Surveys
Results from nonpartisan national and local surveys, conducted by the APM Research Lab and in collaboration with others. The Lab is an active member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research’s Transparency Initiative.
Mood of the Nation
Results from our on-going partnership with the McCourtney Institute for Democracy’s Mood of the Nation Poll. Conducted on an approximately quarterly basis, the survey covers different topics relevant to public policy and political discussions in America. Unlike some polling the Mood of the Nation always includes open-ended questions adding textured understanding to quantitative results, by featuring the thoughts of everyday Americans in their own words.
Minnesota Poll: September 2022
In partnership with Minnesota Public Radio News, the APM Research Lab analyzed the results of a poll conducted by Mason Dixon Polling and Strategy, on behalf of MPR, the Star Tribune and KARE11. Question topics ranged from who voters were likely to elect to opinions on issues such as abortion and recreational marijuana legalization.
Poll: Amid Russia Ukraine war, Americans divided over Biden’s influence on military aid
A plurality of Americans believe the U.S. is providing the right amount of military support for Ukraine. Who do they believe should be responsible for deciding the aid the U.S. provides?
Most Americans think liberty has waned, rights will further diminish
A majority of Americans believes they have lost more personal freedoms in the past 10 years than the they have gained, and will continue to lose more than gain in the next decade. (Poll conducted May 11-19, 2022.)
Reducing government spending among ways Americans think inflation should be fought
The latest Mood of the Nation poll shows that Americans are divided on who should inflation influence and how it should be addressed, with 1 in 5 not knowing what how the federal government should fight inflation.
On the brink of a potential overturn of Roe v. Wade, Americans are divided on abortion
The U.S. Supreme Court is likely to overturn its landmark Roe v. Wade decision according to a leaked draft opinion first obtained by Politico. At this historic moment, it’s worth taking a look at Americans’ opinions on abortion, and how those opinions follow demographic, socio-economic and political lines.
Policies, economy loom large in Americans’ assessment of President Biden
The McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State’s most recent Mood of the Nation Poll, conducted May 11-19, 2022, finds that well over half the American public disapproves of the job that Joe Biden is doing as president, with 45% disapproving strongly. Perhaps more importantly, the survey provides a window into what Americans feel the president could do to improve his job performance.
Over 1 in 7 Minnesotans who needed a reliable internet connection during the pandemic did not have one
The need for widespread internet access became even more pronounced during the pandemic as many people across the state shifted to working from home and children shifted from in-person to remote online learning. More than 1 in 7 Minnesotans who needed a reliable internet connection for work or school did not have one.
Many Minnesotans lack trust in state government
Minnesotans express more trust in the medical system, the police and public schools than in the state government. White and Indigenous Minnesotans are more likely to be distrustful than other racial groups.
How Americans think schools should teach about race, evolution and sex
Most Americans do not think state legislatures and governors should have a “great deal of influence” over how such issues are taught, and many respondents want to give such influence to parents and teachers. Americans are divided over whether contemporary race issues should be taught.
Vast majority of Minnesotans rate the state’s cultural offerings positively
Nearly three-quarters of all Minnesotans rate the state’s cultural amenities positively and one-quarter of Minnesota adults take advantage of them at least once a month. But when looking at the results by race and ethnicity, the picture becomes far more complex.
What Americans think schools should do when COVID-19 spikes
Over 70% of Americans favor, at a minimum, masking in K-12 public schools as a response to increasing cases of COVID-19 in their local community. Nearly 60%, however, also support the continuation of in-person instruction, “even if some students might get sick.”
Majority of Americans are “extremely worried” about the country in 2022
When considering levels of worry and hope, the overall mood of the nation has not been this pessimistic since the lead up to the 2016 presidential election. Over half the American public is “extremely worried” about where the country is headed over the next 12 months, citing politics, the economy—particularly inflation—and COVID-19 as the main sources of concern.
In their own words: What Americans think of President Joe Biden
The December 2021 Mood of the Nation poll ver half the American public disapproves of the job that Joe Biden is doing as president. Perhaps more importantly, the survey provides a window directly into the reasons behind the low approval ratings received by Mr. Biden less than a year into his presidency.
Most, but not all, Americans willing to help both Afghan refugees and Americans displaced by extreme weather
The October 2021 Mood of the Nation poll shows that a strong majority of Americans support helping Afghans who have assisted the U.S.; even more support helping fellow Americans who have lost a home to extreme weather.
Minnesota’s Diverse Communities survey
The Minnesota’s Diverse Communities survey provides a representative picture of the opinions and experiences of several racial and ethnic groups in Minnesota. Survey topics include Minnesotans’ views on the police, COVID-19, inclusion, public schools and more. See our reports as well as links to related articles by Minnesota Public Radio and the Sahan Journal as well as video presentations of the survey’s most compelling findings.
How long is too long to wait in line to vote? And what types of assistance should be allowed?
Penn State’s McCourtney Institute for Democracy regularly conducts the nationally representative Mood of the Nation poll to gauge how Americans are feeling about various aspects of American politics and society. The April 2021 poll included several questions related to Georgia’s new laws on voting.
How do Americans feel about who should be allowed to vote? And why?
