Public Opinion Surveys
Some of these sites contain questions on a specific topic or an entire survey or questionnaire. Others include response cross tabulations and information on a survey's methodology. Those containing only brief summaries of survey results are not included, nor are sites that concentrate on survey methodology.
In addition, the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) houses many opinion polls, including polls conducted for national media organizations (CBS, ABC, Washington Post, New York Times, etc.) and major international series (Afrobarometer, Eurobarometer, Asiabarometer). See this page for information on how Cornell users can obtain these datasets.
Surveys with State or Regional Emphasis
| •Northeast | •Southeast | •Midwest | •West |
Other Public Opinion Lists
National Opinion Surveys
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Conducted biennially since 1952, the survey gauges public sentiment on the political process, the role of government, and social and economic issues. This site permits download of the ANES datasets, most of which are also available through ICPSR and CISER.
American National Election Studies
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Conducted on behalf of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, it measures the concerns of Americans regarding economic, political, and military engagement in foreign affairs. Conducted every four years from 1974 to 2002 and now biennially, fulltext reports results are accessible on the site. Recent years incorporate parallel surveys in EU countries, Mexico, and Korea. The 2006 survey included representative polls of China and India. Most years can be obtained as numeric files from ICPSR and CISER.
American Public Opinion and U.S. Foreign Policy
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Recent political and economic polling results, as well as "special reports" that examine attitudes toward social issues and consumer behavior. Some multinational studies are included. (Olin Library owns the Gallup Poll Monthly in electronic and hardcopy.) Codebooks and datasets for many Gallup polls are available from the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research site (see separate entry below). GallupBrain is a question bank that allows searching for survey questions in over 70 years of Gallup polls. Cornell doesn't subscribe so you can't view response frequencies, but GallupBrain is a useful tool if you're looking for question wording.
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The GSS has been conducted since 1972 by the National Opinion Research Center. It measures attitudes toward social and public policy issues, economic status, political events, work, and family life. Some questions are asked each year, and topical modules are administered on a rotating basis that focus on current topics such as gender equity, religious beliefs, and perception of work. The 1972-2006 file was released in May 2007.
The Survey Documentation and Analysis (SDA) software at UC Berkeley allows you to construct tables from the 1972-2006 cumulative file based on variables you select, perform custom extracts, and create and recode variables. The NORC site has a similar data analysis tool using the NESSTAR software. You can use recent GSS years from the Association of Religion Data Archives, view responses to individual questions crosstabulated by respondent categories, and view frequencies using spiffy graphics. (CISER has the GSS data files on its server.)
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Although the database is compiled by the Roper Center, it contains questions from polls conducted by other U.S. organizations such as Harris, Gallup, National Opinion Research Center, and major news establishments, some back to 1936. The questions often contain response frequencies, sometimes broken down by respondents' demographics.
iPOLL is accessible to Cornell users from the Roper Center iPOLL site; use this link for off-campus access. See CISER's Roper Center membership page for more information on iPOLL and other Roper services.
iPOLL, Roper Center for Public Opinion Research 
Cornell users only
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A national sample poll of households in the continental United States and conducted annual since 2004 by the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. Its focus is on individual civic engagement and perceptions of economic inequality . Download the microdata in Excel, SAS, and SPSS formats.
Maxwell Poll, Syracuse University
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NORC conducts survey research on public policy issues for a variety of agencies and corporations. See the "Projects" section for copies of recent surveys and their reports. NORC also conducts the General Social Survey (see above).
National Opinion Research Center
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The Public Opinion Poll Question Database contains approximately 200,000 questions from surveys conducted since 1958, searchable by keyword or phrase. Questions are derived from the Louis Harris polls and state-level polling organizations from 22 states, with strong coverage of Southern states.
Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, University of North Carolina
Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
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An "independent opinion research group that studies attitudes toward press, politics and public policy issues." Contains summaries of results, comparisons of how attitudes change over time, copies of questionnaires, and descriptions of survey methodologies. Some summaries have response frequency tables with demographic breakdowns. From the header bar, select Survey Reports for summaries and related questionnaires going back to 1997. Select Datasets to download datasets in zip format; each zip archive consists of a datafile, layout, and questionnaire. A terrific site. See also the links to other Pew Research sites with survey data, including the Global Attitudes Project, Internet and American Life Project, and the Pew Hispanic Center.
