Forecasting models using Facebook data can be more accurate at predicting election outcomes than polling

… As Facebook morphed into a ubiquitous social utility used by seventy-one percent of Americans and “popular across a diverse mix of demographic groups,” my colleague, Ed Erickson, and I speculated that Facebook data might very well provide a reliable measure of campaign effectiveness and enable the development of a […] Read more »

Voters Were Just As Diverse In 2014 As They Were In 2008

As the United States becomes more diverse, Republicans are supposedly going to suffer. Nothing encapsulated this theory more than President Obama’s 2008 election, powered by nonwhite voters — mainly Hispanics, black people and Asians. In politics, “demographics are destiny,” as the saying goes. But that’s not right, as I have […] Read more »

Latino Voters Key Factor in Success of Environmental Ballot Initiatives in 2014

A groundbreaking study released today finds evidence that Latinos’ stated concerns for the environment and protection of America’s public lands is demonstrated at the voting booth – and impacts policy. The new research brief, released by leading pollster Latino Decisions and the nonprofit Hispanic Access Foundation, analyzed the results of […] Read more »

2014: Right Turn on a Bumpy Road

Analysis of ABC News/Washington Post poll results on the 2014 midterm elections and a look ahead to 2016. Produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates and presented by Gary Langer at the annual meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, May 15, 2015, in Hollywood, Florida. Langer […] Read more »