{"id":56841,"date":"2020-10-26T10:21:52","date_gmt":"2020-10-26T15:21:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=56841"},"modified":"2020-10-26T10:21:53","modified_gmt":"2020-10-26T15:21:53","slug":"2020-kansas-speaks-survey-provides-insights-into-kansans-thoughts-on-major-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=56841","title":{"rendered":"2020 Kansas Speaks survey provides insights into Kansans\u2019 thoughts on major issues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By UNIVERSITY RELATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University today released its annual survey report on the significant issues facing our state and nation. The survey is usually published in the fall, and Institute leaders are pleased to publish this year\u2019s survey in advance of the 2020 election. The report offers insights into how Kansans view the quality of life in the state, taxes, funding priorities, the performance of state and national political leadership, and public policy issues. The public policy issues covered in this year\u2019s report include who voters plan to back in this year\u2019s presidential election, the impact of COVID-19, and the handling of the pandemic by public officials, the security of mail-in voting, the death of Justice Ginsberg, and the Black Lives Matter movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brett\nZollinger, Docking Institute\u2019s director and report co-author, believes the\ntiming of this year\u2019s report may be helpful to voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\nhope that findings released ahead of the election are particularly interesting\nto Kansans now when so many of the public affairs issues covered in the survey\nare on Kansans\u2019 minds as they solidify their voting intentions,\u201d Zollinger\nsaid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nyear\u2019s report provides extensive insight into how Kansans perceive the current\npolitical, economic and social conditions in our state and the nation. Dr. Jian\nSun, report co-author and assistant director of the institute, noticed that\nKansans remain optimistic amid the coronavirus pandemic: \u201cAlthough we see\nsubstantial increases as compared with last year in the percentage of\nrespondents feeling the Kansas economy is getting worse and the percentage of\nrespondents being concerned that the Kansas economy would seriously threaten\ntheir own or their family\u2019s welfare, a large majority of people still believe\nthat Kansas is at least a \u2018good\u2019 place to live, and that Kansas is on the right\ntrack.\u201d Other key findings from the study include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n