SurveyUSA

SurveyUSA
Name	SurveyUSA
Type	Private
Industry	Public opinion polling
Founded	1992
Founder	Public Opinion
Headquarters	United States
Key people	Pam Fine, survey directors
Products	Political polling, market research, public opinion reports

SurveyUSA SurveyUSA is an American public opinion polling firm known for producing rapid-turnaround telephone and interactive polls for media clients, political organizations, and commercial customers. It operates within the landscape shared by Gallup, Pew Research Center, YouGov, Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, and Rasmussen Reports, and its work is frequently cited alongside outputs from The New York Times, NBC News, ABC News, Fox News Channel, and Reuters. SurveyUSA's polls have been used in coverage of elections involving figures such as Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Ronald Reagan.

History

SurveyUSA was established in the early 1990s during a period of expansion for private polling firms including Gallup, Zogby International, Rasmussen Reports, and Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. From its inception it provided polling for local broadcasters such as CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, CBS News, and regional affiliates like KABC-TV, WTVT, and KPIX-TV. Over time SurveyUSA's output intersected with national electoral contests—1992 United States presidential election, 2000 United States presidential election, 2008 United States presidential election, 2016 United States presidential election, and 2020 United States presidential election—and state-level contests such as the California gubernatorial elections, Texas gubernatorial elections, and Florida gubernatorial elections. Its historical footprint is visible alongside research from institutions like The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Brookings Institution, and The Heritage Foundation.

Methodology

SurveyUSA employs mixed-mode data collection strategies comparable to methods used by Pew Research Center and YouGov, combining landline and mobile telephone sampling with interactive voice response and online panels where appropriate. Sampling frames are often derived from sources like the United States Census Bureau data and voter files maintained by state secretaries of state and local election boards, similar to practices at Catalist and L2. Weighting techniques reference demographic benchmarks from the American Community Survey and turnout models informed by past elections including the 2008 United States presidential election and 2012 United States presidential election. Its questionnaire design echoes standards promoted by the American Association for Public Opinion Research and survey research literature from Stanford University, Harvard University, and University of Michigan.

Notable Polls and Findings

SurveyUSA has published polls that tracked approval ratings and electoral preferences for national figures such as Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump. It provided early state-level numbers for Senate races involving senators like Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren and gubernatorial contests featuring Gavin Newsom, Jeb Bush, Andrew Cuomo, Ron DeSantis, and Nikki Haley. SurveyUSA's findings have been cited in coverage of referendums and ballot measures, for example on topics connected to Proposition 8 (2008), Proposition 13 (1978), and state ballot initiatives in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona. Its issue polling has explored attitudes toward policy debates involving Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Social Security, and immigration issues linked to events such as the 2014 United States immigration crisis.

Accuracy and Criticism

SurveyUSA's accuracy record has been discussed in comparison with polling performance analyses by outlets like The Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, The Cook Political Report, and academic assessments published in journals associated with American Political Science Association. Like other firms (e.g., Rasmussen Reports, Zogby International), it has faced scrutiny regarding sampling error, weighting decisions, and turnout models following close contests including the 2000 United States presidential election and the 2016 United States presidential election. Critiques have referenced methodological debates involving telephone response rates tracked by the Pew Research Center and statistical guidance from scholars at University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University.

Influence and Usage

SurveyUSA's data has been used by television stations, newspapers, and news aggregators such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, and broadcast entities including ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, Fox News Channel, and CNN. Political campaigns for candidates like Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, and Barack Obama have monitored SurveyUSA numbers alongside internal polling and outputs from firms such as Public Policy Polling and GfK. Academic researchers at institutions like Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, and University of Michigan have cited similar private polling in studies of public opinion trends during events including the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Tea Party movement.

Corporate Structure and Leadership

SurveyUSA operates as a privately held company with an executive team and senior analysts who interact with media partners and clients including television stations, newspapers, and advocacy organizations. Leadership roles and methodology oversight are analogous to positions found at organizations like Gallup, Pew Research Center, YouGov, and Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, while governance and contractual relationships reflect common practice among polling vendors serving entities such as NPR, PBS, and regional broadcast groups. Senior personnel often engage with professional bodies including the American Association for Public Opinion Research and contribute to conferences hosted by The Brookings Institution and The Aspen Institute.

Category:Public opinion research organizations