Initiated in October 1994, Michigan State University's State of the State Survey is the only survey conducted in Michigan designed to systematically monitor the public mood on important issues in major regions of the state. SOSS is administered by the Institute for Public Policy & Social Research's Office for Survey Research.
SOSS is a phone and online public opinion survey of Michigan adults.
The major goals of SOSS are to provide:
- Citizen opinion on timely issues.
- Data for scientific and policy research.
- Information and program evaluation for organizations, nonprofit groups and university faculty and administrators.
- Survey research methodology.
- Opportunities for student training and research
Core Questions
Each round of SOSS includes a set of basic demographic, economic, and political questions. These "core" questions provide a standard set of background variables and allow researchers to monitor change in the economic and political orientations of Michigan.
Demographic
- Age
- Ethnicity and Race
- Gender
- Marital Status
- Religion
- Education Level
- Employment
- Income
- Union Membership
- Place of Residence
- County
Economic
- Business Conditions
- Employment Situation
- Present, Future, and Past Financial Situation
Political
- Political Ideology
- Political Party Identification
- Approval of the President
- Approval of the Governor
- Most Important Community Problem (Winter rounds only)
- Trust in Government (Winter rounds only)
- Most Important Government Issue (Winter rounds only)