A majority of Iowans in 1974 reported wages and salaries were not keeping pace with inflation, according to newly recovered data. These results are based on Iowa Poll #213, a random survey of 601 residents of Des Moines, Iowa, conducted in July 1974. The data has been digitized as part of a broader IPOL initiative aimed at recovering lost data from previous Iowa public opinion polls. 

One set of questions asked Iowans for their opinions and perceptions on yearly inflation rates, wages keeping pace with inflation, and who was to blame. When asked the question “do you feel your wages and salaries have kept pace with inflation the past 12 months?” just 25.8% of Iowans answered yes, while 68.2% answered that no, they did not feel their wages had kept pace with inflation throughout the last year. Only 6.0% reported being unsure. Perceptions about the rate of inflation varied widely. 

When asked “approximately what yearly inflation do you think we have at the present time?”, over half of the respondents, 54.6%, answered “don’t know”. The second most common response indicated high perceptions of yearly inflation, with 12.5% reporting “20% or over” and 12.2% reporting “10-11%.” When asked “who do you think is to blame for inflation”, opinions were quite varied. Respondents were able to give up to three responses. The most common response, at 27.4%, blamed the Nixon Administration. However, a significant number, 25.2%, believed that “everyone” shares the blame for inflation. On the other hand, 11.4% attributed the inflation to big businesses. Few respondents indicated oil companies (1.2%) and farmers (0.6%) were to blame. 

When broken down by party affiliation, the survey results showed broad agreement across political lines that wages have not kept pace with inflation. Majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans all said their earnings had fallen behind rising costs, with Independents and Republicans expressing the most skepticism

Iowa Poll #213, conducted by the Des Moines Register, was administered to a random sample of Iowans in July 1974. In addition to the questions about inflation, the survey asked respondents their opinions on a wide variety of topics, including the economy, the 1976 Presidential elections, tax policy, and Watergate. 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.