What America's Research Group Does and How It Operates

America's Research Group is a polling and survey firm that conducts public opinion research across the United States

America's Research Group (ARG) is a polling organization that measures public opinion on political candidates, policy issues, and current events. The firm conducts surveys by telephone and online, asking Americans about their views on elections, government performance, and other topics that shape political discourse. ARG's polls appear in news coverage, campaign strategy, and political analysis throughout election cycles and between them.

The organization operates as a private research company, not a government agency. It sells its polling data and analysis to media outlets, political campaigns, and other clients who want to understand what Americans think about specific issues or candidates. ARG has been active in American politics since the 1990s and maintains a track record of published polls that are part of the public record.

Key Takeaways

• America's Research Group conducts telephone and online surveys to measure what Americans think about elections, candidates, and policy issues.
• The firm's polls are used by news organizations, campaigns, and political analysts to understand public opinion trends.
• ARG publishes its polling methodology and results publicly, allowing journalists and researchers to review how surveys were conducted.
• The organization operates as a private business that sells research services, not as a government program or public institution.

How ARG Conducts Polls and Surveys

America's Research Group uses two main methods to reach respondents: telephone surveys and online panels. For telephone polling, the firm contacts a random sample of voters in a specific state or region and asks a series of questions about candidates, issues, or approval ratings. The questions are standardized so that responses can be compared across different surveys and time periods.

Online surveys work differently. ARG recruits people into a panel—a group of volunteers who agree to answer surveys regularly—and then sends them questionnaires through email or a website. Online panels allow the firm to reach respondents quickly and at lower cost than telephone surveys, though telephone polling is often considered more rigorous because it uses random sampling rather than volunteers who self-select into a panel.

ARG publishes the details of its methodology with each poll release, including the number of respondents, the dates the survey was conducted, the margin of error, and how the sample was weighted to match the overall population. This transparency allows news organizations and other users to evaluate the poll's reliability and compare it to other surveys on the same topic.

Who Uses America's Research Group's Data

Media outlets use ARG polls to report on election races, approval ratings, and public opinion on major issues. During presidential campaigns and midterm elections, news organizations cite ARG surveys alongside polls from other firms to show how candidates are performing and which issues matter most to voters. Between elections, ARG polls track approval ratings for sitting officials and measure public sentiment on legislation or current events.

Political campaigns also purchase ARG research to understand their own standing with voters and to test messages before spending money on advertising. A campaign might commission a poll to see whether voters know about a candidate's position on healthcare, or to measure whether a particular attack message moves opinion. This internal polling helps campaigns decide where to spend resources and what to emphasize in their communications.

Academic researchers and think tanks use ARG data to study trends in American public opinion over time. Because ARG publishes its results publicly, researchers can access the data to analyze how opinion has shifted on specific issues or to compare ARG's findings to other polling firms.

Understanding Polling Margins of Error and Reliability

Every poll has a margin of error—a range that accounts for the fact that surveying a sample of people, rather than everyone, introduces uncertainty. If a poll shows a candidate leading by 5 percentage points with a margin of error of 3 points, the true result could be anywhere from a 2-point lead to an 8-point lead. Larger samples produce smaller margins of error, and smaller samples produce larger margins of error.

ARG typically surveys between 600 and 1,200 respondents per poll, depending on the scope of the survey. A statewide poll of 1,000 voters has a margin of error of roughly 3 percentage points. A national poll of the same size has a slightly larger margin of error because the population is much larger. ARG reports its margin of error with each poll so readers know how much uncertainty to account for when interpreting results.

Polls can also be affected by how questions are worded, when the survey is conducted, and how the sample is weighted to match the actual population. ARG's published methodology describes these choices, but reasonable people can disagree about whether those choices were the best ones. This is why news organizations often report multiple polls on the same race or issue rather than relying on a single survey.

How ARG Polls Compare to Other Polling Firms

America's Research Group is one of many polling organizations operating in the United States. Other well-known firms include Gallup, Pew Research Center, Quinnipiac University, and Rasmussen Reports. Each firm has its own methodology, sample size, and approach to weighting data. Some firms conduct only telephone surveys, others use online panels, and some use a combination of both methods.

ARG's polls sometimes show different results than other firms' polls on the same race or issue. These differences can stem from different sample sizes, different timing, different question wording, or different weighting methods. When multiple polls show similar results, confidence in those results increases. When polls diverge significantly, it signals that there is genuine uncertainty or that one or more polls may have methodological issues.

News organizations and political analysts track multiple polling firms over time to identify trends rather than relying on any single poll. A candidate's support might be 45 percent in one ARG poll and 48 percent in a Quinnipiac poll conducted at the same time, but if both firms show the candidate's support rising over the previous month, that upward trend is likely real even if the exact current level is uncertain.

Where to Find America's Research Group Polls

ARG polls are published on news websites, political analysis sites, and polling aggregators that collect results from multiple firms. Major news outlets like CNN, Fox News, and others have reported ARG polls in their election coverage. The firm's results also appear on sites like RealClearPolitics and FiveThirtyEight, which compile polls from many organizations and calculate averages.

ARG's own website publishes recent polls and methodology details. If you are looking for a specific ARG poll on a particular race or issue, searching the firm's name along with the topic will usually surface recent results. News archives also contain articles that cite ARG polls, allowing you to see how the firm's data was used in coverage of elections or political events.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is America's Research Group affiliated with the government?

No. ARG is a private company that conducts polling for news organizations, campaigns, and other clients. It is not part of any government agency and does not receive government funding for its polls. The firm operates as a business that sells research services.

How accurate are America's Research Group polls?

ARG polls are as accurate as their methodology allows. Telephone and online surveys have margins of error that account for sampling uncertainty. Polls can be affected by question wording, timing, and how the sample is weighted. Comparing multiple polls on the same topic gives a more reliable picture than any single survey.

Can I participate in an America's Research Group survey?

ARG contacts respondents for telephone surveys through random digit dialing. If you receive a call from the firm, you can choose to participate or decline. For online surveys, ARG recruits panel members through its website. Participation is voluntary in both cases.

Why do different polls show different results for the same race?

Polls differ because of sample size, timing, question wording, and weighting methods. A poll conducted early in a campaign may show different results than one conducted closer to Election Day. Different firms may also define "likely voters" differently, which affects who is included in the sample.

Where can I see the full results of an ARG poll?

ARG publishes poll results on its website and through news outlets that report its findings. The firm includes methodology details, sample size, margin of error, and the exact questions asked. News articles citing ARG polls often link to the full results or provide a summary of the key findings.