Goucher Poll: Practicing Good Citizenship by Promoting Public Discourse

The Goucher Poll is conducted under the auspices of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center, which is housed in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Goucher College. The college supports the Goucher Poll to help foster a community where discourse is valued and practiced, and Goucher students administer the survey as part of the college's commitment to developing their sense of social responsibility.

The Goucher Poll is conducted in a 40-station, computer-aided telephone interviewer (CATI) lab. Using a sample of landlines and cell phones, the Goucher Poll draws upon a random sample of Maryland citizens to gauge perceptions toward important policy, social, and economic related issues.  

The Goucher Poll is fully funded by the Sarah T. Hughes Center endowment and does not take additional funding from any outside sources. The Goucher Poll seeks only to improve public discourse in the state by providing neutral and nonbiased information on citizen perceptions and opinions.  

Results of the Goucher Poll are shared with members of the campus community to facilitate scholarly research by Goucher faculty and undergraduate students.  The results are also released to members of the media and other interested groups to promote public discourse in the state.

Spring 2013 Poll

Field Dates: March 3-7

The Goucher Poll-which surveys citizens across Maryland-will begin releasing data from its most recent poll on March 12 and 14.

Important statewide issues that will be covered in this latest poll include: approval ratings of President Barack Obama, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Senator Ben Cardin, Governor Martin O'Malley, Congress, and the Maryland General Assembly; trust in government; direction of the state; transportation issues, including transportation projects and speed cameras; gun control; the death penalty; and hydraulic fracturing/fracking.

Press Release #1 (Available at noon on Tuesday, March 12)
Press Release #2 (Available at noon on Wednesday, March 13)
Press Release #3 (Available at noon on Friday, March 15)

Fall 2012 Poll 

Field Dates: October 21-25

The first Goucher Poll will survey Maryland citizens on several key issues including gambling, gay marriage, immigration, state spending and taxation, and general evaluations of public officials.  A full press advisory notice can be found here.  

We released the results of the Goucher Poll on Monday, October 29, and Tuesday, October 30.  

Press Release #1 (Available at 2 p.m. on Monday, October 29)
Press Release #2 (Available at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 30)