MEMORANDUM

INTERESTED PARTIES

FROM:

GLEN BOLGER

RE:

SOUTH DAKOTA STATEWIDE SURVEY: KEY FINDINGS MEMO ON

TEACHER PAY

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TO:

DATE:

JANUARY 11, 2016

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Methodology
Public Opinion Strategies conducted a statewide survey of 500 likely voters in South Dakota. The survey
was conducted by landline and cell phone, using live interviewers, December 3-6, 2015. Thirty percent
(30%) of interviews were conducted with cell phone respondents. The margin of error for this survey is
+4.38% in 95 out of 100 cases.

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Key Findings
1.
South Dakota voters overwhelmingly believe teachers in the state deserve a pay raise, and a
solid majority favor increasing the state sales tax, with the money going to increase teacher
salaries.

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A whopping 86% of voters say teachers in South Dakota deserve a pay raise, while just 11% say
they do not.

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Nearly three-in-four voters (71%) say they favor an increase of a half cent in the state sales tax to
increase teacher salaries, including 54% who strongly favor such a proposal. Just 26% oppose it.
Among key subgroups:
Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Republicans, 72% of Independents, and 76% of Democrats
favor the proposal.

Strong majorities back the proposal in both East River (72%) and West River (70%).

Voters of all ideological stripes back the proposal, including 66% of conservatives, 74%
of moderates, and 87% of liberals.

Turning Questions Into Answers.

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214 N. Fayette Street Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone (703) 836-7655 Fax (703) 836-8117
E-Mail: glen@pos.org www.pos.org

South Dakota Survey Key Findings Memo

January 11, 2016
Page 2 of 2

2.

On the issue of increasing teacher pay through a sales tax increase, there is little difference
among South Dakota Republican voters by both GOP presidential primary preference and
partisan intensity.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Republicans who support Ted Cruz favor the proposal.

Six-in-ten (61%) of those who back Marco Rubio favor the proposal.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Donald Trump voters favor increasing teacher pay through a
sales tax increase.

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Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Ben Carson voters back the proposal to increase teacher pay
through an increase in the state sales tax.

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Sixty-three percent (63%) of strong Republicans favor the proposal, and 76% of soft
Republicans back it as well.

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The Bottom Line

South Dakota voters overwhelmingly say teachers in the state deserve a pay raise. And, despite the
conservative tilt of the Mount Rushmore State, there is one tax increase that a large majority of voters can
support: a half cent sales tax increase to go toward increasing the pay of South Dakotas teachers.
Bipartisan majorities and voters across the ideological spectrum back the proposal, as do voters across the
state.

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Interestingly, despite the varying appeals and ideological bona fides of the Republican presidential
candidates, their Republican supporters in South Dakota back the teacher pay increase proposal at similar
clips.