WASHINGTON, March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As
partisan gridlock plagues Washington, Americans are increasingly looking
to state and local institutions for innovative approaches to
solving the country's most pressing challenges, according to poll
results released today by The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) and
National Journal.
The 22nd quarterly Allstate/National Journal
Heartland Monitor Poll explores Americans' experiences and
attitudes toward their local communities in comparison to the rest
of the country. The poll is part of The Next
Economy series, a seven-year partnership between Allstate
and Atlantic Media, of which National Journal is a part.
The survey reveals an American public that is confident about
their own local ingenuity, with 69 percent of Americans believing
that new ideas and solutions to the country's challenges are more
likely to come from state and local institutions compared to just
22 percent who believe that they will come from national
institutions.
A majority of Americans (64 percent) think more headway is being
made at the state and local level compared to the national level
(26 percent). Two-in-three Americans (66 percent) believe that
state and local institutions are more equipped to improve the way
we educate people. More than six-in-ten Americans (63 percent) also
believe that state and local institutions are better at finding new
ways to provide opportunities for the disadvantaged and creating
new jobs than national institutions.
National institutions came out on top only with "finding new
ways to save energy and improve the environment" with 51 percent of
respondents saying that national entities will do a better job
compared to 43 percent at the state and local level, according to
poll results.
"These results resonate with what we have found while out
reporting for The Next Economy--Americans are taking the
country's problems into their own hands and solving them through
innovation at the local level," said Atlantic Media Editorial
Director Ron Brownstein. "While
faith has clearly eroded in national institutions and Americans
remain uncertain about the direction of the country overall, the
public displays much more confidence in the direction of their
local community, and the capacity of local institutions to address
the major challenges facing the nation."
"These poll results confirm what we've always known at Allstate,
which is that great ideas start at the local level," said
Tom Clarkson, president, West
Territory, Allstate Personal Lines. "As a network of small
businesses, we see the impact of creative, local problem solving
first-hand. Communities are getting stronger and coming back, due
to the energy of local individuals, businesses, and
institutions."
The poll found that Americans believe local institutions provide
the best opportunities for revitalizing local economies.
Specifically, 89 percent of respondents believe that investments by
local businesses would be most beneficial to address challenges
facing their local area. And, as for job growth, 62 percent
said they see local businesses as more likely than national
businesses, government, or non-profit groups to provide the best
job opportunities.
Americans are also ready to move beyond "tried and tested"
approaches to local challenges and are instead looking for more
innovative approaches. By a wide margin, 71 percent say they prefer
"trying new ideas and solutions, even if the outcomes may be
uncertain" compared to 20 percent who prefer "relying on tried and
tested ideas and solutions, even if it means a lack of new
thinking."
Respondents also believe that they have greater ability today to
drive this change. More than half (53 percent) say that, compared
to 10 years ago, their personal resources like time and money allow
them to make an impact in their local area. However, despite these
resources, a plurality of Americans (44 percent) believe that
average people have less influence on their local areas than 10
years ago.
Survey Methodology
Since April
2009, the Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor
Polls have explored Americans' personal financial experiences,
their views on the financial system, and their opinion of how the
federal government's budget situation impacts their personal
finances. The most recent Allstate/National Journal
Heartland Monitor national poll was conducted by FTI Consulting,
from February 18-22, 2015, among
N=1,000 American adults age 18+, with 500 reached via landline and
500 reached via cell phone. The Denver polling was conducted February 22-25, 2015. The margin of error for
survey is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
About Allstate Corporation
The Allstate Corporation
(NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines
insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's
uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered
through its Allstate, Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial
brand names. Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In
Good Hands With Allstate®." The Allstate brand's network of small
businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and
services to customers in the United
States and Canada. In 2014,
The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners
gave $34 million to support local
communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 200,000
hours of service across the country.
About National Journal Group
National Journal
Group (NJG) is a premium provider of essential insights, analysis,
and solutions for those operating in Washington's policy and government
arenas. The brand currently reaches an audience of over 3
million through its editorial products, including
NationalJournal.com, Hotline, National
Journal, the magazine, and National Journal
Daily. In addition, NJG serves 700 of Washington's top organizations through its
robust Membership Services, and convenes the nation's top leaders
at its 75 widely attended live events each year.
Tim Hartman is the Chief
Executive Officer, Tim Grieve is
President and Editor-in-Chief and Poppy
MacDonald serves as President and Publisher. National
Journal Group is a division of Atlantic Media.
About The Next Economy
The Next Economy is
based on a core idea: Even in the face of a political stalemate at
the national level, our country has not lost its capacity for
self-renewal. Founded in 2009, the program uses print, digital and
live platforms to highlight how America is adapting to the changing
economy, with a special focus on spotlighting local innovation
driving progress in communities around the country. Combining
editorial, events and the Heartland Monitor Poll, The Next
Economy is available at
NationalJournal.com/next-economy.
About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE:
FCN) is a global business advisory
firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance
enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and
economic environment. With more than 4,400 employees located in 26
countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients
to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges
in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and
acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic
communications and restructuring. The company generated
$1.76 billion in revenues during
fiscal year 2014. For more information, visit
www.fticonsulting.com and connect with us on Twitter
(@FTIConsulting), Facebook and LinkedIn.
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SOURCE The Allstate Corporation