Democracy Fund Voter Study Group Releases 2018 VOTER Survey Data

For Immediate Release

December 11, 2018

Lauren Strayer
media@voterstudygroup.org
(202) 420-7928

Jack D’Amato
media@voterstudygroup.org
(404) 995-4500

Democracy Fund Voter Study Group Releases 2018 VOTER Survey Data

Survey responses from over 6,000 Americans revealing the views driving public opinion on the country’s most divisive issues, legislation, and personalities are made fully available to public.

Washington D.C. – December 11, 2018

The Democracy Fund Voter Study Group, a research collaboration of more than two dozen analysts and scholars from across the political spectrum, is releasing the full data set from its 2018 VOTER Survey (Views of the Electorate Research Survey) to the public.

“In an era of both growing hyper-partisanship and the rise of a younger, more diverse electorate, it’s more important than ever for leaders to listen directly to the American people,” said John Sides, Voter Study Group Research Director and Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. “We hope that by making this data publicly available, it will empower academics, journalists, advocates, and others to explore public opinion on the issues that matter most and provide a better understanding of the evolving views of the electorate.”

Conducted in partnership with YouGov in May 2018, the VOTER Survey consists of responses from 6,005 adults. Most respondents participated in prior surveys in 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2017. The Voter Study Group’s unique longitudinal data allows for a deep exploration of what is driving public opinion on the country’s most divisive issues, legislation, and personalities. In addition, the 2018 VOTER Survey also included interviews with 500 Hispanic respondents and 800 respondents ages 18 to 24. The participants were asked for their views on a variety of topics including:

• Tax reform
• Immigration
• Support for third parties
• Economic distress
• Race
• Religion
• Russia investigation

Using this data set, Voter Study Group members have produced seven in-depth analyses into voters’ views on topics that help define our current political environment:

• "Not Buying It: What Americans Really Want From Tax Reform" — Felicia Wong found that a majority of Americans were skeptical of the 2017 tax law passed by Congress, helping to explain why most Republicans chose not to feature the legislative achievement in their 2018 campaigns.
• "Far From Settled: Varied and Changing Attitudes on Immigration in America" — Patrick Ruffini analyzed Americans’ attitudes toward immigration, finding deep divisions that cut across racial and ethnic lines, mainly driven by partisanship.
• "Religious Trump Voters: How Faith Moderates Attitudes about Immigration, Race, and Identity" — Emily Ekins explored the effects of church attendance on Trump voters’ opinions about race, immigration, and identity and found that those who attend church regularly have more moderate views on those issues.
• "Spoiler Alert: Why Americans' Desires for a Third Party Are Unlikely to Come True" — Lee Drutman, William Galston, and Tod Lindberg examined rising support for a third party, Americans’ dissatisfaction with current partisan representation, and why a multiparty system remains improbable.
• "In the Red: Americans' Economic Woes are Hurting Trump" — Robert Griffin and John Sides disputed claims that Americans experiencing economic hardship are President Trump’s base by using a detailed set of questions that measure “economic distress” rather than general views about the economy.
• "Tipping the Scales: How Small Groups in Each Party May Outweigh the Rest in the 2018 Midterm Elections" — Henry Olsen presented early findings from the 2018 VOTER Survey and explored implications and potential paths to victory for both Republicans and Democrats in the upcoming elections.
• "Jumping to Collusions: Americans React to Russia and the Mueller Investigation" — Robert Griffin and Joe Goldman examined Americans’ reactions to the Russia investigation and the special counsel, Robert Mueller.

In releasing the 2018 VOTER Survey data set to the public, the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group hopes others will use the data to help provide research-based insight into the political behavior of the American people. The full data set, as well as a guide to using the data, can be found here.