Political turmoil tops list of concerns in Colorado
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Ask Colorado residents to identify the most important issue facing the state, and you'll learn political turmoil tops the list.
Why it matters: That concern significantly exceeded other issues in a newly released bipartisan survey from the Colorado Health Foundation and demonstrates how politics is at the root of other problems.
State of play: One-third of residents are concerned about politics and government, with the bulk of respondents criticizing the Trump administration and Republican leadership in the nation's capital, the survey found.
- The next two most-pressing concerns in the open-ended question were cost of living (13%) and housing affordability (10%).
- The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 3.07 percentage points.
By the numbers: Concern about politics tripled from a year ago, when it registered as the top issue for just 11% of respondents.
What they're saying: The foundation's Katie Peshek said the numbers reflect a shift in people blaming concerns, such as housing affordability and the economy, on dysfunctional politics.
- Lori Weigel, a Republican who co-led the poll, echoed that sentiment. "Many are feeling very uncertain, and the concerns that respondents have been expressing over the past several years have not gone away," she said.
Between the lines: As more people feel hopeless about politics, they don't see a path to change.
- A plurality considered volunteering for social causes, writing elected leaders, and speaking at public meetings as ineffective.
The bottom line: "Trust in government has eroded and people don't have confidence that their efforts to influence government will make a difference," Weigel said.