Public Opinion on Criminal Justice Reform in Massachusetts

Rich Parr and Steve Koczela
Massachusetts voters are ready to embrace major reforms to the state’s criminal justice system. A new MassINC poll shows most support reforms to both the front and back ends of the system to reduce repeat offending and refocus the system on prevention and rehabilitation. Voters perceive the current system as counterproductive; prisons are seen as read more
Topic(s): Criminal Justice, Public Opinion, Research

The Public’s Take on Education Accountability

Results from a Survey of Massachusetts Voters

Ben Forman, Rich Parr and Steve Koczela
Understanding public opinion on education account- ability is crucial as policymakers work to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the 2015 federal law that replaces No Child Left Behind (NCLB). MassINC partnered with The MassINC Polling Group to learn more about how voters throughout the Commonwealth feel about efforts to assess student learning, measure read more
Topic(s): Education, Public Opinion, Research

Voters Support the Changes to Accountability Envisioned by Gateway City Leaders

Survey of registered voters in Massachusetts

Ben Forman and Steve Koczela
Across Massachusetts, Gateway City leaders are working to create exceptional learning environments. It’s a community-wide effort. By strategically marshalling available resources, Gateway Cities can provide the comprehensive supports and educational opportunities that will enable students to gain the full set of advanced skills today’s economy requires. Achieving this vision calls for new approaches to state read more
Topic(s): Education, Gateway Cities, Public Opinion

Looking for Leadership

Public Opinion in Massachusetts on the Response to Global Warming

Ben Forman, Rich Parr and Steve Koczela
Massachusetts residents “strongly support” a wide range of policies to combat and prepare for global warming, including investing in renewable energy and public transit. This support stems from broad belief that the effects of global warming are either already underway, or have already begun, and will be damaging for Massachusetts – three-quarters think Massachusetts will read more
Topic(s): Environment, Public Opinion

Ready for Reform?

Public Opinion on Criminal Justice in Massachusetts

Ben Forman, Rich Parr and Steve Koczela
This full report expands on the findings presented at MassINC’s Criminal Justice Summit with Gov. Patrick in February 2013. The research – a poll of Massachusetts residents and four focus groups, conducted by the non-partisan MassINC Polling Group – shows that Bay Staters want a criminal justice system that is effective at reducing crimes through read more
Topic(s): Criminal Justice, Public Opinion

Creative Places

Public Perceptions of Arts, Culture, and Economic Development in Gateway Cities

John Schneider and Steve Koczela
This poll was commissioned by MassINC as part of a newly-funded initiative to create a leadership network around the role of the arts in the economic revitalization of Gateway Cities, a strategy the National Endowment for the Arts calls “creative placemaking.” The survey, given to 600 registered voters among the eleven Gateway Cities, informs that read more
Topic(s): Economic Development, Gateway Cities, Creative Placemaking, Public Opinion

The 80 Percent Challenge

A Survey of Climate Change Opinion and Action in Massachusetts

Steve Koczela, Ben Forman and Caroline Koch
This report, made possible with generous support from the Barr Foundation, represents the first in-depth look at how Massachusetts residents perceive the problem posed by global warming, as well as their willingness to embrace efforts to address this unprecedented challenge. With the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008, Massachusetts became one of the first states read more
Topic(s): Environment, Public Opinion

Great Expectations

A survey of young adults in Massachusetts

Dawn Crossland Sumners, Stacy DiAngelo and Larry Hugick
This project was made possible by the generous support of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts with MassHousing and State Street Foundation. This groundbreaking survey represents the first of its kind for our state-and we believe the first nationally. The choices of young adults about where to live and work are critical to our state’s read more
Topic(s): Jobs and Economic Security, Strong Communities, Economic Development, Public Opinion

The Pursuit of Happiness

A Survey on the Quality of Life in Massachusetts

Larry Hugick and Jenny Armeni
The Pursuit of Happiness: A Survey on the Quality of Life in Massachusetts highlights data from a 1,001-person statewide poll conducted for MassINC by Princeton Survey Research Associates (margin of error: + or – 3%). Respondents were asked more than 60 questions related to their own and the state’s quality of life, their views on read more
Topic(s): Jobs and Economic Security, Strong Communities, Economic Development, Public Opinion, Research

Criminal Justice in Massachusetts

The Public's View

MassINC
MassINC’s report Criminal Justice in Massachusetts: Putting Crime Control First, posed a simple question: “What policies would reduce crime?” For answers, we turned to nationally recognized crime policy expert Mark Kleiman of UCLA (formerly of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government) and his colleagues at BOTEC Analysis Corporation. The report offered a comprehensive read more
Topic(s): Criminal Justice, Public Opinion, Research

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