Research

GSPM's Research Hub

The Graduate School of Political Management seeks to determine how today’s campaigns, candidates, and causes are succeeding in advancing their mission. Our applied politics, advocacy, and communications research, conducted in conjunction with strategic partners in the arena, is set to serve as benchmarks for the political and advocacy campaigns of the future.


Meet Our Experts

Our full-time faculty are seasoned researchers studying the latest tools, techniques, and strategies that are making an impact in the fields of politics, communications, and advocacy. They've also spent time in politics as Congressional staffers, White House appointees, lobbyists, and campaign professionals. 

 

 
Matt Dallek

Professor Matt Dallek

Research Interests: Presidential History, Homeland Security Politics, Republican Party Politics, Congress 

 

 


Our Research Projects

The GW GPA Study

The 2023 inaugural GW Government and Public Affairs (GPA) Study gathered input from federal, state and private sector communicators, as well as communications professionals who engage with the government on behalf of corporations and nonprofit associations. The groundbreaking research report explores government communications and lack of trust in the community.
 

View the GW GPA Report


GW Polling Project

The GW Politics Poll is a nationally recognized series of surveys conducted by YouGov and managed by GSPM, the GW School of Media and Public Affairs, and the Department of Political Science at the GW Columbian College of Arts & Sciences.

See Poll Results


The Mark Penn Presidential Pollsters Event

From FDR onward to Barack Obama, Presidents of the United States have established unique and private relationships with their pollsters. The Eventseeks to archive and examine the role public opinion plays in shaping decision-making strategy in the White House.

Discover the Event


Past Research Projects

PEORIA Project

The Graduate School of Political Management’s PEORIA Project seeks to quantify how voters react to campaign messages. Working with several data partners, GSPM researchers are discovering how messages reach the electorate; how those messages are being received and passed on through individuals’ personal networks; and who is getting the most “mainstream” and “social” media traction and converting it to action.

View the Project

 


The Shenkman Initiative: Applying Big Data for Political Success

The latest innovation to enter the campaign manager’s tool chest is “big data,” the computational and analytic processes keyed to large quantities of information about citizens. This initiative sought to research and teach how to use big data to spur collaborative action and make democracy work.

Explore the Initiative


Selected Research and Publications

In addition to our research projects, our Global Center for Political Engagement serves as a repository of valuable data, host for important speakers, and provider of opportunities for students to learn from experts in the field. Below is a selection of published works from our faculty. 

Campaigning for President

Campaigning for President 2016: Strategy and Tactics

Dr. Lara Brown and Professor Emeritus Dennis Johnson edited an examination of the 2016 presidential campaign by experts in the field.