Poll Results
The Committee for Economic Development's commissioned survey looks at New Mexico business leaders’ perceptions about the influence of money in politics, campaign finance reform and transparency, the effects of crony capitalism on government corruption, and proposals the New Mexico State Legislature may consider to change transparency laws and campaign finance system.
250 business leaders from across the state were surveyed between January 13th and 27th. Highlights are as follows:
- 91% believe New Mexico has had a very or somewhat serious issue with the ethical behavior of state elected officials over the past 20 years; 57% think the state has had a very serious issue.
- 55% say the state’s campaign finance system needs a complete overhaul or major reform; 17% want a complete overhaul.
- 61% think New Mexico’s elected officials are more responsive to lobbyists than to voters.
- 86% said big campaign donors have at least some impact on state government corruption; 41% said they have a great deal of impact.
Many of the poll questions mentioned above were also asked in the February 2015 CED poll of New Mexico business leaders. A comparison of the 2015 and 2016 poll reveals a now-greater sense of pessimism in multiple areas. Takeaways from the two polls are as follows:
- Just 24% of business leaders feel that things in New Mexico are headed in the right direction in the 2016 study, compared to 39% of those surveyed in the February 2015 study who felt things were headed in the right direction.
- 57% believe New Mexico has had a very serious issue with the ethical behavior of state elected officials over the past 20 years; that view was shared by 44% in the February 2015 study.
- 51% of those surveyed in the 2016 study think most elected officials are looking out mostly for the needs of those who finance their campaigns rather than the needs of their constituents; 38% held that opinion in February 2015.
While poll participants expressed significant disdain for crony capitalism and other unethical behavior, they expressed equal enthusiasm for proposals to combat it. Select proposals they support the legislature enacting include:
- 89% support requiring that lobbyists make public the bills or issues for which they have been hired to advocate.
- 87% support requiring that all political contributions and expenditures from all sources be made public.
- 82% back the creation of an independent ethics commission.
The poll and its methodology can be read here. The findings come on the heels of a CED-sponsored report detailing the causes of, and solutions to, crony capitalism. Released in January in conjunction with the University of New Mexico, Crony Capitalism, Corruption, and the Economy in the State of New Mexico can be read here.
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Poll Results
The Committee for Economic Development's commissioned survey looks at New Mexico business leaders’ perceptions about the influence of money in politics, campaign finance reform and transparency, the effects of crony capitalism on government corruption, and proposals the New Mexico State Legislature may consider to change transparency laws and campaign finance system.
250 business leaders from across the state were surveyed between January 13th and 27th. Highlights are as follows:
- 91% believe New Mexico has had a very or somewhat serious issue with the ethical behavior of state elected officials over the past 20 years; 57% think the state has had a very serious issue.
- 55% say the state’s campaign finance system needs a complete overhaul or major reform; 17% want a complete overhaul.
- 61% think New Mexico’s elected officials are more responsive to lobbyists than to voters.
- 86% said big campaign donors have at least some impact on state government corruption; 41% said they have a great deal of impact.
Many of the poll questions mentioned above were also asked in the February 2015 CED poll of New Mexico business leaders. A comparison of the 2015 and 2016 poll reveals a now-greater sense of pessimism in multiple areas. Takeaways from the two polls are as follows:
- Just 24% of business leaders feel that things in New Mexico are headed in the right direction in the 2016 study, compared to 39% of those surveyed in the February 2015 study who felt things were headed in the right direction.
- 57% believe New Mexico has had a very serious issue with the ethical behavior of state elected officials over the past 20 years; that view was shared by 44% in the February 2015 study.
- 51% of those surveyed in the 2016 study think most elected officials are looking out mostly for the needs of those who finance their campaigns rather than the needs of their constituents; 38% held that opinion in February 2015.
While poll participants expressed significant disdain for crony capitalism and other unethical behavior, they expressed equal enthusiasm for proposals to combat it. Select proposals they support the legislature enacting include:
- 89% support requiring that lobbyists make public the bills or issues for which they have been hired to advocate.
- 87% support requiring that all political contributions and expenditures from all sources be made public.
- 82% back the creation of an independent ethics commission.
The poll and its methodology can be read here. The findings come on the heels of a CED-sponsored report detailing the causes of, and solutions to, crony capitalism. Released in January in conjunction with the University of New Mexico, Crony Capitalism, Corruption, and the Economy in the State of New Mexico can be read here.
View Press Release
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