LibGuides: POL 110: US Government and Politics: Public Opinion & Interest Groups

Finding Opinion Polls

Here are some of the most frequently used sources for finding public opinion data. Don't hesitate to reach out to a librarian if you're having trouble finding opinion data - it's not always the easiest thing to locate.

Associated Press/IPSOS Poll
Annotated list of polls with a focus on the economy and politics; includes US, Canada, and international polls.
FiveThirtyEight Politics
A site that analyzes poll and other data for politics, sports, economics, science, and culture. The underlying data is also made available in many cases.
Gallup Poll - Ref HN 90 .P8 G35
An annual compilation of opinion poll statistics gathered by the Gallup Organization, covering from 1935 to the present. Indexes make it easy to find figures from different years. This organization also maintains a website which contains selected data at Gallup.com.
LAPOP-Latin American Public Opinion Project
Results from most Latin American countries as well as Madagascar, Israel, and Albania.
Marist Poll
Based at a college, this survey research center conducts polls on politics and a variety of cultural and social issues.
Monmouth University Poll Reports
A university-based public opinion survey research institute.
New York Times Poll Watch
An excellent, reliable source for polls and public opinion data.
Pew Research Center
A non-partisan site that researches politics, media, social trends, religion, science and technology, Hispanic Americans, and global opinion.
Polling Report
An independent, nonpartisan resource on trends in American public opinion.
Quinnipiac University Poll
Based at a college, this organization conducts phone interviews on politics and policy.
Real Clear Politics
Curates opinion poll data on a variety of issues.
Survey Research Center
From the University of Michigan.
Washington Post Polls
Results of surveys conducted by the Washington Post as well as links to other polls.

Finding Interest Groups

One great way to find interest groups is to read newspaper articles about your topic. (Tip: use Proquest US Newsstream database - linked on the first page of this guide!) More than likely, someone representing a particular interest group will be quoted. Pay attention to those organizations and then find them online. You can also try a basic google search to see if there are interest groups on your topic. Also try the resources below:

OpenSecrets
As per their website, OpenSecrets is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. The link lets you search or browse for interest groups that have given money to political organizations or politicians. While this may or may not be of interest, searching OpenSecrets helps you identify possible interest groups.
Lobbying Disclosures, US House of Representatives
Another somewhat roundabout way to identify groups is to browse or search the database from the US House of Representatives. Try a keyword search related to your topic. Again, your goal is to identify if groups exist about your topic.
Vote Smart
Vote Smart provides an easy-to-use menu of interest groups organized by topic.
Political Advocacy Groups
Professor Paul Frank at Sacramento City College maintains a link of interest groups organized by subject (note that the site does not say when it was last updated).