Thinking Minnesota Thinking Minnesota Poll Archives

After 250 years of nationhood, do Minnesotans believe it’s a country worth celebrating?

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2026 issue of Thinking Minnesota magazine. More Minnesotans are feeling the pinch as state spending, taxes, and the basics of living keep rising,…

Minnesota has a fraud problem.” That’s what Andrew Luger, former U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, said as he finished his term. As the weeks and months went by and more state-run…

Applying the DOGE lens to the state budget. Which do you want first, the good news or the bad news about the state budget? How about the bad news: We…

A lot has been written about the polarization of American politics in the era of Pres. Donald Trump. The left suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome, or TDS, and the right…

As Minnesota extends its nation-leading streak of voting for the Democratic presidential nominee to 52 years, political and cultural observers would be remiss to ignore a shifting undercurrent that gave…

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon has a problem. Too many Minnesotans don’t trust the election system he manages. According to the latest Thinking Minnesota Poll, nearly one in four…

Summer is usually a time of celebration. Graduations, weddings, vacations — new beginnings abound, and the possibilities are endless. In Minnesota, the lakes are full of fishermen and pleasure-seekers, and…

There is a persistent disconnect between the rosy picture of Minnesota painted by state leaders such as Gov. Tim Walz and the cold, hard data from respondents to this quarter’s…

Thinking Minnesota magazine conducted our very first poll back in August 2018, asking national polling firm Meeting Street Insights to survey 500 Minnesotans with 25 questions about education, crime, and…

Most Minnesotans disapprove of the Walz/DFL legislative agenda.

When entertainers, advertisers or politicians want to know if an idea will be well-received by mainstream America, they ask the question, “Will it play in Peoria?”

Gauging the attitudes that drive Minnesota voters.

Disquieted voters have flipped the script on the state’s usually sunny disposition as they prepare to head to the polls this fall.

Minnesotans are losing confidence in their public school classrooms.

Most Minnesotans believe that biased reporting contributes to our polarized political culture.

Minnesotans want Walz to use the surplus for tax cuts, a rebate, and paying state debt.

Why Minnesotans will be well-served to learn the true costs of their favorite energy sources before forming opinions on renewable energy.

Minnesotans trust the police, avoid Minneapolis, and increasingly blame Gov. Tim Walz for rising crime.

Young voters skew strikingly more liberal on a variety of issues.

Minnesotans reject higher taxes by wide margins.

The Poll: Minnesotans worry about personal safety.

Minnesotans support cops. Expect reform.

Even with compelling evidence that student performance is slipping, Minnesotans still love their schools.

Minnesotans have little appetite for California’s vehicle standards.

Minnesotans aren’t particularly disturbed by how badly their state functions.

The interests, values and policy preferences of most Greater Minnesota residents are at odds with the liberal agenda coming out of St. Paul.

Walz’s policy agenda faces stiff opposition.

The Politics of beer

Minnesotans want to think beyond the policies of the Dayton administration, especially about taxes and spending.

With assurances, Minnesotans embrace mining.

Amid profound partisan rifts, Minnesotans upend conventional wisdom with a strong and universal preference for the value of a tech school education.