Thinking Minnesota poll results show lack of support for CRT

The more Minnesotans know about CRT, the less they support it

According to the latest Thinking Minnesota poll, Minnesotans are becoming familiar with Critical Race Theory (CRT) and the more they learn about it, the more likely they are to oppose its influence in schools and the workplace. Fifty-eight percent of poll respondents were familiar with CRT and only 22% think it should be taught in public schools. Partisan divisions were evident in support for CRT with only two percent of Republicans in favor and just seven percent of Democrats against the controversial philosophy.

While Critical Race Theory does not show up by name in class lists or curriculum, it is the driving force behind the equity and inclusion movements found across the state in schools and businesses. CRT determines identity by racial groupings instead of individualism and asserts that America’s institutions are permeated by “systemic racism.”

The poll conducted between August 30 and September 2 found that only 33% of respondents believe Minnesota’s social studies standards should be written using a Critical Race Theory framework that focuses on systemic racism, group identity, and a power struggle between racial groups. Again, Democrats split with Republicans and Independents with 58% believing CRT should influence the draft social studies standards. The current draft is heavily influenced by CRT.

The Thinking Minnesota Poll results match a recent national Rasmussen poll that found 57% of Americans believe parents should be concerned about CRT in public schools.

“Minnesotans very quickly figured out that Critical Race Theory is influencing the education of our students and they want it to stop,” said John Hinderaker, president of Center of the American Experiment. “These poll results should cause local school boards to listen to parents and put an end to their equity and inclusion programs that are heavily influenced by CRT.”

When it comes to business, Minnesotans overwhelmingly believe companies should not be able to fire an employee for their views on Critical Race Theory, with only 14% responding yes and 78% responding no. Several Minnesota employees are currently bringing legal action against their employers for unlawfully firing them based on their beliefs surrounding CRT. 

The question of who respondents trust the most to decide what gets taught to children in Minnesota’s public schools produced the most surprising result. While Minnesotans overall trust parents the most, 54% of Democrats trust teachers and principals instead of parents with educational decisions. Only 18% of Democrats trust parents with the education of Minnesota students.

“It is shocking that Democrats in Minnesota are so out of step with everyone else as they trust teachers over parents when it comes to education,” added Hinderaker. “The partisan divide on this question explains the deep divisions in the fight over what is taught in Minnesota schools.”

Again, the Minnesota results about Democrats and CRT match national polling with a recent Suffolk University/USA Today poll revealing 70% of Democrats in Virginia want school boards to have more influence on a school’s curriculum than parents.

The Thinking Minnesota poll is a quarterly survey conducted for Center of the American Experiment by Meeting Street Insights, a Charleston, South Carolina-based polling company. For this report, Meeting Street interviewed 500 Minnesotans between August 30 and September 2. It has a margin of error of ±4.38%.