Response by Stephen Salmore

Although most New Jerseyans feel that suburban sprawl is a somewhat or very serious problem, most New Jerseyans prefer to live in the suburbs, in a single family home.  Proposals to deal with suburban sprawl usually call for discouraging new single family homes by preserving open spaces or encouraging high density housing, or both.  However, as long as New Jersey remains an attractive place to live, growing at a faster rate than most other north-eastern states, proposals to deal with sprawl make it more difficult to accommodate an increasing number of new residents expected in coming years. In New Jersey, the most suburban state in the country, solving the problem of suburban sprawl will join high property taxes and auto insurance rates as permanent items on the list of important problems voters want elected officials to deal with.

see also:
Survey Analysis
Thigpen's Analysis
Tabular Results
Survey Details

Comment by Fairleigh Dickinson University Research Professor of Political Science, Stephen Salmore (Ph.D., Princeton University). Steve specializes in both national and New Jersey politics and presently operates Raritan Associates, Inc. He is co-author of Parties, Elections and Campaigns and New Jersey Government and Politics. Dr. Stephen Salmore can be reached at 973-292-3633.