Introduction & Methodology
From September 10 to 18, 2019, DHM Research and ReputationUs conducted a survey of Oregonians to assess their experiences and opinions about cybersecurity and corporate reputation.
Research Methodology: The online survey consisted of 562 adults in Oregon and took approximately 12 minutes to complete. This is a sufficient sample size to assess opinions generally and to review findings by multiple subgroups.
Respondents were members of a professionally maintained online panel. Panelists are recruited randomly by telephone. Once becoming members of the panel, they are surveyed on a monthly basis about civic, social and cultural affairs.
A variety of quality control measures were employed, including questionnaire pre-testing and validation. A combination of quotas and weighting by age, gender, area of state, and education were used to match the demographic makeup of Oregon’s adult population.
Statement of Limitations: Any sampling of opinions or attitudes is subject to a margin of error. The margin of error is a standard statistical calculation that represents differences between the sample and total population at a confidence interval, or probability, calculated to be 95%. This means that there is a 95% probability that the sample taken for this study would fall within the stated margin of error if compared with the results achieved from surveying the entire population. The margin of error for this survey is ±4.1%.
DHM Research Background: DHM Research has been providing opinion research and consultation throughout the Pacific Northwest and other regions of the United States for over 40 years. The firm is nonpartisan and independent and specializes in research projects to support public policy making.
Oregonians are increasingly victims of cyberattacks and online fraud.
- To provide context to Oregonians’ experiences, the survey started by asking a series of questions from a national study conducted by Pew Research in 2017. There are striking increases in negative experiences over the last two years.
- 73% of Oregonians now report that they been notified that their personal information, such as an account number, has been compromised. In 2017, just 35% of Americans reported that this had happened to them.
- 56% of Oregonians say that they have noticed fraudulent charges on their debit or credit cards, an increase from 41% in the 2017 study.
- And 41% of Oregonians have received a notice that their Social Security number has been compromised. Just 15% of Americans had reported this happening in 2017.
Oregonians believe banks and healthcare providers protect their customers’ personal information. They find internet and cell phone providers the least trusted.
- 84% of Oregonians are at least “somewhat confident” that their bank effectively protects their personal financial information, and 74% are similarly confident that their healthcare provider will protect their medical information. However, this confidence is not absolute. Much smaller percentages say that they are “very” confident in their banks and healthcare providers (33% and 22% respectfully).
- Oregonians have less confidence in the internet (50%) and cell phone (48%) providers.
When companies are hit by cyberattacks, Oregonians are likely to hold the companies partially responsible.
- Survey respondents were given the following scenario: a large corporation is a victim of a cyberattack that exposed their customers’ financial and personal information. They were then asked to allocate responsibility to the corporation and the hacker. Oregonians said the corporation shared 46% of the responsibility and the hacker 54%.
Companies that are not able to keep personal information secure are at risk of losing their customers.
- More than four in ten Oregonians said that it is “very unlikely” that they would remain a customer of a company—even one that they had been loyal to—if their personal information was stolen to: set up a fake credit card account (48%); shared on the internet (43%); or caused their credit score to decline (41%).
Helping cyberattack victims understand their risk is important when communicating about cyberattacks.
- 70% of Oregonians said that they would be more concerned if their bank or credit union information were “one of hundred” stolen in a cyberattack, compared to 19% who said they would be more concerned if their account information was “one of thousands” stolen.
- Oregonians would also be more concerned by an attack from an American cybercriminal (49%) than by an attack carried out by a foreign government (33%).
Companies that communicate the steps they are taking to upgrade their security procedures are more trusted than those that stay silent about attacks and their security.
- Oregonians in this survey were asked which they would trust more to protect their personal information: a large business that was a cyberattack victim but responded by upgrading its security procedures, or a large business than never said whether or not they have been a victim of a cyberattack. By a margin of 60% to 8%, Oregonians said they would have more trust in a business that was attacked and upgraded their systems than a business that kept quiet about the attack.
- An overwhelming 96% of Oregonians would prefer a corporation acknowledge a cyberattack and offer free credit monitoring even if there was no evidence that their personal information was stolen, rather than the corporation not say anything about the attack so as to not unnecessarily worry their customers.
