Every year a Citizen Poll is conducted at Missouri Boys State. The questions address basic current event issues that face Missouri's youth. Below are the results of this year's poll along with previous years to see the trends on different opinions.
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2006 |
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2007 |
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2008 |
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2009 |
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2010 |
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2011 |
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2012 |
1 |
Should Missouri continue to use the death penalty? |
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Yes |
66% |
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68% |
|
71% |
|
65% |
|
60% |
|
47% |
|
62% |
|
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No |
21% |
|
22% |
|
20% |
|
18% |
|
20% |
|
38% |
|
21% |
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Undecided |
13% |
|
9% |
|
9% |
|
17% |
|
16% |
|
15% |
|
17% |
2 |
Do you think the United States should maintain a military presence in Iraq? |
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Yes |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
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45% |
|
35% |
|
no data |
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No |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
35% |
|
44% |
|
no data |
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Undecided |
no data |
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no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
18% |
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20% |
|
no data |
3 |
Do you think the United States should maintain a military presence in Afghanistan? |
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Yes |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
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52% |
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41% |
|
40% |
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No |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
27% |
|
37% |
|
39% |
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Undecided |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
19% |
|
22% |
|
21% |
4 |
Should the use of marijuana for medical purposes be legalized? |
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Yes |
49% |
|
41% |
|
43% |
|
45% |
|
41% |
|
42% |
|
46% |
|
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No |
38% |
|
42% |
|
43% |
|
34% |
|
42% |
|
48% |
|
45% |
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Undecided |
13% |
|
17% |
|
13% |
|
21% |
|
14% |
|
10% |
|
9% |
5 |
Should the drinking age be lowered to 18? |
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Yes |
39% |
|
39% |
|
34% |
|
34% |
|
35% |
|
31% |
|
30% |
|
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No |
54% |
|
54% |
|
61% |
|
53% |
|
55% |
|
64% |
|
63% |
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Undecided |
7% |
|
7% |
|
5% |
|
14% |
|
7% |
|
6% |
|
7% |
6 |
Should abortion continue to be legal? |
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Yes |
32% |
|
32% |
|
35% |
|
32% |
|
33% |
|
34% |
|
34% |
|
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No |
56% |
|
58% |
|
55% |
|
51% |
|
52% |
|
54% |
|
51% |
|
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Undecided |
11% |
|
10% |
|
10% |
|
18% |
|
12% |
|
12% |
|
15% |
7 |
Do you think federal or state governments should provide funding for abortions? |
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Yes |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
9% |
|
9% |
|
9% |
|
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No |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
78% |
|
81% |
|
77% |
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Undecided |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
11% |
|
10% |
|
13% |
8 |
Do you think the government should provide funding for stem cell research? |
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Yes |
72% |
|
47% |
|
50% |
|
no data |
|
49% |
|
50% |
|
58% |
|
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No |
21% |
|
38% |
|
33% |
|
no data |
|
33% |
|
34% |
|
25% |
|
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Undecided |
7% |
|
15% |
|
18% |
|
no data |
|
15% |
|
17% |
|
18% |
9 |
Should student [End of Course Testing] MAP scores affect their school’s funding from the state government? |
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Yes |
31% |
|
31% |
|
22% |
|
27% |
|
33% |
|
40% |
|
43% |
|
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No |
56% |
|
57% |
|
70% |
|
52% |
|
50% |
|
48% |
|
44% |
|
|
Undecided |
13% |
|
12% |
|
9% |
|
21% |
|
14% |
|
12% |
|
13% |
10 |
Should the U.S. require some sort of mandatory public service (Peace/AmeriCorps, etc?) |
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Yes |
no data |
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no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
27% |
|
36% |
|
23% |
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No |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
53% |
|
47% |
|
56% |
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Undecided |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
17% |
|
17% |
|
22% |
11 |
Generally, how do you classify your political opinions? |
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Conservative |
39% |
|
39% |
|
46% |
|
41% |
|
45% |
|
40% |
|
40% |
|
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Moderate |
41% |
|
44% |
|
37% |
|
43% |
|
37% |
|
47% |
|
46% |
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Liberal |
20% |
|
16% |
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17% |
|
16% |
|
15% |
|
14% |
|
14% |
12 |
What should the primary focus of the STATE government be right now? |
