MEDIA CONTACTS:
L. Douglas Wilder
Phone: (804) 827-0776
Email: [email protected]

Robyn McDougle
Director, Public Policy Center
Phone: (804) 721-6703
Email: [email protected]

According to a new statewide survey by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, a majority of Virginians said they would be willing to pay more taxes to support multiple public services. These services included public education (65%), programs to support low-income families such as financial support for housing, food and childcare (59%), and keeping health programs up to date (56%). A tax hike to maintain criminal law reform (49%) and universities and colleges (39%) at the current level were less likely among respondents.

The survey included landline and cell phone interviews August 4-15 with a representative sample of 823 adults living in Virginia. It has an error rate of 5.23%.

“The problems the people of Virginia face are among the most troubling and formative to day-to-day activities in the history of the state,” said former Governor L. Douglas Wilder. “The uncertainty or indecision of many voters should be worrying. The more factual information and transparency that is shared with people, could lead to safer answers. This applies to the incumbent as well as to the candidates. “

Respondents from northwest and western regions of the state were consistently the least willing to support a tax increase in these areas to maintain current levels of benefits, while overall women were more willing than men to pay taxes on health care (60% and 50%, respectively %). Democrats and Republicans were divided on paying more taxes to maintain current levels of support for all services (public education, health care, low-income programs, criminal justice, universities and colleges), with the majority of Democrats willing to pay more and the majority of Republicans are unwilling to pay more.

The largest gap was in programs to support low-income families (e.g. housing, food and childcare assistance), where 86% of Democrats were willing to pay more taxes to maintain current levels, compared with 31% of Republican.

The majority of independents were willing to support an increase in taxes to maintain current levels of public education (57%) and 50% of independents were willing to pay more taxes to maintain current levels of support for low-income families . Less than half of the independents agreed to support a tax increase to maintain current levels of performance in the remaining categories of health care (42%), criminal justice (40%) and universities and colleges (33%).

Law Enforcement Perceptions

Virginia citizens broadly agreed with law enforcement behavior, with 71% agreeing that people in their local community are treated fairly by law enforcement. Eighty percent of respondents agreed that law enforcement agencies treat people fairly, and 76% were satisfied with the way law enforcement agencies in their local community solve problems and deal with those they call for help. 84 percent of Virginians agree that if a person does something and a police officer tells them to stop, they should stop, even if they believe what they are doing is legal.

These far-reaching law enforcement agreements were common to all populations, but they are strongest among respondents in the northwest, west of the state and Republicans. Over half of all Democrats, minority and / or Hispanic Americans and those 18-34 year olds also agreed with these positive views about law enforcement, but to a slightly lesser extent.

Perceptions of the Virginia Legislature

When asked about the way lawmakers handled its work during the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of Virginians agreed with its performance (55%). Opposition was strongest in the northwest and western regions of the state, where about half of respondents opposed it. Women were more likely than men to agree with the legislature’s performance (61% or respectively). Democrats (76%) and Independents (60%) were more likely than Republicans (29%) to agree with the legislature’s performance.

Perception of student performance

With students returning to school primarily in person this fall, the majority of respondents expressed concern that students have / are academically lagging behind during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 85% of respondents saying they either do something concerned (24%) or very concerned (61%). These concerns were shared equally by all populations and across all regions of the Commonwealth.

The full survey results and analysis can be found at https://oppo.vcu.edu/policy-poll/.

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