- Given the fact cyberattacks are on the rise, and most Oregonians have some experience of being a victim, they are likely to assume that large businesses are under threat. This result indicates that rather than trying to minimize or be silent about an attack, a more effective approach for businesses is to acknowledge the threat, be upfront about incidents, and aggressively communicate about what they are doing to continually enhance customer safety.
Oregonians do not want companies or their local governments to pay ransoms to cybercriminals.
- In the last few years, there have been high-profile cyberattacks on businesses and local governments. The criminals freeze access to files and records and demand a ransom to unlock them. The City of Baltimore was locked out of much of their computer systems for weeks, and paid $18 million to rebuild their system, rather than paying a $75,000 ransom demand.
- Oregonians were asked what they would like their local government and their bank to do if they experience this kind of attack. A strong majority do not want their local government (73%) or bank (66%) to pay the ransom.
Press Release: New Study Reveals Impact of Cyberattacks on Consumer Confidence, Corporate Reputation
PORTLAND, Ore., October 3, 2019 — ReputationUs (RepUs) and DHM Research released results from a first-of-its-kind study during Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October) that examines the effects of cyberattacks on corporate reputation and consumer confidence. The study, conducted in September 2019, surveyed 562 adults in Oregon. Complete details about the survey, including an analysis of the findings and a list of key insights are available at ReputationUs.com/CyberSurvey and DHMresearch.com/CyberSurvey.
According to the study, consumers trust banks/credit unions, private companies and health care providers most to protect their personal information (e.g., financial, medical). However, if a cyberattack is mishandled, these organizations potentially face a significant loss of customers. The study also substantiates the importance of communications, transparency, and proactively offering customer credit monitoring during and after a cyberattack.
“While consumers hold organizations to high standards, they also understand that cyberattacks do occur,” said Casey Boggs, president of RepUs, a firm specializing in reputation management and cybersecurity preparations. “The key to mitigate against the impact of an attack is proper planning and knowing customers’ expectations in advance.”
“The vast majority of survey participants (73%) indicated that they have had their personal information compromised,” added John Horvick, client relations and political director at DHM Research. “Consumers are increasingly anxious to know more about what companies are doing protect their personal information. Companies that communicate about cyber risks, and how they are protecting customer information, are the most trusted.”
Cybersecurity and Reputation: By the Numbers
- 54% Hacker Vs. 46% Corporation – Who’s to blame if a company is hacked.
- Consumer confidence level by industry to protect private information:
- 84% – Bank/Credit Union
- 74% – Health Care Provider
- 66% – Health Insurance Provider
- 64% – Credit Card Company
- 50% – Internet Provider
- 48% – Mobile Phone Provider
- 96% – Consumers believe companies should publicly acknowledge an attack occurred and offer free credit monitoring for one year, even if there is no evidence that information was stolen.
- Who’s most trustworthy to protect personal information from a cyberattack:
- 44% – Private Company
- 15% – Federal Government
- 13% – Publicly Traded Company
- 60% – Consumers trust a large business that was recently victim of a cyberattack and then upgraded its security procedures after the attack.
- 8% – Consumers trust a corporation that has never said whether it has been a cyberattack victim.
- 48% – Consumers are very unlikely to remain a customer after a cyberattack if the stolen data was used to illegally set-up a credit card in their name.
- 41% – Consumers are very unlikely to remain a customer if their credit score decreased because of stolen information.
- 43% – Consumers are very unlikely to remain a customer if their personal and financial information was shared on the Internet for others to steal.
About ReputationUs
ReputationUs is a firm specializing in reputation management and cybersecurity support for mid- to large-sized businesses and nonprofits. The firm partners with organizations across the United States to closely assess reputations, deliver supportive communications strategies and provide collaborative communication support to enhance, advance and protect their valuable reputations. More information is available at ReputationUs.com.
About DHM Research
DHM Research is a nonpartisan and independent public opinion and policy research firm with offices in Portland and Washington, D.C. The firm has been providing opinion research and consultation throughout the Pacific Northwest and across the United States for more than 40 years. DHM Research is a certified woman-owned minority business. More information is available at dhmresearch.com.
DOWNLOAD: New Study Reveals Impact of Cyberattacks on Consumer Confidence, Corporate Reputation
Meet Our New Project Manager
We are pleased to announce Tony Iaccarino, Ph.D., as DHM Research’s new Project Manager. Tony’s experience is wide-ranging, including regional parks and transportation, public education, affordable housing, legislative redistricting, the initiative process, tax policy, pension reform, behavioral health, and criminal sentencing. A former assistant professor of American History at Reed College, he has also served as Policy Director for both the City Club of Portland and Healthy Democracy.
