SLU/YouGov Poll Analysis on How Missourians Viewed Various Issues

SLU's Kenneth Warren, Ph.D., provides expert analysis of the results of the latest SLU/YouGov Poll, examining where Missourians stand on a variety of issues.

In our last August 2023 SLU/YouGov poll, we asked likely Missouri voters to tell us what the top priority of the Missouri state government should be. Forty-four percent said the economy should be the state’s top priority.

In our February 2024 SLU/YouGov poll, respondents also noted that the economy should be the state’s top priority, with 42% saying so. This is no surprise since Americans across the nation normally rank the economy as their greatest concern. Health care was prioritized second, along with infrastructure at 17%, followed by education at 15% and other at 9%.

Republicans were much more likely to say that the economy should be the state’s top priority with 62% saying so, as compared to only 21% for Democrats. A perfect downward pattern was seen by educational level with the least educated saying the economy should be the state’s top priority, 48%; followed by those with some college, 44%; 4-year college, 38%; and post-graduate, 33%. Black Missourians were almost twice as likely to say that health care should be the state’s top priority, 31%, than white Missourians, 16%.

Likely voters' responses to "Which of the following do you think should be the TOP priority of the Missouri state government?": 42% Economy, 17% Health care, 15% Education, 17% Infrastructure, and 9% Other. Democratic voters' responses: 21% Economy, 32% Health care, 21% Education, 18% Infrastructure, and 8% Other. Republican voters' responses: 62% Economy, 9% Health care, 7% Education, 14% Infrastructure, and 8% Other.

Crime in their communities was considered a problem for most likley Missouri voters, with the majority ranking the problem as “fair,” 30%, to “poor,” 29%. Only 8% said it was “excellent” with 31% saying “good."

Those living in the St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas were most likely to perceive the crime problem as worse with both areas ranking the crime problem as “fair” to “poor” (66%). Black respondents were much more likely to rank the crime problem as “fair” to “poor” than white respondents, 85% to 42% respectively. Democrats were more likely to rate the crime problem “fair” to “poor” than Republicans, 64% to 53%. Of course, these respondents tend to be the same people. That is, Black voters being more Democrat and living in the two metro areas of the state.

Likely voters' responses to "How would you rate the condition of the following…Crime in your community?": 8% Excellent, 31% Good, 30% Fair, 29% Poor, and 2% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: 3% Excellent, 32% Good, 32% Fair, 32% Poor, and 2% Not sure. Republican voters' responses: 13% Excellent, 33% Good, 29% Fair, 24% Poor, and 1% Not sure.

Likely Missouri voters were quite evenly split over how they perceive race relations in their communities, with 49% saying “good” to “excellent” and 46% answering “fair” to “poor."

However, race relations were seen very differently by Republicans versus Democrats, those of different races, those with different educational levels and those living in metro versus rural areas. Republicans were much more likely to see race relations in their communities as “good” to “excellent” than Democrats, 67% to 29%.

White voters rated race relations in their communities much better than Black voters with 53% of white respondents ranking race relations as “good” to “excellent” and only 20% of Black respondents ranking race relations as “good” to “excellent.”

Those with the lowest educational level, less than high school, rated race relations more positively than those with the highest educational level, post-graduate, 55% to 42% “good” to “excellent” respectively.

Those in rural areas of Missouri were more likely to rank race relations in their communities much more positively than those living in the St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas with a 60% average “good” to “excellent” average for rural areas compared to a 41.5% for the two metro areas. Of course, demographic statistics show that rural Missouri has very few minority residents, so race relations is not much of an issue in rural Missouri.

Likely voters' responses to "How would you rate the condition of the following…Race relations in your community?": 10% Excellent, 39% Good, 29% Fair, 17% Poor, and 5% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: 3% Excellent, 26% Good, 35% Fair, 31% Poor, and 5% Not sure. Republican voters' responses: 15% Excellent, 52% Good, 20% Fair, 7% Poor, and 4% Not sure.

As in our past polls, roads and infrastructure are considered a serious problem by likely voters in Missouri. Only 20% of our respondents rated roads and infrastructure in Missouri as “good” to “excellent” with only 2% saying “excellent.”

Eighty percent ranked roads and infrastructure as “fair” to “poor." Republicans were more likely than Democrats to rate roads and infrastructure in Missouri as “good” to “excellent," 24% to 12%; although only 2% of Democrats and 1% of Republicans rated roads and infrastructure in Missouri as “excellent."

White respondents rated roads and infrastructure more positively than Black respondents with 21% of white respondents rating roads and infrastructure “good” to “excellent” compared to 9% for Black respondents.

Those in the Kansas City area were much more likely to rank roads and infrastructure “fair” to “poor," 92%, than those living in all other areas of the state. Next to the Kansas City area were the St. Louis metro and northeast Missouri areas, with respondents in both areas giving a 79% “fair” to “poor” rating to roads and infrastructure. State officials should not ignore these very negative ratings of roads and infrastructure by its citizenry.

Likely voters' responses to "How would you rate the condition of the following…Roads and infrastructure in the State of Missouri?": 2% Excellent, 18% Good, 44% Fair, 36% Poor, and 1% Not sure. Democratic voters' responses: 2% Excellent, 10% Good, 38% Fair, 49% Poor, and 0% Not sure. Republican voters' responses: 1% Excellent, 23% Good, 48% Fair, 26% Poor, and 1% Not sure.

On a more national topic, Missouri’s likely voters expressed great concern for the situation at the U.S.-Mexican border. When asked: “Do you agree or disagree that the U.S.-Mexican border situation is a crisis that needs to be resolved immediately?”, 75% said “agree”; only 18% said “disagree” with 8% answering “not sure.”

Democrats, younger voters (ages 18-44), Black voters, highest income and educational levels and metro Missourians were least likely to “agree” at 47%, 62%, 68%, 68%, 62%, and 68.5% respectively. However, regardless of the differences in demographics, Missourians overwhelmingly perceive the U.S.-Mexican border issue as a serious problem that will likely present an electability problem for President Biden among Missouri’s voters.

Likely voters' responses to "Do you agree or disagree with the following statements… The U.S.-Mexican border situation is a crisis that needs to be resolved immediately?": 75% Agree, 18% Disagree, and 8% Not Sure. Democratic voters' responses: 47% Agree, 37% Disagree, and 17% Not Sure. Republican voters' responses: 97% Agree, 1% Disagree, and 2% Not Sure.

This analysis is based on data from the February 2024 SLU/YouGov poll and reflects the opinion of the author.