The SLU/YouGov Poll fills a void in the study of public opinion in Missouri. No other academic institution regularly conducts a non-partisan, scientific survey of Missouri voters and publicly makes its results available to citizens, researchers, and policymakers. The SLU/YouGov Poll aligns with SLU’s Jesuit mission to pursue Truth for the common good. It also contributes to the mission of “faith that does justice” by informing SLU’s surrounding communities to improve solidarity within those communities. The SLU You/Gov Poll, for example, regularly asks Missourians for their opinion on government spending for the poor, race relations in their communities, views on education and law enforcement.
Poll Director Steven Rogers, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, leads a team of experts in survey research and policymaking. The associate director of the SLU/YouGov Poll is Kenneth Warren, Ph.D., professor of political science, who has more than 30 years of professional polling experience. Gary Ritter, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education, is the executive sponsor of the SLU/YouGov Poll.
SLU has partnered with YouGov to conduct its annual survey of Missourians. YouGov conducts surveys for multiple academic institutions and is the primary trusted survey firm for media organizations including CBS News and The Economist. An independent Pew Research Center study of online survey firms in 2016 further concluded YouGov “consistently outperforms competitors.”
The origins of the SLU/YouGov Poll lie in an internal Big Ideas competition to define university-wide strategic research priorities sponsored by the SLU Research Institute. The Big Ideas competition provides funding to research initiatives that demonstrate broad faculty engagement, strong leadership and compelling research plans.
For questions or suggestions for the SLU/YouGov Poll, contact SLU Poll Director Steven Rogers, Ph.D., at [email protected].
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