Cross Tabs

Political polling, especially among minority communities hasn't always had a great track record of representation, and of deep understanding of racial dynamics and ways different communities interact with ideas of civic participation. This conversation explores how allegiance to one's country and sense of belonging shape political participation, challenging more simplistic ideas about what kinds of participation matter, and why people do it. Dr. Ray Block, a professor at Penn State who also studies "truth decay" at the RAND Corporation, brings his expertise in social identity and political involvement to the discussion. He shares insights on the evolving landscape of polling, the importance of community-focused research, and the role of protest in American democracy. Together we explore the nuances of political engagement, offering a fresh perspective on how we understand and measure civic participation.  Resources Dr Block's Allegiance and Belonging Study Google’s work on “Understanding America’s Interested Bystander”Presentation at Personal Democracy Forum 2015African American Research Collaborative: https://africanamericanresearch.us/ Our Guest Ray Block Jr., Ph.D., is senior research advisor for the African American Research Collaborative. He has led their research design on a range of polls, including research involving elections, health policy, and African Americans’ policy goals. Block is also the Brown-McCourtney Endowed Career Professor at the McCourtney Institute for Democracy and associate professor of Political Science and African American Studies at Pennsylvania State University. Block received his B.A. in philosophy and political science from Howard University and his Ph.D. in political science from The Ohio State University. Your Host Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.  Subscribe to Cross Tabs Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Cross Tabs on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify Sign up for our newsletter at crosstabspod.substack.com to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox. 

The shadowy world of online survey fraud threatens to undermine market research. Sophisticated scammers exploit programmatic sample systems lacking fraud controls to skew results. As the industry grapples with this growing problem, researchers must adopt new technologies and partnerships to ensure data quality and maintain trust. In this episode of Crosstabs, host Farrah Bostic continues her conversation with Rich Ratcliff, Chief Trust Officer at Opinion Route. They discuss the challenges of detecting and preventing survey fraud in the digital age, the importance of choosing the right sample partners, and the potential impact of AI – both positively and negatively – on research. Ratcliff emphasizes the need for researchers to embrace new technologies and partnerships to combat fraud while maintaining the human element in market research. Researchers will want to hear Ratcliff’s valuable advice on how to navigate the evolving landscape of online surveys and data collection to ensure our careful designs aren’t undermined by fraudulent respondents. Resources ResTech Landscape Map: https://www.restecher.com/landscape/  "The Sample Bubble in the Form of a Conference Recap" https://www.opinionroute.com/blog/samplecon-2024-highlights-2-2/ "Securing the Survey Link": https://www.opinionroute.com/dataquality/securing-the-survey-link-2/   Our Guest Rich Ratcliff is the Chief Trust Officer at OpinionRoute, a company that delivers accurate data by utilizing expertise in online survey sampling and proprietary technology solutions to simplify research processes, which enables clients to scale and researchers to stay ahead in a dynamic and competitive market. Your Host Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn. Stay Connected Cross Tabs website & newsletter: https://www.crosstabspodcast.com Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox. Subscribe to Cross Tabs Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Cross Tabs on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify 

