University of Texas at Austin
Libraries Home | My Account | Renew Items | Sitemap | Help

University of Texas Libraries

Find Public Opinion (Polls and Surveys)

Polls and surveys are the most common ways to measure public opinion. The results of polls and surveys are published in various sources.

Databases

Polling the Nations, 1986-present
Find responses from 14,000 surveys conducted in the United States and 80 other countries. Full-text.

Academic OneFile
Includes full-text of many Gallup Polls and publications. Type in your topic keywords and add "and public opinion" to your search. Ex. "Iraq war and public opinion"

Academic Search Complete, 1990-present
Includes some full-text articles from the journal Public Opinion Quarterly from 1965 to the present. Type in your topic keywords and add "and public opinion" to your search. Ex. "Iraq war and public opinion".

Web Resources

PollingReport.com
Find results of recent polls, election polls, and surveys on hot topics in the news.

Public Agenda Online
Find data and reports on current issues written by a non-partisan research group.

Pew Research Center
Find results of recent polls, organized by topic, including international opinions.

Quinnipiac University Polling Institute
Find results of regular surveys of issues of public concern, organized by location, date, and topic.

FAQs

How do I find historical polling data of American opinions?
There are numerous print and some online sources for this type of data. The following are good starting places:
  1. National Election Studies Guide provides data for public opinion and electoral behavior and choice in American politics from 1948-2004.

  2. Gallup Poll Public Opinion (HN 90 P8 G35, PCL Reference) contains public opinion polls from 1935 to the present.

Need help? Ask A Librarian.