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Education |
no data |
|
no data |
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72% |
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no data |
|
77% |
|
81% |
|
82% |
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Public Services |
no data |
|
no data |
|
19% |
|
no data |
|
9% |
|
10% |
|
7% |
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Infrastructure (road, bridges, etc.) |
no data |
|
no data |
|
9% |
|
no data |
|
11% |
|
9% |
|
10% |
13 |
What should the second focus of the STATE government be right now? |
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Education |
no data |
|
no data |
|
21% |
|
no data |
|
17% |
|
15% |
|
15% |
|
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Public Services |
no data |
|
no data |
|
51% |
|
no data |
|
38% |
|
48% |
|
45% |
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Infrastructure (road, bridges, etc.) |
no data |
|
no data |
|
29% |
|
no data |
|
41% |
|
37% |
|
40% |
14 |
What should the primary focus of the Federal government be right now? |
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National Security |
no data |
|
no data |
|
17% |
|
no data |
|
18% |
|
15% |
|
14% |
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Economy |
no data |
|
no data |
|
69% |
|
no data |
|
68% |
|
79% |
|
80% |
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Health Care |
no data |
|
no data |
|
14% |
|
no data |
|
12% |
|
6% |
|
6% |
15 |
What should the second focus of the Federal government be right now? |
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National Security |
no data |
|
no data |
|
33% |
|
no data |
|
45% |
|
44% |
|
45% |
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Economy |
no data |
|
no data |
|
25% |
|
no data |
|
23% |
|
17% |
|
17% |
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Health Care |
no data |
|
no data |
|
42% |
|
no data |
|
29% |
|
39% |
|
37% |
16 |
What is the most important political issue to you? |
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Economy |
no data |
|
no data |
|
47% |
|
no data |
|
52% |
|
58% |
|
67% |
|
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National Security |
no data |
|
no data |
|
13% |
|
no data |
|
16% |
|
11% |
|
11% |
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Immigration |
no data |
|
no data |
|
6% |
|
no data |
|
5% |
|
8% |
|
6% |
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Energy |
no data |
|
no data |
|
25% |
|
no data |
|
15% |
|
18% |
|
11% |
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Health Care |
no data |
|
no data |
|
9% |
|
no data |
|
9% |
|
5% |
|
5% |
17 |
Which form of alternative energy should the U.S. apply its resources to? |
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Solar |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
39% |
|
40% |
|
44% |
|
|
Nuclear |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
25% |
|
28% |
|
25% |
|
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Wind |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
14% |
|
17% |
|
17% |
| |
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Clean Coal |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
4% |
|
5% |
|
6% |
| |
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Ethanol |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
15% |
|
11% |
|
8% |
18 |
Should the federal government mandate health care for all citizens? |
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Yes |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
27% |
|
17% |
|
|
No |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
52% |
|
66% |
|
|
Undecided |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
21% |
|
16% |
19 |
What do you think is the most effective measure in dealing with the issue of illegal immigration? |
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More border security |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
48% |
|
33% |
|
29% |
|
|
Sanctions against employers |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
9% |
|
14% |
|
11% |
|
|
Pathway to citizenship |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
24% |
|
29% |
|
37% |
| |
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Employee sponsorship program |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
4% |
|
4% |
|
5% |
| |
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Increased enforcement of current laws |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
12% |
|
20% |
|
18% |
20
|
If the presidential election were held today, how would you vote? |
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Definately Barack Obama |
no data
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|
no data
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|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
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|
no data
|
|
17%
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Probably Barack Obama |
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
15%
|
|
|
Undecided |
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
28%
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Probably Mitt Romney |
no data
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|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
20%
|
|
|
Definately Mitt Romney |
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
no data
|
|
19%
|
21 |
Should the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (National health care reform law): |
|
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Stand as is |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
22% |
|
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Be repealed completely |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
45% |
|
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Only the Individual Mandate should be repealed |
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
no data |
|
32% |
