Issues Research That Connects Policy to People
Campaigns are fought on issues. Governments are judged on them. But understanding which issues actually move voters requires rigorous issues research that goes beyond surface-level polling.
Issue Salience Research
Issue salience research identifies which issues are genuinely top-of-mind for voters (not just highly rated when listed), which issues voters are willing to change their vote over, how salience varies across demographic segments, and how issue rankings shift in response to campaign messaging.
Policy Preference Research
Our policy preference research maps support levels for specific policy proposals, the conditions under which support grows or collapses, which objections are most persuasive among sceptics, and the language and framing that builds the broadest coalition.
Issue Framing Research
The same policy attracts radically different levels of support depending on framing. Issue framing research identifies the narratives, language, and metaphors that make a policy position compelling — and the frames that undermine it. We test multiple framings with target voter segments.
Opposition Issue Landscape
Understanding where opponents are strong on issues is as important as understanding your own strengths. Our opposition issue research maps the issue landscape the opponent is cultivating, identifies vulnerabilities in their positions, and tests contrast messaging.
Longitudinal Issue Tracking
Regularly fielded issue tracking surveys capture trend direction and help model where opinion is heading — essential for anticipating the issues that will define the next news cycle or electoral debate.
What We Deliver
| Deliverable | Format | Typical Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Issues Landscape Report | Salience, sentiment, and movement across priority issues | 4–5 weeks |
| Policy Messaging Guide | Which frames win on each issue, with persuader language | Included |
| Coalition Mapping | Which voter segments align with which policy positions | Included |
| Opposition Vulnerability Memo | Issues where the opposition's position underperforms | Included |
| Briefing Session | Working session with policy and communications leadership | Within 2 weeks of report |