Public Opinion Polls

How do I find public opinion polls?

The Library subscribes to several databases which provide access to public opinion polls or polling data.

Polling the Nations
A compilation of more than 14,000 surveys conducted by more than 700 polling organizations in the United States and more than 80 other countries from 1986 to the present. Each of the nearly 350,000 records reports a question asked and the responses given. Also included in each record is the polling organization responsible for the work, the date the information was released, the sample size, and universe, i.e., the groups or areas included in the interview.
Gallup Brain
Database of 136,000 questions, and responses from more than 3.5 million people interviewed by the Gallup Poll since 1935. Searchable by keywords and phrases.
Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
Archives thousands of polls and surveys from the United States and some 70 foreign countries undertaken by many polling organizations on a very wide range of topics. Many datasets may be downloaded.
CQ Vital Statistics on American Politics
Includes a section on "Public Opinion and Voting", which contains public opinion polls relating to politics and elections.
Poll Track
A database of public opinion surveys from across the country, with emphasis on political races. From the National Journal Group's Policy Central.
Newspapers and News Broadcasts
Many major newspapers or news programs often conduct their own polls. This guide will help you locate databases to help you locate newspapers and news transcripts.

Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
CPSR maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction, and offers training in quantitative methods to facilitate effective data use. Access to data is currently restricted to buildings in the Social Sciences Division, the Graduate School of Business and the Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies.
Social Sciences Data Archive
The Social Sciences Data Archive includes Roper Center for Public Opinion Research data, as well as some other polls. Access is limited to the Social Sciences Division of the University of Chicago and the Academic Research Areas of the National Opinion Research Center (NORC).