Gallup Poll

Gallup Poll
Gallup, Inc. · CC BY 4.0 · source
Name	Gallup Poll
Founded	1935
Founder	George Gallup
Headquarters	Princeton, New Jersey
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	George Gallup; Frank Newport; Jim Clifton
Industry	Public opinion research

Gallup Poll. The Gallup Poll is a long-standing public opinion survey organization founded in 1935 by George Gallup in Princeton, New Jersey known for measuring attitudes toward elections, presidents, policies, and social issues. It has conducted national and international surveys influencing discourse in United States politics, United Kingdom debates, and comparative research involving institutions such as the United Nations, European Union, and NATO. Gallup's results have been cited alongside data from organizations like the Pew Research Center, Ipsos, YouGov, and Roper Center for Public Opinion Research in media outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC News, and The Washington Post.

History

Founded by George Gallup after studies at University of Iowa and work with the Scientific Opinion Polls movement, the organization first gained fame predicting the 1936 contest between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Alf Landon correctly, countering results from the Literary Digest poll. Throughout the 20th century Gallup expanded through interactions with figures such as Doris Kearns Goodwin-era historians, engagement with Harry S. Truman administration issues, and coverage of crises involving the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, and elections from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan. Key organizational leaders included George Gallup Jr., Frank Newport, and later Jim Clifton, who steered Gallup into corporate analytics linked to clients such as Fortune 500 companies and institutions like Harvard University and the World Bank.

Methodology

Gallup employs sampling and weighting techniques influenced by statistical work from scholars at Princeton University, Columbia University, and Stanford University. It uses probability sampling, random-digit dialing, and more recently multimode approaches including online panels developed with partners similar to Qualtrics and SurveyMonkey. Gallup's methodology references standards from the American Association for Public Opinion Research and uses stratification by demographics such as age cohorts like Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials as well as regional frames tied to states like California, Texas, and Florida. The organization has adapted to technological changes involving telephone networks regulated by the Federal Communications Commission and platforms associated with AT&T and Verizon.

Notable Polls and Findings

Gallup produced early predictions about the 1936 United States presidential election and later tracked presidential approval ratings for figures from Dwight D. Eisenhower through Barack Obama and Donald Trump. It measured public opinion during landmark events including the Great Depression, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and post-9/11 attitudes toward George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush. Gallup's surveys on religion linked to institutions such as the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and noted trends among adherents of Roman Catholic Church, Protestantism, and Judaism. Internationally, Gallup's global polls compared approval of leaders like Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin, and Justin Trudeau and assessed confidence in organizations including the International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, and World Trade Organization.

Criticism and Controversies

Gallup has faced critique over sampling errors highlighted in disputes surrounding close races such as the 1948 contest between Harry S. Truman and Thomas E. Dewey, and methodological challenges during shifts from landline to cellphone-era polling in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. Statisticians from University of Michigan, Stanford University, and University of California, Berkeley have debated Gallup's weighting schemes and margin of error estimates. Media analyses in outlets like The New Yorker and The Atlantic have scrutinized discrepancies between Gallup and trackers from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics. Legal and ethical debates have also involved privacy considerations addressed under frameworks like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 when surveys touch on sensitive topics.

Influence and Uses

Gallup data inform policymakers in bodies such as the United States Congress, the European Parliament, and municipal governments in cities like New York City and London. Academic researchers at institutions including Harvard University, Yale University, Oxford University, and Cambridge University use Gallup datasets for studies in political behavior, public health, and social attitudes. Corporate users including McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, and Accenture leverage Gallup analytics for workforce engagement research, while nongovernmental organizations like Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders cite Gallup findings in advocacy and program design.

International Operations and Rankings

Gallup operates in more than 160 countries, conducting national polls in places such as India, China, Brazil, Nigeria, and Russia, and publishes global metrics like the Gallup World Poll that rank countries by life evaluations, well-being, and confidence in national institutions. These rankings are compared with indices from the United Nations Development Programme, the World Happiness Report, and the Global Competitiveness Report produced by the World Economic Forum. Gallup's international work involves partnerships with statistical agencies such as Statistics Canada and national bureaus like the Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom.

Category:Public opinion research organizations