Study: Voters unsure new gov. will boost economy

PROVIDENCE – Focus group research conducted by the American Democracy Project at Rhode Island College shows that voters are not confident their next governor will improve the state’s economic outlook.

American Democracy Project researchers asked Rhode Island voters to participate in a post-gubernatorial debate focus group session on Oct. 30. Groups included a millennial focus group, comprised of the state’s youngest voters to determine how their responses to candidate performance differed from other voter groups.

Audience feedback about the 2014 gubernatorial race between Republican Allan Fung and Democrat Gina Raimondo showed that citizens feel a “sense of fatigue” about the gubernatorial campaign, and that a majority of citizens feel a sense of cynicism about candidates and the campaign process.

Feedback also showed that citizens will vote on Tuesday for their favored candidate, but are skeptical about the new governor’s ability to increase the availability of jobs in Rhode Island or improve the state’s economic outlook.

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Audience feedback about the Oct. 30 debate also included:

  • Millennials felt that Raimondo and Fung lacked transparency in their answers and said that, as a result, they find it more difficult to trust either candidate.
  • Several participants stated the debate left them unsettled.
  • Nearly every participant agreed that the candidates failed to add anything new to discussion on the issues and resorted to scripted answers during the debate.
  • Participants felt scripted responses during the debate blurred the voters’ decision-making process.
  • Participants felt that candidate performances during the debate did not offer a clear sense of personal traits while off camera or a clear sense of how the candidates would govern.

“Unlike other focus groups ADP at RIC has conducted for past gubernatorial races, this year was unusual in that there was a consistent sense of pessimism about the entire political process, including faith in the candidates’ ability to improve the economy and effect positive change,” Val Endress, associate professor of communication and director of the ADP at RIC, said in a statement.

Focus research was led by Endress and Kay Israel, associate professor of communication and associate director of the ADP at RIC. The research team included nine undergraduate students who served as facilitators for the focus groups and helped to compile research results.

“Feelings of frustration seemed evident across the focus groups,” Israel said. “The participants’ candidate preference differed, but their cynicism was uniform across party lines.”

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