Tony joined DHM in July. While his extensive policy knowledge, research skills, and communications experience have proven him to be an immense asset to our research department, his collaborative and honest nature have endeared him to the entire DHM team.
“Tony’s background and experience will allow DHM to better meet our clients needs. He brings expertise in local and state policy, refined research skills, and an ability to communicate complex information to decision-makers. We are glad to have Tony on our team, and we think you will be too,” said DHM’s Client Relations and Political Research Director, John Horvick.
Learn more about Tony.
Announcing the Launch of Our New Website
After months of hard work and dedication, we are delighted to announce the launch of our brand-new website. You can see our updated site by going to www.dhmresearch.com
The new website gives visitors better access to our project experience, client and industry updates, and company news. Our current and prospective clients will find useful information about our services and the latest findings from our research on the front page of our website.
Amongst the revamped features the site includes integrated social media buttons for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. This will improve communications and the distribution of timely and impactful research. On the website, we will constantly be updating our content with helpful information, articles, newsletters, blogs, company announcements, and client successes in the Updates section.
We hope you find the new website’s fresh look and easy-to-access information helpful and engaging.
DHM Co-presents With ODOT at International Summit
Alongside Judith Gray, Congestion Pricing Project Manager for ODOT, DHM’s CEO, Michelle Neiss, Ph.D., participated in a panel on connecting with elected officials at the IBTTA Communication and Change Management Summit.
Using their experience and findings from the recent ODOT Value Pricing study conducted by DHM, Navigating Tough Conversations About Tolling, provided ways to build strong relationships between agencies and elected officials. Michelle discussed the need for elected officials to understand any gaps between what they know and believe and what the public knows and believes, noting that research can help elected officials think through the impact on—or conversations with—different groups within their constituency. Judith led an informative and well-received talk about how her work, as an agency staff person, supports electeds making tough decisions
The International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA) is the worldwide association for the owners and operators of toll facilities and the businesses that serve them. The summit, Communication Invasion: We Are All In This Together, addressed an array of issues affecting tolling and mobility professionals’ entire workforce.
DHM Becomes a Certified B Corporation
DHM Research is proud to be a Certified B Corp. We are one of only 3,023 companies worldwide to achieve this certification. The rigorous certification process took 18 months to complete and verifies DHM’s high performance standards in social, environmental and public transparency.
“Receiving our B Corporation Certification has meant both affirming our values and becoming a part of a community of like-minded businesses. It was an awesome achievement for us, and we truly look forward to continually challenging ourselves to be better and do better for our people, our community, and the planet,” said DHM’s Chief Operating Officer, Megan Wentworth.
Certified B Corporations believe it’s time to expand how success is measured in the business world. For-profit businesses should be a force for good and collectively strive for shared and durable prosperity. Our B Corp certification documents how we’re living our values today and serves as a road map to be the best business we can be.
Learn more about DHM’s values.
DHM Panel August Survey Results
September 10, 2019
Despite abnormally dry conditions in Northwest Oregon in 2019, most of the state has so far remained free of drought. And with the exception of the Milepost 97 Fire, which burned over 13,000 acres south of Roseburg, this year’s wildfire season has been comparatively mild. But most Oregonians still expect the next ten years to bring hotter summers, increased drought, growing conflicts among water users, and a greater number of more severe wildfires.
These findings come from the August 2019 fielding of our DHM Panel. The survey was conducted from August 14 to 21, 2019, and surveyed 552 Oregonians. The results were weighted by age, gender, area of the state, political party, and level of education to ensure a representative sample of Oregonians. The margin of error for this survey is ±4.16%.
Oregonians believe summers will only get hotter.
More than three-quarters (76%) of Oregonians expect hotter summers over the next ten years. These concerns about higher temperatures are shared among Oregonians across the state, but young people, Democrats, and women are the most apprehensive. Young people ages 18–24 (100%) are more likely than their older counterparts (74%) to believe summer temperatures will increase. Democrats (99%), more so than Republicans (33%), also predict hotter summers in coming years, as do women more so than men (83%, 69%).
Oregonians are very worried about the threat of drought and believe the problem will get worse.
