In 1978, a majority of Iowans opposed treaties between the U.S. and Panama related to the Panama Canal. When asked “The U.S. Senate is now debating proposed treaties between the United States and Panama over the Panama Canal. Do you favor or oppose these treaties?” 56% of respondents indicated they were opposed compared to 30% in favor. 15% were unsure or did not respond. A follow-up questions asked whether “In his official capacity as Attorney General of Iowa, should Richard Turner be taking an active stand on the Panama Canal issue or not?”. Respondents were nearly evenly split on this, with 41% responding he “should”, 40% that he “should not”, and 19% unsure or not responding.

Interesting trends emerged when examining responses based on respondents' education levels and residential locations. Regardless of education level, more respondents opposed the idea of Panama and the US agreeing on a treaty for the Panama Canal rather than support it, though opposition decreased with higher levels of education. Those with a college degree have almost an equal number of respondents that support the treaty as that oppose it. In terms of residential location, those who lived in metro areas were more likely to favor the proposed Panama Canal treaties than those living in other areas. Conversely, those on farms and in towns with a population of under 2,500 were more likely to oppose the treaties. Differences based on education also emerged for responses to whether Attorney General should Richard Turner take an active stand on the Panama Canal issue or not. A slight plurality of respondents who completed college believe that he should not take a stand, with 48% saying he should not and 40% saying he should with 11% undecided; respondents that did not complete high school favored him taking a stance, with 46% choosing should and 25% choosing should not with 28% undecided. 

Iowa Poll #229, conducted by the Des Moines Register, was administered to a random sample of Iowans in March 1978. In addition to the questions about the Panama Canal, the survey asked respondents their opinions on a wide variety of topics, including the President Carter and his family, the effects of high inflation, women holding various positions in politics, and entertainment consumption. Understanding Iowans’ past opinions on these topics can help us understand how perspectives have changed and what ideas have remained popular. IPOL has also been working with UI Libraries and the Des Moines Register to restore data from dozens of Iowa Polls from the 1960s to early 1980s. More information about the project can be found here. We are working to release a full report on our findings as we analyze additional questions.