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Poll Track brings together recent and historical polls conducted on national issues by many organizations, with emphasis on politics and campaigns. The search feature pinpoints polls and questions on specific topics. Produced by the National Journal.
Poll Track
Cornell users only
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Publishes results of questions from surveys conducted by major polling organizations. You can search for specific topics or browse under broad categories (Politics and Policy, Business/Economy, American Scene, National Barometer). Information on the original survey, sample size, and frequencies accompanies each question. Find out popular opinions on elected officials at the national and state levels, consumer attitudes on economic conditions, and views about popular culture. (Yes, most people polled believe that Elvis is dead.)
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This source compiles questions from over 14,000 polls, including those conducted by national, regional, and local survey organizations, both for profit and not-for-profit. Coverage is from 1986 forward and includes non-US surveys such as those in the Eurobarometer series. Search many fields by keywords or phrases (poll title, question text, subject headings, survey participants), and all the questions from one survey can be retrieved by using advanced search techniques. Response frequencies are included but with no demographic breakdowns.
Polling the Nations
Cornell users only
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A nonpartisan opinion research organization that reports surveys conducted by national firms on public policy issues. Especially strong coverage of quality of life and social issues; for example, race relations, health care, privacy, drug abuse, crime, the environment, and immigration. Great graphs and tables, and cautionary notes about question wordings, the timing of the featured polls, and margins of error. A swell site.
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Located at the University of Connecticut, the Roper Center collects, disseminates, and distributes information about public opinion surveys and maintains an archive of over 10,000 data sets of American and foreign surveys. It also has a significant number of historical polls from the World War II period. CISER maintains a Roper Center membership on behalf of the Cornell University community. Benefits include the ability to download datasets directly through the Roper Express service and use of the iPOLL database; see this page for more information.
Science and Engineering Indicators, National Science Foundation
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Includes information on public attitudes toward scientific research and its impact. Questions are excerpted from such many surveys, including the General Social Survey and NSF Survey of Public Attitudes. The Science and Engineering Indicators reports in their entirety can be viewed in html and PDF formats. Reports online include 1993, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006. Chapter 7 generally contains information specific to public attitudes and understanding of science, although there is also a searchable index for most years.
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The results of selected Post polls since 1997. Most represent nationwide samples on national issues, others are on topics of regional interest. A brief article summarizes each poll. For most, question responses are broken down by demographics and have links to previous polls with similar questions. Using the "Polls" link in the left sidebar requires a registration process, but the "Find a Question" option does not.
Sites with a State or Regional Emphasis
Northeast
Center
for Politics and Public Affairs, Franklin & Marshall College
- Conducts the Keystone Poll of registered voters in Pennsylvania and focuses on opinions toward officeseekers and public-policy issues. (The Keystone Poll was previously affiliated with Millersville University.)
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The Center conducts surveys based on national, New York State, and Long Island area samples. Most surveys are described briefly, but summaries of a few recent ones (notably, the recent Health Pulse of America surveys) include detailed results at the question level. Some Health Pulse of America datasets are available from the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research.
Center for Survey Research, State University of New York, Stony Brook
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Although emphasis is on voting behavior, some surveys measure attitudes toward economic, social, and political priorities. Geographic focus on New Jersey. Surveys from 1971+ are included.
The Eagleton Poll, Scholarly Communication Center, Rutgers University
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Conducted annually since 2003, the focus of ESP is issues of interest to New York State residents. This site contains survey summaries, questionnaires, and methodology reports.
Empire State Poll, Survey Research Institute, Cornell University
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Especially good source of surveys on issues specific to New York State and New York City.
Marist Institute for Public Opinion
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Results of polls focusing on issues in New York State, New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, with emphasis on political opinion surveys.
Polling Institute, Quinnipiac University
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Conducted since 2001, PublicMind tends to focus on state-specific issues in New Jersey and Delaware. Between 15 and 30 targeted polls are produced each year. Some summaries in English and Spanish. Survey data can't be downloaded, but most poll results are represented by detailed response tables and related graphics on the site.