While most Oregonians (72%) believe there is enough water in the state to meet current needs, their optimism begins to fade when thinking about the next decade. Less than half of Oregonians (42%) are confident there will be enough water to meet future demand.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) believe Oregon will experience increased conflict between water users during the next ten years, with a slightly smaller majority (60%) worried that water quality will also decline.
Here too, concerns about water quality are felt more strongly among Democrats (83%) than Republicans (26%), among young people ages 18–24 (88%) more than their older counterparts (58%), and among women (71%) more than men (49%).
Despite these high levels of concern, only about a third of Oregonians (31%) are confident that the state’s water agencies can effectively manage water supplies during drought.
Oregonians believe that wildfires pose a serious threat and that such fires will become more frequent and severe.
While a significant minority of residents of the Portland metro area (40%) and Willamette Valley (39%) are concerned about the threat of wildfire to their communities, these concerns are much higher among residents in the rest of the state (82%). An overwhelming majority of Oregonians (85%), however, are in agreement that the number and severity of wildfires will increase—again with young people (96%), Democrats (98%), and women (95%) the most concerned.
There’s plenty of uncertainty about land management practices to minimize the threat of severe wildfires. In general, more Oregonians believe private landholders are managing their lands well (42%) than poorly (21%) when it comes to preventing wildfires, although plenty simply don’t know (22%). But Oregonians’ assessment of state and federal agencies is less complementary. Roughly one-third of Oregonians (34%) say that state government is performing well when it comes to land management to prevent wildfire, with only one-fifth (19%) believing that federal agencies are doing a good job.
Oregonians express a wide range of views when it comes to how to respond to human-caused or nature-caused wildfires in undeveloped areas of the state.
Roughly one-third (33%) of Oregonians endorse a strategy of always fighting wildfires in undeveloped areas, with nearly one-third (32%) believing authorities should lean toward fighting fires, and another third (31%) leaning toward letting fires burn. Few Oregonians think that authorities should almost certainly let fires burn (4%).
When asked to choose among the major approaches above to dealing with wildfires, older residents (44%) and Republicans (51%) prefer always fighting wildfires, Portland metro residents (39%) lean toward fighting fires, and Democrats (39%) are most likely to lean towards letting fires burn.
Most Oregonians anticipate a future with hotter summers, increased severity of drought and wildfire, and growing tensions over water resources. These concerns are widely shared across the state and are most intensely felt among Democrats, women, and young people. But while concerns about severe drought and wildfire are high, confidence in the ability of state and federal agencies to manage them are low.
DOWNLOAD: DHM Panel Blog Post September 2019: Drought & Wildfire
DHM Panel August Survey Results
August 14, 2019
As the summer comes to a close, students, families, teachers, and schools are gearing up for the new academic year. The start of a school year brings reflection, goal setting, and the opportunity for change. In this spirit, we asked Oregonians for their priorities for the state’s educational system.
These findings come from the August fielding of our DHM Panel. The survey was conducted from July 17 to 25, 2019, and surveyed 574 Oregonians. The results were weighted by age, gender, area of the state, political party, and level of education to ensure a representative sample of Oregon residents. The margin of error for this survey ranges from ±2.5% to ±4.1%.
Oregonians prioritize real-world skills and career readiness over testing.
A strong majority of Oregonians say that real-world and critical thinking skills should be top priorities for Oregon’s K–12 public education system. Nearly half prioritize career readiness and only 16% prioritize college preparedness. Preparing students for standardized testing is by far the lowest priority among those tested.
Party affiliation plays a role in the priorities that Oregonians set for Oregon’s schools. For example, Republicans (63%) are more likely to say that preparing students for careers should be a priority than Democrats (39%).
Oregonians are split on the existence of the achievement gap and favor more traditional solutions.
41% of Oregonians say that all students have the same opportunities for success regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or disability while 50% say that students have different opportunities for success based on these categories.
Party affiliation plays a significant role in the way that Oregonians’ view student opportunity for success. Republicans (83%) are more likely to say that students have the same opportunities for success than Democrats (17%). Meanwhile, Democrats (70%) are more likely to say that students have different opportunities for success than Republicans (15%).
