Reduce Taxes 3.7
• Health Care / Health Insurance 3.3
• Crime / Drugs / Violence 3.2
• Poverty / Homelessness / Social Programs 2.8
• Moral Issues / Abortion / Family Values 2.5
• Infrastructure of Cities 1.5
• Environment 1.3
• Foreign Policy 1.0
• Solve Budget Issues 0.9
• Foreclosures / Housing / Property Values 0.7
• Prescription Drug Coverage for Seniors 0.7
• Reduce Size of Government 0.7
• Welfare Reform 0.6
• Ethics, Political Reform, Election Reform 0.5
• Children’s Issues 0.3
• Regulation / Deregulation 0.2
• Gun Control 0.1

38. Most Important Problems Facing
the Governor and the Legislature
Issue 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
Jobs/Economy 10.5 41.3 44.5 58.3 77.4 59.5 51.9 31.5
Education Quality/School Finances 41.7 27.5 20.7 11.4 7.1 16 19.3 15.4
Health Care/Health Insurance 7.4 7 9.4 4.3 4.4 4.7 1.9 3.3
Road/Highways/Bridges 4.9 1.2 0.4 0.8 0.6 0.2 1.5 19.7

39. 14.4
10.7
15.1 14.012.6
10.5
22.1
41.3 43.4 44.5
62.9
58.3
64.6
77.4
69.6
59.5
63.7
51.9 48.7
31.5
17.8
21.4
24.5 26.2
39.0
41.7
23.2
27.5
21.9
20.7
16.9
11.4
6.0 7.1
13.7
16.0
13.1
19.3
16.5
15.4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Percent
Year
Michigan Residents' Views on the Most Important Issues
Facing the Governor and Legislature, 1995‐2015
Jobs and Economy
Education Quality
and Finances

40. How to Learn More about SOSS:
http://ippsr.msu.edu/SOSS/
Charles Ballard: ballard@msu.edu
517.353.2961
Cynthia Kyle: kylec@msu.edu
517.353.1731
Graham Pierce: glpierce@msu.edu
517.884.0364

41. THANK YOU!