Citizen's League

November 28, 2006
Contact: Sean Kershaw at 651-324-0991

"So, What's Next?"
Setting the Stage for Governing Minnesota in 2007 -- and for the Next 150 Years
New Survey Points the Way & Underscores Citizens League's Call for New Era of Civic Governance

A new survey shows that Minnesotans agree on the critical issues facing the state, but there is little consensus around solutions. The findings come as policy makers begin setting an agenda for a legislative session that will convene in January and as the nonpartisan Citizens League stakes out a new policy direction for the state in time for Minnesota's sesquicentennial in May 2008.

The Citizens League conducted the survey as part of its ambitious Minnesota Anniversary Project, or "MAP 150," a project aimed at creating a state better equipped to solve its problems as it prepares for the next 150 years of statehood.

"The survey gives Minnesota a clear set of priorities and strong affirmation that our traditional problem-solving methods just aren't cutting it any more," said Tom Horner, chair of the Citizens League board. "It just doesn't make sense to rely only on experts and elected officials to address our state's toughest challenges. It's time for a new era of governance; one that leverages the collective wisdom and decision-making power of citizens while involving all institutions, public and private."

Survey Findings:

• Minnesotans largely agree on the top issues facing the state: controlling taxes (26 percent), access to affordable health care (24 percent), improving quality of education (17 percent) and creating a healthy economy (12 percent).
  
• Minnesotans are cautiously optimistic about the future, especially where their individual prospects are concerned. Seventy-six percent said Minnesota still is the land of opportunity for everyone.
  
• Two issues -- immigration and the role of government in moral issues -- have formed deep fault lines among voters, with Minnesotans split nearly 50/50 on these topics.
  
• Many citizens have lost confidence in the ability of traditional systems and institutions to solve problems. For example, 47 percent of Minnesotans think the state is on the wrong track, while 50 percent say it is headed in the right direction.
  
• Minnesotans are willing to invest in key areas but want more transparency in funding their public systems. Eighty-one percent said they would feel better about paying taxes if it were clearer to them how the money is spent.
  
• Minnesotans are concerned about public education. Fully two-thirds believe the quality of education in Minnesota "is a problem" and only a tiny minority -- two to 10 percent -- believes the K-12 education system has shown improvement in key areas like preparation for future success, quality of teaching, discipline in schools and funding basic skills instruction.
  
• The survey also identified the emergence of eight distinct ideological blocs that may better explain Minnesotans' positions on key issues than the political parties. These groups cleave along new economic, religious and issue-oriented lines.
  
• Minnesotans think citizens have a role in solving problems, but surprisingly, the conventional views about why individuals don't get involved (e.g. too little time, complicated issues, apathy) did not prove true for most respondents. The most important barrier to civic activity cited was too much talk and too little action (46 percent).
  

"Technology, globalization and demographics have radically changed the ways Minnesotans meet, communicate and do business. Some of our ideas about policy-making, citizenship and public involvement today are as outmoded as making phone calls through Ernestine the telephone operator," said Sean Kershaw, executive director of the Citizens League. "We need modern and innovative ways to put the 'public' back in 'public policy' -- connecting the choices citizens make every day with the outcomes Minnesota needs."

The MAP 150 Agenda

The survey is part of comprehensive research conducted by the Citizens League over the past year. The Citizens League has used the research findings to identify the following priorities for Minnesota to focus on in preparation for its 150th anniversary:

1. How can politics become more useful in solving citizens' shared problems?
   
2. What can students teach us about how school needs to change so that we see dramatic improvements in student achievement?
   
3. How can we make our health care system more affordable and secure, regardless of a person's work situation?
   
4. How can we remove the mystery from how our taxes are used?
   

Prior to the state's sesquicentennial in May 2008, the Citizens League will work with Minnesotans across the state to develop both short-term solutions and long-term strategies that find common ground on each priority. The Citizens League will act as a nonpartisan, trusted and credible convener, bringing together all of the diverse stakeholders necessary to find and implement civic policy solutions.

About the Survey

The telephone survey was conducted between Sept. 15 and Oct. 5 among 800 randomly selected Minnesotans. The survey had a non-response rate of less that 5%, and fully 70% of the respondents scheduled time to answer the 135 questions. The results of the survey are projectable to all adult Minnesota residents within +/- 3.5 percent in 95 out of 100 cases. The survey was conducted by Decision Resources Limited. For additional information, including video and audio clips of citizen interviews, go to the Citizens League website at www.citizensleague.net, or www.map150.org.