State of the State Survey

Winter 2013

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

State of the State Survey

Winter 2013

Ratings for Obama Improve;

Snyder Stays About the Same;

Consumer Confidence Mixed

About SOSS Round 64

1,013 Interviews Completed

January 14, 2013 – March 4, 2013

President Obama’s

positive ratings

improved to their

highest level since

Summer 2009.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Excellent Good Fair Poor

17.2

31.2

22.0

29.6

Pe

rce

nt

Michigan Residents' Ratings of President Obama's Performance, Winter 2013

70.7

62.6

53.2

44.2

36.9

43.9

32.7

44.5 44.540.4 40.6 41.0

42.848.4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Pe

rce

nt

Percentage of Michigan Residents Rating President Obama's Performance as "Excellent" or "Good", 2009-2013

44.3

49.5

56.053.0

55.1

40.8

66.9

47.4

42.3

32.4

27.5

20.5

17.3

57.7

36.9

43.1

40.6 41.0

42.8

48.4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Pe

rce

nt

Percentage of Michigan Residents Rating U.S. President's Performance as

"Excellent" or "Good", 1995-2013

Clinton

Bush

Obama

Governor Snyder’s approval

ratings were basically

unchanged.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Excellent Good Fair Poor

6.6

27.4

33.1 33.0

Pe

rce

nt

Michigan Residents' Ratings of Governor Snyder's Performance, Winter 2013

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

31.833.0

36.8 35.5

34.0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Pe

rce

nt

Year

Percentage of Michigan Residents Rating Performance of Governors as "Excellent" or "Good", 1995-2013

Engler

Granholm

Snyder

Consumer confidence:

Some indicators improve;

others don’t.

In every case, we remain

well below 1999, and

well above 2009.

Assessments of the

current financial

situation improved

from Fall 2012 to

Winter 2013.

6.3

46.3

28.7

10.6

8.1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Excellent Good Just Fair Not So Good Poor

Perc

en

tMichigan Residents' Assessments of Their Current

Financial Situation, Winter 2013

60.9

60.2 61.4

64.1 63.9 62.9

62.2

54.0

56.4

54.9

49.3

50.8

43.444.0

47.3 47.3

54.1 54.4

47.8

52.6

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

Perc

en

tPercent of Michigan Residents Who Rate Their Current Financial Situation As "Excellent" or "Good", 1995-2013

Michigan residents’

assessment of whether they

are better off or worse off

than one year before were

less favorable in Winter

2013 than in Fall 2012.

34.9

27.6

37.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Better Off About the Same Worse Off

Perc

en

tMichigan Residents' Beliefs About Whether They Are

Better Off Than One Year Ago, Winter 2013

52.6

50.2

53.255.8

61.6

48.4

40.2

35.4

31.7

27.4

19.8

14.4

23.026.2

34.2

41.7

34.9

18.5

17.7

18.1

14.315.2

24.2

31.8

44.544.6

59.6

62.6

50.6

45.1

35.7

38.5

32.6

37.5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Pe

rce

nt

Michigan Residents' Beliefs About Whether They Are Better Off or Worse Off Than One Year Ago, 1995-2013

Better Off

Worse Off

Michigan residents’ assessment of whether they will be better off one year from now were also less favorable in Winter 2013 than in Fall 2012.

However, those who think they will be better off still outnumbered those who think they will be worse off by about 2 to 1.

55.2

16.1

28.7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Better Off About the Same Worse Off

Perc

en

t

Michigan Residents' Beliefs About Whether They Will Be Better Off One Year From Now, Winter 2013

57.258.6

65.9

66.6

70.5

60.0

66.2

59.8 60.1

50.5

51.4

45.146.448.6

54.0

48.4

61.0

48.7

61.0

55.2

13.1

12.3

11.99.5 10.7

19.9

14.7

19.1

20.1

26.1

29.2

35.5 34.733.1

28.530.4

20.5

29.8

19.3

28.7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Pe

rce

nt

Michigan Residents' Beliefs About Whether They Will Be Better Off One Year From Now, 1995-2013

Better Off

Worse Off

Attitudes by Race and Gender

Views of Michigan Residents

by Race and Sex

State of Michigan

Women Men Whites Blacks

Obama “Excellent” or Good”

48.4% 50.5% 46.2% 42.0% 79.1%

Snyder“Excellent” or Good”

34.0% 32.8% 35.3% 35.2% 23.7%

Attitudes by Political Party

Views of Michigan

Residents

by Political Party

State of Michigan

Republican Independent Democrat

Obama

“Excellent” or Good”48.4% 14.3% 38.0% 85.5%

Snyder

“Excellent” or Good”34.0% 56.9% 36.7% 19.8%

Regional Attitudes

Views of Residents from Different Regions in Michigan

a Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties

b Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Ottawa Counties

c Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties

State of Michigan

City of Detroit

Wayne, Oakland, Macomb

SEMCOGRegiona

Grand Rapids Areab

Obama “Excellent” or Good”

48.4% 69.3% 55.3% 54.1% 41.4%

Snyder“Excellent” or Good”

34.0% 30.5% 31.5% 33.3% 43.1%

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

THANK YOU!