PublicMind Poll, Fairleigh Dickinson University
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SRI conducts polls on topics of public policy interest, including education, health care, and consumer confidence. Its focus is on New York State, and specifically the Capital District region. Textual summaries are often followed by detailed tables summarizing results by respondent demographics. Be aware that titles listed on the Recent Surveys and Polls and Archives pages don't reflect all of the surveys undertaken by the Institute. See also pages for the (archived) Siena New York Poll and the SRI Political Poll.
Siena Research Institute, Siena College
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Sponsors the Brown University Survey that focuses on Rhode Island politics, attitudes toward economic development, and other public policy issues.
Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions, Brown University
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Home of the Granite State Poll of New Hampshire residents. Poll results are represented by detailed press releases or reports in PDF format.
University of New Hampshire Survey Center
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In addition to polls on national issues, Zogby contains information on polls of particular interest to New Yorkers. You can search for terms or names with the search engine, although many poll results are summarized within its news and latest results sections. A poll focusing on upstate New York is a joint effort of Zogby and Colgate University. Use the Zogby site for snippets focusing on Upstate issues, and try to ignore its ubiquitous self-promotional sound bites.
Southeast
Arkansas
Poll, Blair
Center for the Study of Southern Politics and Society, University of Arkansas
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An annual poll begun in 1999, it addresses public policy issues at the state and national levels as well as attitudes toward ballot initiatives. Extensive summary reports, documentation and methodology files, and data downloads in SPSS and SAS formats.
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Conducted since 2001, the survey focuses on state-level public policy issues. Each poll is presented by an extensive summary of results. The "data" links point to detailed cross-tabulations, not actual microdata files. Data and documentation can be downloaded from the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, University of North Carolina.
Peach State Poll, , Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
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Conducts the annual FIU/Florida Polls on the quality of life for Floridians, as well as other surveys on topics specific to the Southeast. With the FIU Cuban Research Institute, it also conducts the occasional Cuba Poll of Cuban Americans residing in the Miami area.
Institute for Public Opinion Research, Florida International University
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Home of several polls, including the Commonwealth Poll, (attitudes towards political candidates and election issues), the Commonwealth Education Poll, and the VCU Life Sciences Survey (a national poll on ethical and public policy implications of scientific discovery). (As of early 2006, the Commonwealth Poll appears to be defunct.)
Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Home of the annual Quality of Life in Virginia survey.
Virginia Tech Center for Survey Research
Midwest
Office
of Survey Research , Institute for Public Policy and Social Research,
Michigan State University
- Since 1994, IPPSR has conducted the quarterly State of the State poll of Michigan residents. The site's Data on Demand function is slick beyond words. It permits online analysis of results, access to printed reports and documentation, and the ability to download datasets in SPSS format.
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A survey research facility that also functions as a learning lab for students. It polls Hoosier attitudes on crime, the State's lottery, race relations, underage drinking--and basketball. Most of the findings available online are limited to election poll results and surveys on charitable giving conducted in cooperation with the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.
Public Opinion Laboratory, Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis
- Home of the Ohio Poll and the Greater Cincinnati Survey.
Survey Research Center, University of Cincinnati
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Home of the Badger Poll of Wisconsin residents. Begun in 2002, it asks opinions about national- and state-level issues. Badger Poll datasets are archived by the UW Data & Information Services Center.
University of Wisconsin Survey Center
West
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California registered voters are polled for their opinions on electoral issues, statewide referenda, economic affairs, and other public policy topics. A searchable index to codebook contents, 1979 to date, is hosted at UC San Diego. Field Poll datasets are available for public FTP from UC Berkeley.
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Summarizes polls back to 1996 conducted on the national or on the state or local level in California. Poll StatSheets (in PDF) go back to 1996 and each "contains the full question wording and sequence, current and past results (trend) for each question and a description of the survey methodology." Strong focus on California political, social, and economic issues. Some poll summaries require free registration, but the StatSheets have no registration requirement.
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An annual poll conducted before Election Day. A primary focus is on performance of federal and state elected officials, although state topics such as environment, education, and fiscal policy are also covered.