The multi-billion dollar online survey industry is rife with fraud, from individual survey hackers to sophisticated crime rings, exploiting the system for profit. Uncover the hidden world of survey fraud and learn how misaligned incentives, fragmented processes, and technological innovations meant to improve feasibility have led to an present threat of bogus respondents and invalid data.In this riveting episode of Cross Tabs, guest Rich Ratcliff, Chief Trust Officer at OpinionRoute, joins host Farrah Bostic to expose the seedy underbelly of the market research industry. Rich shares his extensive knowledge gleaned from 30 years in the business, including firsthand experience interviewing survey fraudsters. Together, they explore the evolution of sampling methods, the unintended consequences of programmatic sampling, and the critical importance of data quality in an era of widespread survey fraud.ResourcesInside the Minds of Survey Fraudsters — Fascinating videos from Ratcliff's interviews with survey hackers about their techniquesISO 20252 - https://www.iso.org/news/ref2369.html — The research ISO for quantitative research, which is 50 pages long and important for understanding data qualityInsights Association — Data Integrity Initiative OpinionRoute — an online survey operations company that helps market researchers eliminate the operational surprises and delays that disrupt projects using a blend of technology and human expertise.Our GuestRich Ratcliff is the Chief Trust Officer at OpinionRoute, a company that delivers accurate data by utilizing expertise in online survey sampling and proprietary technology solutions to simplify research processes. This enables clients to scale and researchers to stay ahead in a dynamic and competitive market.Your HostFarrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at https://www.thedifferenceengine.co/ , a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.Website & newsletter: https://www.crosstabspodcast.com -- Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Political polling operates in a landscape shaped by evolving methodologies, true demographic shifts, and the challenges of capturing accurate data in the digital age. What sample source you draw from, what sample frame you use, how you design your survey questions — all of it can affect the outcome of a survey.In this episode, Farrah Bostic speaks with Andrew Mercer, a senior research methodologist at the Pew Research Center. Mercer shares his expertise on the intricacies of political polling, including the rise of mixed-method surveys, the impact of bogus responding in online, opt-in sample, the nuances of question design, and the importance of transparency. The conversation offers valuable insights for anyone seeking to navigate the world of political polling (or other survey research) with a more critical eye.ResourcesNational Public Opinion Reference Survey – Pew ResearchStudy on PartyID by Pew Research CenterHow Public Opinion Polling Has Changed in the 21st Century - Pew ResearchOnline opt-in polls can produce misleading results, especially for young people and Hispanic adults - Pew ResearchOur GuestAndrew Mercer is a senior research methodologist at Pew Research Center. He is an expert on probability-based online panels, nonprobability survey methods, survey nonresponse, and statistical analysis. His research focuses on methods of identifying and correcting bias in survey samples. He leads the Center's research on nonprobability samples and co-authored several reports and publications.He also served on the American Association for Public Opinion Research's task force on Data Quality Metrics for Online Samples. He has authored blog posts and analyses, making methodological concepts such as margin of error and oversampling accessible to a general audience.Prior to joining the Center, Mercer was a senior survey methodologist at Westat. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from Carleton College and a master's and doctoral degrees in survey methodology from the University of Maryland. His research has been published in Public Opinion Quarterly and the Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology.Your HostFarrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into practical strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.‌Website & newsletter: https://www.crosstabspodcast.com — Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

The battle for political salience is heating up as campaigns push competing narratives ahead of the 2024 election. But what do the latest polls really tell us about the mood of the electorate and the issues driving their vote? In this episode of Cross Tabs, Aaron Zitner, editor and reporter in the Washington Bureau of the Wall Street Journal, joins host Farrah Bostic to discuss the Wall Street Journal's polling program. Zitner shares insights on the shifting coalitions, voter turnout patterns, and issue priorities that could decide the election, and offers advice on how to be a savvy consumer of polls in a highly unpredictable political environment.ResourcesPoll: Election interest hits new low in tight Biden-Trump race (NBC News)Five Takeaways From the WSJ Swing-State Poll (Wall Street Journal)Survey of Consumers (University of Michigan)What Happened™ In 2022 (Catalist)Harvard Youth PollOur GuestAaron Zitner is a reporter and editor in The Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau, focusing largely on how politics are driven by demographic and economic change. He also reports on trends in polling. Earlier, he was the Journal's national politics editor.Previously, Aaron was deputy chief of the Washington bureau for the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and other Tribune newspapers. He helped lead presidential campaign coverage for the Los Angeles Times and served as the paper’s White House and Washington economics editor.Your HostFarrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at https://www.thedifferenceengine.co/ and connect with Farrah at https://www.linkedin.com/in/farrahbostic/.Stay ConnectedWebsite & newsletter: https://www.crosstabspodcast.comSign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

In this episode of Cross Tabs, we delve into the complexities and limitations of public opinion polling with guest Mike Podhorzer. Mike, a seasoned political strategist with a rich history in the labor movement, most recently as former political director of the AFL-CIO, walks us through the weaknesses and blind spots of public polling. We touch on topics such as the differences between polling data and actual voting behavior, the flaws of national polls versus state by state or regional "ecosystem" polling, and how polling can distort public perception and affect campaign strategies. We also discussed the historical context and evolution of polling, highlighting key issues like the misinterpretation of voters' priorities and the psychological impact of polling on voter turnout. But it's not all bad news - Mike does offer insights into how polling can be improved and how better strategies can be employed in political campaigns.Mentioned Resources:"We Gave Four Good Pollsters the Same Raw Data. They Had Four Different Results." by Nate Cohn for The Upshot at the New York Times. "Mad Poll Disease Redux" by Mike Podhorzer at Weekend Reading"A Cure for Mad Poll Disease" by Mike Podhorzer at Weekend Reading"The Newsroom is Not a Safe Space" by Ben Smith at Semafor"Terrible Food and Such Small Portions" by Mike Podhorzer at Weekend ReadingYou should definitely subscribe to Weekend Reading! Find it here: https://www.weekendreading.net/And don't forget to subscribe to the Cross Tabs podcast at https://www.crosstabspodcast.com/You can follow me on most social platforms at @farrahbosticOr email me with questions or comments at farrah@crosstabspodcast.comComing soon: a YouTube channel!!

