Build and Broaden: Amplifying Unheard Voices and Strengthening Social Science Infrastructure in Public Opinion Research

Today, some US jurisdictions have no formal voice in the federal bodies of government that serve as the ultimate authorities on their legislation and budgets. This situation can lead to problems that are magnified by the lack of high-quality survey infrastructure to measure public opinion and share their opinions with policymakers. High-quality data on public opinion is particularly important right now due to multiple challenges, including economic debt, natural disasters, a declining population, a rapidly changing political climate, and limited access to federal support.

These challenges compound an urgent need for policy that better supports residents in such jurisdictions. Institutions of higher education in such jurisdictions have the potential to serve as a hub for research into public opinion, helping such institutions, community organizations, and government policymakers better serve their residents. This project builds research capacity to accomplish two ends: 1) Strengthen social science infrastructure through investments in the technical skills, data tools, and research experiences available to students and faculty, and 2) provide the academic, governmental, and advocacy communities with high-quality representative data.

To accomplish these goals, this project's research team administers a panel survey to a large, representative sample of residents. This survey draws on an original, stratified, three-stage area probability sample that maximizes the quality and representativeness of the resulting data - something that is especially valuable in jurisdictions that lack standardized addresses since they are the most common approach to representative sample design (address-based sampling).

The panel survey data offers key insights into three primary topics: views on governing body relationships; shifts in political party system structure; and sharp drop in voter participation. The panel survey occurs in tandem with a robust set of programs to support student and faculty research. In doing so, this collaboration creates new possibilities to support student and faculty research, build research capacity, and amplify residential voices.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.