FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - For the third consecutive year, researchers at the University of Arkansas are conducting the Arkansas Poll - a random sample telephone survey of adult Arkansans on political and policy issues. Results from the poll will be released to the media statewide on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

"As a research institution, the University of Arkansas has a responsibility to inform and serve not just its students but all citizens of this state," said Janine Parry, assistant professor of political science and director of the poll. "Now in its third year, the Arkansas Poll not only reflects and records the political climate in Arkansas, but it’s also beginning to impact that climate by improving communication between citizens and policymakers and by identifying critical issues for the state."

According to Parry, this year’s poll contains more than 50 questions and addresses three such critical issues: environmental policy, health care reform and the role of women in public office. One question will also ask if respondents favor legalizing the medical use of marijuana. That’s an issue made especially pertinent due to a petition on the subject currently circulating around the state, said Will Miller, associate professor of political science.

In past years, the Arkansas Poll has collected public opinion data relating to affirmative action, property and sales taxes, abortion, educational issues and perceptions of the electoral process. In addition to asking questions about such key topics, each survey collects demographic information, party affiliation and approval ratings of various public figures. It also records information about quality of life throughout the state.

Although researchers in the department of political science design the poll each year - often in collaboration with scholars in other fields - it’s the UA Survey Research Center that collects the data. Using a computer-aided telephone interviewing (CATI) system, trained interviewers place thousands of calls in order to obtain 750 completed surveys. Each respondent must be at least 18 years old and a citizen of Arkansas. The survey takes 15-20 minutes to complete.

As the survey proceeds, answers are entered directly into a computer. Such direct input creates an immediately-accessible database, which "gives researchers a head start in the effort to comprehensively analyze large amounts of data in a short time," according to Molly Longstreth, director of the Survey Research Center.

The researchers are particularly interested to see the results of this year’s poll because each of the three key issues has a direct impact on quality of life in the state. For example, Kenneth Hansen - assistant professor of political science, who designed the questions on environmental policy - explained that protecting the environment is not just important for the aesthetics of the state; it’s also critical for the economy.

"Tourism and recreation account for a good portion of Arkansas’ annual revenue, which means that, to some extent, the state relies on its natural beauty to bring in money. People should be concerned about preserving the environment if only for that," Hansen said. "But many of the other benefits of protecting the environment are less tangible. If you like hunting and fishing or just being outdoors, then the way that we manage our natural resources matters."

By recording Arkansans’ views on such issues and by documenting their perceptions of public officials and quality of life, the Arkansas Poll serves the state in multiple ways. First, and most obviously, it generates a yearly record of public opinion - a database that scholars can use for decades to come, not just to examine political sentiment but also to identify social trends or to provide context around historical events.

The comprehensive nature of the survey can reveal correlations between political views and other variables (such as gender or income level). And as the poll continues to collect data year after year, it will enable scholars to track political and social trends over the long term. According to Parry, such patterns should begin to be apparent within the next three or four years.

Secondly, results from the Arkansas Poll offer public officials and policymakers a glimpse into the values and concerns of their constituents. Such insight can help the state government better serve its citizens and more effectively represent their views.

"A central tenet of representative democracy is accountability. Ideally, we want informed and engaged people to communicate with their informed an engaged elected leaders and vice versa," Parry explained. "But a central problem of modern governments is that, even with all our high-speed communication technology, policymakers often feel they are not getting ample feedback from a wide cross-section of their constituents. Polls - when designed, conducted and reported conscientiously - can facilitate this relationship."

Finally, the Arkansas Poll acts as a voice for citizens throughout the state - an opportunity for individuals to give their opinions and feel confident that their needs, their values, their concerns have truly been heard.

It is a service that takes on added meaning this year. Previously, the Arkansas Poll had been funded through the University of Arkansas Graduate School. This year, funding comes from the congressionally endowed Diane D. Blair Center for Southern Politics and Culture.

"We’re particularly grateful to be able to continue our measurement of Arkansas political attitudes in honor of Professor Blair," Parry said. "Her watershed book on Arkansas politics addressed the question of whether or not 'the people rule’ in this state. While she concluded that historically they have not, she backed this project in its early years as an important tool in improving the link between our state’s citizens and their policymakers."

Results of the 2001 Arkansas Poll as well as results from the 1999 and 2000 polls will be available on-line at http://plsc.uark.edu/arkpoll/.