The Democracy Fund Voter Study Group is a research collaboration of more than two dozen analysts and scholars from across the political spectrum examining and delivering insights on the evolving views of American voters.

As the 2016 presidential campaign unfolded, it became increasingly clear that the underlying values and beliefs driving voter decisions need to be better understood. To that end, we convened a politically diverse group of conservative, progressive, and independent public opinion experts to study the electorate together. The group sought not to achieve consensus, but to engage in discussion about how the views of the electorate are evolving and what the implications of those changes may be.

The group first reviewed existing research and identified additional questions that required study. The 2016 VOTER Survey (Views of the Electorate Research Survey) was the study group’s first original research. In partnership with YouGov, Voter Study Group continues polling large subsets of the American electorate to allow for deep exploration of, and tracking of any shifts in their beliefs about important issues. Voter Study Group members analyze the VOTER Survey data through a variety of social and political lenses, and either author, or partner to co-author, reports that convey their insights. Each report represents the views of the author(s), rather than the broader Voter Study Group, but is reviewed by members from both sides of the political spectrum before being shared with the media and peers to better engage the public in meaningful conversations.

The Democracy Fund Voter Study Group is led by manager, Alicia Kolar Prevost; research director, Robert Griffin; Joe Goldman, and Lauren Strayer.