For better, for worse: Illinoisans rate state as place to live

A report card from citizens on how they rate Illinois as a place to live shows almost three-quarters are positive: excellent (22 percent) and good (52 percent). Asked how they think the state has changed as a place to live over the past five years, almost one-half (48 percent) say Illinois has stayed the same, but those who think it has changed for the worse (43 percent) far outnumber those who believe it has changed for the better (9 percent).

These "retrospective" evaluations show that the Illinois public has become much more negative in the last four years. In spring 1988, over one-half (54 percent) said Illinois had stayed the same over the past five years, and those thinking it was worse (26 percent) only somewhat outnumbered those believing change was for the better (21 percent).

Expectations about Illinois as a place to live in the next five years have become more pessimistic since four years ago. In both 1988 and 1992, about 40 percent believe Illinois will stay the same. Those believing Illinois will get better, however, have declined from 43 percent to 32 percent, while those believing Illinois will get worse have increased from 17 percent to 26 percent.

Issues labeled as most important problem in Illinois in 1988 and 1992

These findings are from Illinois Issues polls conducted in September 1992 and in spring 1988. (The current poll included telephone interviews conducted from September 9 through 27 with random samples of Illinois households. The findings are based on interviews with 642 household residents. Readers can be confident that 95 percent of the time results are within plus or minus 5 percentage points from the results obtained if persons in all Illinois households were interviewed. The error for subgroups is higher. The comparison Illinois Issues Poll was conducted from March 10 through April 9, 1988, with 790 randomly selected households. Sampling error for this poll is less than plus or minus 4 percent.)

The negative evaluation for Illinois is very strong among African Americans. Almost 70 percent of the black respondents in the September poll believe Illinois has become worse as a place to live compared to almost 40 percent of the whites. Between the sexes, women are more likely than men to be negative (46 percent to 38 percent). Among regions, this negative evaluation is more common in the city of Chicago (52 percent) and in southern Illinois (50 percent) than in the Chicago suburban region of Cook County and the five collar counties (37 percent) or the rest of the state (40 percent). A majority of Democrats (52 percent) believe Illinois has gotten worse compared to independents (46 percent) and Republicans (27 percent).

Citizen views on the problems facing Illinois continue to emphasize economic conditions as they did four years ago, but education as the most important problem slipped a few points and concern over state taxation/spending/budget problems doubled. Almost one in five (19 percent) mentioned education-related problems as the most important in the September poll, down from 26 percent in 1988. Concern over state taxation/spending/budget as the most important problem went from 7 percent in 1988 to 14 percent.

30/ November 1992/Illinois Issues

Rate Illinois as place to live In past flve years: what people said in 1988 and 1992           '88 '92     '88 '92     '88 '92           Gotten     Gotten   Stayed           better       worse     same

Economic-related problems were the most important to over one-third of the respondents in both polls: 35 percent in the recent poll and 36 percent four years ago. In the September poll, 25 percent specifically identified jobs and unemployment, 7 percent mentioned the economy in general, and 3 percent named the business climate. In the 1988 spring poll, 23 percent named jobs/unemployment, 8 percent the economy in general and 5 percent the business climate.

The question on important problems was not limited to a single answer. Reviewing all answers to this question provides the following rank for Illinois' problems, with comparisons to the 1988 poll:

1. jobs/unemployment (43 percent, up 5 percent from 1988);

2. education (32 percent, down 4 percent);

3. state taxation/spending/budget (27 percent, up 9 percent);

4. social welfare/health care-related problems (24 percent, up 5 percent);

5. crime/justice (23 percent, up 11 percent); and

6. the economy in general (17 percent, up 7 percent).

Rate Illinois as place to live now. what people said to 1988 and 1992

Also mentioned were: other state governmental problems (7 percent, down 4 percent); transportation (7 percent, down 4 percent) and environment/ energy (6 percent, down 3 percent). Various social issues (such as abortion, gambling and general moral behavior) were mentioned by 4 percent in September.

Citizens name different problems facing Illinois depending on their race, gender and region. While white and black respondents are similar in their specific concern with jobs/unemployment (42 percent and 44 percent), they differ on crime and justice (48 percent of blacks compared to 18 percent of whites). Black respondents were also more likely than white respondents to mention social welfare problems (26 percent to 18 percent).

White respondents were twice as likely to mention state taxation/spending/budget problems (30 percent to 15 percent). They were also more likely to mention the economy in general (18 percent to 11 percent), education (33 percent to 27 percent), transportation (8 percent to 2 percent) and environment/energy problems (8 percent to 3 percent).

Women were more likely than men to identify problems in social welfare/health care (31 percent to 18 percent) and somewhat more likely to name education (34 percent to 29 percent). Men were more likely to name state taxation/spending/budget problems (32 percent to 22 percent) and somewhat more likely to name other state governmental problems (10 percent to 4 percent) and transportation (9 percent to 4 percent).

Regional differences show residents of Illinois' southernmost 41 counties more concerned about jobs/unemployment (64 percent) and about health care (14 percent) than the rest of the state. They are less concerned with education, social welfare problems, crime/justice and transportation.

Expectations about Illinois as place to live to the next five years: what people said to 1988 and 1992

Chicago residents express relatively more concern with crime and justice (38 percent) and social welfare problems (24 percent) than other regions. They are second to southern Illinois residents in their concern with jobs/ unemployment (46 percent).

Residents of the suburban region (Cook County outside Chicago and the five collar counties of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will) express concerns similar to residents of northern and central Illinois (55 counties). They are most distinct from Chicago and southern Illinois in their greater concern with state taxation/spending/budget problems and in mentioning various social issues. The greatest distinctions between the suburban region and the northern and central region are with education and crime and justice. Residents of Illinois' northern and central 55 counties are somewhat more concerned with education than those in suburbia (37 percent to 29 percent), while suburban residents are somewhat more concerned with crime/justice than those in central and northern Illinois (23 percent to 17 percent).

Richard G. Schuldt is director of the Survey Research Office in the Institute for Public Affairs at Sangamon State University. He conducts the Illinois Issues Poll, which is sponsored by the institute. The September poll was conducted with support from the institute's Legislative Studies Center, Television Office, WSSU-FM and Illinois Issues.

November 1992/ Illinois Issues /31