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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2005
Survey Shows Majority of Arizonans Endorse School Choice
Support Strong for Current School Choice Proposals and for Pro-school Choice Candidates
PHOENIX-The majority of Arizonans favor the concept of school choice and overwhelmingly support proposals before the Arizona Legislature that would provide more educational opportunities for school children, according to a survey sponsored by the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation and released jointly with Phoenix-based groups, the Alliance for School Choice and the Goldwater Institute.
The survey, conducted by Dr. Margaret Kenski, one of Arizona's most respected and trusted opinion researchers, found that 72.1 percent of likely voters support expanding the dollars available to school choice through the Marriage Penalty Elimination proposal, which would raise tax credits for contributions to scholarship granting organizations from $625 to $1,000 for married couples. The proposal to create a scholarship tax credit for business contributions to scholarship granting organizations was supported more than 2-1 by likely voters. The three school voucher proposals currently being considered are widely supported with 71.4 percent of respondents favorably disposed toward at least one of the voucher programs - kindergarten vouchers, special needs vouchers or universal choice.
In an astounding showing of support, 91.4 percent of Arizonans supported one or more of the five school choice proposals before the legislature, with 65.6 percent "strongly" in favor of one or more of the programs.
"The data show that the current efforts to expand educational options in Arizona are wildly popular," said Robert C. Enlow, executive director of the Friedman Foundation. "These results, which fall in line with numerous other surveys around the country, clearly show that Arizonans want greater educational freedom," added Enlow.
Of all the issues before the legislature, K-12 education is by far the most important issue that Arizona voters want the government to address (41 percent), with health care being a distant second (17 percent).
"These results give policymakers a clear picture of the depth of support for school choice," said Darcy Olsen, president and CEO of the Goldwater Institute. "The research is clear and Arizonans have spoken."
In addition, the survey found that Arizonans are more likely to support state legislative candidates (38.9 percent to 21.3 percent) and gubernatorial candidates (39 percent to 23.6 percent) who support school choice. Public support for candidates who support the issue is even higher among 18-39-year-olds, frequent churchgoers, parents and Republicans. Notably, even Democrats polled would be more likely than not to support candidates who support school choice.
"In spite of the misinformation propagated by opponents, school choice resonates deeply with the Arizona public and they have spoken with their support of every single school choice proposal before the Arizona Legislature this session," declared Clint Bolick, president and general counsel of the Alliance for School Choice. "The fact that voters will take elected officials' position on school choice into serious account demonstrates that school choice is not only good policy, but good politics."
This study is available at http: //www.friedmanfoundation.org/AZpoll.pdf
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