When rating the importance of strategies aimed at closing the achievement gap, a majority of Oregonians (60%) say that it is “very important” to implement classroom behavior management strategies that hold students accountable. This is followed by English-language instruction (52%) and holding families accountable for student absenteeism and performance (49%) as the next highest rated strategies. Oregonians gave lower ratings of importance to culturally responsive strategies such as teaching to diverse learning styles (40%) and outreach to students’ families (28%).
Party affiliation is also a factor in how Oregonians view the importance of strategies to close the achievement gap. While party does not play a significant role in support for English-language instruction and family accountability, it is a driving factor in support for classroom behavior strategies. Republicans (77%) are more likely to say classroom behavior strategies are very important to close the achievement gap than Democrats (46%). Aside from the top three strategies, all other strategies are much more favored by Democrats than Republicans.
Oregonians favor additional compensation and support for teachers.
Oregonians guessed that the average starting salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree is $38,076, which was slightly higher than the actual average for the 2018–19 school year ($37,698). (http://www.osba.org/Resources/Article/Employee_Management/Salary_Survey_Book.aspx) Oregonians think that teachers should be paid 25% more, an average starting salary of $48,777.
The top three strategies that Oregonians say should be a priority for addressing the current teacher shortage are offering scholarships and student loan forgiveness to encourage careers in education (56%), providing mentorship to new teachers (48%), and offering competitive compensation (48%).
Here too, party affiliation impacts the strategies that Oregonians favor. Democrats (68%) and Independents (65%) are more likely to favor offering scholarships and student loan forgiveness than Republicans (27%). Democrats (59%) are also more likely than Republicans (28%) to favor offering competitive compensation to attract and retain teachers.
Oregonians question the value of college, are concerned about student loans, and want alternatives to traditional higher education.
In light of the continual increase in college tuition, 70% of Oregonians say that a college degree is less valuable today than it was 50 years ago. Age plays a significant role in how Oregonians view the value of a college degree, as younger Oregonians (76%) are more likely to say that a college degree is less valuable today than Oregonians who are 65 years old and over (42%).
74% of Oregonians are concerned about student loan debt in America. Party affiliation and education level plays a role in concern about student loan debt. Democrats (89%) are more likely to say they are concerned about student loan debt than Republicans (64%). Oregonians with undergraduate degrees or more (80%) and those with some college or a 2-year degree (81%) are more likely to report concern over student loan debt than Oregonians with high school diplomas or less (38%).
When rating policy proposals to address student loan debt on the national level, Oregonians largely support expanding opportunities for alternative education paths (68%). This is followed by support for lowering caps on interest rates for student loans (44%) and providing universal free public college (38%).
DOWNLOAD: DHM Panel Blog Post August 2019: Education
Published 8.2.2019
In 2018, DHM Research provided survey and focus group research for the Oregon Voices Project—the first and most rigorous statewide values and beliefs study since 2013.
The Oregon Voices Project is supported by the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts, in partnership with the Land Trust Alliance, the Yarg Foundation, and DHM Research. The project aims to identify what Oregonians care most about, how they spend their time, who they trust, and how environmental issues affect their daily lives. Preliminary findings are available at the Oregon Voices Project site, with full results expected later this year.
Through surveys and focus groups, researchers engaged a representative sample of more than 2000 Oregonians, while making a concerted and successful effort to hear from traditionally hard-to-reach groups, including rural residents, young people, and communities of color.
The work is an extension of DHM’s pioneering statewide values and beliefs research, conducted decennially since 1992. Visit the Oregon Values and Beliefs Project to learn more.
Check out the Oregon Voices Project site.
DHM Panel May Survey Results
August 1, 2019
In the past 20 years, housing production in the US has failed to keep pace with demand by approximately seven million units, with half of that underproduction accounted for by the West Coast. Currently, Oregon is one of the most unaffordable states for people to rent and own housing. (http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conferences/2018/ITED/Presentations/2A-2.MichaelWilkerson.pdf) In 2018, voters in the Portland metro region approved a $652.8 million affordable housing bond measure, one of many responses to the affordable housing crisis across the state. In May of 2019, we checked in with the Portland metro region’s residents to find out whether or not they support building more affordable housing in the area and in their own communities.
These findings come from the May 2019 fielding of our DHM Panel. The survey was conducted from May 16 to 23, 2019, and surveyed 430 residents of the Portland metro region. The results were weighted by age, gender, area of the state, political party, and level of education to ensure a representative sample of residents in the Portland metro region. The margin of error for this survey was ±4.7%. The survey questionnaire can be found at the end of this post.
