Try It

An excellent source for current data about public attitudes toward a variety of issues is the Pew Research Center. The Pew Research Center conducts public opinion polls in the United States and around the world and helpfully includes the polling methodology used with each survey.

• Go to the Pew Research Center’s Topics page. Here you will find an alphabetized list of topics. Choose a topic that is related to your essay.
• Once you have selected a topic, you can further filter your results by year to find the most current public opinion polls related to that issue.
• Select a survey. Typically, each survey will include a written summary of the polling results. It is helpful to read these summaries and any additional commentary.
• Once you have chosen a survey, there are several ways you engage with the data:
  •  Who was surveyed? Consider the demographic information provided, which will often break down respondents’ answers by age, race, gender, level of education, and political affiliation.
  • What was the context of the survey? Consider when the survey was given and what was happening at that time. Was there an upcoming election? Had there been a number of news reports about the issue? Is this an ongoing issue? If a survey notes changes in attitudes or trends over time, what events do you think contributed to these changes? If your knowledge of history is sketchy, don’t be afraid to consult a reliable reference or news source to fill in the gaps.
  • Are there clear attitudes expressed in the survey? Consider how people answered. If 80% of respondents agreed with a survey question, that demonstrates a clear majority. When respondents appear more divided on an issue, this is a good place to review the demographic breakdown to see if some opinions are expressed more strongly by a particular group.
  • What surprises you about the results of the survey? If a survey challenges your assumptions about an issue, that’s great! Public opinion polls can often reveal that what “everyone else thinks” is more complicated than we initially think. However, national polls can identify trends that are at odds with what individual communities may be experiencing. When this happens, you have an opportunity to conduct more research to find out what’s happening at the state or local level.