Ever noticed public opinion pollsters talking about "matching survey respondents to the voter file"? No? Just me?Pollsters use voter file data - public records about who voted - to identify registered and likely voters. This data is used to shape election strategies and predict outcomes. Our guest reveals how raw voter rolls are transformed into powerful tools for micro-targeting and predictive modeling that campaigns rely on.In this episode of Cross Tabs, host Farrah Bostic and guest Paul Westcott, Executive Vice President at the political data firm L2, discuss the complex process of collecting, cleaning, and enriching voter data. Westcott shares fascinating insights into how L2 builds comprehensive voter profiles by combining public records with consumer data, enabling campaigns to identify and persuade key voter segments. The conversation also explores the challenges of polling methodology in an era of declining response rates.Resources"Hacking the Electorate: How Campaigns Perceive Voters" by Eitan Hersh"Race and ethnicity data for first, middle, and surnames" by Kosuke ImaiL2 Voter Mapping toolLiveRampAAPOR (Association of Public Opinion Researchers)Our GuestPaul Westcott is the Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at L2, where he has significantly expanded the company's footprint across various industries, including academia, consumer research, corporate government affairs, automotive, media, and B2C marketing. With over 300 U.S. Representatives and Senators utilizing L2, Paul has helped make the company the largest provider of constituent contact data to Congress. Prior to L2, Paul worked in media for NBC News, Fox News Channel, and iHeartMedia, where he created and hosted a daily talk show and podcast covering news and politics. Learn more about L2 at l2-data.com and connect with Paul on LinkedIn.Your HostFarrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.Stay ConnectedWebsite & newsletter: crosstabspodcast.comSign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

In an era of widespread mistrust in public polling, a deep dive into the world of political surveys reveals stark differences between public and private polling methodologies. Strategic research consultants Shannon Janean Currie and Natalie Lupiani at Benenson Strategy Group share insider insights on crafting effective polls, identifying key voter segments, and navigating the challenges of an increasingly complex electoral landscape.With extensive experience in qualitative and quantitative research, these experts discuss the nuances of understanding undecided voters, the impact of question wording and order, and the critical role of transparency in building trust in polling results. They also share their pet peeves about the public discourse surrounding polls and offer advice for consumers navigating the deluge of political polling data.Mentioned resources:Echelon Insights “Do Voters Have The Wrong Kennedy In Mind?”: Do Voters Have The Wrong Kennedy In Mind?Harvard Youth Poll 46th Edition - Fall 2023Dan Balz “Collision 2012: The Future of Election Politics in a Divided America”: Amazon Link - Collision 2012: The Future of Election Politics in a Divided AmericaBenenson Strategy Group: Benenson Strategy Group | Strategic Consultants | United StatesDon't forget to hit subscribe in whatever app this is!Here are all the ways to keep in touch:Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, CrossTabsPodcast.comFollow Farrah on instagram and threads at @farrahbosticOr follow Farrah for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farrahbostic/No punditry. No predictions. Just the polls and how to make sense of them.

Amelia Showalter, co-founder and CEO of Pantheon Analytics, former Director of Digital Analytics for President Obama’s re-election campaign, talks to Farrah about the use of data experiments by campaigns to drive donations, volunteerism and turnout in elections. They also discuss the art of redistricting and the importance of local knowledge, and the way vote by mail has evolved, both as a partisan issue and a true driver of voter participation.AUDIO NOTE: It's all Farrah's fault that the audio is not quite as nice as normal. Reminder not to disturb the Volt 2 during recording. (oops)Don't forget to hit subscribe in whatever app this is!Here are all the ways to keep in touch:Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, CrossTabsPodcast.comFollow Farrah on instagram and threads at @farrahbosticOr follow Farrah for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farrahbostic/No punditry. No predictions. Just the polls and how to make sense of them.

David Radloff, co-founder of Clarity Campaign Labs which provides modeling and analytics, polling and strategy for Democratic campaigns, progressive organizations and non-profits, joins Farrah to talk about how campaigns create and use predictive models - about party preference and about turnout - to develop campaign strategy and predict electoral outcomes. Don't forget to hit subscribe in whatever app this is!Here are all the ways to keep in touch:Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, CrossTabsPodcast.comFollow Farrah on instagram and threads at @farrahbosticOr follow Farrah for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farrahbostic/No punditry. No predictions. Just the polls and how to make sense of them.