Montana State University Billings Poll
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The Oregon Survey Research Lab conducted a variety of surveys on topics of general interest and those specific to Oregon. Although the Lab closed in June 2005, about 200 datasets are available from the University of Oregon Libraries and Lab download archive (by survey title)
Oregon Survey Research Lab, University of Oregon
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Summaries of the Arizona Survey (also called the Grand Canyon State Poll), which was first conducted in 1994. Question items and reports (in PDF) for surveys since approximately 2000. Select Reports from the header bar.
Social Research Laboratory, Northern Arizona University
Non-U.S., Multinational or Cross-National Surveys
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The Centre's Question Bank is a repository of questions used in its surveys on a variety of social attitudes. A good source for the wording and format of survey questions.
Centre for Applied Social Surveys, Social and Community Planning Research and University of Southampton
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This site represents the Public Opinion Analysis section of the European Commission and reports results of surveys conducted of European Union citizens on their attitudes toward the EU, its political and economic policies, and social values held by individuals. Primary among these is the Eurobarometer, and the site provides the ability to review responses to questions over time in survey countries. Survey coverage has recently expanded to include many countries in Central and Eastern Europe, the Candidate Countries Eurobarometer. CISER owns selected Eurobarometer datasets, and they are also available from ICPSR.)
European Public Opinion/L'opinion publique européenne
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A collaborative effort of social science research organizations in over 40 countries, the ISSP asks a battery of questions in all countries and focuses on a theme that is repeated at irregular intervals. Past topics iclude religion, the role of goverment, social inequality, and the environment. Zentralarchiv für Empirische Sozialforschung at the University of Cologne maintains an archive of the surveys, including the ZACAT tool that creates custom tables and extracts from ISSP studies back to 1985. ZACAT requires user registration. (CISER and ICPSR have many of the ISSP studies.)
International Social Survey Programme
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The Roper Center hosts these specialized archives, each consisting of about 1,000 titles. The one for Latin America represents 16 countries, with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela studies forming the bulk of the collection. There is a searchable catalog of survey descriptions but no question-level access. An increasing number of these datasets can be downloaded through RoperExpress, and CISER can acquire others for Cornell users as needed.
Japanese
Data Archive
Latin
American Survey Data Bank
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The Japanese Data Archive permits question-level access to its holdings through the JPOLL database. Access to JPOLL is free but requires online registration.
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Political views are the focus of LAPOP surveys conducted in 20 countries. Survey years vary, with some as far back as the 1970s. (There are also a few representing Albania, Israel, and Madagascar, for reasons not explained on the site.) Use of the online query and analysis system is free, and the microdata (in SPSS) can be purchased. LAPOP is also home to AmericasBarometer, a series begun in 2004 to measure attitudes toward democratic values and behaviors in the Western hemisphere. Affiliated with the Center for the Americas, Vanderbilt University.
Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP)
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Brings together reports on opinion polls conducted in countries that are often overlooked by large media outlets. The amount of information on individual polls varies widely: lengthy summaries, copies of questionnaires and methodology reports, comparative graphics, detailed summary tables. Locate surveys by geographic region or topic. "Related Links" specific to each category identify international sources of polling organizations. There's relatively limited retrospective coverage. A project of the Program on International Policy Attitudes, University of Maryland.
Other Lists of Public Opinion Sites
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An annotated list of sites, this article was also published in C&RL News, October 2006.
Guide to Public Opinion Poll Web Sites: Polling Data from Around the World
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Composed and maintained by Cornell University Library. Although printed and electronic holdings are specific to CUL holdings, this is a valuable list of resources, especially of tools that provide historical coverage of polls.
Polling and Public Opinion Data: A Research Guide
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Although much content is specific to the University of California-Irvine, this guide contains key links to public opinion sites, specialized polls, and distributors of survey data. Cites many unique locations, particiularly related to minority groups, and is frequently updated. Also includes links to related professional associations, article and book indexes, and reference works in electronic and printed formats.
Public Opinion, University of California, Irvine
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As close to an exhaustive list as one might find with lengthy, evaluative annotations.
Public Opinion and Attitudes , Data & Information Services Center, University of Wisconsin
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Includes information on printed indexes, online indexes, and web sites to surveys and polling organizations. Maintained by Yale's Social Sciences Libraries. Outstanding up-to-date lists.
Public Opinion Subject Guide, Yale University