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The Winthrop Poll is a long-term survey initiative designed to keep public policy makers across the country in touch with the attitudes and opinions of citizens in South Carolina and the entire southern region. It also serves to inform South Carolinians, and southerners as a whole, of the opinions and views of their neighbors.

It is the only regular “snapshot” of public policy attitudes of the residents of the state of South Carolina and the South as a region. The survey methodology of the Social & Behavioral Research Lab has been vetted by top news organizations and their polling experts. The results have been covered by national and international news organizations including CNN, NBC Nightly News, ABC News, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the LA Times, The Miami Herald, Politico.com, News Hour (PBS), NPR, BBC, AFP (Agence France-Presse), Tokyo Broadcasting System, and many more.

Trained interviewers administer the polls in the telephone survey research lab on campus. Results are shared with media, citizens, and public officials to help public policy makers across the country stay in touch with the attitudes and opinions of not only South Carolinians but also of those across the region and to track those opinions over time. The first statewide poll took place in fall 2006.

The 2009 Winthrop Poll was brought to you, in part, by the John C. West Forum

Full Methodology Statement for November 2009 Winthrop Poll

The November survey includes respondents aged 18 years and older from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

This survey includes responses from 866 respondents giving results which use all respondents a margin of error of +/- 3.33% at the 95% confidence level. Reported results using a subset of the entire sample will naturally have a higher margin of error.

The survey was in the field from October 24 through November 7, 2009. Phone calls were made during weekday evenings, all day Saturdays, and Sunday afternoons and evenings. Weekday daytime calls are not made to avoid oversampling those who are more likely to be at home during the day (e.g. retirees, stay-at-home-moms, etc.).

Data are weighted by state population (proportion of total 18 years and over population for the region contained in that state), by race (within state), by age (within state), and by sex (within state).

The survey used Random Digit Dialing (RDD) and wireless phone number sampling. Both the RDD sample and the wireless sample were purchased from Survey Sampling International (SSI). A further explanation of RDD methodology, with descriptions taken from SSI’s website, may be found below.

Phone numbers selected for the survey were re-dialed five or more times in an attempt to reach a respondent. Once a household was reached, we also employed procedures to randomize within households.

Computerized autodialers were not used in order to ensure the survey of wireless phones complied with the Telephone Consumers Protection Act and all FCC rules regarding contacting wireless telephones.
Additional Explanation of RDD Methodology :

(with descriptions taken from SSI website)

Samples are generated using a database of “working blocks.” A block (also known as a 100-bank or a bank) is a set of 100 contiguous numbers identified by the first two digits of the last four digits of a telephone number. For example, in the telephone number 203-567-7200, “72” is the block. A block is termed to be working if some specified number of listed telephone numbers are found in that block.

Samples of random numbers distributed across all eligible blocks in proportion to their density of listed telephone households are selected. All blocks within a county are organized in ascending order by area code, exchange, and block number. Once the quota has been allocated to all counties in the frame, a sampling interval is calculated by summing the number of listed residential numbers in eligible blocks within the county and dividing that sum by the number of sampling points assigned to the county. From a random start between zero and the sampling interval, blocks are systematically selected in proportion to their density of listed households. Once a block has been selected, a two-digit number is systematically selected in the range 00-99 and is appended to the exchange and block to form a 10-digit telephone number.

Selected Previous Results

* May 21, 2009: Results Are In for Latest Winthrop/ETV Poll of 11 Southern States

Only 56 Percent Have Confidence in Pres. Obama's Ability to Handle Threats to US; President's Approval Rating Is Under 50 Percent, With Same Number Saying Country Is Headed in Wrong Direction; Economy Remains the Most Important Problem Facing the Country; Majority Have "Bootstrap Mentality" Regarding Advancement of African Americans and Don't Believe Generations of Slavery and Discrimination; Have Made It Harder For Them to Work Their Way Up
Press Release • Data

* Feb. 26, 2009: Latest Results Are In for Groundbreaking Winthrop/ETV Poll Survey Solely of African Americans in 11 Southern States

They Show That While 85 Percent Say National Economy Is Tanking; 70 Percent Say U.S. Is on the Right Track;75 Percent Say Pres. Obama's Election Will Lead to Less Discrimination in U.S.; Over 96 Percent Feel Obama's Policies Will Treat Whites and Blacks Equally, and Almost 26 Percent Say His Policies Will Favor Poor Over Rich
Press Release • Data