The Rhode Island Survey Initiative

Opinion polling focused on the Ocean State

The Rhode Island Survey Initiative is an effort by URI researchers to gather insights from Rhode Islanders about issues that are important to the Ocean State through an annual opinion poll.

Researchers from URI’s Harrington School of Communication and Media; Social Science Institute for Research, Education, and Policy; and Department of Political Science devise the surveys, which are administered by YouGov, an international internet-based market research and data analytics firm.

Our goals:

Fill a gap in statewide polling by creating consistent, wide-ranging opinion surveys focused on Rhode Island.

Provide a tool for policymakers, media, academic researchers, and others interested in key issues affecting the Ocean State.

Advance research related to media, communication, political science, and other social science disciplines.

Give students opportunities to work alongside faculty experts to identify issues, craft survey questions, and analyze data.

2023 Survey Results

For the first edition of the Rhode Island Survey, researchers surveyed via the internet a representative sample of 500 Rhode Islanders ages 18 and older between Aug. 17 to Sept. 6, 2023. The results provide insights into Rhode Islanders’ attitudes toward public education, trust in government and elections, political media consumption, and a host of other issues.

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In the News

How trusted are state and local governments? -
Providence Journal: Do Rhode Islanders trust their government? Here’s what a new URI poll found. - In its first big foray into public-opinion polling, the state-funded University of Rhode Island found majority support for more public spending on education, significant distrust for government at all levels and a nothing-to-brag-about 27% job approval rating for Gov. Dan McKee
Providence Business News: URI poll: Education funding should increase, trust in government low - Rhode Islanders feel state and local K-12 education funding should increase, support investment in the blue economy

New URI poll gauges Rhode Island attitudes on education, politics - Newly launched Rhode Island Survey Initiative is an effort by URI researchers to establish ongoing opinion polling for the Ocean State
Boston Globe: URI poll finds low levels of trust in all levels of government - The new poll also finds 27 percent approve and 27 percent disapprove of Governor Daniel McKee’s job performance

The Rhode Island Survey Initiative is led by an interdisciplinary team of faculty and students from multiple departments at URI. The team identifies key issues, formulates survey questions, and analyzes results.

Meet the Team

The Rhode Island Survey Initiative is a collaboration between the Harrington School of Communication and Media; Social Science Institute for Research, Education, and Policy; Department of Political Science; and College of Arts and Sciences.

URI Harrington School Research

Faculty and students at the Harrington School of Communication and Media are advancing the understanding of a rapidly evolving communications ecosystem through collaborative, cross-disciplinary research and scholarship.

Social Science Institute for Research, Education, and Policy

The Social Science Institute for Research, Education, and Policy (SSIREP) at URI is a campus-wide consortium that brings together campus units representing a wide range of disciplines.

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URI Department of Political Science

Our faculty are winners of prestigious teaching awards and leading researchers in areas ranging from post-Cold War Russian relations and technology’s impact on political campaigns to the role of emotions in decision making.

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Contact Us

Ranger Hall, Room 207
10 Ranger Road
Kingston, RI 02881

p: 401.874.2110
f: 401.874.2892
uriharringtonschool@etal.uri.edu