While most residents consider their housing affordable, half of renters do not.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines “affordable housing” as housing that accounts for no more than 30% of a household’s income, including basic utilities. Using this calculation, most residents of the Portland metro area consider their housing situation affordable (61%). Metro residents find their housing to be slightly less affordable than Oregonians in general (69%).
Statewide, there is a significant disparity in the percentage of renters and homeowners who say their housing is affordable. While the difference is not significant in the metro area, there is still a gap between renters and homeowners.
Additionally, 36% of renters say they could not afford an emergency costing $1,000, compared to only 6% of homeowners.
Income and education have significant impacts on whether an individual living in the Portland metro area considers their housing to be affordable. Those who make less than $50,000 annually are most likely to say their housing is not affordable (54%-72%). 56% of metro residents with some college education say their housing is not affordable compared to 12% of college graduates who say the same. Income and education are also significant factors in determining whether or not residents can afford an emergency costing $1,000.
Metro residents would support building more affordable housing in their community or neighborhood.
In order to more accurately gauge residents’ support for building affordable housing, DHM asked in a split sample about perceptions of affordable housing in residents’ “community” or “neighborhood”. While the majority of metro residents said they would support building more affordable housing in both cases, the results show that word choice does matter. Metro residents are more likely to support the initiative in their “community” (75%) than in their “neighborhood” (61%).
Individuals residing in Clackamas County are less likely to support affordable housing in both their neighborhood (28%) and community (46%), while the greatest support comes from those in Multnomah County (82% and 88% respectively). Democrats are much more likely to support either option (82%, 96%) than Republicans (34%, 42%). While all renters (100%) support affordable housing in their neighborhood, 44% of homeowners do so.
Slightly fewer residents answer in favor of building affordable housing in their neighborhood when forced to choose if they would welcome affordable housing in their neighborhood. 3 in 10 feel that neighborhoods other than their own would be better suited for building more affordable housing and 12% say they don’t know.
Familiar demographic trends are also seen here, with higher support for building affordable housing in their own neighborhood coming from Multnomah County residents, Democrats, and renters. 74% of Multnomah County residents would welcome more affordable housing in their neighborhood compared to 32% of Clackamas County and 49% of Washington County residents. Democrats (78%) express stronger support than Republicans (30%) and Independents or other voters (44%). Twice as many renters (83%) as homeowners (44%) would welcome affordable housing in their neighborhood.
Metro residents prefer long-term solutions like building affordable housing.
While most metro residents are supportive of a range of reasons to build more affordable housing, the idea of a long-term investment rather than a short-term fix was a clear front-runner (84%). This reason received similar support from all demographic groups. Individuals from Multnomah County, Democrats, and renters are more supportive of the three remaining reasons than their counterparts.
Metro residents focus on the benefits rather than the concerns when it comes to building more affordable housing.
In general, Portland metro region residents agree more often with statements about potential benefits of affordable housing than with statements about potential concerns. The benefits that received the strongest agreement from residents are presented in the figure below. Less popular benefits are that more affordable housing would support local businesses and increase neighborhoods’ purchasing power (46%) and that more affordable housing would ensure that themselves and their family would be able to remain in their neighborhood in the future (51%).
Considering potential concerns, around half agree that decisions about affordable housing should not be imposed by local governments (52%) and that building more affordable housing will lower property values for existing residents (49%). Fewer residents expressed concerns about personal and family safety (36%) or agreed that their neighborhoods already have enough affordable housing (26%).
Republicans and men are more likely than their counterparts to agree that building more affordable housing will cause concerns for safety and lower property values. Republicans (90%) are also more likely than Democrats (23%) to agree that building more affordable housing should be a neighborhood decision rather than a local government decision and that their neighborhoods already have enough affordable housing (66%, as compared to 14%).
DOWNLOAD: DHM Panel Blog Post May 2019 Housing
Published 7.26.2019
DHM CEO, Michelle Neiss, Ph.D., will be presenting alongside Judith Gray, Congestion Pricing Project Manager for ODOT at the IBTTA Communication and Change Management Summit, this Monday, July 29.
Their session, Navigating Tough Conversations About Tolling, will provide attendees withsome best practices and pitfalls for engaging with elected officials based on the recent Value Pricing study conducted for ODOT by DHM.
