ST. GEORGE — Utah political leaders often hold up “the Utah way” of doing politics as more civil, collaborative and welcoming. But a recent study found that Utahns are just as divided along partisan lines as people across the country.
The study, conducted by Utah Valley University’s Center for Constitutional Studies, surveyed more than 5,000 Americans — including 1,000 Utahns — and found a high level of political animosity in Utah and the U.S., along with an unwillingness to compromise or work with the opposing side.
Researchers also said Utahns were “mixed” on support for democratic norms, although Utahns generally were more supportive of norms than Americans as a whole.
“The research shows how this divide has caused Utahns to be mixed in their support of basic democratic norms,” said Jay DeSart, chairman of the school’s history and political science department. “While a majority support freedom of speech and the right of peaceful protest, other principles appeared to be more tenuous, such as the rule of law and the necessity of elected leaders to work within the normal limits of rules and procedures.”
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Written by BRIDGER BEAL-CVETKO, KSL.com.
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