Exploring the beliefs and behaviors of American voters

The Democracy Fund Voter Study Group brings together analysts and scholars from across the political spectrum to examine and glean insights from the evolving views of the electorate.

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The Latest

The analysis comprised in our publications, discussed by our participants, and covered by the media is part of a broader effort to track the values, opinions, and attitudes of American voters.

Data

New Data from Nationscape™ and VOTER Survey

Dig deep on American policy views with a final data release from the massive Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Survey, plus three fresh waves of data from the longitudinal VOTER Survey.

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Blog

Presidential Approval May Rise and Fall with the Economy, Again

John Sides and Robert Griffin examine data that point to the weak economy as an explanation for President Biden's currently low approval ratings in The Washington Post’s Monkey Cage.

Report

Racing Apart

Attitudes on racial inequality, police, the Black Lives Matter movement, immigration, and Muslims shifted significantly between 2011 and 2020 — but mostly among Democrats and independents. During this period, the Democratic coalition has become more consistently liberal on racial issues. This Voter Study Group report examines a vast partisan divergence on race over a decade marked by identity-inflected politics and the push for racial justice.

Report

Theft Perception

In this report, Lee Drutman looks at Republican perceptions of the 2020 election and reveals a set of beliefs that strongly correlate with support for Trump and his "Stop the Steal" narrative.

Report

Crisis of Confidence

While it’s not unusual for a losing candidate’s supporters to express skepticism about election results, faith in election 2020 was much more polarized than in prior years. In this report, Robert Griffin and Mayesha Quasem detail key differences.

Data

Nationscape™ Insights

Explore extensive, week-by-week survey data describing public opinion during the leadup to and aftermath of election 2020 — with interactive visualizations you can sort by race, gender, income, geography, education level, and political leanings.

Blog

Faith in Elections Took a Big Hit in 2020

In a piece for The Washington Post, Robert Griffin and Mayesha Quasem share insights on the unusually steep drop in confidence in election integrity among Republicans after Joe Biden’s win.

Report

Voices on the Vote

Karlyn Bowman and Samantha Goldstein examine survey findings that show key election takeaways from the perspectives of voters — including significant differences in the experiences and perceptions of voters by race and ethnicity, and political affiliation.