A Tool, Not a Final Answer

Public opinion research and civic data can help us understand our country and our communities, but numbers should never be mistaken for a complete portrait of either.

A majority opinion can be important without determining what is right, constitutional, effective, or just.

A minority view can be deeply significant even when it appears in smaller numbers.

A statistic can reveal an important pattern while still leaving unanswered questions about the people and experiences behind it.

And some of the things that matter most in civic life are difficult to measure at all.

Use these resources as starting points.

Compare findings.
Read the questions.
Look at the source.
Notice what is missing.
Explore changes over time.
Ask what the information helps explain—and what it does not.
Notice your own response to what you discover.

Above all, remain curious about the people behind the percentages and the communities behind the data.

Understanding public opinion is part of understanding democracy. Understanding the data behind our civic life helps us participate in it more thoughtfully.

Start with the question, not the source.

If you are not sure where to begin, identify what you actually want to know.

If your question is:

What do people think?
Start with public-opinion research.

How have attitudes changed over time?
Look for long-term survey data.

Who lives in my community?
Start with Census or demographic data.

What is happening with housing, education, jobs, transportation, or other local conditions?
Look for civic and government data.

Does the evidence support a claim I heard?
Compare the claim with original data, survey results, or multiple reliable sources.

What do people in my own community need or care about?
Combine public data with local information, public meetings, surveys, and direct community input.

The goal is not to find the first available source. It is to find the right kind of source for the question you are asking.

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