In an effort to gauge how Americans are feeling about various aspects of the country’s politics and society, Penn State’s McCourtney Institute for Democracy regularly conducts the nationally representative Mood of the Nation poll. The April 2021 poll results reveal how Americans feel about who should be allowed to vote and why.
Americans show concern about water issues but know little about the facts
APM Research Lab created scales to evaluate the people’s knowledge about, connection to and concern for and action on water issues in the United States. The results show that Americans care about water-related issues and that feel strong emotional connections to water; however, most people know relatively little about the current state of water infrastructure in the U.S.
Who should decide where refugees are resettled?
Nearly half of Americans think that decisions about refugee resettlement should not be decided by the federal government: A quarter think that states should decide while nearly another quarter think that the decision should lie with local governments.
How do Americans feel about immigration?
A quarter of Americans think the United States admits too many immigrants into the country. Another quarter thinks the U.S. allows too little immigration. Our survey found that those opinions are related to both their political affiliations and their geographic proximity to immigrant communities.
What do Americans think about key gun policies?
This survey provides new information about the public’s opinions about gun policies and behaviors among those who own guns (or live with those who do). A strong majority of Americans—including 2 out of 3 gun owners—express support for "red flag" laws.
How often do Americans spend free time in nature?
Two-thirds of American adults said they spend free time in nature at least once or twice a month, including nearly half of all adults who say they do so at least once a week. But 1 in 6 American adults reports “never” spending free time in nature.
Changing racial narratives in media
Survey respondents were asked questions about their perceptions of portrayals of various racial groups in the Minnesota media, the influence their work has on public perceptions of race, and their exposure to training about racial narratives.
What do Americans think about water use and pollution?
In collaboration with our partners at The Water Main, we conducted a survey to measure Americans’ knowledge about water use and pollution throughout different sectors of the industrial economy.
Should public higher education be free?
In collaboration with APM Reports’ Educate team and The Hechinger Report, we conducted a survey to see what Americans believe about the value of college degree—relative to its cost—and whether they felt that public higher education should be free.
What do Americans think about government aid for colleges and universities?
Along with APM Reports’ Educate team and The Hechinger Report, we conducted a survey about government funding and aid for public colleges and universities. Broadly speaking, Americans do not fully appreciate the sweeping changes that occurred in the higher education landscape in the past decade.
National Survey of Super Bowl Impressions, 2019
On February 3, 2019, the New England Patriots triumphed over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. The APM Research Lab sought to learn whether host city Atlanta, Georgia, also “won”—by leaving a positive impression on Americans during its time in the national media spotlight.
MPR News | Star Tribune Minnesota Poll, October 2018
The MPR News | Star Tribune Minnesota Poll interviewed 800 Minnesotans identified as likely voters, to understand their views on high-level races and political issues in the news.
MPR News | Star Tribune Minnesota Poll, September 2018
The MPR News | Star Tribune Minnesota Poll interviewed 800 Minnesotans identified as likely voters, to understand their views on high-level races and political issues in the news. The poll was conducted during September 10-12, 2018.
How Americans relate to water: A qualitative study for The Water Main
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about the role of water in your life? This is one of the questions respondents answered in the qualitative study “How Americans Relate to Water.”
Labor unions and “right-to-work”
The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2018 ruling in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) case—which struck down mandated fees from those covered by employment contracts in public unions—has wide-ranging implications for the future of organized labor.
Polling season ahead: What you need to know
Now that we are several states into the primaries, with the mid-term elections nearly upon us, there couldn’t be a better time to review some fundamentals about political polling.
2017 Ground Level Survey of Minnesotans
We asked a representative sample of more than 1,650 Minnesotans—from the Twin Cities and throughout Greater Minnesota and major regional centers—what they think about everything from their own personal finances to the future of our state.
National Survey of Super Bowl Impressions, 2018
We conducted the National Survey of Super Bowl Impressions to assess whether Americans knew that Minneapolis was the host city, and whether media coverage of the event changed their impressions of Minneapolis as a desirable place to visit.
Who has a permit to carry a gun in public? And what are they thinking?
Little is known about the characteristics of those who legally carry handguns in public and how their opinions might vary from (or be similar to) those who do not. A recent report and our Ground Level Survey shed some light on both.
Male, female, or something else?
Caitlyn Jenner. Bathroom bans and related boycotts. Amazon Prime’s Golden Globe winning Transparent series. President Trump’s (now overturned) order excluding transgendered individuals from the military. Questioning the traditional male-female gender binary is now part of our national dialogue.
Minnesotans: United on water, divided on immigration
If Minnesota competed in a pageant, it might take the “Optimism” crown—if that were even a thing. The Ground Level Survey that we recently completed with Minnesota Public Radio News found that 82 percent of Minnesotans feel hopeful about the state’s future.
Just over half of Minnesotans report personal financial progress over the decade
When we designed the Ground Level Survey, we were especially curious about Minnesotans’ sense of their financial circumstances and whether they felt they had improved or deteriorated since 2007—just preceding the financial crisis and subsequent recession with its long tail.
Do more Minnesotans want lower taxes, or services that require taxes?
“I don’t know off the top of my head. Lowering taxes.” That was one response to the broadest open-ended question on the recent MPR News | APM Research Lab Ground Level Survey.