The International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA) is the worldwide association for the owners and operators of toll facilities and the businesses that serve them. The summit, Communication Invasion: We Are All In This Together, will address an array of issues affecting tolling and mobility professionals’ entire workforce: management, operations, engineering, HR, customer service, marketing, public relations and branding. The summit runs from July 28–30, 2019, in Seattle, Washington.
DHM Panel June Survey Results
July 16, 2019
As Independence Day celebrations wrap up, DHM and others across the nation have been reflecting on what it means to be an American. We asked Oregonians for their opinions on the matters of national pride, Americanness, and citizenship to see how they compare nationally.
These findings come from the June 2019 fielding of our DHM Panel. The survey was conducted from June 12 to 18, 2019, and surveyed 604 Oregonians. The results were weighted by age, gender, area of the state, political party, and level of education to ensure a representative sample of Oregonians. The margin of error for this survey is ±4%.
Oregonians express less pride in the country than Americans in general.
Half of Oregonians say that they are proud to be American, less than the 72% that said so in a 2018 national polling. (https://news.gallup.com/poll/236420/record-low-extremely-proud-americans.aspx) Political affiliation and ethnicity are significant factors in determining national pride. Republicans are much prouder to be American than their counterparts across the state: 85% of Republicans are proud, compared to 30% of Democrats. Oregon’s residents of color are significantly more likely to say they are not proud to be an American than white residents (46% vs.17%).
Along with being less proud, Oregonians are also less nationalistic than Americans as a whole: 21% of Oregonians say the United States is better than all other countries compared to 29% nationwide in 2017. (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/30/most-americans-say-the-u-s-is-among-the-greatest-countries-in-the-world/) The remainder of Oregonians are split between saying that the US is one of the best countries (39%) or that there are other countries better than the US (36%).
Here too, political affiliation is a significant factor. Republicans (50%) are more likely than Democrats (4%) to report that the US is better than all other countries. Meanwhile, Democrats (58%) are more likely to than Republicans (4%) to say that there are other countries better than the US.
Oregonians’ outlook on freedom and equality in the US leans negative.
Since DHM’s 2015 panel, Oregonians’ outlook about the future of the United States has become less optimistic. Today, 29% of Oregonians report that the US is becoming a country with fewer personal freedoms, up from 19% in 2015. Women (36%) are more likely to anticipate declines in personal freedoms compared to men (21%). Oregonians’ outlook on equality in the US has become less optimistic as well: 25% say that the country is becoming a place with less equality, up from 14% in 2015. Democrats (40%) are more likely to report that the US is becoming a country with less equality while fewer Republicans (7%) say the same.
Civic knowledge and engagement more important to Oregonians than cultural assimilation.
According to Oregonians, the most important characteristics for being truly American are to support the principles of the Constitution, to vote, and to know American history. Clear majorities feel that legal citizenship, English language ability, sharing American customs, and supporting capitalism are important. Being born in the country and being a Christian are not important to most Oregonians.
Supporting the principles of the Constitution, voting, and knowing American history were consistently ranked as important by Oregonians regardless of demographic differences. However, the remaining six items were ranked as important much more frequently by Republicans than by their counterparts. Notably, republicans are likely to believe that being a legal citizen (99%), speaking English (96%), sharing American customs (97%), and supporting capitalism (93%) are important factors in determining Americanness while significantly smaller percentages of Democrats would agree (35-56%).
Three in ten Oregonians would fail the USIS Civics Test.
The United States Immigration Services (USIS) Civics Test is a required part of the permanent residency and naturalization processes by which someone not born in the United States can lawfully abide in the country on a long-term basis or become a citizen. Receiving a Green Card or becoming a US citizen allows individuals to access many of the rights and privileges held by natural-born citizens, including the rights to vote in local elections and to obtain government benefits. Those applying are asked ten questions from a 100-question bank as open-ended interview style questions.
As shown in the previous section, 89% of Oregonians say it is important for Americans to know the country’s history. We asked our panel ten of the questions from the 100-question bank in a multiple-choice format and 66% received a passing score of six or more correct answers. The ten questions asked are listed below, ordered from the lowest to highest percentage of Oregonians who answered correctly. Quiz yourself to see how you compare using the answer bank at the bottom of the page.
DOWNLOAD: DHM Panel Blog Post July 2019: American-ness