50+ Essential Political Survey Questions + Free Customizable Template

Looking for good political survey questions? Here you go!

In this article, we will:

• Define a political survey.
• Cover six types of political survey questions.
• Learn how political surveys can do more than just boost election readiness.
• Tips to craft an election-ready political survey.

What is a Political Survey?

A political survey is a study of voters from a particular sample.

Political survey questions measure the chosen voter sample’s feedback, attitudes, and opinions. The data is used for various purposes, like crafting election campaigns and formulating policy.

Six Types of Political Survey Questions

Here are six types of political survey questions with examples. Like the questions about political ideology, some types can vary depending on the political situation in your region.

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Political Survey Question Template

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Now, let’s explore the political survey question examples below.

1. Political Participation Survey Questions

1. How likely are you to go vote in the coming election?
2. When was the last time you voted in a national/local poll?
3. Do you talk to people about who to vote for?

Please state your level of agreement for each statement. Have you: 

1. Attended a political rally, speech, or event?
2. Worked or volunteered for a political party, campaign, or candidate?
3. Been an active member of a group (not including a political party) that tries to influence public policy or government?
4. Contacted an elected official?
5. Contributed money to a candidate or a group working to elect a candidate?
6. Displayed a poster or bumper sticker or worn clothing or a button related to a political campaign?
7. Publicly express your support for a campaign on social media.

Note: Remember to include a ‘None of the Above’ for non-participants and a ‘Don’t Know’ option for voters who are unsure.

2. Political Survey Questions to Ask Affiliates

1. Which political party do you support?
2. Why did you choose your present political affiliation?
3. Have you been a member of the same party your whole life?
4. Do you have issues or queries that you want to be addressed by the political party you support?
5. What are the most significant political issues for you?
6. How much do you trust the current government to work for you?
7. Have you ever considered switching to another political party?
8. Which traits do you like to see in the candidates you vote for?
9. What actions by a candidate will win your vote?
10. What actions by a candidate will lose your vote?

3. Political Ideology Survey Questions

1. How do you describe yourself?
2. How strongly would you describe yourself as this?
3. Whom did you vote for in the previous election?

State your agreement with the following: 

1. There ought to be stricter regulations on using money in political campaigns.
2. Reservations should be for low-income families only.
3. Corporations should not have a role in political campaigns.
4.  There should be stricter laws and regulations to eradicate corruption
5. The government has to be transparent about all initiatives to the public.
6. We should work towards building stronger relationships with neighboring countries.
7.  The government should increase incentives for corporations that are environment-friendly.

Suggested Tool: Political Opinion Research Survey Template

4. Political Awareness and Political Knowledge Survey Questions

1. Are you registered to vote?
2. Where are you registered to vote?
3. How many elections have you voted in?
4. How do you assess a political candidate?
5. Do you feel comfortable discussing politics with other people?
6. How often do you talk about politics with others?
7. Do you share the same political views as your parents/spouse/family members?
8. Where do you get your political news?
9. How strongly do political ads resonate with you?
10. Did you take a political science course in school/college?

5. Survey Questions on Political Effectiveness

How much do you agree with the following:

1. I can freely and publicly express my political opinions.
2. I can influence the enactment of new laws.
3. Public officials care what a person like me thinks.
4. I can successfully demand that existing laws be observed.
5. The current government is transparent about how decisions are made.
6. The government is interested in ensuring equal rights for all parties and groups.
7. We can trust the government to do what’s right.
8. The government is interested in fulfilling the lawful demands of the citizens.
9. The government lets citizens express their views freely on any topic.
10. Sometimes, local politics and government seem so complicated that a person like me can’t truly understand what’s truly going on.

6. Political Survey Questions to Ask Politicians

1. What are your top three policy priorities for the upcoming legislative session?
2. How do you plan to address ongoing issues such as healthcare, education, and economic development?
3. What steps will you take to address environmental concerns, particularly climate change and conservation?
4. Can you describe your approach to leadership and how you make decisions?
5. How do you plan to work with politicians from opposing parties to achieve legislative goals?
6. What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in your role?
7. How do you approach ethical dilemmas, and what principles guide your decision-making?
8. What are your views on the relationship between personal morality and political responsibility?

Here’s a sample political survey questionnaire created with SurveySparrow. 

Customize our templates for mobile forms or chat surveys. Or, immediately create your own political opinion poll template with SurveySparrow’s AI survey builder. 

Why conduct political surveys?

Questions on politics can help you with the following:

• Get the pulse of voters, and identify what they care about the most.
• Forewarn about voter intentions and opinions so that a candidate can design their campaign platform accordingly.
• Fine-tune political campaign messaging for a candidate’s voter base.
• Learn the strengths and weaknesses of rival candidates.
• Discover a candidate’s stance on burning issues.
• Identify supporters for your campaign.
• Project voter trends across demographic groups, like prevailing opinion and expected turnout.
• Predict electoral outcomes.
• Avoid damage to a candidate’s reputation.
• Enable first-time and potential voters with the information they need.
• Get feedback and reactions on political events or speeches.
• Collect first-hand data for political science research.

Related: The 10 Best Live Poll Apps

Tips for crafting political surveys

a. Use clear and specific wording. Even a slight language change can significantly impact the survey results. Here’s an example from a January 2003 survey by Pew Research Center:

“When people were asked whether they would “favor or oppose taking military action in Iraq to end Saddam Hussein’s rule,” 68% said they favored military action while 25% said they opposed military action.

However, when asked whether they would “favor or oppose taking military action in Iraq to end Saddam Hussein’s rule even if it meant that U.S. forces might suffer thousands of casualties,” responses were dramatically different; only 43% said they favored military action, while 48% said they opposed it.” - Pew Research Center

b. Keep the surveys anonymous to protect the respondents’ identities. Political views can be a sensitive subject – anonymous surveys encourage respondents to answer truthfully. This increases the reliability of your survey results.

c. Test the survey before you send it. As this example from Bad Survey Question shows…

Always proof your surveys before they’re live, folks @BadSurveyQ pic.twitter.com/PrVLBSOMLX

— Wes Patterson (@Wes_Insights) February 11, 2022

Wrapping Up

In this article, we’ve covered the five types of political survey questions that are frequently asked in surveys, polls, and quizzes. 

Along with that, we’ve also shared a few tips to craft a winning (no pun intended!) political survey. Happy surveying!

PS:  Got questions about SurveySparrow? We’re just a chat away.