A Ball State study found job creation and improving K-12 education and government efficiency are on the top of the list for the Daniels administration.
The study, completed by Ball State's Bowen Center for Public Affairs, highlighted that 77 percent of Hoosiers think job creation is the state's priority, which is up from 73 percent when compared to 2009.
Each year, the Bowen Center conducts the Hoosier Survey, which provides legislators with public opinion on issues facing the state and nation, according to the Ball State website.
Ray Scheele, a political science professor and co-director of the Bowen Center, said this is the third year for the Hoosier Survey, which is the only non-partisan survey by a university in the state.
"We do it every fall prior to the assembly opening in January, and we do not survey Hoosiers about politicians or how they voted," he said. "We ask about what they think about the issues on the state's agenda. Being the third year, we are developing a baseline so we can track how Hoosiers think about the big issues in the state."
The study found the majority of Hoosiers support higher taxes to support three areas: fire services (58 percent), schools (55 percent) and police (50 percent).
Joe Losco, chairman of the political science department and part of the survey team, said the most surprising part of the study was the public's opinion on schools.
"Despite the bad news we hear about public school, there is a high degree of satisfaction from parents and no priority to move from public schools to charter schools," he said.
The center will mail the survey to the Indiana General Assembly at the beginning of the calendar year so lawmakers can gauge public views about issues they are likely to face during the legislative session.
Contracted with the Princeton Survey Research Associates to survey 600 voting-age adults, the center will continue to survey Hoosier's opinions on issues such as taxes, schools and health care.
By the numbers
77 percent of Hoosiers think job creation is a priority
61 percent believe the state's priority is improving government efficiency
58 percent think improving schools is a priority
52 percent believe health care is a priority
Information from the Hoosier Survey. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/hoosiersurvey2010.
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